This article is one in a series offering tips on boating skills and seamanship prepared for The Citizen by the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary.
Many boaters take advantage of the fact that Cayuga Lake is connected with the Great Lakes and, via the Hudson River, the ocean.
Short trips from Cayuga Lake to Seneca Lake via the Seneca-Cayuga Canal, are common among boaters. Venturing to more remote destinations via waterways may sound intimidating and, with the high price of gasoline, expensive.
In July, we decided to make the trip to Lake Ontario with our first overnight stop at Oswego.
In earlier columns, I suggested a list of procedures to follow before undertaking a lengthy trip, not the least of which was a vessel safety check by a member of the CG Auxiliary or the Power Squadron. Here I will emphasize the importance of obtaining navigation charts (electronic or hard copies or both) of the waters you plan to travel and of filing a float plan with a relative or friend who is not coming with you on the trip.
Early in the morning of July 17, we left our slip at Castelli's Marina at the north end of the lake. Although we had a plan for a 7 a.m. departure, it was 7:20 a.m. when we pushed off the dock. It was a sunny Tuesday morning, calm waters and the air temperature at 71.
Soon we found the entrance to the channel, which is clearly marked by a red nun buoy No. 50 with its opposite green can buoy No. 51.
In previous columns, I mentioned that the water in many parts of north Cayuga Lake is shallow. To allow safe navigation, a channel was clearly marked. Boats that stray out of the channel risk running aground. A few weeks ago, a 36-foot cruiser had one of its props badly mangled when it hit some rocks outside the channel. Had the skipper of the boat looked at a chart, he might have saved himself several thousand dollars.
In a previous column, Aids to Navigation, I had explained the red-right-returning principle. When returning from the sea, pass the red buoys on your right (starboard) side. In Cayuga Lake, this means when traveling from north to south. Since we are now traveling from south to north, the reverse is true. We were therefore careful to pass all the red buoys on our left (port) side.
Staying in the channel by following the buoys brought us to the Conrail railroad bridge. It is one of the lower bridges in the canal system. On the chart, its vertical clearance is given as 19-feet (at minimal pool). Cruisers with high superstructures and radio antennas must be careful going under the bridge. Sail boats must take the mast down.
We are now entering a no-wake zone. Slow down, watch your waves and stay in the channel, which at this point becomes very narrow.
At 7:45 a.m., we came abeam the junction buoy marking the intersection of the Seneca-Cayuga canal. On navigation charts, it is shown as RG “CG.” To the left is the way to Seneca Lake. This is a very important buoy.
The top color is red. Underneath the red is a layer of green. Since the top is red, you need to treat it like a red buoy. Pass it on your port side. Now make a sharp turn to your left if you are heading to Seneca Lake. Don't cut across this buoy. You may save a few minutes but chances are good you will be grounded since the water depth drops to as low as 2 inches at certain points.
Since we were heading in a different direction, we left this buoy to our port side and we kept our course.
Moments later, we entered Mud Lock, the first in a series. When approaching a lock, boaters usually contact the lock master on marine channel 13 to inform him that they are approaching and the direction of travel. Often, the lockmaster will delay for a few minutes the locking process to accommodate late comers.
A word about the locks. To the non-boater, think of the locks as giant water elevators which take your boat to the next level of water ahead of you. To the boater with no experience in locking, the first few times tend to be frustrating. Here are a few tips to make your first experience less traumatic.
Before entering the lock, make sure you have fenders in place. Be prepared to see these fenders covered by slime and any other substances that the lock walls have. When you bring these fenders on deck, after locking, be prepared that this slime etc. is sure to dirty anything they touch.
When the lock doors are open and the green light is on, proceed to enter slowly. Depending on space availability, you may choose the right wall or the left. Get hold of one or more lines which hang from the walls. Depending on the size of your boat, you may need a bow and a stern line. It is not a good idea to tie the lines to your boat. Since the boat will either go up or down, you risk having your boat hanging from the lock wall when the water underneath goes down. Hold the lines and adjust them as the boat is elevated or lowered.
If, upon entering the lock, you find that all wall space on both walls is already taken by other boats, ask for permission to raft to another boat.
We were out of Mud Lock at 8:10 a.m. and met buoy G (green) 23 on our starboard side. For the next 50 minutes or so the canal cuts through the scenic Montezuma Wildlife Preserve. Remember to watch your speed.
In addition to mallards and the all plentiful Canadian geese and their chicks, we saw several cranes. Occasionally, we observed a hawk perched on dead branches watching us with a keen eye.
The channel is clearly marked and it is essential that you pay attention to the navigation buoys. Compare the numbers of the buoys with those shown on your chart. This will help you determine your position at any given time, and it will also show you what's up ahead.
It was a little after 9 a.m. when we left Montezuma and the Seneca River canal as we went under the NYS Thruway bridge close to buoy R (red)10. Soon after, we came to a Y in the channel. The Cayuga-Seneca canal runs into the Erie Canal. To the left is the way to Rochester, Buffalo, Lake Erie and beyond. We took the right leg. We entered the Erie Canal at Buoy G541. As the body of water changes, often the buoy numbering system changes as well, but we still kept the red buoys on our port side. That's why a nautical chart on hand is important. It clearly shows you the channel and the placement of the buoys. And remember to watch your wake.
At buoy R538, we stopped to look at the remains of the Richmond Aqueduct. It used to be one of the longest aqueducts on the Erie Canal.
Soon after that, we came to another wetland with thick vegetation and wildlife. Suddenly the water up ahead appeared to take a darkish brown hue. We reached for the binoculars. It was an unbelievable sighting! Stop the engines.
In next week's column, we will continue our water trip to Oswego.
John E. Keshishoglou is commander of Ithaca Flotilla 22
Many boaters take advantage of the fact that Cayuga Lake is connected with the Great Lakes and, via the Hudson River, the ocean.
Short trips from Cayuga Lake to Seneca Lake via the Seneca-Cayuga Canal, are common among boaters. Venturing to more remote destinations via waterways may sound intimidating and, with the high price of gasoline, expensive.
In July, we decided to make the trip to Lake Ontario with our first overnight stop at Oswego.
In earlier columns, I suggested a list of procedures to follow before undertaking a lengthy trip, not the least of which was a vessel safety check by a member of the CG Auxiliary or the Power Squadron. Here I will emphasize the importance of obtaining navigation charts (electronic or hard copies or both) of the waters you plan to travel and of filing a float plan with a relative or friend who is not coming with you on the trip.
Early in the morning of July 17, we left our slip at Castelli's Marina at the north end of the lake. Although we had a plan for a 7 a.m. departure, it was 7:20 a.m. when we pushed off the dock. It was a sunny Tuesday morning, calm waters and the air temperature at 71.
Soon we found the entrance to the channel, which is clearly marked by a red nun buoy No. 50 with its opposite green can buoy No. 51.
In previous columns, I mentioned that the water in many parts of north Cayuga Lake is shallow. To allow safe navigation, a channel was clearly marked. Boats that stray out of the channel risk running aground. A few weeks ago, a 36-foot cruiser had one of its props badly mangled when it hit some rocks outside the channel. Had the skipper of the boat looked at a chart, he might have saved himself several thousand dollars.
In a previous column, Aids to Navigation, I had explained the red-right-returning principle. When returning from the sea, pass the red buoys on your right (starboard) side. In Cayuga Lake, this means when traveling from north to south. Since we are now traveling from south to north, the reverse is true. We were therefore careful to pass all the red buoys on our left (port) side.
Staying in the channel by following the buoys brought us to the Conrail railroad bridge. It is one of the lower bridges in the canal system. On the chart, its vertical clearance is given as 19-feet (at minimal pool). Cruisers with high superstructures and radio antennas must be careful going under the bridge. Sail boats must take the mast down.
We are now entering a no-wake zone. Slow down, watch your waves and stay in the channel, which at this point becomes very narrow.
At 7:45 a.m., we came abeam the junction buoy marking the intersection of the Seneca-Cayuga canal. On navigation charts, it is shown as RG “CG.” To the left is the way to Seneca Lake. This is a very important buoy.
The top color is red. Underneath the red is a layer of green. Since the top is red, you need to treat it like a red buoy. Pass it on your port side. Now make a sharp turn to your left if you are heading to Seneca Lake. Don't cut across this buoy. You may save a few minutes but chances are good you will be grounded since the water depth drops to as low as 2 inches at certain points.
Since we were heading in a different direction, we left this buoy to our port side and we kept our course.
Moments later, we entered Mud Lock, the first in a series. When approaching a lock, boaters usually contact the lock master on marine channel 13 to inform him that they are approaching and the direction of travel. Often, the lockmaster will delay for a few minutes the locking process to accommodate late comers.
A word about the locks. To the non-boater, think of the locks as giant water elevators which take your boat to the next level of water ahead of you. To the boater with no experience in locking, the first few times tend to be frustrating. Here are a few tips to make your first experience less traumatic.
Before entering the lock, make sure you have fenders in place. Be prepared to see these fenders covered by slime and any other substances that the lock walls have. When you bring these fenders on deck, after locking, be prepared that this slime etc. is sure to dirty anything they touch.
When the lock doors are open and the green light is on, proceed to enter slowly. Depending on space availability, you may choose the right wall or the left. Get hold of one or more lines which hang from the walls. Depending on the size of your boat, you may need a bow and a stern line. It is not a good idea to tie the lines to your boat. Since the boat will either go up or down, you risk having your boat hanging from the lock wall when the water underneath goes down. Hold the lines and adjust them as the boat is elevated or lowered.
If, upon entering the lock, you find that all wall space on both walls is already taken by other boats, ask for permission to raft to another boat.
We were out of Mud Lock at 8:10 a.m. and met buoy G (green) 23 on our starboard side. For the next 50 minutes or so the canal cuts through the scenic Montezuma Wildlife Preserve. Remember to watch your speed.
In addition to mallards and the all plentiful Canadian geese and their chicks, we saw several cranes. Occasionally, we observed a hawk perched on dead branches watching us with a keen eye.
The channel is clearly marked and it is essential that you pay attention to the navigation buoys. Compare the numbers of the buoys with those shown on your chart. This will help you determine your position at any given time, and it will also show you what's up ahead.
It was a little after 9 a.m. when we left Montezuma and the Seneca River canal as we went under the NYS Thruway bridge close to buoy R (red)10. Soon after, we came to a Y in the channel. The Cayuga-Seneca canal runs into the Erie Canal. To the left is the way to Rochester, Buffalo, Lake Erie and beyond. We took the right leg. We entered the Erie Canal at Buoy G541. As the body of water changes, often the buoy numbering system changes as well, but we still kept the red buoys on our port side. That's why a nautical chart on hand is important. It clearly shows you the channel and the placement of the buoys. And remember to watch your wake.
At buoy R538, we stopped to look at the remains of the Richmond Aqueduct. It used to be one of the longest aqueducts on the Erie Canal.
Soon after that, we came to another wetland with thick vegetation and wildlife. Suddenly the water up ahead appeared to take a darkish brown hue. We reached for the binoculars. It was an unbelievable sighting! Stop the engines.
In next week's column, we will continue our water trip to Oswego.
John E. Keshishoglou is commander of Ithaca Flotilla 22
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