In the summer of 2016, I took a little trip from St Michaels, MD to Port Huron, MI. My route took 5 weeks and 1,162 Nautical Miles and across the Appalachian Mountains via the Erie Canal.
When I reached Albany NY I took down the mast and the real work began. My first lock was at Troy NY at an elevation of 15 feet above sea level. The Erie Canal lifted my boat to a height of 420 ft. in Whitesboro, NY. and back down the mountain range to Phoenix, NY where we took a right on the Oswego Canal.
The Oswego Canal continued to bring the boat back down the mountain ending up on Lake Ontario at 244 ft. It was great fun sailing across the lake and it took two days to reach Ft Niagara NY.
I entered the Welland Canal at 246 ft. and it lifted my boat to 547 ft above sea level. The Welland Canal is operated by Canada and was it made the Erie and Oswego Canals look like a child’s toy. This canal is built for the big freight liners.
From the days of the birchbark canoe, the early trade routes of the Northeast utilized New York’s waterways. The Lake Champlain-Hudson River Route and the Lake Ontario-Oswego River-Mohawk River Route were utilized by Native Americans, fur traders, missionaries and colonizers. Fortification along these routes still stands as testimony to their importance in exploration, trade, and settlement.
— Erie Canal Museum, A Brief History of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
| Lock # | Location | Elevation | Lift or Drop | Distance to Next Lock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Lock | Troy | 15.3 ft (4.7 m) | 14.0 ft (4.3 m) | E2, 2.66 mi (4.28 km) |
| E2 | Waterford | 48.9 ft (14.9 m) | 33.6 ft (10.2 m) | E3, 0.46 mi (0.74 km) |
| E3 | Waterford | 83.5 ft (25.5 m) | 34.6 ft (10.5 m) | E4, 0.51 mi (0.82 km) |
| E4 | Waterford | 118.1 ft (36.0 m) | 34.6 ft (10.5 m) | E5, 0.27 mi (0.43 km) |
| E5 | Waterford | 151.4 ft (46.1 m) | 33.3 ft (10.1 m) | E6, 0.28 mi (0.45 km) |
| E6 | Crescent | 184.4 ft (56.2 m) | 33.0 ft (10.1 m) | E7, 10.92 mi (17.57 km) |
| E7 | Vischer Ferry | 211.4 ft (64.4 m) | 27.0 ft (8.2 m) | E8, 10.97 mi (17.65 km) |
| E8 | Scotia | 225.4 ft (68.7 m) | 14.0 ft (4.3 m) | E9, 5.03 mi (8.10 km) |
| E9 | Rotterdam | 240.4 ft (73.3 m) | 15.0 ft (4.6 m) | E10, 5.95 mi (9.58 km) |
| E10 | Cranesville | 255.4 ft (77.8 m) | 15.0 ft (4.6 m) | E11, 4.27 mi (6.87 km) |
| E11 | Amsterdam | 267.4 ft (81.5 m) | 12.0 ft (3.7 m) | E12, 4.23 mi (6.81 km) |
| E12 | Tribes Hill | 278.4 ft (84.9 m) | 11.0 ft (3.4 m) | E13, 9.60 mi (15.45 km) |
| E13 | Yosts | 286.4 ft (87.3 m) | 8.0 ft (2.4 m) | E14, 7.83 mi (12.60 km) |
| E14 | Canajoharie | 294.4 ft (89.7 m) | 8.0 ft (2.4 m) | E15, 3.35 mi (5.39 km) |
| E15 | Fort Plain | 302.4 ft (92.2 m) | 8.0 ft (2.4 m) | E16, 6.72 mi (10.81 km) |
| E16 | St. Johnsville | 322.9 ft (98.4 m) | 20.5 ft (6.2 m) | E17, 7.97 mi (12.83 km) |
| E17 | Little Falls | 363.4 ft (110.8 m) | 40.5 ft (12.3 m) | E18, 4.20 mi (6.76 km) |
| E18 | Jacksonburg | 383.4 ft (116.9 m) | 20.0 ft (6.1 m) | E19, 11.85 mi (19.07 km) |
| E19 | Frankfort | 404.4 ft (123.3 m) | 21.0 ft (6.4 m) | E20, 10.28 mi (16.54 km) |
| E20 | Whitesboro | 420.4 ft (128.1 m) | 16.0 ft (4.9 m) | E21, 18.10 mi (29.13 km) |
| E21 | New London | 395.4 ft (120.5 m) | −25.0 ft (−7.6 m) | E22, 1.32 mi (2.12 km) |
| E22 | New London | 370.1 ft (112.8 m) | −25.3 ft (−7.7 m) | E23, 28.91 mi (46.53 km) |
| E23 | Brewerton | 363.0 ft (110.6 m) | −7.1 ft (−2.2 m) | E24, 18.77 mi (30.21 km) |
Oswego Canal
| Lock # | Location | Elevation | Lift or Drop | Distance to Next Lock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O1 | Phoenix | 352.8 ft (107.5 m) | −10.2 ft (−3.1 m) | O2, 9.33 mi (15.02 km) |
| O2 | Fulton | 335.0 ft (102.1 m) | −17.8 ft (−5.4 m) | O3, 0.58 mi (0.93 km) |
| O3 | Fulton | 308.0 ft (93.9 m) | −27.0 ft (−8.2 m) | O5, 6.43 mi (10.35 km) |
| O5 | Minetto | 290.0 ft (88.4 m) | −18.0 ft (−5.5 m) | O6, 3.29 mi (5.29 km) |
| O6 | Oswego | 270.0 ft (82.3 m) | −20.0 ft (−6.1 m) | O7, 0.67 mi (1.08 km) |
| O7 | Oswego | 255.5 ft (77.9 m) | −14.5 ft (−4.4 m) | O8, 0.44 mi (0.71 km) |
| O8 | Oswego | 244.4 ft (74.5 m) | −11.1 ft (−3.4 m) | Lake Ontario, 0.68 mi (1.09 km) |
The Welland Canal
