Sailing the Erie Canal

S

Stabowlator

New Member
Has anyone taken a Sunfish on the Erie Canal?. Looking at Bridge heights I would clear most and dropping the sail on the water isn't too bad. Going through a lock with a paddle doesn't look bad either. My BIL lives right on the Seneca river and I would like to give it a try. I'm thinking about a trip downstream to Onondaga Lake and trailer home.
 
Stabowlator.

Don't mean to be a buzz kill, but sailing in most canals is usually prohibited. You may want to do a web search to see in navigating on the NYS Barge Canal/Erie Canal under sail is allowed.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
They do not mention any restrictions on how a "float" is propelled. The only ding against sailboats is a height restriction of 15'6" in parts of the canal.
 
Yes… I did it a few years ago from Pittsford to Fairport…. I will try to post a link to the story I wrote for the “Jibsheet”, the newsletter for the Rochester Canoe Club.

Mike Fortner
 
My wife and I are planning to take a motorized canoe trip of the western part of the canal this Summer, so I have been talking to others who have kayaked it recently. Some sections can get pretty narrow, so tacking could be an issue if the wind wasn’t right. And the channel can be silted up in places, giving the larger boats little room to maneuver. A sailing canoe would be great, because it paddles so easily if sailing becomes impractical. I can paddle my Sunfish pretty well with a long kayak paddle, but not as easily as my canoe.
A Sunfish wouldn’t be my craft-of-choice, but a short section of the canal might be interesting. If the things were right and the canal wasn’t busy.
 
I watched the forecast carefully before I left…. I looked for a forecast of W to SW winds….I live 1/2 mile from the canal and was only going one way…. I had the sail in the racing position and spent a fair amount of time sitting in the bottom of the cockpit.
 
I enjoyed the article. Race position is a good idea. I was thinking about dropping the sail and scooting under but that would be an easier solution. Prevailing winds seem to come S, SW near Syracuse. A one way trip will be interesting.
Has anyone tried going through a lock? I've seen kayaks and canoes use them so a Sunfish with centerboard and sail down should be fine.
 
I go through them several times a year....bring gloves. If there are no kind boaters in the lock with you willing to let you "raft" with them the ladder you will be forced to hold on to may be slimey. Doubt you'll have a pole. The water boils a bit as it rises but your heading east through the Bville lock I assume. You'll drop about 10-12'. If the ropes are in place they get a bit gunky too as you descend.

I used to have an O'Day 22 at Brewerton Boat yard and I'd have to drop the mast slightly under the Rt 11 bridge to get to Oneida.

Your section heading towards Onondaga Lake is one of my favorite kayaking spots when I can't travel. I used to have an old Owens lapstrake 32' cruiser at J &S Marina. Loved going to Onondaga to watch the sun go down with a nice glass of wine, apps and some good music on the stereo.

Ha...I'm heading in the wrong direction as I age!!! I should be on the cabin cruiser at 63, not sliding along on top of a Sunfish or plopped into a sea kayak or canoe!!

Then again I just finished my, (in sections...can't take two weeks off), hike of the Northville Placid Trail.
 
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