Photo: Chris Kreussling

As part of the continuing Erie Canal Bicentennial celebration, the Waterfront Alliance is sponsoring a harbor tour on August 2. During the tour, I will be providing commentary and narration on the enormous impact that the Erie Canal has had on the harbor and in making New York the remarkable city that it is today.  

Departing from Pier 81, at W 41st Street on the Hudson River, we will sail down the Manhattan shore with a brief detour to the mouth of the Morris Canal Basin, part of the 40 years of canal building inspired by the success of the Erie Canal. We will also be passing the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal at Liberty State Park, a portion of the rail network that gradually grew more competitive than the canals, but still required barges to cross the Hudson. Then we’ll cross around the Battery, down Buttermilk Channel, and slowly cruise around the Atlantic and Erie Basins.

The Erie Basin was the terminus of the Erie Canal and became one of the busiest parts of New York harbor from the late 19th century until the advent of containerization. We will also cruise by Industry City/Bush Terminal and the newly reactivated South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, before returning around the west side of Governor’s Island for sunset views of the Statue of Liberty on our way back up the Hudson. We will be sailing by a trove of rich and fascinating history, all related to the opening of the Erie Canal.

The Water Taxi departs from Pier 81 (West 41st St.) on Thursday, 2 August, at 6:30 PM and returns at 8:30 PM. Tickets are only $5. Click here to purchase tickets.

Canal to Coast: Reuniting the Waters is a program of the Waterfront Alliance made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. As part of the Canal to Coast programming, the Waterfront Alliance has arranged the NY Harbor and the Erie Canal tour, in cooperation with the Working Harbor Committee and New York Water Taxi.