Alternatives to Erie ship canal route from Hudson to Lake Ontario?

[SimonJ]

Following very heavy rainfall and then flooding at the end of June the Erie Ship canal cannot be completely opened for atleast another month. The alternative is to use the Lake Champlain canal, cross Lake Champlain and join the St Lawrence at Sorel near Montreal. Now well up the Hudson river I am committed to continue altho the St Lawrence passage seems to mean HUGE locks (more money) and bucking a strong current. Doeas anyone have experience of this trip??

 

[Cabinetmaker]

There are not many options ofr you other than the Lake Champlain canal. Keep an eye on the canal website:http://www.canals.state.ny.us/news/notices/index.html

Just a thought IF they open the canal up between locks E9 and E11, due to the flooding, many navigational buoys have been displaced. The canal has its shallow spots, and the bottom can be unforgiving.

If you use any part of the canal, keep a sharp eye on your depthfinder, and take it slow. Watch for floating debris. Once you get through to the St Lawrence, and onto Lake Ontario, life should be good. Keep a weather radio set to alert. The lakes can change in a heartbeat, and provide you with hours of white knuckles if you are caught out in it. Fairhaven, Sodus, and Rochester are decent ports, Avoid Irondequoit bay, very shallow outside the channel, and be aware of a couple of Very large underwater boulders entering the Port of Rochester. Check your charts... the paper ones...

Good luck, and If you stop in Rochester, or Sodus, Give a call, and We'll have a beer..

 

[AndrewB]

Its not possible to use the Erie Canal as far as Oswego, I suppose? That's what I had hoped to do.

Is the Lake Champlain canal a mast-up route? There is a Cruising Guide to the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, & the St. Lawrence River for the alternative route which I had planned to get if the problem continues.

You might try reposting this question on one of the better-informed US forums such as Sailboat Owners where there has been some discussion of the Erie canal problem.

 

[Abaker]

Toronto, on Lake Ontario, is my home. I'm there now but the boat is in France.
I've taken the Erie Canal/Hudson River route many times, though not the Lake Champlain/St Lawrence route. Both are mast-down routes in part.
You don't need the entire Erie Canal to be open, just the part that reaches the Oswego Canal which connects to Lake Ontario. That is my normal route. If Erie/Oswego is closed, the Champlain/St Lawrence route would take longer, but
the St Lawrence locks and current would not be difficult. Many pleasure craft do it. I have talked with two of them, a 22-footer and a 24-footer, after they had gone upstream to Lake Ontario. Neither had any problems. You do need good charts, especially for the Thousand Islands section, which is full of rocks.
The only quick alternative to those canal routes is to take the boat by road. Racers from Toronto entering the Bermuda Race have sometimes done that when the Erie Canal was closed, so that they could get to Newport in time for the start.
When you get to Lake Ontario you'll find lots of good harbours on the north shore (as well as the south), with friendly clubs that have mooring space, including my home port, National Yacht Club in Toronto. Come and see us. Good luck.

 

[SimonJ]

Thanks for the responses. Reassuring.