The Lois McClure on the St. Lawrence

The Lois McClure, back in June, bound for Westport, NY. Photo: Sarah Harris

Earlier this summer I spent a couple days on the Lois McClure,  the canal schooner replica based at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. That was at at the outset of the boat’s yearly journey.  We left from the museum in Panton, VT, spent the night in Port Henry, NY and made our way–in pounding rain– through the Champlain Canal in Whitehall. It was neat to see how freight traveled across the region before trains and automobiles, and to see the crew’s dedication to using historical waterways. You can hear the full story here.

The Lois, on Lake Champlain. Photo: Sarah Harris.

Since then, the Lois McClure has inched across New York state’s canal system, held up by delays in the first few weeks. But she made it all the way to Buffalo. Then she sailed across Lake Ontario, and north on the Saint Lawrence. Over the weekend, she stopped in Ogdensburg. Now, the boat’s in Morristown. On Tuesday, she’ll be on the other side of the border in Brockville, Ontario, and on Thursday, she’ll stop in Morrisburg, Ontario. The boat is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. You can see the Lois’ full schedule of remaining dates here.

Crew member Len Ruth braves the elements. Photo: Sarah Harris.