Can it be true that less than a month remains in the 2026 NYS Canals navigation season? That means that some boats from the Great Lakes are repositioning through the canals to salt water. You might see some interesting ones.

Captain Tammee Poinan Grimes, also president of CSNY, caught Terrapin

the other day. It turns out this boat’s been featured in smallboatsmonthly.com as a L’Ark. Full details can be found here. The photo below comes from that article.

Below is a photo shared by Bill Hecht. I’ve looked up this name in the MVUS of 1895, 1900, 1905, and 1910, and not found additional info about steam yacht Calypso. Anyone help?

I took this photo of a relatively unusual cargo entering the top of Lock 17 back in 2018. The eastbound barge was built in Erie PA on Lake Erie, and was being moved to New York harbor to become dredge Oyster Bay. The tugboat currently operates out of Clayton NY under the name Seaway Jennifer.

Recall that Lock 17 will be a focus of the upcoming Fall 2026 Study Tour. You can still register for the tour; info to register is here.

See an unusual vessel? Snap some photos and share on Dispatches. We’re always looking for community participation with photos, news, and comments. All comments need to be approved by me.