GL: Canadian Canals policies

[Dennis Bruckel]

Randy asked...

Am I understanding this correctly? I will need BOTH the Seasonal Lockage
permit and the Seasonal Mooring Permit ($8.50 + $9.90=$18.40 per foot). I
thought I heard that the Lockage permit allowed you to tie up at or near the
lock walls or along the waterway.

Dennis replies...

The above is correct. The Canadian Canals do charge separately for lockage
and mooring or overnight use of lock walls. A season pass for both allows
unlimited use of both the locks and overnighting at no additional expense.
This pass will be accepted at all Parks Canada facilities, including the
Richeleau, Rideau, and Trent Severn Canals, as well as the Lachine Canal in
Montreal (only 8 feet air draft), and several 1,000 Islands dock
facilities. 

Only a small number of Canadian dock and lock facilities have potable
water, and fewer yet offer any electric service, often at a small
additional change. Generally, there are fewer marinas, and often those are
smaller than their counterparts along the east coast ICW for example. We
have usually bought the seasonal permit for both locking and mooring as it
allows us to go at our own speed, rather than feeling like we should rush
to save some money.

New York State Canals does not charge separately for locking and mooring.
Nearly every lock has overnight space available, generally without either
water or electric service. Many towns along the NYS Canals have built
spectacular parks with docking with water, electric, and often shower
facilities, often with no charge at all, or perhaps the first night or two
free, and then a minimal charge for successive night stays. For 2006 tolls
were suspended as an experiment. To my knowledge, they have not yet decided
to repeat this experiment.

A reminder that all the canals in the northeast are susceptible to
occasional flooding. In June of 2006 all traffic was suspended in eastern
New York State's Canal near Amsterdam, NY, effectively closing the entire
waterway to transient vessels. There is a short article and several photos
of these floods on my web site under the title Summer of 06, then Erie
Canal Flooding. The damage was truly spectacular! 

Esther and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Charleston event in
April! 

Dennis


Dennis Bruckel, Cruising Editor
Waterway Guide
Albin 27  Sadie B
website www.debruckel.com