You have to pay attention to what you're doing. Distractions can quickly put you up on a sand bar. The railroad bridge stays open except for train traffic. Call the attendant and he'll tell you when they're closing it and also what's around the blind corner.

What is the saying, you haven't sailed anywhere if you haven't run aground? The probability is a bit higher in the canal but I stand by my recommendation, it's worth it and if you ground, it's generally not that big of a deal. Definitely worth the transit at least once. I've done it a dozen times and never tire of it.