Erie Canal to buffalo? Anyone done it?

Cleveland to Port Huron is only 162 nm and Buffalo to Cleveland is only 170 nm or so. Neither one is what I'd call pushing it. Grosse Point to Buffalo is an easy two days. We took the following path but we were sightseeing-Buffalo to Erie 72 nm (3 hr), Erie to Cleveland 98 nm (4 hours), Cleveland to Sandusky 52 nm (3 hours), Sandusky to Grosse Point 75 nm (6 hours). Now we were in a faster boat but at 18-20 knots the runs Capt J has planned are easy if lake conditions are good. A lot easier running on Lake Erie than on the Erie Canal.

Well Capt J I think you made the wise choice to take the Erie Canal as the service on the Welland Canal is bad.
We started the Azimut up last night at 21:00 hrs I got off lock 7 at 04:00 hrs and they cleared canal around 08:00 hrs Wed morning.
Just a note that they have major problems in the flight locks and they have now closed the west flight locks down are now at this time draining the locks , hey have to install stop logs above lock 6 for safety and pump out 21 million gallons of water that will take about 18 hours then do the inspection and repairs.
Now they can only run one way navigation through the flight locks which means they run up bounds for 10 hours then down bound for 10 hours until repairs are done, and with this delay there will be ships anchored out in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario waiting there turn which means
pleasure craft will not be allowed to transit canal until commercial ship are cleared up.
Flight locks are three locks in a row and they have a up bound side and a down bound side.
In the flight locks you only have 150' of usable space so we have raft three abreast in two rolls.
Depending of the scope of repairs I can see seaway not allowing pleasure craft to transit canal for a week this only my opinion
from previous brake downs.
I now have about 12 clients waiting in various ports waiting to see what will happen.
Note the seaway called me late last night to get the Azimut up the canal before it closed down if they had not done that he would have been stuck in Lake Ontario for days
Will keep you up dated on repairs

It may not always be that way, but Capt J sure made a good choice this time. It's one of those cases of a day late could lead to a week or more. Any issues you're aware of on the St. Lawrence, Montreal and north?

I took as guy up last week had 82' yacht his only complaint they will not talk to yachts on the radio plus delays of linesmen

Yes, the last time I went through they made it quite clear I was not a priority in any way shape or form.

Probably 100 gallons of the fuel between generator and locking.

Repairs were complete at 06:00 hrs today canal is in full operation

EIRE CANAL POSSIBLE CLOSURE

http://www.canals.ny.gov/wwwapps/tas/notices/ntm.aspx?id=1233