There are worse places to be stranded than the village of Baldwinsville.
But to be stuck in the village without a car or a place to pump out your boat for a period bordering on two weeks is a bit much, according to a group of boaters who are biding their time until the New York State Canal System re-opens.
“If we’re stranded, this is where I would pick to be stranded,” said Ralph Azersky, a Binghamton native who now calls New Bern, North Carolina, home.
“It could be worse. We could be down a mine,” said Morag Allan, a Canadian boater who, along with her husband, Bruce, and their poodle mix, Dexter, has been moored at Lock 24 since June 10.
What began as a trip from the Allans’ home in Brockville, Ontario, to the Finger Lakes has turned into an unexpected extended stay in the village of Baldwinsville.
The New York State Canal Corporation announced June 11 that portions of the Erie Canal system would be closed due to high water levels and debris from heavy rains.
Canal likely to remain closed
Lock 24 was closed the morning of June 13, shortly before two kayakers capsized and drowned there in the Seneca River. As the search for the two men continued and water levels remained elevated June 14, motorized traffic was prohibited on the canal system between Cross Lake and Oneida Lake.
That ban remained in effect at press time, according to Shane Mahar, deputy communications director of the New York State Thruway and the New York State Canal Corporation.
“We’ve proactively closed it to make sure no one is out there,” Mahar said. “The fast current causes safety concerns. There can be extra debris flowing in the water. It can move our navigational aids off station, which can be deceiving to boaters. Safety is our highest priority, for not only our boaters but also for the people who reside along the canal and our employees who every day work on the water and work on the lock chambers.”
Mahar said the heavy rains have caused the canal system to swell, and, given the geography of Central New York, it takes quite a while for the waters to recede back to their normal level again.
“If you’re talking about the Albany or the Schenectady area, the eastern part of the state out in the Mohawk Valley area, you have a significant elevation change, so even if you get a decent amount of rain, within a day or two, it drains very quickly,” he said. “But in Central New York, the elevation and geography is such that it takes longer for the water to drain out of the Oswego River basin. “We need a lot of warm, sunny days to allow the waters to recede and the flows to reduce and allow the system to return to its normal flow.”
Mahar said the Canal Corp. has been paying close attention to the situation around Lock 24 in hopes of getting the canal system up and running again.
“We’ve been watching the forecast very closely every day. We have a hydrologist on staff. We measure the water levels every day,” he said. ‘We’re in close contact with the National Weather Service and local emergency managers so we can be prepared.”
It was unlikely, however, that the canal system would be fully reopened before midweek, and this weekend’s rains could push that back even further. Boaters looking for updates should check the Canal Corp.’s Notice to Mariners, which is not only regularly updated on the main page of its website (canals.ny.gov) but is also sent out as an email blast and text alerts to those who register.
“[The Notice to Mariners] advises folks on the conditions of the canal system as well as any closures, [from] anything like the high water event we’re having right now to anything like a kayak race or a special event in a community they may be passing through that may affect boaters as they transition through the area,” Mahar said.
Mahar noted that most boaters who use the canal system are experienced boaters who already receive the Notice to Mariners and are in regular communication with Canal Corp. staff.
“Most boaters who use the canal system are veteran boaters. They’re experienced captains,” he said. “They plan for delays. They know the weather is unpredictable. I can safely say we routinely interact with the as they make their way through the system.”
Help from the village
Whether it’s because of good planning or the kindness of strangers, the dozen or so boaters stuck in Baldwinsville — who hail from places ranging from the local area to Maryland, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and other regions — haven’t lacked for too much. Electricity and water are available for $5 per day to the boaters, and Mayor Dick Clarke collaborated with the First United Methodist and Community Wesleyan churches to round up transportation so the stranded visitors could pick up a few essentials at Tops.
“I’m not really stuck because I’m not really going anywhere,” said Bob Smith, a Baldwinsville resident who usually docks his boat at Cooper’s Marina. He moved to the lock because the water levels were becoming too high at Cooper’s.
Smith said some of the boaters had brought bicycles with them, and others were renting cars.
“People are great — the kindness is amazing,” Bruce Allan said. In addition to the offer of rides, villagers have brought cookies and muffins to the boaters.
“All of us have been impressed with the village,” Morag Allan said.
While the Allans have enjoyed their stay, the canal closure has cut into their plans. They won’t have time to make it to their destination of the Finger Lakes, and Morag was supposed to be back at work this week.
“I was going to rent a car Sunday and go because it was only two-and-a-half or three hours, but I called my boss and explained the situation,” she said. She’s taken the week off in the hopes that by the end of this week, the canals will have reopened so they can set sail for home.
In addition to the help they’ve received from their hosts, the boaters have found an unofficial leader in Azersky, “We’ve anointed Ralph the ‘mayor of Lock 24,’” Bruce Allan said.
Azersky has been the boaters’ point of contact for village officials, the lockmaster and local businesses “so that 12 people aren’t asking the same questions,” Azersky said.
Among Azersky’s duties has been trying to procure a septic truck to pump out the boats. The pump station at nearby Cooper’s Marina was in disrepair last week, and a local company that had promised to bring a truck last Friday bailed on the boaters.
“That’s been the only negative,” Azersky said.
As their stay in B’ville grows longer, the boaters have come down with a case of cabin fever.
“A week on a boat, 10 days on a boat — you’ve pretty much had it,” Smith said.
“It’s a nice town,” Bruce Allan said, “but I am getting a little bored.”
The boaters have been able to overhear the recent concerts at Paper Mill Island — Phish bassist Mike Gordon performed June 18 and B104.7’s Island Country Jam took place June 21 — and a few boaters have ventured out into greater Central New York seeking entertainment.
During their time in the village, the boaters have forged new friendships, exchanging phone numbers and email addresses so they can check in with each other once they move on from Lock 24. The Allans’ dog, Dexter, has found a playmate in Azersky’s spunky terrier, Chewy.
“Our relationship has developed,” Morag Allan said of the boaters’ interactions.
Despite the friends he’s made, there are still a couple of people Azersky hasn’t encountered yet around Lock 24.
“I haven’t met the Skipper or Gilligan,” he said, “but I’m sure they’re around here.”
Editor’s note: The canal is now open to motorized traffic as of June 23.
