Notes on the Erie Canal delivery

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Notes on the Erie Canal delivery

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Notes on the Erie Canal delivery

Posted by Jeff Morris on April 17, 19100 at 07:39:52:

After we brought out new boat (Loki, PDQ 36072) from Whitby to New Bedford last
Spring, I intended to write a little "delivery manual" for future PDQ owners

Time has a way of evaporating such plans, but I thought I could put some notes
out here and perhaps a other skippers can add their comments. A few caveats -
this is our only trip through the locks - I'm sure there are some differing
opinions on technique. Also, this is written from memory, so there could be some
mis-information. There are pictures, a map, and a less technical description on
our web site, http://www.sv-loki.com/Delivery/delivery.html. I'll add any
comments and post this there as an addendum

First of all, let me say that bringing a PDQ from Whitby to NYC is an easy trip,
and a great introduction to your new boat. We had tried to find a delivery
captain to save vacations days, but with hindsight, I wish we had spent more
time on this trip

What to bring:[/i]

Two people, maybe three or more. I can't imagine singlehanding through the
locks. Two people is adequate, but the first few locks will be a bit hectic

Three will reduce the stress level a lot. We had two of us, plus our four year
daughter, who, frankly, was a negative asset in the locks!
Two boathooks - I'd get one long extending boat hook, and one solid

Cheap "garden gloves," preferably leather, for everyone, plus a spare. Its icky
work

The deck will get slimed, so a bucket and brush are handy. (By the way, I
recommend the deck washdown option from PDQ - ours gets a lot of use!) Make sure
you have a jacket and pants that you don't mind getting slimed

PDQ provided for us two dock lines. You'll want at least two more (not for the
locks, just for docking). Also, PDQ gives four fenders, the minimum required. A
few spares would be nice. PDQ provides two fender boards. One should be enough,
but it takes a beating so the spare is handy. (Required, really, since you
wouldn't want to take your new boat through without one!)
A handheld VHF. Although you normally don't need to radio the lock masters,
there are times you'll want to consult before going through. Remember, your mast
will be down, so you won't have that 50 foot antennae mount! If the antennae is
mounted on deck, make sure that its vertical because it just doesn't work at a
steep angle (radiation patterns and all that...ours was useless - the reason hit
me when we were raising the mast). A suction cup emergency antennae on the hard
top might be better. A cell phone is handy, but consult with your carrier to
make sure you're setup with the preferred "A-line/B-line" settings. This might
be a time to convert to a "one-rate" plan. (We had a $300 bill for May and
June!) Our "bag-phone" worked in the middle of the lake, about 30 miles from the
nearest cell

Basic Tools and Engine Spares
Remember, any faulty equipment will fail on this trip (if you're lucky - better
here than offshore!) so be prepared for at least one problem. Ours was clogged
anti-syphon valves on the fuel tank. (I'd remove them if you have diesel, carry
spares for gas.) Make sure you have all the manuals before you leave. You'll
want shop manuals eventually, might as well get them now. You'll be due for the
initial oil change within a few weeks, so you should start with spare filters,
etc

Navigation:[/i]

Its really hard to get lost on this trip! From Whitby to Oswego is a straight
shot, about 110 nm. There are no hazards on the lake. We saw no signs of life

Assuming you go straight to Oswego, you don't really need a chart (I can't
believe I'm saying this!) , though copying a few guidebook pages would be handy

The landmarks in Oswego are confusing til you get close so an aerial picture
would be nice. GPS is very handy for this leg, since you'll be monitoring your
ETA in Oswego closely

In the locks you'll want The Red Book - "Recreational Chart 14786 - New York
State Barge Canal System." This is not to find your way - that's easy - it for
details like which side of the dam the locks are on. Also, you'll want to
identify features like "Guard Gates" (a giant valve to isolate sections of the
canal) and various dams, highway bridges, etc. The one thing we would have liked
is a concise listing of all the locks, with the rise/fall and the distances

("Next lock is about five miles down, it's an 8 foot fall, with another a few
miles further ...")
On the Hudson, we used a one sheet "waterproof" chart that took us all the way
down. My primary nav tool was the latitude from the GPS

We didn't find a good guide book - I was disappointed with the expensive
hardcover (by Rumsey) we had

The Locks
There are 29 locks on the part of the canal we were using, plus one on the
Hudson. The first nine are up, the next 21 are down. Each lock is 42 feet wide
by 300 long, the "lift" varies from 8 feet to 41 feet. The boat should be
prepared with four large fenders on the Starboard side, plus a 2x4 fender board
over the middle fenders that rubs against the wall. Have docklines attached,
but they usually aren't used, unless you use the "pipes."
You can radio ahead on VHF 13 - "Lock 20, Lock 20, this is the catamaran Loki,
Eastbound, about 1/2 mile from the lock." Half the time they won't answer, but
they probably already know you're there. The may come back with "The gate is
open for you" or "There are several boats Westbound coming out in 10 minutes."
As you approach a lock, you'll see a red or green "traffic light." Don't get too
close until you can see inside the lock - there could be a barge coming out!
Since your mast is down on the port side, you'll always go to the starboard
side. In the Spring there is very little weekday traffic; we didn't share a lock
for three days. Most of the traffic is returning snowbirds going the other way

For the ascending locks try to get towards the front, where the turbulence is
reduced. You'll find that after a few locks, you can glide in a few inches from
the wall and stop just where you want it

The locks will have lines hanging down about every 20 feet. Some also have pipes
or cables recessed into the walls. You don't tie onto the lines, you just hold
on, paying out or taking in, as appropriate. For the pipes or cables, you loop a
line around it, and hold on. There are two basic techniques: There is the "two
hanging lines - bow and stern" technique (we used this for most locks) and the
"loop a line around the recessed pipe amidships" technique, required on the
Federal Lock on the Hudson River. We used the former technique, avoiding the
pipes, but when we got to the Federal Lock, we found that with just one pipe the
boat glided smoothly against the wall. (I suspect this worked because the
Federal Lock walls are very smooth. The other locks are rough and probably
holding too snugly would be a problem. Any comments on this point would be
appreciated.) The basic approach is drive in so that someone on the bow can grab
a line (use the solid boathook here, since you may have to fend off), and then
someone at the stern grabs another line with the extending boathook. Have hand
signals so that the bow person can indicate which rope they intend to take; and
you may want to remove the Starboard side dodger to ease communication. When
everyone is set in the locks, they open some valves, and the water goes up or
down rather quickly. Going up, you tend to be pushed into the wall, and you have
to fend off a bit. Going down, you're pulled away, so you just pay out, keeping
enough tension on the lines to keep control. On the first several locks in
Oswego, you mix one line and one pipe or cable, and have to fend off. After
these, all the rest are easy!
By the way, there's a charge to use the canal. My memory is that it was $22 for
a 2-day pass, and about $75 for a season. We figured about 3-4 days, so we got
two 2-day passes. The second was undated, so we had a bit of freedom with the
timing. You can buy the passes at the first lock in Oswego.

Raising the Mast
The mast is usually raised in Catskill, NY, a small creek about 36 miles after
the Federal Lock. There are two marinas there that can handle it. We used
Riverview Marine, the first one on the right. Their crane is busy this time of
year, so call ahead to get a time reserved. Plan on spending a day, since
they'll need a high tide (or was that a low tide?), and it takes a few hours to
get everything together. This is a good spot to gas up, go to a restaurant,
switch crews, etc. Remember, this may the last time your mast is down for a few
years: check it out carefully before it goes up

Where to Shop & Stay
We rented a car in Whitby for all the last minute provisioning. There are
supermarkets and a Wal-Mart within a few miles of PDQ. There's a chandlery a few
blocks away, but they're expensive. We drove up a month earlier in a van filled
with life cushions, anchors, etc

In Oswego, the Oswego Marina (first thing on your left) has a gas dock, pumpout,
ships store, and mechanics. You'll have to stop here to checkin with Immigration
(the videophone is outside the office) but you may have to meet customs in
Phoenix, about 4-5 hours away. As predicted, we got bad info about Customs from
Immigration; the folks at PDQ will tell you how to handle things. Oswego is a
good place to stop, but if you did an overnight, you may want to forge on to
Phoenix right away. In Phoenix, you can tie up right in the town center, with a
market and restaurants within a hundred yards. After that, you'll be in the
boonies for a few days. If you aren't planning to sightsee along the way, this
could be your last store before Catskill

Most of the locks have docks before and after where you can tie up for the
night. You should consult with the lockmasters, they will tell you if the kids
hang out there til 3 in the morning, or the fishermen show up at 4. We stopped
below lock 20 and above lock 8; both were in the "middle of nowhere."
We took on 27 gallons of diesel in Oswego, another 44 in Catskill. I'd guess
that the outboards will need an extra stop along the way. There are a number of
small marinas along the way, but early in the season its pretty sleepy

New York City
Going down the Hudson the scenery varies a lot, but it gets more built up and
there's plenty of places to stop. The wind, of course was always on the nose, so
we only got a few hours under sail. Its 100 miles from Catskill to NYC, you'll
probably want to plan a stop taking into account the tides on the river and
beyond. After a rather gentle, most rural, trip the Big Apple will be a bit of a
shock. The Hudson has a fair current and a lot of chop from the ferries. The
ferries "take no prisoners" so give them a wide berth. If you're headed South, I
can't give any advice (yet) because we went around the Battery, through Hell
Gate, and North to Long Island Sound. Hell Gate can be about as nasty a passage
as possible. It is strongly recommended that you go through at slack tide

Ideally, try to come down the Hudson on the ebb, hit Hell Gate at slack, and
continue to the Sound on the flood. Make sure you're monitoring VHF channel 13
(or was it 14?) for the barge traffic. They don't use their horns, they ask
permission to pass on the "1" side (normal passing, port to port, or overtaking
on the port side) or the "2" side

Well, that's it. By now you're probably about half-way home, you've logged close
to 500 miles, maybe 85 engine hours (don't forget that oil & fuel filter
change!), you've docked the boat about 40 times. The boat is truly yours now,
the mast is up, and you're anxious to start sailing!

Follow Ups:

Re: Notes on the Erie Canal delivery Colin Swithenbank 18:15:28 5/16/100 (0)
Re: Notes on the Erie Canal delivery Kevin Smith 07:38:39 4/19/100 (0)

Re: Notes on the Erie Canal delivery

Posted by Colin Swithenbank on May 16, 19100 at 18:15:28:
In Reply to: Notes on the Erie Canal delivery posted by Jeff Morris on April 17,
19100 at 07:39:52:


Jeff:[/i]

This account could be useful to many POA members. I wonder if you would be
interested in posting it on the POA website where it may find additional
readers?
Colin

Follow Ups:

Re: Notes on the Erie Canal delivery

Posted by Kevin Smith on April 19, 19100 at 07:38:39:
In Reply to: Notes on the Erie Canal delivery posted by Jeff Morris on April 17,
19100 at 07:39:52:


Wow, what a detailed and helpful account! I'm sure it will be useful to others

Thanks!
- Kevin Smith
s/v Phenix #32007
Chicago
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