Canal Schooner Lois McClure to Visit Baldwinsville August 13 &14

Canal Tug Urger also Will Dock at Lock 24

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ALBANY, NY (08/11/2010)(readMedia)--

WHEN: Friday August 13, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday August 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: Erie Canal Lock 24 Wall; 8 Spinceri St., Baldwinsville, NY 13027

WHAT: The majestic 88-foot canal schooner Lois McClure arrives in Baldwinsville on Friday, August 13, on a cruise across New York State called the "Our Shared Heritage: World Canals Tour." The authentic replica of an 1862 canal boat will be open for tours, free of charge, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.., Friday; August 13, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Saturday, August 14, at the Erie Canal Lock 24 Wall.

The Lois McClure will be joined by the Canal Corporation's historic flagship Tug Urger (details below), which also is open to the public for free tours. The weekend festivities at Lock E-24 will include family activities such as storytelling by local historians.

This expedition is made possible by a partnership between the New York State Canal Corporation, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership.

WHY: The Lois McClure is on a 1,000-mile summer journey on the "Our Shared Heritage: World Canals Tour." She departed her home port on Lake Champlain on July 22 and will visit 20 historic ports-of-call along the Champlain and Erie Canals, two segments of the modern-day New York State Canal System.

The schooner will arrive at the World Canals Conference in Rochester this September before returning to her home port in the fall. The 2010 cruise is a follow up to the successful "Grand Canal Journey" of 2007 which attracted more than 30,000 to the boat. People from New York and worldwide climbed aboard and stepped back in time.

Constructed in Burlington, Vt., and launched in 2004, the Lois McClure is an exact replica of an 1862 canal schooner designed to sail from lake cities to canal ports using wind power. Upon reaching a canal, the masts were lowered and centerboards raised, transforming the vessel into a typical, shallow-draft canal boat.

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About the Tug Urger:

Tug Urger was christened the Henry J. Dornbos on June 13, 1901 in Ferrysburg, Mich., as a Great Lakes fishing vessel. She was aptly dubbed the "finest boat in the local fishing fleet" by the Detroit Free Press. Serving as more than a fishing vessel, the Dornbos was used frequently by the Life Saving Service, a precursor to the U.S. Coast Guard, to rescue vessels in distress.

In 1918, the federal government assumed control of the newly enlarged Barge Canal as the United States entered World War I. Many Great Lakes fishing boats were used on the canal in service to the country. On August 19, 1920, after having changed ownership, the Dornbos was renamed the Urger and was purchased by New York's Department of Public Works.Until her retirement in 1986, Urger served for nearly 65 years hauling machinery and equipment along the Erie and Champlain Canals. The Tug Urger became the property of the New York State Canal Corporation when it was created in 1992.

Since 1992 Tug Urger has served as the Ambassador to the New York State Canal System. In September 2001, the Urger was placed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The Urger now serves as the focal point of a program to educate children and adults about the importance of New York's historic Canal System and the role that inland waterways have played historically, and continue to play, in the lives of people who live along them.

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