A voyage, whether the first or the last, begins with the first mile.  Call this “not so recent news,” but these photos are too amazing not to share.  These images, credited to Brian Trzeciak, document the first lock the crew of Lois McClure and tugboat C. L. Churchill transited heading west.   

The McClure began its journey from Vermont west on the Erie Canal on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023 and temporarily wintered on Cayuga Lake, before being set at its final destination.  Later this year, it will be moved to its final location.  Follow this story on this blog.

The replica canal schooner was built in 2004 at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vermont and was constructed from designs based on documentation of 1860s-era canal boats found on the bottom of Lake Champlain.  The McClure is typical of vessels that traveled through the Erie Canal in the decades after its 1853 completion.

The McClure had served as a touring educational platform on the New York State Canal System and adjoining waterways for nearly 20 years and had visited communities from Lake Champlain to New York Harbor to the Finger Lakes and Western New York.

In time for the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal in 2025, the McClure will be displayed as part of a land-based exhibit on the Society’s historic canal channel at the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park in Port Byron NY.

All lines were cast off  the bulkhead cleats in Waterford NY at dawn. 

 

Entering lock E-2 called on the coordination of this experienced crew.  If you were part of this crew, we’d love to read any comments you might leave below.

 

The tow reached the top of the lock as the sun rose.

The tow passed the last Barge Canalmax freighter Day Peckinpaugh between locks E-2 and E-3.

Leave a comment below.  Share the blog link with your friends.  More journey photos to follow.