Navionics in Canal Erie

[Old Ironmaker]

Since I always like to have a 'Plan B', I was looking for transportation in case of one of us breaks down somewhere along the canal and someone needs to go back to Picton or Kingston to pick up the truck and trailer.

Google maps doesn't find a route with public transportation.
And bus companies, like Greyhound, Coach etc, don't seem to go along the canal.
And there is no ferry crossing Lake Ontario.

What would be the best to do? Have the boat fixed by a marina along the way and get ripped off, plus hotels, delays etc or take multiple taxis, or Ubert?

I know there is a bus leaving from Niagara Falls to Toronto, then Montreal, but I don't know if it stops in Kingston. But that doesn't help if we have problems along the canal. We will be 3 boat.

Other than buying a house and stay there, what options exist?

Read above, sorry.

 

[mr 88]

Since I always like to have a 'Plan B', I was looking for transportation in case of one of us breaks down somewhere along the canal and someone needs to go back to Picton or Kingston to pick up the truck and trailer.


What would be the best to do? Have the boat fixed by a marina along the way and get ripped off, plus hotels, delays etc or take multiple taxis, or Ubert?

As noted above ,if everything has been checked over before you leave I wouldn't worry about it. First off on the canal your only a few feet from land and secondly you all have inboard engines ,as in car engines. There are a lot of small towns along the canal with Auto repair shops and parts stores close by ,so unless you completely grenade the engine it can be repaired within in a day,maybe two. The repair bill, even at a Marina will be cheaper than whatever you would have to pay in Canada. I call on Dealerships, BMW/Audi/Mercedes, they always have a bunch of Canadian cars in there for repair because it's big time cheaper to fix them here. Plan B for me with a few boats would be to leave boat at repair area and get in another boat ,then pick it up on the return leg if they couldn't get it fixed in a reasonable amount of time. You can only worry about so much before it ends up consuming you , let it go and plan on having a good time !

 

[JimS123]

JimS123. I'm going to assume Canal Fest has been cancelled or postponed latter in summer. Maybe next year Jim. I have a few boxes of stuff I ordered and sent to my Uncle's on Bryant street, it will be there for a while. No Muskellunge Lake NY trip this year. Over a 60 year tradition for my family. It started after the war for my older Cousins, Uncles and Great Uncles. Some years we even went fishing.

It's still 4 months away, so anything can happen. So far there have been no changes announced.

I know one thing - there is going to be lots of boating this Summer. They aren't stopping outdoor activities, and there is nowhere indoors to go.

 

[JimS123]

Since the current idiotic state agency took over the responsibility of the canal, maintenance has been substandard. When I was a kid my section of the canal was monitored by a work boat almost daily. Today, if a tree falls in the water due to shore erosion, it'll surely stay there unless it makes navigation totally impossible.

Near my launch ramp there are 2 tree "stumps" (more like tree trunks) that are impaled in the bottom, about 1/3 the way across. They have been there 2 years now. I often wonder how many boats have hit them already.

Just be careful and you'll be OK.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

It's still 4 months away, so anything can happen. So far there have been no changes announced.

I know one thing - there is going to be lots of boating this Summer. They aren't stopping outdoor activities, and there is nowhere indoors to go.

I took the Bassassin in a few weeks ago to make sure she is ready 110% for this year. I can't crawl around on the thing like I used to, anyhoo. My back and neck is 80% good. So fish beware I'm coming for you. But our 1st trip next before Muskellunge is cancelled. Perch on Lake Simcoe. Too far for us old guys to go there and back in a day but nowhere to stay overnight. All the Mom and Pop motels closed until further notice. I don't think I would stay in a 5 star Marriot if they were open. I told them to call me when they are open and we will be there the next day.

Stay safe and healthy Jim.

 

[Wave34]

Thank you everybody for the suggestions.

So, even if it is surrounded by small towns, options exist.
- renting a car in Niagara Falls
- ride by train
- let the boat for repair (on US side because cheaper) and jump in another boat (Ouch, exchange is 1.44 this morning!)
- have it towed by Sea Tow or friend to the nearest ramp and trailer home
- and of course, some PM before the trip and spare parts. my friend and I are pretty good in car mechanic

 

[JimS123]

Just an update as of today....

Erie Canal routine lock maintenance has been suspended. The locks and adjoining canal portions are still drained and dry. The current projection is that the entire Erie Canal likely won't open in its entirety- maybe just parts here and there. The western section is currently open, from Lockport to the Niagara River.

The Tonawanda docks are technically closed, i.e., the water and electric posts are turned off. People are docking there, but not overnight.

The Canal Fest is officially canceled.

The western section launch ramps were closed, but recently opened up. No bathroom facilities and minimal maintenance.

 

[mr 88]

Drove over the canal yesterday in Pendleton , just west of Lockport and it's dry there. So the water control lock, in Amherst I think , has not been opened.

 

[JimS123]

The gate is very close to the Pendleton / Lockport town line. It's on the land cut portion of the canal. The natural (Tonawanda Creek) portion is open, along with all launch ramps in Pendleton, Tonawanda and Amherst. (near Bear Ridge)

The usual canal opening is May 15th. When the gate opens it pulls clean water from the Niagara River to continuously fill the canal. As such, now the current is in its "natural" state, thus pulling muddy water from the headwaters of Tonawanda Creek. Lots of flotsam and jetsam right now.

We locals hope our portion will open so we don't have to keep dodging all the crap.

 

[Wave34]

Just an update on my vacation trip.
Of course because of the covid, crossing the border is not possible. So, this trip will have to be reported 1 or 2 years later.
This year we are staying in our province and will go around Lac St-Jean Qc. I never went there, so it will be interresting.

 

[mr 88]

Sections of the canal were closed for repairs so there's that issue as well.

 

[briangcc]

Yep non-essential border crossings are still off limits. Was extended another 30 days into August last I heard. Probably be extended again as cases here in WNY are actually on the uptick.

 

[JimS123]

Yep non-essential border crossings are still off limits. Was extended another 30 days into August last I heard. Probably be extended again as cases here in WNY are actually on the uptick.

This may go on for a looooooogggg time. The main reason isn't that there is fear that Canadians will come to the US, but rather that Mr. Trudeau doesn't want US citizens to come north.

Hope y'all can survive without the tourist dollars. Nevertheless, the real tragedy is that some people on both sides of the border have cottages on the other side, and now they can't maintain their property to ensure against theft and vandalism.

 

[Wave34]

Yep non-essential border crossings are still off limits. Was extended another 30 days into August last I heard. Probably be extended again as cases here in WNY are actually on the uptick.

I think you just got beaten by Miami.

 

[Wave34]

This may go on for a looooooogggg time. The main reason isn't that there is fear that Canadians will come to the US, but rather that Mr. Trudeau doesn't want US citizens to come north.

Hope y'all can survive without the tourist dollars. Nevertheless, the real tragedy is that some people on both sides of the border have cottages on the other side, and now they can't maintain their property to ensure against theft and vandalism.

I think the fact that NY was the center of the pandemic didn't help, especially here in Montreal, and Boisbriand, we have big hasidic jewish communities that travel A LOT MTL-NY for their businesses, and at first, they didn't follow the pandemic laws and got a lot of cases, and they made the news with their 'get-together' meetings.

Lots of Canadians, thousands, have their boat stuck at Lake Champlain and they can't go there to work on them, plus they have to pay the marina. Even those that their boat was brought back here last fall, have to pay the marina even if the boat isn't there, just because they signed a contract.
Many unhappy boaters here.
And guest what happens here? All the marinas are full. Many boaters just left their boat in storage for 2020.
My friends and I, are lucky to have them on a trailer.

 

[kpg7121]

I think the fact that NY was the center of the pandemic didn't help, especially here in Montreal, and Boisbriand, we have big hasidic jewish communities that travel A LOT MTL-NY for their businesses, and at first, they didn't follow the pandemic laws and got a lot of cases, and they made the news with their 'get-together' meetings.

Lots of Canadians, thousands, have their boat stuck at Lake Champlain and they can't go there to work on them, plus they have to pay the marina. Even those that their boat was brought back here last fall, have to pay the marina even if the boat isn't there, just because they signed a contract.
Many unhappy boaters here.
And guest what happens here? All the marinas are full. Many boaters just left their boat in storage for 2020.
My friends and I, are lucky to have them on a trailer.

It's my understanding that the canal will be fully open by Aug. 10. The issue right now is that there are numerous locks where winter maintenance was suspended due to the pandemic. Once that work is complete all the locks will be open. The canal will close for the season mid October, so plan accordingly, including for next year because who knows what is going to happen with this pandemic.