MoBo and US/Canada Advice Needed

[DeeGee]

Text of a message from a friend emigrated to Canada. Both MoBos and the navigation area are closed books to me. Any advice welcome, PM if you feel this not of much interest to all and sundry. As I understand it, Lake Simco is like a big inland sea. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
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Anyway, never mind that, let's get down to something more serious. Do you remember, long time ago, when I was joking about your being able to sail your boat to the end of my garden? Well, it turns out that the joke was on me. You could actually do it. From Lake Simcoe it is possible to sail to Toronto and from there out to the Atlantic.

Now this part is really serious. Since I live on a lake it is my intention to buy a boat. I don't mean something with sails. I know things without sails aren't exactly your cup of tea but you must know more about them than an old landlubber like me. I'm thinking of buying something in the region of 35ft. with the intention of 'sailing' around the lakes, rivers and canals. I would also consider 'sailing' it to Florida. From what I've been told I could get from Boston to Miami via the intracoastal water system which means I'm just about inland. The only dodgy part seams to be getting from Toronto to Boston which (I'm guessing) probably means navigating the St Lawrence Seaway and then out into the Atlantic and following the coast down to Boston. Sounds like a piece of cake to an old hand like yourself, but could a novice (I wouldn't try it until I'd played around on the lakes first) like me actually do it?


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[Lizzie_B]

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gifThe St Lawrence Seaway is a nightmare for a small boat, especially if he wants to come back that way from FL.

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gifIt's best to go down the Trent-Severn Waterway into Lake Ontario, and then into the New York Canal system at Oswego then via Syracuse.
From There he can go down the canal and Hudson River via Albany to New York. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
From New York down to Delaware Bay, thro the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal into Chesapeake Bay and then into the ICW at Norfolk Virginia.

There are various regulations regarding crewing levels and equipment through the canals.

I have all the info and hand book details already on my computor but am just off for a weeks holiday.

Will be back on the 16th.
If your friend is interested PM me and we can establish email contact for me to send the stuff through.

It's a wonderful journey, but you do need to know what your doing in some of the busier sections of the canal system. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Saguday]

Lizzie-B beat me to it - go down Erie Canal from Lake Ontario to Hudson River etc. Or, go down St Lawrence Seaway to Montreal, then just beyond take a right down the Champlain Canal and into Lake Champlain (gorgeous place) and then south to the Hudson River to NY. To get to Boston just go east up Long Island Sound to Buzzards Bay and through the Cape Cod Canal but that's not necessary if you just want to go south down ICW to FL and Bahamas - straight south from NY round New Jersey and into the Delaware Bay to C&D canal to Chesapeake (where we are heading at the moment).

There's tons of info on the net on doing the Great Circle Route (of which this is a part) or just cruising the ICW or East Coast in general - just google a suitable range of words. Try Landfall Navigation in CT or Bluewater Books in FL and RI for books and cruising guides to all of this area.

If your friend doesn't want a sailboat he'd probably be best doing a long trip like this in a trawler. We've met many people doing this type of trip in trawlers on our (current) East Coast cruise and they seem ideal for the inland parts and for long term liveaboard use - many owners are ex-yotties we noticed. They are also much more economical in general than yer average powerboat and therefore suited to long distance cruising. No idea of budget so can't suggest anything but there are certain favourites we've seen over the last 5 months.

Cheers

Neil
Currently moored in Port Washington, NY

 

[Abaker]

Your friend on Lake Simcoe can get all the guides, charts, and other books he needs from the Nautical Mind bookstore in Toronto: www.nauticalmind.com He can look at suitable new boats, e.g. trawlers, at the Toronto Boat Show 13-21 January 2007: www.torontoboatshow.com Brokers in Toronto and in Georgian Bay towns could show him used boats. For courses leading to the required Operator's License and VHF license he could contact Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons: www.cps-ecp.ca Plenty of people have done what he proposes, usually via the Trent-Severn, Oswego, and Erie Canals, Hudson River, New Jersey coast, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Intra-Coastal Waterway. Probably the most useful thing he could do would be to make contact, through some of the above sources or through clubs in Ontario, with people who have already done that kind of trip in a powerboat. If he's new to the game, he'll need at least a season's local experience before heading south, plus a good briefing on when and where the hurricane season happens. I've gone from Toronto to the Bahamas in my 34-ft sailboat (powering in canals & ICW of course), but don't know powerboats well enough to advise on choice, except buyer beware. PM me if you want more info.

 

[AndrewB]

Agree with Lizzie_B that the Erie canal route is the obvious one to use (we are hoping to go the other way next year). An attractive alternative, a bit longer but much more scenic from Lake Ontario, would be through 1000 Island Bay down the St Lawrence as far as Montreal, then through the Champlain canal and Hudson to New York.

The long way round through the St Lawrence and south around the coast is certainly practical but not to be recommended for a first-time novice, as the navigation is tricky in places, tides are strong and there is much fog in summer. I've sailed parts of this route which is exceptionally scenic, quaint little Canadian villages, then down the coast of Maine. There is a good sprinkling of marinas all the way through.

 

[SimonJ]

I have just (4 weeks ago) reached Kingston, Ont from Trinidad in my 34ft sailboat. Route was ICW to Chesapeake, C & D canal to Delaware River and thence to Cape May. Then had to go "outside" to New York (height restriction of about 15 ft if you stay on ICW for this part. Then up the Hudson, mast taken down (could/should be put up if on reverse trip) at Castleton-on Hudson. Then a canalised section either via Erie "ship" (no ships that way today!) to Oswego which is on Lake Ontario some 60 miles from Kingston. BUT (big BUT) this canal was closed (which is not unusual it seems) and I had to take much longer route through Lake Champlain, Chambly canal to St Lawrence. This is a beautiful diversion. A little tricky going "up" St L but at Montreal I diverted again to Ottawa river and Ottawa itself there joining the Rideau canal system. However this effectively has a draft limit of 3.5ft . Fine for me with a centreboard. The whole route was otherwise fantastic! Happy to advise on it. Going the reverse way very simple even if entirely on St L from thousand islands as doing with the current.