BOATING: Tips for Locking Through
Among the unique experiences of traveling along the canal is locking through.
 
In some places, where the elevation change is dramatic, you’ll move through a series of locks within close proximity. The Waterford Flight, for example, carries boaters through a series of five locks and raises boats 169-feet in elevation within two miles, an engineering marvel designed to bypass the 75-foot Cohoes Falls as the Mohawk River spills dramatically into the Hudson.
 
A few simple preparations and the right equipment will make for smooth sailing through the locks. Keep your boat under control at all times in the lock.
 

• Aluminum pole or boat hook for pushing off the sides of the lock
   
• Work gloves for handling the lines
   
• Long boat lines to help control the boat in the lock (e.g., a 20-foot boat needs 30 feet of line)
   
• Boat fenders large enough and numerous enough to protect the boat from the steep stone walls of the lock.  Some boaters prefer to use lock boards, or padding devices and this works well also.  Be sure to set up both port and starboard sides of your vessel—even if you prefer to lock through on a certain side, you may not have a choice due to weather or mechanical circumstances.
   
  Note: Do not use grain bags filled with hay as a temporary, or “throw away” fender.  These are not reliable, tend to fall apart, litter the waterway, and end up in the actual lock, causing mechanical breakdowns and delays in travel.

• Communicate with the Lock Operator using marine radio (Channel 13) or a cell phone to alert the Lock Operator of your approach.
   
• Wait for the green light for permission to enter the lock.
     
• Follow directions of the Lock Operator.