Well, technically you're right GQ. And it makes the heavy seas on the sheet music cover a little more believeable. But since they'd "sighted Albany", maybe they'd made the Albany basin or the sidecut at Watervliet before the storm struck.

Or maybe P.Morris, who sounds like another wretched downstater to me, didn't know his canal geography very well.

                         - George

PS: And pity that poor knocked-down horse swimming along to keep up with the towboat.