Newfie wrote:Toledo, 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 wrote: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.
Well for the commercial traffic it is just a matter of what the railroad charges for the same ton delivered. You better then anyone knows what it cost to have a private craft on the water or tied up at a marina.Newfie wrote: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.
Newfie wrote: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 wrote:Well for the commercial traffic it is just a matter of what the railroad charges for the same ton delivered. You better then anyone knows what it cost to have a private craft on the water or tied up at a marina.Newfie wrote: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.
I'd hate to see the canal fall into disrepair just before fuel prices escalate and make it economically viable again. But of course it doesn't go all the way to Iowa or Kansas so maybe it is already a relic of times past.
Alfred Tennyson wrote:We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Tanada wrote:vtsnowedin wrote:....
..... But of course it doesn't go all the way to Iowa or Kansas so maybe it is already a relic of times past.
What do you mean by that? If Newfie wants to he can take the Erie Canal to Buffalo, NY. From there it is a long sail across Erie up around Michigan through Lakes St.Claire & Huron, then down through Lake Michigan to the Chicago Canal where he can cross over into the Mississippi/Missouri river complex. That would let him easily access Iowa (on the Mississippi) or Kansas (on the Missouri).
.........
Newfie wrote:In fact I'm, hopefully, going down the St Lawrence enroute to Newfoundland.
Alfred Tennyson wrote:We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
vtsnowedin wrote:Well for the commercial traffic it is just a matter of what the railroad charges for the same ton delivered. You better then anyone knows what it cost to have a private craft on the water or tied up at a marina.Newfie wrote: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.
I'd hate to see the canal fall into disrepair just before fuel prices escalate and make it economically viable again. But of course it doesn't go all the way to Iowa or Kansas so maybe it is already a relic of times past.
sweetblago wrote: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/
Alfred Tennyson wrote:We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
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