Recommended Books for Erie Canal

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wabislander

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Can anyone recommend books you have used for cruising the Erie Canal?
 
I don’t have any book recommendations, but here are links to various blogs and articles:

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/ex ... erie-canal

https://www.canals.ny.gov/boating/index.html

John and Laurie Gray cruised the Great Loop in their R29 in 2014. This describes their run from New York City to Lake Ontario which included the eastern Erie Canal.

https://www.andiamo-ranger29.com/gl-par ... tario.html

They cruised the western half in their R27 in 2017 or 2018. This link takes you to their blog page for their R27. You’ll have to scroll down to find the cruise that includes the western Erie.

https://www.tribute-kadeykrogen39.com/t ... -boat.html

We cruised the Cayuga-Seneca Canal and the western Erie Canal in 2018 in our 2012 R27. It is a great trip. I don’t have a blog. We made it a one-way trip by putting-in at Bennett’s Marine on the Cayuga-Seneca canal at the top of Seneca Lake and taking out at the Erie Canal terminus in North Tonawanda. We rented a car to fetch our tow rig from Bennett’s. If you don’t want to do one-way, you can make the trip an out-and-back and stop at different canal towns on each leg of the trip. It’s a near perfect trip for a Ranger Tug.
 
Thanks for the resources and your experience. I was curious how you handle non-round trip options.
 
Cruising the New York Canal System by Skipper Bob Publications. Accompanied by the charts. Great trip!
 
Regarding a one-way Erie Canal trip... we launched our 21 at Waterford, drove car and trailer to Tonawanda, parked, and drove a rental back to Waterford to start the trip. Worked just fine...
 
On all our one way trips we will usually launch at starting point and then rent a car and drive rig and car to destination, drop it off rig and return with rental car.
 
knotflying":3gytt3sh said:
On all our one way trips we will usually launch at starting point and then rent a car and drive rig and car to destination, drop it off rig and return with rental car.
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I’ve done it both ways. Usually the deciding factor is storage and security for the tow rig and availability of rental car. Where is it most economical and convenient, the put-in or take-out? In the case of my Erie Canal trip, Bennett’s let me keep the tow rig at their place for $5 a day, but didn’t charge me for an overnight slip with power and water. Rental car was much more accessible in the Buffalo area.
 
I'm planning a trip to the Erie Canal for September and researching launch spots with facilities to keep truck and rig for a week or so - Bennett's is recommended in this thread but Google and a close look at google maps provides nothing. Is it under new ownership or am I just missing something?

Also - other ideas welcome!

Thanks.
 
Be sure to sign up for NY Canals Notice to Mariners. If there are any issues with navigation (closed locks, low water, restrictions etc.) they will email you. The canal is a great cruise.

www.canals.ny.gov/wwwapps/tas/notices
 
wabislander":2kxznhti said:
Can anyone recommend books you have used for cruising the Erie Canal?
Click to expand...

The Canal Corporation has (had?) an excellent guide that I learned about through my research last year when I went through as a crew member on an R-27. I followed the instructions to mail away for it and it arrived with my check back and a note that they no longer sold it. I’m now trying to find out where I got the form to buy it and I can’t seem to find it. But there’s a ton of good links here on their website:

https://www.canals.ny.gov/boating/index.html

As someone else here mentioned, you definitely want to sign up for their notices to Mariners. During our trip there was some heavy rain and they actually closed down a large segment of the canal that we were in for at least two weeks. We were extremely fortunate to be stuck in an area where there was a rental barge and they made exceptions to get the barge (and us) through the locks to beyond the closure. There’s a pretty good chance, however, that we would’ve been trapped between locks for that whole two-week period. The lesson I took away from that experience is to make sure that you always have enough fuel and food on board in case you get stuck between locks due to a closure.
 
Hey - I have done the canal 3 times and have always stared at Pirates Cove Marina in Clay NY. Great family run place where you can leave your trailer and vehicle for a nominal fee. Its right in the middle of the canal and you can go east or west from there. Enjoy the canal!! its so much fun and great cruising. Be sure to stop in Fairport and enjoy the many towns along the way with free docks. I have some videos from our trips at littleredtug.com - enjoy !!!
 
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