Barry, the Ohio canal song is a regional variant of one from the Erie Canal. Jerry Epstein and George Ward sing the New York version; I think they've both recorded it. Dick Swain got the Ohio version from Pearl Nye, a retired canaller from Ohio. I don't know all the verses, but the chorus goes:

Tramp, tramp tramp tramp, tighten up your line,
Watch the playful horseflies as on the mules they climb;
Whoa back, a)cuss the mules(OH)/b)duck your nut(NY), forget it I never shall,
a) For I'm every inch a sailor on the Ohio Canal!(Ohio version)
b)Drivin' a team of spavined mules on the Er-i-e Canal!(New York version)

The song's verses are very similar to one called "Black Rock Pork", which is printed in a lot of collections; you can probably use them to spark your memory for the words you heard. See you at NEFFA...