George - I have made the trip many, many times. I can get down to 17'3" (more below) and have made the lowest fixed bridge (which us usually the railroad bridge just south of Lock 12) by as little as a fist. Although the Canal Authority does not advertise it, they can lower the pool between locks so that you can make the trip. That's the good news. The bad news is that in order to do so, I literally strip the bridge down as follows. First, the radar arch comes off of the boat. Second, both biminis and the windshield on the bridge are removed. Third, the railings that hold the forward bimini are removed. Fourth, the bridge seats (for the pilot and co) are removed. Fifth, and this shows you how close it is, you must remove the clutch handles on the bridge because when in neutral, they are the highest point once the bridge is stripped. That leaves the fiberglass wings just in front of the radar arch as the highest points on the boat. If you go to my pictures, you will see a picture called topless in Vermont, that is what the boat looks like when stripped down for the Champlain Canal trip. A lot of work but would not miss it for the world.
