I originally decided to cruise the canal because it was someplace I hadn't cruised before and I have been intrigued by its history for a long time. Having cruised waterways with locks before, I had a general sense of what to expect and was fairly well prepared for the boating aspects. But I had very little knowledge of the specifics I would encounter. That's part of the adventure for me -- nosing around and discovering the details as I go along.

What I found that I liked:

The variety -- small rural towns, some urban areas and tourist towns, long stretches of undeveloped areas (dense greenery lining both banks, lots of wildlife in some sections, few or no other boaters), and topographical differences between the eastern and western sections of the canal. I could always find what fit my mood and needs at the time and, by paying attention to subtleties, I was rarely bored.

The relatively small number of cruisers on the canal. Most of the time I was out of sight and hearing of other boats. At night, there were usually one or two other boats at the tie-up -- enough to meet new people, swap tales and exchange information, and help each other out, but without the noise and other negatives that often accompany larger congregations of boaters. However, if you like crowds and festivities, many of the communities have canal and other festivals. For example, I hit Tonawanda during its annual Canal Fest -- boats were rafted three deep at the tie-up, there was a midway, lots of booths, and other activities.

The low cost. A season permit cost me $75. If you can't step and unstep your mast yourself, you will have to add that cost. I was able to tie-up to shore every night for free and almost always had access to water, shorepower, and restooms with showers.

The great people. Everyone I met was friendly, helpful, and informative -- the lockmasters and bridge tenders, the people staffing the tie-ups and visitor centers, other boaters (both powerboaters and sailors), and local townspeople.

The ability to go someplace new every day. Except for crossing Oneida Lake, weather is not a significant factor in deciding whether to move on or where to go. In the west section particularly, the towns and tie-ups are close together so I could sleep in and stop early and still have plenty of time to explore someplace new.

The easy navigation. There are times I enjoy challenges. But there are also times (especially when singlehanding) I enjoy being able to relax and enjoy my surroundings without having to pay constant attention to navigation and all the other demands of operating a boat.

What I disliked:

The motoring and having to steer by hand. Although it is not uncommon for cruising sailors to motor, doing so continuously day after day after day without an autopilot takes its toll. Having crew to spell each other at the helm would make the motoring much more tolerable. But I was singlehanding the whole time.

The wakes. Some of the powerboats left large wakes even though they were traveling at or below the 10 mph speed limit. This was expecially a problem in the narrow confines of the western land-cut sections where the wakes would reflect back and forth off the banks/walls. Fortunately, they were relatively infrequent and short lived.

The possibility of having my boat set adrift. I learned there have been incidents of local kids untying boats left unattended at tie-ups. Some of the communities now have police officers patrol their tie-ups at night, especially on weekends. I never had a problem, but the concern was there when I left my boat and there was no other boater at the tie-up to keep an eye on it.

What I would do differently next time:

I would take my bicycle. I decided not to take my bike at the last minute. Although I enjoy walking and running, there were times a bike would have been more convenient and enabled me to explore places I didn't because of their distance from the tie-up.

I would take a means of locking my boat to the tie-up so I could go exploring without having to worry about someone setting it adrift for fun.

I would get charts and a guidebook before leaving home or make sure I knew where to get one near the entrance to the canal. I wrongly assumed I could pick them up as I got close to the canal. But the navigation is easy and the people I met provided the information I needed to get by.