Somewhere on the Down East Loop: The Champlain Canal

Preparing to Lock Down

Heading Off of the Erie Canal

On Wednesday the 26^th of June we descended back down Lock 2 on the Erie Canal and headed north on the Champlain Canal entering what is known as the Lakes to Locks Passage or the “Great Northeast Journey”. Tracing what was the nation’s first “superhighway”, this historic waterway connects the Hudson River, the Champlain Canal and Lake Champlain with the Richelieu River, the Chambly Canal and the St. Lawrence River of Quebec opening routes for trade and commerce. It was drizzling again as we turned onto the Champlain Canal and headed north through gorgeous countryside of rural areas with small villages and large farms.

The Beginning of the Champlain Canal

The height restriction on the Champlain Canal is 17’; many of the bridges seemed lower than that as we passed through. The area is saturated from the rainfall of recent weeks and the spillways and streams were running fast.


Lock C-1, the First Lock on the Champlain Canal

With So Much Rain, the Spillways Were Running Muddy

A Guillotine Bridge Along the Way

Heading north on the Champlain Canal we were happy to be on our way again. We passed the Saratoga Battlefield which we had visited a few days earlier and spotted the location of Burgoyne’s Headquarters with a cannon visible from the river.


Look Closely For the Cannon on the Hill

When we locked through C5 (the fifth lock on the Champlain Canal), we were advised there was a dredging project ahead and we would encounter many barges and work boats. This is an ongoing project that we encountered in 2009 when we passed this way, clean up from an industrial site. This time the work was in full swing and we had a delay at C6 waiting for a barge to lock through. We stopped for the day at Fort Edward, a small town which, like so many on this route, was thriving during the heyday of train and barge transportation but which time seems to have forgotten since. Many of the beautiful old buildings have fallen into disrepair. The townspeople are proud of their towns and anxious to share their history with those who travel their way. Fort Edward offered a very nice dock for boaters passing by complete with power and water in a lovely park setting.

Fort Edward

We Had a Beautiful View!

We happened to arrive on the weekend the town had a carnival to celebrate “Heritage Days”, the carnival was in the area adjacent to the town dock! We planned to stay two days and would have been gone before the festivities began. Due to heavy rain we stayed an extra day, more rain is just what this area didn’t need! Thankfully for the townspeople, the rains abated in time for the carnival to kick off right on time at 3PM. It looked like everyone enjoyed themselves and we had a front row seat for the fireworks.


The Carnival Site

We Had a Front Row Seat For 'People Watching'

And the Fireworks!

By morning the rain of the previous day had raised the river by nearly three feet and we wondered if we had clearance to get under the two fixed bridges leading back out to the Canal. After careful study we determined we would clear and departed Fort Edward, heading back to the Canal where we waited for two barges to lock through before we were able to enter the lock and get underway.


Fixed Bridges Leading to Fort Edward


Awaiting Barge Traffic

The locks themselves are an adventure, each one different. The countryside is beautiful! The canal follows the Hudson River until just before lock 7 and Fort Edward where the Hudson turns to the west and the canal continues along a 24 mile dug channel with 5 more locks ending in Whitehall. The first 8 locks on the Champlain Canal lift ones boat to the summit of 139 feet above sea level; from this point the remaining locks lower the vessels to the level of Lake Champlain at 95.6 feet.

It is Important to Pay Attention, the Lock is on the Left, the Spillway is on the Right!

We ended our day at Whitehall; called the “Birthplace of the U.S. Navy” because it was in Whitehall (then called Skenesborough) that Benedict Arnold built a fleet of ships in the summer of 1776. This fleet took part in the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain and although he didn’t win the battle, he is credited with delaying the British long enough that fortifications were prepared in Saratoga allowing the Americans to win a much needed victory, changing the course of the Revolutionary War. Like Fort Edward, Whitehall offers a nice wall to which to tie allowing visiting boaters an opportunity to enjoy what this historic town has to offer.

We celebrated Harry’s birthday with our friends Paul and Jan Sahler with dinner at Finch and Chubb. One of the delights of a trip like this is meeting new friends along the way. We walked up the hill to the Skene Manor which sits majestically overlooking the Canal. Built between 1872 and 1874, this beautiful old home has a storied past, it was saved from destruction by a group of concerned citizens in Whitehall and is being restored to its former glory.