Next up, about an hour after Albion, is Hulberton, a quiet little landing for a quick on-board lunch and a doggie walk. There is no power or water, but there is a porta-potty on the north side.
It’s nice to see that some of the nearly 100-year-old buildings along the canal are still beautifully maintained. These old structures always make me wonder what life was like 100 years ago when canal “port” towns like this were buzzing with activity 24 hours a day. The history books say there was an abundance of taverns and houses of ill repute on the original canal. These buildings were built 50 to 75 years later after the canal was enlarged, yet I wonder what stories these buildings could tell!
Some people think the canal is a boring, slow ride to a destination because there’s nothing to do, and there’s only more of the same scenery around the next corner.
For us, the boat is the destination! When Mia wasn’t busy fixing carburetors, stowing lines, adjusting fenders or inspecting stuffing boxes, she relaxed on the aft deck with a good book.
As a musician you’d think I’d have had the stereo playing all day every day. Truth is, we never turned it on once during the entire trip. Only two days in, and the vibe of the journey changed from living in the suburbs of a major city to escaping civilization altogether. Some sections of the canal make you feel as if you are literally hundreds of miles from the nearest outpost, “away from it all.”
Fender T. Dog kept a vigilant eye on ducks, herons, blue jays, people, and especially dogs walking along the tow path.
Speaking of “away from it all,” we didn’t stop in Holley this trip, but we did during several others after we discovered its beautiful little park, gazebo with spotless facilities, and its scenic waterfall. The wall has enough power and water for more boats than there is dock space, and that white building is the pumpout.
We were already starting to wish we had more than just 8 days so we could have stopped at every wall to see everything these little towns had to offer. It may seem like there’s nothing here, but Holley boasts one of the most impressive waterfalls in the area. And it’s just a short walk from the wall!
If you don’t own a boat and want to cruise the canal, rent one! These quasi-replicas of the original packet boats are rentals, and they are everywhere along the canal. They are “drive your own” rentals and rent by the week. It would seem that they could be a bit difficult to maneuver in tight quarters because they have a tiller and large outboard rudder and only a single screw. But they also have a “cheat” that belies the old-world packet design: Bow thrusters! Some of the captains are novices who’ve never handled a boat before, so when you see one coming give them plenty of room! This is not an ad, but it is a link to see more information: Visit the Erie Canal Adventures site for more information. We also saw pontoons, cruisers, excursion boats, paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, jet skis, and many other types of boats for rent.
Brockport is one of the prettiest stops on this part of the canal.
This little outer-ring suburb of Rochester is also a college town, so there’s plenty of partying to be had. Make sure you hit up one of the restaurants and get the local curiosity called the “Garbage Plate.”
The facilities are impeccably clean. “Borrow a Bike” is a unique feature that really makes it easy to get to the local stores. Without a bike, the main business district is only a short walk.
Adam’s Basin has an unimproved wall. It is a good stop for a doggie walk and a lunch, but we (and most others) choose to continue to Spencerport. The same operator handles both bridges. Although the operators are usually very good about getting there in advance so there’s no waiting, they serve boaters in both directions, so there might be a few minutes of a delay. They carry portable radios, and they’ll keep you posted.
One thing I did notice was the meticulous maintenance that is obviously performed daily. The busier bridges and ports show wear & tear because the operators are busy all day long. Don’t get me wrong — the entire canal system is wonderfully maintained. But places like Adam’s Basin, Gasport, Hulberton, and Holley don’t get much traffic stopping to see the sights or stock up on supplies. The operators in these places have more time to pay attention to detail.
Attention to detail I found on the entire system, and I commend everyone who pays it.
For eastbounders, Spencerport is the last of this style of lift bridge, and it is the last lift bridge until Fairport.
We stopped here for lunch. The Dockmaster, Mr. Bill Donahue, helped us tie the lines and pointed out the services and points of interest. When we told him we were only stopping for lunch he seemed disappointed, so we promised him that we would stay overnight on the return trip. And we did! In fact, for the next 12 years we made it a point to stop in Spencerport, overnighting on both the outgoing and return trips. It became one of our favorite stops on the canal, due in no small part to that friend we met in 2010 and came to call “Dockmaster D”. We were saddened to hear that Bill passed in 2024. Rest in Peace, friend.
Laundry facilities, a supermarket, and other services are a short walk from the wall east of the bridge. Most of the stops along the canal have book racks where, if you need a book, you take a book. When you’re finished, leave it at whatever stop you happen to be at, and take another. Some also had DVDs and BluRay discs.
(Shameless plug: My book, Almost Anything for Money: Mystery of the Missing Sister, looks great on these little library shelves! Here’s where to click or touch to:
Buy Cappy Rick’s Mystery Novel!)
There are also several amazing restaurants within a short walk. This was another one of those times when we wished we had more than 8 days.
A very good band played Friday evening at the Gazebo, and the next day marked the beginning of Spencerport’s Canal Days festival. The facade of the Depot building that we see from the canal is the building’s second story. It houses the museum and welcome center. The first floor entrance is down a flight of stairs and around back.
Next up eastbound, after Spencerport, we stopped at Allen’s Canalside Marine (Now Captain Jeff’s Marina) to top off the gas tanks in 2010, but that was before I had calculated fuel consumption rates for extended trips. We didn’t need to stop here on any subsequent trips. It is, however, the first gas stop eastbound after Amherst Marine Center. And they don’t sell diesel.
The little booklet they give you when you first enter the canal system shows all of the lift bridges and locks with estimated travel times at 10 mph. The booklet is fairly accurate if you adjust those times for your speed. Except for this run from Spencerport through Rochester and across the Genesee River to Lock 33. The booklet says 1.25 hours. It took us 2.5 hours. Oh, and speaking about that little booklet, it is horribly out of date, showing gas stops and other “amenities” that haven’t been there for years. We used it to know which bridge or lock was next.
That is not to say that this section of the canal is boring. In fact, it cuts directly through the southern section of the City of Rochester. Throughout this section we continued to feel like we were miles from civilization because the tree-lined banks hid the heavily populated area from view.
There always seems to be some dredging activity at this junction. The waterway has a habit of shoaling, so don’t anticipate that the channel markers will be in the same place during the return trip.
