Two hundred years ago, canal boats laden with freight and passengers, pulled by a team of mules, began traversing the newly opened 363-mile Erie Canal.
While much has changed since then, including the transition of the historic commercial waterway into a premier recreational boating destination, the tradition of towing boats remains when a vessel breaks downs in New York’s canal system.
The canal system sees thousands of lock-throughs each year by local boaters, cruisers on their summer vacation, anglers seeking prized gamefish, boats transiting the Great Lakes and Canada, as well as Great Loop boaters and commercial tour boats laden with passengers. And they all potentially need a little on-water assistance every now and then.
Last year, the nationwide on-water assistance service responded to more than 110,000 requests for routine assistance from boaters experiencing mechanical breakdowns (e.g., engine, transmission, drives), the number one cause of calls.
In seven New York congressional districts from Buffalo to Albany and north to the Canadian border where the canal lies, boating contributes an estimated $2.6 billion in annual economic impact.
Added to that is the New York State Canal system generates approximately $400 million annually in direct tourism spending throughout the canal corridor.
BoatUS has more than 48,000 dues-paying members in the Empire State. A new BoatUS video celebrates the canal’s bicentennial.
Recreational boaters on the canal are making it home safely after a breakdown with the help of TowBoatUS Oneida Lake, Oswego and Buffalo locations, part of a nationwide fleet of more than 300 towboats. The TowBoatUS ports provide professional 24/7 on-water towing, soft ungrounding, battery jump and fuel drop-off services to boaters from Buffalo and Oswego to Waterford.
“We’ve towed boats from Oneida Lake to Lockport, sometimes responding by water but often by trailering our response vessel and launching closer to the boater needed assistance, saving valuable passage time,” said TowBoatUS Oneida Lake owner Capt. Grant Langheinrich,
While Langheinrich’s TowBoatUS Oneida Lake provides service on the canal’s most heavily trafficked boating routes, TowBoatUS Buffalo provides service on the Western Reach to Lockport, and TowBoatUS Oswego helps boaters on the Oswego Canal.
Much like an auto club for recreational boat owners, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for freshwater boaters and anglers for just $109 per year. Membership comes with discounts at local fuel docks and transient slips at marinas, a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration, and more.
To request on-water assistance, boaters can call the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869 or hail on VHF radio Ch. 16.
BoatUS is a sponsor of the World Canals Conference 2025 in Buffalo, New York, September 21-25, 2025.
Read more about boating in New York State.
Photo provided.
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