Bob's Description of locking

What are the locks all about?

To travel north or west from Troy you need to enter the Federal Lock which pops up just after passing the Troy waterfront. First you pass under a modern lift bridge, and then the last of the highway bridges.

The fact you have reached this lock means you took your mast down long before reaching Albany, or you made an appointment at "Scrano's" located on the west shore, just after Green # 219 buoy and prior to the "Port of Albany Terminal Building." Otherwise you will never clear the RR-bridge (without notification) and the bridges spanning the canal after entering into either the Erie or Champlain canal systems.

Dunn Memorial Bridge 60 feet fixed
RR Bridge 26 feet Swing
Patroon Island Bridge 60 feet fixed
Troy Menand's Bridge 61 feet fixed
Congress Street Bridge 55 feet fixed

Unfortunately we stopped at the "Castleton-On-The-Hudson" marina which allowed us to use the old crane overhanging the front floats. The fee is $50.00 dollars, and all you get is the usage of their crane. Shady Harbor Marina no longer offers de-masting services, which may be temporary. The new owners may or may not provide these services once again.

At Castleton On The Hudson Marina the floats are perpendicular to the crane. Plus the entire river area here is constantly bombarded by wakes regardless that "NO WAKE" signs are posted on both the south and north ends of the marina. Don't count on any power-boaters pulling their throttles back while passing without leaving a wake. Keep a watchful eye and get your rigging down fast! If you do these, you might well get your mast down without any upsets or damages.

The Federal Lock at Troy looks intimidating when you first spot it and hear the loud spillway waters flowing over the dam. The locks monitor VHF Channel 13 and usually they will answer your call, provided they're not doing their walk between the gates. However, they never do respond to three-blasts of the horn.

Sailboats under motor move 5 to 6 knots. In retrospect, "The lock systems were built for flat-bottomed barges which means this is really no place for modern day sailboats with deep draft and limited speed. This is especially true for navigating a 35-foot motor-sailer through. We candidly explained to the lockmasters that we were on an oil tanker without the tugs.

Once under the lift bridge you will spot the Federal Lock. Stay far right, but don't get too close to Adam Island on your immediate right. It has submerged boulders on its northern-most side . Keep away from the dam currents,too. If the lock gates are not opened, there will be no "GREEN" light illuminated; therefore, slowly head toward the mooring wall.


The only thing you need to know about the locks is to stay clear of dams.

Follow all the buoys and posted marks; be prepared for wind gusts, generator eddie currents, and make sure you have sufficient lines and fenders on hand. other essentials are a heavy duty pair of gloves because the lower walls of these locks are very wet and slimy.

The Federal Lock is the biggest lock in the system even though the lift is only 14 feet. The higher lifts are found in Lock-3 Mechanicville (19.5 feet) and Lock-5 Schuylerville (19 feet). The total travel distance through the locks from Troy to Whitehall is 63 miles. The travel time is based on a speed of 10 mph. Therefore you can add 40% to all estimated times when you consider 5 knots is equal to 6 mph, the usual travel speed for sailboats. Inside the canal you should not have to tolerate any powerboat wakes. If you do, report them immediately on VHF Channel #13 which you're already monitoring.