It's a nice nostalgic idea. And I'm sure that it was satisfying to the persons involved. But it was hardly practical. The Erie Canal was largely obsoleted as a means of food transport 30 years after its completion in 1826 since railroads paralleling the canal could transport three times the load of the canal boats at six times the speed. That was over 150 years ago and I'm sure the economics have not changed much. The canals close for the winter on November 15 and the upper Hudson clogs with ice by Christmas. Besides, an outboard motor destroys the image of old fashioned sail freight. As a part time Vermonter I am well aware of Vermonter's schizophrenic approach to promoting the state. Vermont is a poor state. On the one hand the Chamber of Commerce tries to establish Vermont as a technically sophisticated location staffed with workers brimming with New England values of hard work and capability. That is necessary to attract the IBM research labs and various technical organizations required to transform the state into a little Switzerland. But on the other hand the CoCs want to keep the image of an 18th century bucolic life style to attract vacationers, skiers, hikers, leaf peepers and those seeking an escape from urban complexity. It's tough to have it both ways. I hope the Vermont Sail Freight Project succeeds but I predict only a few more voyages. Larry Z - - - - Recently, the Vermont Sail Freight Project took a self-propelled barge from Vergennes on Lake Champlain, to New York City, loaded with 12 tons of Vermont farm produce for sale. The original plan was to sail her most of the way and pole her thru the narrow Champlain Canal, but at the last moment they added a 20 horsepower outboard motor, and used that about 80% of the way. The maiden voyage worked out well, and the tree-huggers in NYC say the food tasted twice as good because it was transported part of the way by sail. Still, it was an interesting project: http://www.tug44.org/tugboats.trawlers/ceres-sail-freighter/ Fred Tug 44