Erie Canal Boat 3 Day Rental | Full Houseboat Tour! | American Narrowboat

[@lomgshorts3]

I WORKED the Erie Canal from Niagra to the East River. I never played there, never had the time. I maintained lift bridges, locks, buoy boats, tugs, dredged for navigation on the HD-1, towed mud barges on the Pittsford and Lockport tugs, and later captained both. I was on the bank a mile from Bushnells Basin when the canal bank broke and flooded the countryside after a storm. From Newark to Rochester the canal stunk with open sewage flooding the water, and the Genesee Brewery flooded the water with their affluent. We saw a lot of pollution being poured into the Canal in many spots because it was once known as "Clinton's Ditch" and nobody cared about it. Hope that has changed over the years. Also hope that the banks are protected by the "no wake" policy that we proposed in 1980 but was never passed. To tell you what it was like would take more room than is available here, but you ended your day bone tired, covered with mud or grease (crater grease it was called), and clothes lasted about three weeks of use before they disintregated from washing. If you had a houseboat handy, you slept there, paid $.50 a meal (no freebies there) and a buck to wash yourself and your clothes and you hot bunked with two other men. The shifts were normalized as one in three for each 24hour day when you got to the worksite. And there was no standing around while one or two worked in a crowd of eight or ten, you ALL worked or somebody got fired. We had a lot to get done before the canal got drained in the Winter to protect the work we did. I worked on the canal for over 16 years from age 18 to 35. Raised two kids there, too. Had to find work elsewhere due to the dirty politics I observed. The political appointees to the Canal Section offices wouldn't work and we couldn't touch them - so I left the State. I worked as a truck driver (alone) for 23 years cause I didn't want to work with others anymore. New York had that effect on me. Have fun on my Canal!!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching and telling your story. Though nothing can erase the years of toil, we hope that what you see now - a canal that brings joy and happiness to all that visit - will somehow sit well with you and you can look upon the smiling faces and say "I did that".

[@undrcoverlouky]

I've always been fascinated by the English narrow boats and canals. I'm excited to learn of them a little closer to home.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We've also done the narrow boats in England and have a series of videos on our trip along the Avon-Kennett canal. Both the ones in England and along the Erie canal are wonderful trips.

[@undrcoverlouky]

@@LuvSubbin I'm going to look up your video on the English canals. I enjoyed Great Canal Journeys with Timothy West and Prunella Scales, I named my dog Prunella.

[@LuvSubbin]

@@undrcoverlouky We hope you enjoy our English canal boat series. Though he has sold his narrow boat, the KZbin channel "Cruising the Cut" is excellent. A sailing channel that we watch "The Wynns" are also on a 10 day English narrow boat adventure.

[@martyharrison8367]

This is on my "bucket list" for 2024!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We can highly recommend it. If you decide to go, make sure you make your reservations in January as things start to sell out by February. It is truly a wonderful vacation.

[@jetlag4754]

I am planning to go from Huron Ohio, on Lake Erie, and cruise the Erie Canal to the Hudson River in 2025.

[@WillaPowellGraceInTheWild]

We did it twice - once eastbound, once westbound. Then we bought our own trawler, which we keep at the Macedon Landing Marina where the Erie Canal Adventures is headquartered. love the canal!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We had so much fun that we both mentioned that we could have done it for many, many weeks and not just a few days.

[@johnbowers9827]

My wife and I did a 3-day rental from Erie Canal Adventures in late September of 2021. We rented the smaller 32' boat and had a very enjoyable time.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We missed you by a week or two. Glad you had a wonderful time as well.

[@joeltaylor9013]

Love your videos!! Thank you

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks so much for watching! We loved our canal trip.

[@mikemadden865]

Great video. Looking forward to the details next week.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks Mike! A canal boat is certainly the next best thing to an Airstream. Also, what a great place to edit this week's vid!

[@davidflores1499]

Very, very cool adventure. Like We said before “trying something new” is a good thing

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We agree about trying new things. This certainly ranked high on our list. We also have an Amtrak sleeper vid coming up in the next few weeks.

[@whatthewhat9127]

Very nice and a great adventure.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching as always! It was super fun - we only wish we could have booked a 4 day cruise (they were sold out).

[@robertnorton7504]

We are booked for August 2022. Thanks for documenting your experience.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We had such a wonderful time. We literally wish we could have done a week.

[@jmtimmons]

I enjoyed your video. My sister and her husband, also Airstream fanatics, are heading out tomorrow morning to drive up there and begin their Erie Canal Adventure. It's their first time so I wanted to see what they'll be doing.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We hope they enjoy their trip as much as we did.

[@2490debrick]

Hellooooo from the UK 🇬🇧 great vid 👍

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We love the UK! The first KZbin videos we ever did was on our narrowboat holiday on the Avon Kennett canal. That narrowboat was 69' and without a bow thruster - much more challenging to handle but still an awesome time. We hope to be back soon.

[@BillPelletier]

We were on the Canandaigua in 2006 and were one of four families in our travel group that each had their own boat. 10 days - 5 out to Brockport, then 5 days back to Newark and a quick turnaround to Macedon.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching and sharing your story. We're hoping to go again someday for an even longer trip like what you took.

[@williamredman4962]

Planning one in May. Super helpful, seeing the in-service!!!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We loved our trip and am confident you will to.

[@alanwilliamson6421]

I'll have to try this

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! We totally agree - it was one of our best trips ever.

[@aswinos6077]

Always enjoy your vlogs! We are originally from the CNY area, but never cruised the canal. Heading to South Padre soon in our AS for some warm weather. Grabbed a couple of the checklist tees for the holidays - super cute!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching and supporting the channel with our tees! If ever you're back in CNY we can highly recommend the Erie Canal cruise. BTW, South Padre sounds awesome - we'll get there someday.

[@gregpriddy8595]

Love it! G

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! It was super fun. Next week's video will have some more details.

[@mikejarvis4183]

I like this!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks! It was a super fun getaway - like an RV on the water.

[@coincollector315]

The boat motor is water cooled, hence the strainer. Why would you be looking for green coolant?

[@LuvSubbin]

@@coincollector315 Thanks for watching! The water takes the place of a radiator in a car engine. There is still coolant in the engine but heat is removed from it as it passes through a raw water heat exchanger. So the raw water is cooling the coolant; not the engine directly.

[@01jvb]

Greetings from the UK. The boats on the Erie Canal are great but they aren't narrowboats as narrowboats are only 7 feet wide.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! You are of course correct. We did take a UK holiday on the Avon-Kennet Canal with a 69' narrowboat. It was one of our best holidays ever. We have a playlist on our channel if you're interested.

[@vanlifebiker]

Very cool.

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! It was a great trip and we hope next week's video will shed some more light on how much fun this can be.

[@vanlifebiker]

@@LuvSubbin Keep up the great & enjoy the ride.

[@MrOpaulo]

So what's the Welland canal or for that matter, what is the Trent Severign canal

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! Your comment on the Trent Severn made us curious so we searched KZbin and found an excellent video on the Big Chute from Scho and Jo. That "railway" to transport the pleasure craft was so interesting. We are making plans to visit it this summer. Thanks!

[@MikeConcordia]

Can you hire a captain to pilot the boat. So you can lay back and enjoy the ride?

[@LuvSubbin]

Not only will we captain, we'll act as chef as well! 😀

[@JohnBraman413]

do they have different sizes to rent? do they sell them as well?

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! They do have different lengths. We had the Lockmaster 42 but they also make smaller ones for couple (the Lockmaster 34) and a few other variations. They sold a few of them many years ago but they no longer do so. I think the demand is too high and you just can't replace them easily.

[@MrOpaulo]

*Trent Severn

[@kathyc1315]

Glad you got a smaller boat, mate! Cindy, did you take a Crank like shower?!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! Not only did we get a smaller boat but this one had bow thrusters which made all the difference. C will claim that the tanks were not full versus abusing a Hollywood shower...

[@kathyc1315]

@@LuvSubbin Well it looks like Col. Holloman did a good job filling the tank, so that is suspect!

[@margf.6773]

Why are you constantly YELLING?

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching and I'm sorry you thought I was yelling. It was certainly not my intention. Maybe my enthusiasm came across a little strong.

[@darthsk8ter480]

Tuned in to this video because ive studied narrow boats in England...had to stop the video you guys are annoying and gringe worthy

[@LuvSubbin]

That's the best part of KZbin - you can turn us off as soon as we become cringe worthy! I would suggest our English narrow boat series where we sailed the Avon Kennet Canal with Oxfordshire Narrow Boats but I would not want to stress you any further...

[@seankeliher3996]

Great adventure!

[@LuvSubbin]

Thanks for watching! It was a great adventure and we wish it could have been longer.