Transiting the Champlain Canal

The Champlain Canal connects Lake Champlain to the Hudson River and further on to the Atlantic Ocean.  The canal is 60.72 miles from the junction with the Erie Canal to Lock 12 in Whitehall, NY and consists of 11 locks.  The lock from north to south will take you from 96 feet above sea level up to 140 ft and back down to 1 foot above sea level.

Leaving Lake Champlain this year was bittersweet. We are going to miss all the great freshwater sailing but we also are so excited about exploring new cruising grounds!

Disclaimer:  In the interest of transparency, please be aware that this post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links may result in a small commission for us at no cost to you.   We appreciate you shopping from these links!

Things You’ll Need:

• Fenders (3-4)
• Fender Board–This can just be a 2×4 cut to length.
• Gloves
• Two Boat Hooks
• Dock Lines (Old Ones You Don’t Mind Getting Gross)

Resources for Your Trip:

• General NY Canal System Navigation Information: NY Canal System
• Champlain Canal Navigation Breakdown: NY Canal System
• Champlain Canal Lock Quick Reference Page (including lock phone numbers): NY Canal System

Important Before You Go:

The Champlain Canal has a maximum overhead clearance of 14.5’.  This will mean if you have a sailboat you will need to unstep your mast prior to entering the canal, and re-step it once leaving.

Northern Mast Services:

The most convenient place to get your mast stepped is Chipmans Point Marina just south of Ticonderoga.  They are a well oiled machine and will have the mast on deck in just a few minutes.  You do need to build your own cradle and do most of the prep yourself but they will operate the crane quickly and efficiently.

There are plenty of other marinas that can provide this service further up into the lake, but Lake Champlain’s weather can be a little unpredictable. You won’t want to encounter any sort of seas with your mast on deck so we would recommend using Chipman’s.  Also they were significantly cheaper than our home marina in Mallett’s Bay.

Southern Mast Services:

There are two options for mast stepping and unstepping on the southern end of the canal.  The first is Castleton Boat Club which is a DIY crane.  The second are the marinas in Catskill, NY.

Castleton Boat Club is the route we went as we have stepped and unstepped our mast with a tabernacle system many times.  It also is significantly less expensive than the marina options.  The boat members are very nice and willing to assist in any way except when it comes to the crane.  Their insurance does not allow them to help at all.  This was fine for us.  There are two other issues with using Castleton: 

1.  It is very exposed to wake from the river.  Most boats slow down as they pass but that doesn’t mean they all will.  We had everything strapped in and ready to lift as a boat came flying past.  It would have been disastrous if the mast had been in the air or close to the deck.

2.  The crane is slow.  Like slower than a snail slow.  Which means you are left exposed to the above wake for a long time.  I would assume the speed is to build in a factor of safety, but it felt like it actually was more dangerous than it being a little bit faster would have been.

Check out our Champlain Canal Video around 09:35 to see the crane and a time lapse of us stepping our mast.

The Marinas in Catskill are full service.  There is Riverview Marine Services and Hop-O-Nose Marina are the most often recommended.

Approaching the Locks

As you approach the lock, hail the lock operator on channel 13.  You can also call them.  Each lock has its own phone number.  With our mast on deck our VHF wasn’t working well so we did have to call a couple of the locks, but they seem to prefer VHF.  On the Champlain Canal many of the lock operators will call ahead to the next lock for you and you may find the lock already open for your arrival.  If not, wait for the green light before entering.

Be sure to wear a life jacket.  This is especially important for ascending locks.  The Champlain Canal locks do not require PFDs like some locks but it is still a good idea.  If you were to fall overboard with the water churning that much you would likely not be able to keep yourself on the surface, not to mention all the debris that you could become tangled with.

As you enter, slowly pull alongside the lock wall.  Our prop walk is to the left, so we asked to have a port side tie up at every lock.  This allowed us to grab the bow line first and then reverse slightly to grab a stern line.  You’ll want to have a good idea how your boat docks before attempting the locks.

You’ll also want to have gloves on before you grab the lines. Cyanobacteria is common on the Champlain Canal, and you do not want to accidentally get that in your mouth. Be sure to wash your hands after each lock as well. The lines are also just icky from being in the water all the time.

Once you are situated turn off your engine.  You are about to spend 15-20 minutes in a confined space, likely with other boats.  No one wants to spend that much time breathing in exhaust fumes.

Going Up

Ascending a Lock is slightly more difficult than descending a lock.  While locks use gravity to operate there is more turbulence as the water enters the small lock space than when it leaves.  It is especially apparent in full keel boats as the water swirling around the keel can push you onto or off of the wall as it pushes you forward and backward along the wall.  Here are a few tips:

• Don’t fight it. The more you fight it the worse you are going to make it.
• Let your fenders do their job.  A fender board is super helpful and will help to keep your boat flat against the wall instead of rocking along the hull.

• The lines in the lock are loose at the bottom so the angles will be weird.  We highly recommend putting one of the pipes at your stern and using that with a line to give you a little more forward/backward stability.

• Using a bow cleat or stern cleat can give you a little more of a fixed point at the bottom of the loose ropes.  DO NOT CLEAT OFF THE LINE.  You would only be using the cleat to snub the line; taking up the slack every 6 or so inches.
• Use a boat hook to help fend off, but don’t push off too hard, because pushing hard on the stern will make your bow swing into the wall, and vice versa.

Going Down

Going down is easy on the Champlain Canal.  Just position yourself between two ropes, sit back and relax.  The lock will slowly lower you down.

Leaving the Locks

This is probably the most important advice we can give.  Do not under any circumstances turn hard away from the wall.  A boat isn’t like a car.  As the front of your boat moves away from the wall the back of your boat will *CRUNCH*, hit it.  We actually saw this happen to a nice powerboat in front of us.  You’ll want to have someone pushing away slowly at midship, and then gently ease the boat away from the way, being careful to watch your stern.  Don’t forget about any dinghy davits, solar arches, or swim platforms that may hang off.

Specific Info About the Locks

Lock 12  Whitehall, 15.5’ North Down/South Up, Mile 60.72

Lock 12 is the first lock you will encounter if southbound and the last if you are northbound.  For those going south, this lock only fills from one side which makes it the most turbulent that you will encounter. You will be asked to tie up on the port side of the lock, be sure to have your fenders and fender board ready.

Lock 11 Comstock, 12’ North Down/South Up Mile 54.28

Lock 11 will seem like a breeze if you just completed Lock 12.  It fills from both sides so it is not nearly as turbulent.  It also fills slightly slower.

Lock 9 Smith’s Basin, 16’ North Down/South Up Mile 45.04

You might be wondering if you missed something.  Where is lock 10?  There is no lock 10.  It was part of the original plans for the canal but later found to be unnecessary.  They decided not to renumber the locks for whatever reason.  Again this will be an easy up compared to #12.

Lock 8 Fort Edward, 11’ North Up/South Down Mile 39.21

If you are headed south this will be your first descending lock. It is very easy, and will almost seem boring.

Lock 7 Fort Edward, 10’ North Up/South Down Mile 37.03

Lock 7 is barely 2 miles from Lock 8 and the lock attendants are great about communicating with one another so it would be surprising if you have to wait for this lock.  If you are a faster boat and lock with a slower boat, you will likely want to save the fuel between 7 and 8, as the lock attendants will hold the second lock for the slower vessel.  Enjoy the scenery!

Just south of Lock 7, and almost a 180 degree turn as soon as you exit the lock is the creek that takes you to the Fort Edwards Yacht Basin.  This is a free wall provided by the city, and is near lots of restaurants and a few gas stations.

Lock 6 Fort Miller 16.5’ North Up/South Down Mile 29.90

Nothing major to report on this one.  It is similar to all the other descending locks.

Lock 5 Schuylerville 19’ North Up/South Down Mile 26.14

As with Lock 6 there isn’t a lot different here.  It is a long way until lock 4 so it would probably be a great time to make some lunch!

Lock 4 Stillwater 10’ North Up/South Down Mile 11.76

The distance between lock 4 and 5 will seem forever compared to the others.  It’s funny how 15 miles seems like an eternity when it’s only been 5-10 for the others.  Lock 4 will be the first (or third) of three closely stacked locks.  The attendants are great about talking to one another here and lock 4 even asked us what speed we thought we’d make so he could pass it on.

Lock 3 Mechanicville 25.5’ North Up/South Down Mile 9.92

The biggest drop of the Champlain Canal system!  This lock is huge!  Between Locks 2 and 3 there is another free wall to tie up to if you feel like stopping.  This would probably make a great stop if you are a power boat that can make faster headway.

Lock 2 Mechanicville 18.5’ North Up/ South Down Mile 7.37

The third (or first) of the quick three near Mechanicville.  There is a free dock between 2 and 3.

Lock 1 Waterford 14.3’ North Up/ South Down Mile 3.43

Lock 1 will either be your first or last of the NY Canal system locks.  It 

Troy Federal 14 +/- 2.5’ North Up/South Down

The Troy Federal lock is run by the Army Corp of Engineers and not by the NY Canal System.  They do not offer lines but only pipes.  The pipes are also spaced pretty far away from one another.  On our 30 foot boat we were unable to reach two pipes.  We put the pipe at mid ship and then each ran a line to the pipe and back to our respective positions at the bow and stern.  It seemed to work well, but I’m not sure how well it would work if we were ascending as the Troy Federal, like lock 12, only fills from one side.

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Once you exit the Troy Federal lock you are in the tidal waters of the Hudson River.  This also means you’ll now be subject to currents.  At the upper end of the Hudson River they only run .5-1 knot, but once you are closer to New York City they will be closer to 2.5 knots on the ebb and 1.5+ on the flood.

Recommended Itinerary

While most power boats can complete the whole canal in a single day, for those of us that move at a slightly slower pace, it will be at least a 2-3 day trip.  You might be thinking 60 miles in a single day isn’t that much, but you have to remember that each of the locks requires 15-30 minutes.  That doesn’t even take into account the time you may have to wait for a lock to be readied for you.  Here is a possible itinerary that wouldn’t be taxing for a boat going 5-7 knots.

Day 1

Make your way from the Lake down to Ticonderoga.  Stop at Chipmans Point Marina for the night, and make arrangements to have your mast unstepped early the next morning.  Strip your sails off, make your mast cradle etc and enjoy this unique marina.

Day 2

Time your trip down from Ticonderoga to make it through Lock 12 before they close for the night.  Tie up at the Whitehall free wall on the southside of Lock 12.

Day 3

After Lock 7, turn almost 180 degrees up the creek to the Fort Edwards Yacht Basin.  This free wall is close to several markets, restaurants, and gas stations.

Day 4

After Lock 1 you will turn toward the Erie Canal and tie up at the Waterford Free Wall.  We don’t recommend paying for the bathroom/shower access.  It was not clean while we were there and are open to the public during daylight hours.

Day 5

Finish your last lock and celebrate!  Stop at Castleton Boat Club to DIY stepping your mast, or continue on to Catskill to have one of the many marina’s there do it. 

You could certainly complete the Champlain Canal faster, but limited areas for anchoring or tying up do make for some challenges. There are however several free walls along the Champlain Canal to help keep the trip inexpensive! The free walls are located in:

• Whitehall (South of Lock 12)
• Fort Edward (South of Lock 7)
• Mechanicville (Between Locks 2 and 3)
• Waterford (Between Lock 1 and the Troy Federal Lock)

We hope that this guide will help with your passage through the Champlain Canal.  If you have questions we would be happy to try and answer them in the comments!