It feels like summertime, and the canal is open. I feel like reminiscing today, recalling the seasons I worked on the canal system. Most of that time was on these two boats that no longer operate on the canal with overnight guests, Blount’s Grande Caribe and Grande Mariner, speciaslly designed to transport almost 100 souls between the Hudson River and the Great Lakes and beyond. Actually, Blount operated several generations of vessels, each larger than the previous, Caribe and Mariner being the largest. The photo below illustrates the type of challenges these vessels overcame. As you enjoy these photos I took between 2016 and 2019, I hope I convince readers–and others whom readers talk to–to chronicle summer 2026 boating of all sorts of the NYS Canal System. Calling all correspondents.

A final question: all these photos were taken on the NYS Canals with two exceptions. Which ones and where were they taken?

Answer in the comment section below.