Lock Closure. Fort Edward to Fort Ann, NY

We regularly receive e-mail updates from the New York Canal Corporation, called “Notice to Mariners” with issues concerning locks, bridges and hazards to navigation on the state’s canals. Almost every day there is a problem somewhere, and we knew it was just a matter of time before it would be our turn to be impacted. Last night there was a power outage at Champlain Canal Lock 9, in Smith’s Basin, NY, and it was closed until further notice. The Canal Corp. has a pretty good reputation for getting problems fixed quickly, usually by the next day. We were optimistic, but prepared to spend another night in Fort Edward, which is a nice place to have to be. 

The weather forecast through the weekend is lousy anyways, with rain showers and thunderstorms every day Friday through Monday. We walked to Mamma’s Cafe for breakfast, then played music in the park while the weather was okay, but eventually got chased aboard Dragonfly when it started raining. At 11:00 AM an updated Notice to Mariners was posted that Lock 9 was repaired—and it was decision time. More rain was expected midday, then there was a break until after 4:00 PM. We altered our destination to our Plan B harbor, 13 miles and three locks away instead of 24 miles and four locks. It didn’t work out perfectly—we got sprinkled on in Lock 7 and rained on in Lock 8, but arrived at the free dock in Fort Ann’s Canal Park right at 4:00 PM, just as the rain started up yet again. Fortunately, we are well-versed in quickly setting up our cockpit enclosure, so we’re warm and dry as I write this. 

There has been a fort with various names from various nations near Fort Ann since 1689, when the French built the first version. In 1711, the fort was renamed for Queen Anne of Great Britain, but after the American Revolution, the “e” was dropped, and the current spelling of Fort Ann stuck. Today, the town of about 5,800 is primarily a farming community, although many residents work in one of two state prisons in nearby Comstock. Map Link: Fort Ann, NY

We are out of the Hudson River and traveling the final 24 miles of the Champlain Canal through a land cut, which is remarkably beautiful for a man-made ditch. We got our first glimpse of the Adirondack Mountains, and Lock 9 was our first descent, as we head down to Lake Champlain. Fun fact: There is no Lock 10—it was surveyed and planned for, but not needed in the end, and as we’ve seen in almost every waterway, the locks are never renumbered.

It rained most of the evening, so we ate dinner onboard and played cribbage and dominos before turning in. More rain is expected tomorrow, but we hope to explore Fort Ann before leaving, then get to the end of the Champlain Canal in Whitehall.

Photo Journal:

Snarky signs at Mamma’s Cafe

More snarky signs at Mamma’s

Great location, but it’s a fixer-upper