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Cruising The Canals of New York State:
“A Civilized Way to Spend Time”
by
Tom Prindle
Among
the most splendid moments in my life have been spent cruising New York
State Canals, aboard tugs and trawlers. The best of those moments were
spent with my friend the late and great Captain Schuyler Meyer. Cruising
with Schuyler was a one of a kind experience.
An innocent run up the canal with Schuyler always turned into an
adventure. Nobody kept a log or schedule like the Captain. Schuyler was
the consummate old sea dog and cruising person.
He could not help it. Once while bringing his trawler up the
Hudson he logged our ETA under the Beacon - Newburgh bridge at 1305.
We arrived a tad early at 1303. Obviously disappointed that we
did not arrive quite on the cat hop, he in all seriousness said,
“well… lets call it 1305, shall we? ”.
Schuyler
cruised the canals for forty years aboard his own trawlers the Nawats I
& II and then as captain of the tug URGER . Schuyler said that it
was while skippering the URGER that he came to appreciate the canal for
what it offered as more than just a passage between the Hudson and Lake
Ontario or Champlain. The view from the pilothouse of the tug gave him a
whole new outlook on the canal and its shoreline . The reason for
cruising the canal to a serious cruising kind of guy like Schuyler was
“ getting through it ”. As he and many others have discovered, the
canal is a destination unto itself.
There
are many interesting aspects to cruising the Empire State’s canals.
Cruising and canals are not about speed but are about exploration,
observation and serendipitous discovery. Canalling affords the time to
explore the shoreline, to be amazed by the take off and landings of Blue
Heron, to enjoy the dive-bombing abilities of a Kingfisher, to enjoy the
pastoral scene of cows munching happily along the shore. (There is
always one in the herd who cannot resist looking up to observe you
back).
Each
town, village and city along the canal has its interesting story to
tell. The State Department of Education’s blue and gold historic
markers tell which hometown kid went on to greatness or what event
happened there. While cruising the canals, one will encounter anecdotal
history as well as the epic events that unfolded around places like
Saratoga, Seneca Falls and Lake Champlain. The canal also abounds in
those legends and stories you must unearth yourself, like that of
Dewattines the ex - patriot aristocrat who escaped the Reign of Terror
in France. He and his wife (an ex-nun) settled on what is today
Frenchmen’s Island on Oneida Lake.
For
those who love history the canal is a journey unlike any other. It is
not just about the Erie Canal and the “ low bridge everybody down”
business. It is about natural history, Native American history, the
colonial era, the French & Indian War, the War of Independence, the
War of 1812, frontiersmen and settlers heading west, the industrial
revolution, the underground railroad and on and on it goes.
A Fascinating state of the art 1910 Waterway
The
New York State Canal System itself is a fascinating state of the art
1910 waterway. The mighty old locks with their elegant white buildings
and Italianate power houses are beautifully maintained by the New York
State Canal Corporation The genius employed in building our present
canal - system was overshadowed by the fame of its legendary grandmother
the original Erie Canal. The old Erie is an icon of American mythology.
The modern canal system the Barge Canal, that replaced the outmoded 19h
century canals was not until recently, appreciated as a great and
significant achievement in its own right. When you experience the
monumental works, like the Waterford flight of Five, Lock 17 at Little
Falls or Locks 34/35 at Lockport you stand in awe of the engineering and
sheer labor that went into building the canal between 1905 and 1918.
The
Canal Corporation and local communities have refurbished municipal
waterfronts across the state which now invite recreational boaters to
dock overnight, plug in and top off water, often free of charge. New
harbor centers in Waterford, Whitehall, Little Falls, and Tonawanda and
in Mechanicville offer convenient harbors for refuge, as do numerous
full service marinas. The new Canalway Trail system adds bicycling and
hiking to the canalling experience.
Those
who do not have the opportunity to captain their own boat may charter
from any of a half dozen companies that offer bare boat charters across
the canal system. Tour boat operators offer day trips as well as
extended excursion canal cruising.
The
Canals Have Come a Long Way
The canals of New York State we use today
represent the fourth incarnation of canal building in the Empire State.
2001 celebrates the 176th consecutive year of canal
navigation between the Hudson River and the Great Lakes.
When
you string the canal system in its entirety to the Hudson River, Lake
Champlain, and the Finger Lakes, New York offers a 1000-mile cruising
experience unequalled in North America.
Canal
cruising through the Empire State is a civilized way to spend time.
Where else nowadays but on a boat do you find smiling people waving to
one another? |
