Boat trip from Champlain Marina to New York City Click image to expand. Use left arrow on expanded image to return here.

Cruising from Champlain Marina to New York City is an awesome "boat ride". Here is a brief photo overview of that trip. You don't need a big boat to make this cruise and have a great time.  If you have a very large boat with high clearance, there a couple of bridge heights you should verify when planning the trip. The trip is a little over 300 miles each way. If you cruise 20 to 25 miles per hour on good water, it takes two and half days each way. So, if you have a week and nothing breaks down, you can spend two days in New York City. We usually go to a dinner and show and then may use the last day to ride though Long Island Sound. If you have more time, it is only about 110 miles to Atlantic City and another 40 or so to Cape May, New Jersey. If you cast off at first light, and calm seas, you can be there for lunch. With good weather, you can run off shore and the ocean can be as calm and flat as Lake Champlain. It can also get ugly so know where the inlets are and be sure to check the weather - often.

Ready to cast off. The "fleet" should be more than one boat in case of a breakdown. Reservations can be problem with too many boats. Two to four boats works well.

This is the opening in the (abandoned) Colchester Railroad Causeway Bay to access Malletts Bay. New York City harbor is about 300 miles south. It usually takes us 2 1/2 days to get to NYC. We cruise at 20 to 25 mph with layovers at Schuylerville, Kingston and New York City. The New York Canal system begins 75 miles south.

Lake Champlain narrows at the south end and becomes very narrow, like a  swamp river, just north of Whitehall.

Approaching Whitehall, New York The north end of Champlain Canal System is at Lock 12 in Whitehall. Lock 12 Marina is on the east side. They have fuel and a restaurant. Whitehall Marina is on the west side.

Approaching Lock 12 The lock is straight ahead - look for the yellow lock gates. You can tie up at a cement dock on the port side of the approach. Fenders get very dirty unless you wrap them and work gloves will protect your hands from slimy ropes. The gates will open and you drive into the lock and grab a rope for the bow and one for the aft..

Locks are like stairs - you either go up or down. When going uphill, the lock is drained, the gates open and boat enters. The gates are closed behind the boats and the lock is then filled. When the lock is full,  the gates at the exit end are opened and the boat pulls out. Notice the ropes hanging down on the of this photo.

This lock is being filled. In addition to ropes, the Champlain Canal locks have "pipes" to tie up to. These pipes are counter-sunk into the concrete walls. Pull up mid-ship to a pipe and wrap a rope around the pipe. This may be all that is needed for smaller boats.

This show the lock completely filled. Notice the boat hook. You can use a boat hook from the bow and stern to hold your boat away from the wall and minimize the dirt on the fenders and rub rail.

We have made this trip many times. Years ago, there was a lot of traffic during the 4th of July week and locks were crowed. These days, we are often the only group.

Cruising along in the canal. This a very leisurely part of the trip. The Champlain Canal System is about 60 miles long. There are eleven locks - even though the last is called lock 12. There is also a federal lock at Troy/Albany. The speed limit is 10 miles per hour. If you go too fast, you have to answer to the next lock master. Boats are timed and speeders may be delayed at the next lock.

Busted!! The canal is a no wake zone. This boater was only given a warning because she was traveling LESS then the speed limit.

Bridge Ahead Large boats need to check the bridge heights before starting this trip through the Champlain Canal System.

Kids on the bridge overhead. Keep an eye on the bridges as you pass under. Although we have never had any trouble, we have heard rumors that kids in drop cinder blocks from the bridges in the Harlem River.

HEAD UP!!!! This is what a canal dam looks like. There are dams in the canal system. On our first trip, we nearly went over the dam! When southbound, follow the west side of the canal to the lock.

Rain or shine Unless you have plenty of time, you have to keep to the schedule whether the weather is good or not. We make an exception for high seas in the ocean.

Schuylerville Yacht Basin is a favorite stop. This is a small family run marina located about half way through the Champlain Canal System. Depending on weather and locking events, this is usually about 9 hours from Champlain Marina. Gas is available here.

HEADS UP!! It is important to enter the marina from the SOUTH. There are rocks under the bridge at the north of the marina. Left photo shows south approach.

The Albany / Troy town docks are just after the (Federal) last lock. The town docks are located on the east of the river.

Open water, up on plane and heading south to the second layover at Kingston, NY - about seven hours cruise at our speeds.

An old light house marks the entrance to Kinston from the  Hudson River.

After the turn into the Kingston channel, it is about 20 minutes to the Kingston waterfront area. Gas is available along the channel as well as at least one of the marinas.

The waterfront has some retail stores and a few restaurants. There are a couple of marinas just past the town waterfront. There are town docks at the waterfront but no showers.

The smaller boats can be packed two per slip on a busy weekend. If it rains, our "Green Mountain Biminis" are  fantastic. We are dry and don't care how crazy we look.

Happy Hour! We always look forward gathering on one boat for happy hour at the end of a day on the water.

Sunset at Kingston. Tomorrow is a new day and we will be in New York Harbor by noon.

Breakdown! Always bring your tools because you just never know when something is going to break. When cruising the Hudson after a storm, you will see all kinds of strange things just under the surface. Things like telephone poles, 50 gallon drums, and other bizarre stuff.

Keep moving south. This the Hudson River near West Point.

West Point. You can tie up here and go ashore for a tour.

Here is the Indian Point nuclear plant 40 miles north of New York City.

Come on in. The water warm here at Indian Point!

You are getting near the city when you see the Tappan Zee Bridge.

The Harlem River meets the Hudson River a couple of miles north of the George Washington Bridge. If heading for Long Island and not stopping in New York City, you take the Harlem River to Hell Gate on the East River and then out into Long Island Sound.

The sight of the George Washington Bridge means the city is very close.

New York City!!

Grey Goose passing the towers before 9/11

Hang On!!! The wake in New York Harbor is fierce. There are boats everyplace - big boats, little boats, commercial boats, ferries and they are all moving and creating wakes.

Nobody even thinks about the rules of the road.  If you see a boat coming at you, you had better get out of the way.

There several good marinas located along the west side of the Hudson River in New Jersey. There are water taxis and regular taxi service for getting into the city. We prefer liberty landing marina because it HAS NO WAKE. The others all have tremendous wakes even in the slip. The wake stops at !:00 AM when the ferry  boats stop running.

You can extend your trip to include Atlantic City and Cape may New Jersey - about 125 miles running offshore. Farley Marina is a NJ state park located in front of Trump Castle. The casino is at the end of the dock.

Cape May, New Jersey is great destination. It is an old sea shore town with lots of Victorian B & Bs, restaurants and quaint shopping area. There are bike rentals so you can tour the area.

Homeward bound. Sooner or later, you have to go back home. The best way is to run offshore and avoid the ICW. We always check the weather and leave at first light. The waves seem to get larger as the day goes on. With smooth water, you can be back in New  York Harbor before lunch.