Schooner Voyage Returns to Celebrate Canal System

ALBANY, NY (07/12/2010)(readMedia)-- The majestic 88-foot canal schooner Lois McClure will embark on a 1,000-mile journey this summer, "Our Shared Heritage: World Canals Tour," as she sails from her home port on Lake Champlain to visit 20 historic ports-of-call along the Erie Canal and the New York State Canal System.

"Our Shared Heritage: World Canals Tour" will begin in July and will culminate in September with a trip to the World Canals Conference in Rochester. The 2010 journey is a follow up to the successful 2007 "Grand Canal Journey," during which more then 30,000 people from around the State and world stepped aboard and back in time. The McClure is a full-scale working replica of an 1862 canal schooner – a unique example of working vessels that carried goods throughout Northeastern waterways during the 19th century.

The 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. This voyage is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the region's interconnected waterways and the many activities found along the New York State Canal System and Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, highlighting the Canal System's roles in transportation, recreation and tourism. The trip will also highlight the many vital connections between the Erie Canalway and Lake Champlain. Canalside communities will celebrate their distinct contribution to the Canal culture by creating their own events to embrace the arrival of the Lois McClure at their ports. Tours of the boat with interpretive presentations, wayside exhibits and educational materials will be provided free of charge to the public at each stop.

Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation said, "The Lois McClure's 'Our Shared Heritage: World Canals Tour' will attract thousands of visitors to Canal communities and help showcase the very best of New York State and the Canal System. The Canal Corporation is proud to help sponsor this historic event and looks forward to working with our partners throughout the Canalway Corridor as we encourage communities to rediscover the importance of the Erie Canal in shaping our great nation and the Empire State."

Beth Sciumeca, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, said, "We are thrilled to welcome the Lois McClure back this summer! We encourage residents and visitors alike to visit the Lois McClure and experience for themselves the great history and legacy of New York's historic Canal System."

Bill Howland, Director of the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership said, "With the Champlain and Hudson Quadricentennial anniversaries just behind us and the 2010 World Canals Conference taking place in September in Rochester, New York, this year's tour of the Lois McClure provides a unique opportunity to re-discover the special legacy of our shared heritage and the role of the region's waterways in our history."

Art Cohn, Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, said, "Our 2007 voyage on the Erie Canal was very special with our biggest frustration that we didn't have time to visit all the communities that would have liked to have us at their Canal waterfronts. This year's tour will focus on visiting mostly communities that we did not visit in 2007. We are excited about that opportunity. We have extended our tour to September and October so that we may focus on hosting school groups while on the Canal. Our crew and volunteers are really very excited to return to the Erie Canal. Instead of traveling between Albany and Buffalo, we will travel between Whitehall, Waterford and Lockport."

The schooner Lois McClure is a full-scale replica of an 1862 sailing canal boat. Constructed in Burlington, Vt., and launched in 2004, the Lois McClure is an exact replica of canal schooners found shipwrecked in the waters of Lake Champlain. The unique sailing-canal boats were the tractor-trailers of the 19th century, 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 canal boat.

The Lois McClure will begin its journey in Vermont and travel to Albany and on to Buffalo, spend the week at the World Canals Conference in Rochester, and then head back to Vermont. The journey will encompass more than 1,000 miles in more than 80 days and visit more than 20 ports. The "Our Shared Heritage: World Canals Tour" schedule is as follows:

July 24 Whitehall

July 26 Fort Edward

July 28 Schuylerville

August 3 Fort Plain

August 5 Ilion

August 7-8 Utica

August 13-14 Baldwinsville

August 20-22 Geneva

August 27 Seneca Falls

August 29 Clyde

August 31 Newark

September 2 Palmyra

September 5 Fairport

September 7 Spencerport

September 9 Middleport

September 12 Lockport

September 17-22 Rochester – WCC 2010

September 29-30 Syracuse

October 7-8 Waterford

October 15-17 Basin Harbor, VT

The National Parks Service is partnering with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, the New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor to sponsor this year's tour. The "Our Shared Heritage: World Canals Tour" is also made possible thanks to additional funding support from voyage sponsors, such as Cabot Creameries.

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