LYONS -- Ed and Joan Will decided to spend last week relaxing in their boat on the Erie Canal.

On Friday, with Will reading "The DaVinci Code," his wife tidying up and their golden retriever, Buddy, refusing to be budged from his favorite spot on deck, all was going according to plan.

With one exception -- the boat was docked.

Persistent rain in central New York has flooded parts of the canal and the adjoining farmlands. The water level is 5 feet above the canal's normal level, a depth of 374.5 feet, and the New York State Canal Corp. has closed a 50-mile stretch roughly in the canal's middle section, from the locks of Lyons in Wayne County to Syracuse, stranding scores of boaters, many of whom had been journeying to towns, parks and museums along the 363-mile canal, until the water recedes.

Closing the section prevents more water from entering the canal and adding to the flooding of low-lying areas. Officials also said the conditions raised concerns about boating safety.   more...