Erie Canal

Erie Canal looks like an an awesome trip. My wife and I were talking about how to get up there via the Hudson. Challenge for us is the time to get up there, time to actually see the canal, and get back when we both work and kids have school/sports.

we see lots of people leave their boats for a few days to a week or so while they carry on with life then come back. My only concern with that (and anyone who docks on the canal) is there is really unabated access to your boat from the canal paths. I have no evidence showing it’s an actual problem, but it always struck me as very trusting in humanity to just leave the boats “open” to the public

there are a couple marinas in cuts and turnarounds but they’re few and far between at least in our stretch of the canal
 
we see lots of people leave their boats for a few days to a week or so while they carry on with life then come back. My only concern with that (and anyone who docks on the canal) is there is really unabated access to your boat from the canal paths. I have no evidence showing it’s an actual problem, but it always struck me as very trusting in humanity to just leave the boats “open” to the public

there are a couple marinas in cuts and turnarounds but they’re few and far between at least in our stretch of the canal
Leaving my boat in some random place would terrify me. I had mine at a marina in Charles where I bought it for 4 months. Known people were looking after it and I was still nervous the whole time. And my boat has locking doors.
 
Leaving my boat in some random place would terrify me. I had mine at a marina in Charles where I bought it for 4 months. Known people were looking after it and I was still nervous the whole time. And my boat has locking doors.
Pro tip- we never lock the cabin door. EVER. When thugs want your stuff they will do more damage than anything they can take is worth. Try finding a folding cabin door. Nope, custom made. that fancy glass sliding door? Hammer works. That nice fiberglass slider? hammer too.
Don’t lock the door. Locking doors, that’s funny.
 
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Pro tip- we never lock the cabin door. EVER. When thugs want your stuff they will do more damage than anything they can take is worth. Try finding a folding cabin door. Nope, custom made. that fancy glass sliding door? Hammer works. That nice fiberglass slider? hammer too.
Don’t lock the door. Locking doors, that’s funny.
Yeah, I know. I didn’t lock the cabin on my Sea Ray for that reason.

My current boat feels different. We had some petty vandalism last summer. Probably kids. The open boats had stuff stolen. My in-laws tool box went missing, another open boat had their fire extinguishers set off. Mine was left alone and I think it was because it has a solid heavy door and lock. I also pull down all the shades when away so it’s hard to see into.
 
Probably kids, while I never had anything stolen from cabin, I dread the thought of them taken a pry bar to cabin door to steal a $15 rod and reel.
prolly cost me a few thousand to custom make a new cabin door. Nobody locks boat in my area for that reason.
 
To go down the Erie Canal to NY from Lake Erie …. Which way would you go?
Welland to Ontario or the canal from Lake Erie ?
 
To go down the Erie Canal to NY from Lake Erie …. Which way would you go?
Welland to Ontario or the canal from Lake Erie ?

id probably do Lake Erie into the canal and go up through Oswego to Lake Ontario, over to the welland, and back into Erie. That way you don’t have to trace your steps and see things twice.
 
To go down the Erie Canal to NY from Lake Erie …. Which way would you go?
Welland to Ontario or the canal from Lake Erie ?
Depends. If getting to your destination is the priority, the Welland. If not in a hurry, the Western Erie.
 
Question for those with bigger boats where idle speed on one engine is >5mph. How strict are they? Mine is about about 6.5 mph. Are you really bumping it in and out of gear on one engine for 500+ miles?
The speed limit is 10 mph in the dug portions and a few erosion sensitive areas. The natural river portions of the system are higher speeds but watch your wake. I usually go 7-8 mph. Fishing boats like bass boats and small runabouts run on plane quite often.
 
we see lots of people leave their boats for a few days to a week or so while they carry on with life then come back. My only concern with that (and anyone who docks on the canal) is there is really unabated access to your boat from the canal paths. I have no evidence showing it’s an actual problem, but it always struck me as very trusting in humanity to just leave the boats “open” to the public

there are a couple marinas in cuts and turnarounds but they’re few and far between at least in our stretch of the canal

Many stories of kids getting into boats and untying them for fun but I've only had a few issues. Kid in Baldwinsville climbed aboard while I was asleep and began removing the Corona bottles from the cooler and placing them up on the grass. I heard the bottles clinking and ran out there in nothing but my underwear. The kid was a "she" and she beat feet pretty fast.

I left the boat in Brockport for a few weeks after the canal sprung a leak and they had to lower guard gates. Someone unplugged the power cord and threw it in the water, but it was still attached to the boat.

Precautions we take:

1. Reverse the docking lines. If the cleats on your boat can be reached while standing on the dock or wall, after wrapping around the boat cleats, run the line tightly to a place they can't reach and tie a knot. This way, they'll have to physically climb on the boat to untie the knot. Doesn't stop them from cutting lines if they are really determined.

2. Carry a long cable and lock. Lock a cleat to a wall cleat. Some walls have a steel cable running along the side of the wall, you can attach to that.

3. PO installed an alarm system. Pretty simple, has one motion sensor that detects movement in the cockpit. I set it anytime we leave the boat and it's set all winter too. Has a hidden toggle switch - on/ off is all it is. Loud siren horn that's hidden in the cockpit wails and all the lights in the cockpit flash on and off if it trips.
 

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