2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the completion of the Erie Canal, located between Buffalo and Albany. In celebration of this special and historic occasion, the towns and villages along the Canalway are conducting special and ongoing activities, festivals and events throughout the Summer and Fall seasons. The Canal Boat Seneca Chief project was one of the largest community boatbuilding endeavors in the world, and one of the few constructed on public display. The Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC) has constructed a full-sized replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief, which first traversed the Erie Canal upon its opening in 1825. From its inception, the Erie Canal Boat Project sought to engage the community through interactive, hands-on activities and historical discovery. This ambitious community boatbuilding initiative, brought to life by hundreds of volunteers, took place inside the Longshed at Canalside on Buffalo’s waterfront from October 2020 to June 2024. A key objective of the Erie Canal Boat Project was to collaborate with the community in teaching and preserving traditional boatbuilding skills. By engaging volunteers, students, and partner organizations, the project ensured that these time-honored techniques are passed down to future generations.

 

On the morning of Wednesday, September 24, 2025, BMC’s replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief will embark on its Bicentennial Voyage, commemorating Governor DeWitt Clinton’s historic 1825 journey from Buffalo to New York Harbor. A BMC crew, comprised of staff and volunteers will navigate the 33-day voyage, departing from Buffalo’s Commercial Slip - the western terminus of the Erie Canal - and traveling to Pier 26 in New York City. Along the way, the boat will dock at 28 ports along the Erie Canal and Hudson River before reaching New York City for the official commemoration of the canal’s opening 200 years after Governor Clinton’s inaugural trip. 

 

The BMC invites Buffalo, communities and visitors across New York State to visit us along the route and help us honor the past while envisioning the future. For further details, visit the Bicentennial Voyage page of the BMC website,  buffalomaritimecenter.org, or call 716 881-0111. 

 

This momentous historical event provides the perfect backdrop to partner with the BMC and introduce EST America’s Pilgrimage Passport Pilot Program, and I have been invited to introduce it as part of the Voyage of the Seneca Chief, as it sails along the Erie Canal section between Pittsford and Amsterdam, September 28 - October 13, 2025.

 

The specific ports-of-call are noted with [*] as part of my entire 2025 scheduled itinerary to the Erie Canalway area, which includes:

 

*Pittsford, Sep 28

*Fairport, Sep 28 - 29

Palmyra & *Newark, 29 - 30

*Lyons, Oct 1

*Clyde, Oct 2

Fayetteville & *Syracuse, Oct 3 - 5

Canastota & Chittenango, Oct 6 - 7

*Rome, Oct 8

*Little Falls, Oct 10 - 12

*Amsterdam, Oct 13

*Waterford, Oct 15

*Albany, Oct 16 -19

*NYC, Oct 25 - 26

 

(SCHEDULING NOTE: Except for Pittsford, which is currently anticipated at dockside only between 12 - 2 pm, all estimated arrival times are 2 - 4 pm)

 

I will be on hand dockside available to provide detailed information on the ESTAP Program and answer any questions.