Despite our frequent trips to canals and riding boats through locks, we recently rode our most authentic boat ride yet in Maryland on the Potomac River.
1831-1924 CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL
Charles Fenton Mercer, entrepreneur, businessman and politician, spearheaded the construction of the C&O Canal. In 1823, he led a canal convention that included investors like Francis Scott Key. Five years later, he watched President John Quincy Adams break ground for the canal at Little Falls on July 4, 1828. –NPS
After President James Monroe signed legislation in 1825 for a canal stretching from the Cheseapeake to the Ohio, the failed Patowmack Canal, created by George Washington, handed their assets and liabilities to the new canal in 1828.
After the groundbreaking, the C&O Canal moved forward with a construction plan full of improvements, learned from the mistakes of the Patowmack.
Improvements included ability to operate even in summer drought, which the Patowmack Canal could not do.
Despite the vision to build the canal from the Chesapeake to the Ohio, the C&O only completed a portion of the plan, from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland.
Along with transporting goods, like cornmeal from Georgetown to the west, and coal from the mountains to the east, tourists sometimes rode the packet boats.
Beginning in 1831, as many as 70 tourists at a time rode a packet boat from Georgetown to see the Great Falls.
As the canal was built further west, tourists could take longer trips to Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown, and Cumberland.
After major flooding destroyed the canal in 1924, lack of resources prevented the extensive repairs needed.
Despite plans to pursue repair to one of the sections, the Great Depression impeded that hope, while further floods in 1936 ended all hope.
Today the 184.5 miles long canal is a national park, comprised mostly of towpath for the enjoyment of all to jog, hike, and bike…and ride a historic boat.
MULE-PULLED BOAT RIDES ON THE CHARLES F MERCER
On this day, we visited one small section of the canal about 16 miles from Washington DC, where tourists can ride a section of the 19th century canal in the manner of the 1870s.
Keeping to history, they even named their packet boat after their first president, Charles F Mercer.
We arrived in time to see the Charles F Mercer, carry passengers through the lock at the beginning of its tour ride.
A boat headed upstream enters an “empty” lock, one with the downstream gates open and the upstream gates closed. Once the boat is in, the downstream gates are closed. The locktender calls “lock ready!” The boat crew responds “boat ready” as soon as they are holding tightly to the ropes, or “lines”, which run from the canal boat to the snubbing posts beside the lock so they can hold the boat in place while the water rushes into the lock. On the upstream gate, the locktender uses a lock key (huge wrench) to turn the stems that come up through the gate. As the stem turns, it turns small doors, called wickets or paddles, at the bottom of the gates. The wickets allow water to fill the lock and the boat rises. Once the water level in the lock is the same as the water level upstream, the upper gates can be opened and the boat can continue on to the next lock. –Canal Trust
Unexpectedly, my son helped push the bridge across, which I didn’t realize until afterwards because I was taking pictures of the interpreters.
After obtaining tickets for the next ride, we read the history of the canal in the little museum housed in the original lockhouse.
RIDING A BOAT ON THE CANAL
At last, it was our turn to board the packet boat for a ride.
Here we are approaching the lock…
The water pressure pushing against those gates creates a seal that won’t release until the water level balances on both sides of the gates. –Canal Trust
We glided right through with thanks to the mules pulling us.
To the left beyond the trees is the mighty Great Falls where the Potomac tumbles over giant rocks, which rendered the need for this canal.
Our one hour boat ride, which includes time in the lock at each end, allowed plenty of leisure time on the canal before and after turning around.
After we are turned around, our guide changed his history talk to a cultural talk of what the canal operators did while floating between locks…like play games, which he replicated by playing historical games with the children.
We are back to the lock, where we need to enter then drop down a level to float out the other side to dock and disembark…
Plenty of time to play more music…
…until he’s quickly needed to tie the boat to dock.
