A schedule is not necessarily a good thing to have on a boat. we were planning on going around Lake Ontario, counterclockwise, stopping in most ports along the way, the Welland Ship Canal back to Lake Erie, and the Erie Canal back east again.

On June 28, 2006 we were comfortably docked at Mechanicville’s Terminal Wall on the upper Hudson River, about 25 miles above Albany, NY. Two or three rainy days had occurred recently, and on the 28th it rained almost all day. Around 2PM a Canal Authority representative suggested that they wanted us to move downstream to the wall at Lock 2 about 2 miles south. They were afraid that the water would continue to rise and that the wall we were tied to would soon be covered by water.

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We tied to the upper wall of the lock where we could have 15 amp power, quite adequate for our minimal electric needs. The next morning we observed the water to be about two feet higher, and the Canal authorities asked us to move into the lock. That morning I biked into Mechanicville and found the water to be about two feet over the wall where we had previously been tied. At this time the whole canal system west as far as the Finger Lakes had been closed for more than 24 hours. We were kept in the lock, with upper and lower doors closed, and the lock full, so getting off and on was no problem.

The rate of water rising seemed to be less in the afternoon, but the Locktender told us that if the rise continued overnight, they would have to lower our boat in the lock, and open the lower doors. We’d be tied to a ladder, allowing us to climb out, about 25 feet of slippery, slimy steel ladder.

I had talked via cell phone with a friend on another boat which we had hoped to meet with in Waterville. He related that all twelve of the boats formerly in Waterville at the Visitor’s Center had been moved up into the flight of 5 locks immediately west of Waterford, and everyone was safe and sound, being supplied with water and electricity by a large barge located there. Due to a guard gate above, the water level there remained constant with no flooding. Farther west, it was reported that six boats and 13 people and their pets were evacuated from their boats in Canajoharie, NY when the flood swollen Mohawk River threatened to wash away the floating docks they were tied to.

On Friday morning the water in the Mohawk was reported at peak levels, and I rode my bike eight miles to Waterford to see the scene and meet with some of the other boaters. The devastation was almost unbelievable. Water flooded the Visitor’s Center to a depth of more than waist high, several waterfront streets were flooded, and great amounts of debris was floating downriver. At the Albany Yacht Club in Rensselaer 70 boats and their docks were ripped loose on the Hudson River and adrift downstream.  Sheriff’s and Coast Guard vessels corralled them and secured them near Port of Albany. Troy City Dock tore loose from its walls and sent 8 boats down the Hudson when 1,500 feet of floating dock was twisted, broken, or flipped upside down by the high water. Forty five locks and 300 miles of Canal were closed for navigation. In all, 35 boats were marooned, and several lost.

Farther afield, a 30 foot culvert in the southern tier of New York was undermined beneath Interstate 88 and two tractor trailer truck drivers killed when the highway washed away. 200,000 residents of Wilkes-Barre PA were threatened with evacuation as the Susquehanna rose. A 50 miles stretch of the New York State Thruway was closed east of Amsterdam, NY for 48 hours. The Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers both flooded to near or above record levels, sending high water as far south as the Potomac River in Washington, DC. In southern New York and south to Washington, DC as much as 12 inches of rain fell in 48 hours.

In Waterford, at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, an annual event, the Tugboat Roundup was scheduled to open on Friday, about the time of the highest water. Around noon it was announced that the event would have to be cancelled for this year. That evening, the Canal Authority hosted a pizza, beer, and munchies party for the attendees of this event, as well as the marooned boaters. We were pleased to be picked up by John Callaghan, Information Officer for the Canal and delivered to the party. Here a nice banner for the “Locked in Lock 3 Yacht Club” was presented to Dick Hurst, Dockmaster of the Waterford Visitor’s Center.

On Monday, July 3, we rode our bikes again to Waterford to see the extent of damage now that the water was slowly receding. We had just arrived at Lock 3 when we were invited to ride with a caravan of Canal vehicles to Lock 10 in Cranesville, NY about 40 miles west, which had received the greatest damage of any of the canal structures. Here a press conference was held by Gov. George Pataki and Canal Director Carmella Mantello. A large crowd of media representatives, Canal workers and engineers, boaters, and interested bystanders were there to view the damage.

And it was considerable! Water rose quickly to about 8 feet above the Canal structures, swept away a temporary coffer dam, inundated the lock and created a new channel around 30 feet deep, 100 feet wide, and 800 feet long, in addition to moving a whole building off its foundation and sending it downstream 20 yards. At the conference it was announced that the damage at this lock would take considerable time to repair, perhaps as long as 8 weeks. The fact that there was no alternative to this route for boats trying to go west to Lake Ontario dramatically changed plans for the summer for hundreds of boats. Boats able to clear air draft of less than 17 feet were able to proceed north up to Lake Champlain and on to the Canadian Canals or St. Lawrence Seaway, but others too tall had no option but to head south on the Hudson again.

Back in Mechanicvile, the water was slowly receding. On Wednesday July 5, the Champlain Canal was still closed, but we were released to return to the Mechanicville Terminal Wall where water, electric, and a pumpout facility were available. While we had electricity at the Lock, the only water available was filtered riverwater, not potable. Our short cruise the two miles upriver took nearly an hour, moving as slow as 2 miles per hour, being careful to avoid the navigation aids which were mostly under water, leaving just long V’s of current to mark their location. Electronic chart plotting was nice to have!                                                                             

The water levels were well under the terminal wall cap, but not going down very rapidly due to the spillage of water out of Sacandaga Reservior, about 30 miles northeast. This flood control structure is a man made lake, built in the 1930’s to protect the Albany area from floods on the upper Hudson. It has worked well for that purpose, but it was already very full and overflowing. They were releasing the maximum safe amount of water, around 50,000 cubic feet per second, but the water took 3 days to reach where we were, and the Mohawk and Hudson could not hold any more. We stayed in Mechanicville until July 10, for a total of 2 weeks. It was a great spot to be marooned, friendly residents, a McDonald’s with free coffee early mornings, a great fireworks display on the 4th  of July weekend, easy provisioning, a good hardware store, free water and electric service, as well as a free pumpout system. In fact, we were given three well used free bikes by the local police department, and able to make two working units to have easy transportation around town and the surrounding area.                                                            

When the water finally went down enough for us to safely head south, we cruised down the Hudson to New York City, and slowly returned north in August, in the hottest summer in memory. In early September we returned to our winter haulout location at North Hero, VT. As many say, “Plans are cast in jello”.

New York State Canals did reopen the damaged lock at Cranesville after only 7 weeks, a major accomplishment given the magnitude of the damage. This was in mid August, too late for Loopers and Lake Ontario bound boaters, but with plenty of time for “Snowbirds” to return south via boat in the late summer and fall.

The total extent of the NYS Canals Waterway is 524miles long, encompasses 57 locks and 16 lift bridges, and connects New York City going north to Albany and beyond to Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence Seaway, as well as west to both Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Project depth is 12 feet and required air drafts range from 24 feet to 14.5 feet depending upon the section. In 2006 tolls were suspended as an experiment. It is anticipated that this will continue in 2007. Many of the towns along the system have free dockage at terminal walls, often with water and electric service, either free or very inexpensive. Many also are proud of relatively new shower and bathroom facilities. If the tolls are resumed, they include overnight dockage at these walls as well as most locks.

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For more information contact http://www.canals.state.ny.us. For a summer of worry free cruising with no concerns of weather, tides, or hurricanes try the New York State Canals.

Trawler and Trawlering Listees Jim Ague, Dennis Bruckel, and Bob Williamson at the "locked in Lock 3 Yacht Club party hosted by New York State Canals during the flood.