Buffalo Maritime CenterBuffalo, N.Y. -- At approximately 11:00 am on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the Buffalo Maritime Center will launch the traditionally built, full-sized replica of the historic Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief that opened the Erie Canal in 1825.

WHO: Buffalo Maritime Center

WHAT: Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief Launch

WHERE: The Longshed at Canalside | 44 Prime St, Buffalo, NY 14203

WHEN: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 | 11:00 am

ABOUT THE EVENT:

  • After four years of construction, this 73-foot-long, 44-ton vessel will make its momentous move out of the Longshed on a flatbed trailer and make its way to the Port of Buffalo, where it will be put into the water. The vessel will then return to the Commercial Slip for continued construction throughout the summer.
  • This volunteer-driven, community boatbuilding project will reach completion in 2025 as it takes center stage during the Erie Canal Bicentennial, embarking on a voyage from  Buffalo to the New York Harbor to commemorate Governor DeWitt Clinton's inaugural journey 200 years prior.
  • Departing on September 24, 2025, and making stops at 28 sites along the way, the boat will arrive in New York City on October 26, 2025, coinciding with the canal's official opening anniversary.
  • This historic journey aligns with the 2025 World Canals Conference hosted in Buffalo, providing an interactive and immersive floating exhibit on traditional boatbuilding techniques, Erie Canal history, and community-environment connections.

ERIE CANAL BOAT SENECA CHIEF FACTS + RESOURCES
Click here.

ABOUT BUFFALO MARITIME CENTER

The Buffalo Maritime Center inspires meaningful connections and life lessons through community boatbuilding, preserving maritime culture, and exploring the waterways of Western New York. Launched in 2010 - and previously known as the Center for Watercraft Studies at Buffalo State College - the nonprofit organization is the center point for reviving the maritime culture that earned Buffalo its identity as the Queen City of the Great Lakes. Visit BuffaloMaritimeCenter.org to learn more about BMC’s educational programs, boatbuilding projects, and the organization's dedication to building community. For what’s new and next at the BMC, connect on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and join the mailing list.

CONTACT:

Whitney Creighton

Chief Strategy Officer | Otto & Friends

whitney@ottoandfriends.com | C: 917.817.1538

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