[Newfie]

Toledo, Ohio? Thanks for the offer but I don't think we will get that far. We would turn off the canal at Oswego and head east from there.

In fact we are planning to take the canal in a year or two. Many folks do a "Great Circle Loop" which can start anywhere along the route but includes the Mississipi, Tom Digby, crossing Florida, up the AICW, then to NYC, up the Hudson, across the Erie Canal, and into the Great Lakes.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Loop

We however are looking to do a part of the "Down East Loop" going up the Hudson, across the Erie, into the lakes, and down the St. Lawrence. To complete the loop you would go around Nova Scotia and then coast back to NYC.

We however intend to do PEI, then the Madgelans, and the East coast of Quebeck, into Labrador before turning home to Newfoundland. I've done the Nova Scotian coast a few times so I can skip that for new territory.

[vtsnowedin]

We are talking about canal utilization as it is today with today's oil price and current EPA regulations. Let fuel rise to $7.00+/ gallon and /or a carbon tax be put in place and the canals will get a lot busier.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'T')oledo, Ohio? Thanks for the offer.

In fact we are planning to take the canal in a year or two. Many folks do a "Great Circle Loop" which can start anywhere along the route but includes the Mississipi, Tom Digby, crossing Florida, up the AICW, then to NYC, up the Hudson, across the Erie Canal, and into the Great Lakes.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Loop

We however are looking to do a part of the "Down East Loop" going up the Hudson, across the Erie, into the lakes, and down the St. Lawrence. To complete the loop you would go around Nova Scotia and then coast back to NYC.

We however intend to do PEI, then the Madgelans, and the East coast of Quebeck, into Labrador before turning home to Newfoundland. I've done the Nova Scotian coast a few times so I can skip that for new territory.

[Newfie]

Yes, it is a smaller waterway. Supposedly very pretty. It's a possible option, but then we would miss the Thousand Islands area.

[Newfie]

We are about half way through our portion our trip across the Erie Canal. Some reflections.

We came up the Hudson River. The East shore has Metro North/AMTRAK and th West shore freight, lots of freight. The noise nearly runined a couple of pretty good anchorages.

Now along he Erie Canal we have a heavily used freight line that also runs a couple of AMTRAK trains. I'm surprised by the amount of trains moving.

The canal itself really is NOT a canal as we typically think of it. From what I have seen so far this iteration of the canal is really a very long lake with locks. In short what they did was to flood the Mohawk River valley and make it navigable.

When we think of canals we typically think of tow paths for dray animals, and that was the original canal. But with motorization the canal was rerouted and the tow paths abandoned. It would be extremely difficult, an impossible, to install tow paths on the existing canal.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'W')e are about half way through our portion our trip across the Erie Canal. Some reflections.

We came up the Hudson River. The East shore has Metro North/AMTRAK and th West shore freight, lots of freight. The noise nearly runined a couple of pretty good anchorages.

Now along he Erie Canal we have a heavily used freight line that also runs a couple of AMTRAK trains. I'm surprised by the amount of trains moving.

The canal itself really is NOT a canal as we typically think of it. From what I have seen so far this iteration of the canal is really a very long lake with locks. In short what they did was to flood the Mohawk River valley and make it navigable.

When we think of canals we typically think of tow paths for dray animals, and that was the original canal. But with motorization the canal was rerouted and the tow paths abandoned. It would be extremely difficult, an impossible, to install tow paths on the existing canal.

[Newfie]

No commercial traffic, very little through recreational traffic.

But we see that everywhere, we are constantly surprised at how few boats are on the water.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'N')o commercial traffic, very little through recreational traffic.

But we see that everywhere, we are constantly surprised at how few boats are on the water.

[Newfie]

One never knows. Perhaps it would simply be valuable to local communities for transport? I agree it's a resource and it appears to be more ecologically friendly than a highway or rail, but it's not year round.

I think it would be interesting to understand all the implications in the movement of the water itself, looks complicated.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'O')ne never knows. Perhaps it would simply be valuable to local communities for transport? I agree it's a resource and it appears to be more ecologically friendly than a highway or rail, but it's not year round.

I think it would be interesting to understand all the implications in the movement of the water itself, looks complicated.

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vtsnowedin', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'N')o commercial traffic, very little through recreational traffic.

But we see that everywhere, we are constantly surprised at how few boats are on the water.

[EdwinSm]

Have a great rest of the trip Newfie.

A long time ago I realised that I could not see how things would unfold,ie. which businesses would survive or which would fail. So when I had discretionary spending I tended to support things that I consider might be useful in an oil crisis. Canal systems would fit in that, as there seems little commercial potential with the current speed of business, but they might be useful in a power down world - so Newfie's trip, apart from being an enjoyable one, is one that (in a small way) helps preserve the infrastructure that might be useful as we slide along the bumpy downsizing of oil production.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vtsnowedin', '.')...
..... But of course it doesn't go all the way to Iowa or Kansas so maybe it is already a relic of times past.

[Newfie]

In fact I'm, hopefully, going down the St Lawrence enroute to Newfoundland.

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'I')n fact I'm, hopefully, going down the St Lawrence enroute to Newfoundland.

[Newfie]

We are at Sylvan Beach, east shore of a lake Onida now. Hopefully Oswego tomorrow where we put the mast back up. The. On to Kingston, Ontario or thereabouts.

Th canal somewhere west of Three Rivers Jct is closed for culvert repairs. Not that I would have done that, just saying.

[hvacman]

OT, kinda - reading Newfie's on-the-water posts reminded me of a great summer couples'-read that relates to the adventures of traveling old commercial canals converted to more-recreational use. "The Little Paris Bookshop". A Parisian bookseller with a converted canal barge/bookshop travels down France's old canal system from Paris to southern France, re-discovering himself and recovering from a tragic loss along the way. Five stars.

[sweetblago]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vtsnowedin', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'N')o commercial traffic, very little through recreational traffic.

But we see that everywhere, we are constantly surprised at how few boats are on the water.

[sweetblago]

Didn't realize that I can't edit posts. Found some good information that I thought I'd share here:

http://www.thefreightway.com/advantages/americas-third-largest-inland-port/
https://www.logisticspage.com/inland-port/

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('sweetblago', 'D')idn't realize that I can't edit posts. Found some good information that I thought I'd share here:

http://www.thefreightway.com/advantages/americas-third-largest-inland-port/
https://www.logisticspage.com/inland-port/