I live in Chatham, NJ and I am planning a trip on the Erie Canal this spring. This is one of those things that I've always wanted to do, but never have tried before. I've read up on how to lock through and I've gone to the NY State Canal System web site to scope out the trip. Also, I now have a 6 HP 4 stroke kicker for my boat which may be better for canaling than my 75 HP Mercury.<br /><br />The general plan is to trailer the boat up to Schnectady,launch at a public ramp or marina, and cruise for a couple of days. We may bring two vehicles so that we can drop my truck and trailer up stream on the Mohawk to avoid having to trek back to Schnectady. We'll probably need to stay at a motel one night in transit.<br /><br />Has anyone ever tried cruising the Erie Canal? I know that I'll need a permit and I plan to get the canal guide published by the state of NY. I've heard that speed limits are a big deal on the canal with many no wake zones and 5 knot restrictions. Also, I understand that I'll need a marine radio to talk to the lock tenders. Other than those things, what do I need to factor into my planning?<br /><br />Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.<br /><br />Chuck Gullage
