Lake Champlain Canal
- Thread starter rajhnsn
- Start date
If you haven't left yet... You will have to stop at Catskill, NY to have the mast taken down by professionals at 4$/foot or at Castleton-on-Hudson to "rent" the club crane for a flat 50$.
I had it done at Hop-O-Nose a month ago and they did a super job... I had left my mast supports there for the winter and got it all back for the trip north.
You will have to bring your mast supports with you: no one offers to build those on site.
Have a good trip.
I had it done at Hop-O-Nose a month ago and they did a super job... I had left my mast supports there for the winter and got it all back for the trip north.
You will have to bring your mast supports with you: no one offers to build those on site.
Have a good trip.
Yes it does, we (those doing this route frequently) usually leave it down to traverse Lake Champlain and have it raised again in Sorel where the Richelieu flows into the St-Lawrence. Depending on your eventual destination you may wish to go from Waterford to Oswego, on the Erie-Oswego canal, raise the mast, cruise lake Ontario, the Thousand islands (NY and Ontario), sail down-river to Montreal, Québec City or even the Saguenay fjord (see the belugas) turn back to Sorel, lower the mast, go to Waterford through the Richelieu, lake Champlain and the NYS Canal. That's a lot of cruising! From the Chesapeake I'd say 2 to 3 months...
I'm just back in the St-Lawrence at 45°10'N, 074°20'W (if you Google, the boat is at 45.159661,-74.336032) after spending the last nine months cruising the US east coast, the Bahamas and back up the east coast.
Whatever your destination, remember that the cruise starts the day you leave; it's not the destination it's the whole trip.
I'm just back in the St-Lawrence at 45°10'N, 074°20'W (if you Google, the boat is at 45.159661,-74.336032) after spending the last nine months cruising the US east coast, the Bahamas and back up the east coast.
Whatever your destination, remember that the cruise starts the day you leave; it's not the destination it's the whole trip.
Love the ideas and thoughts. My dream is to sail in Lake Champlain so I want to put the mast back up when I get there. I visited relatives who live in Burlington last year. We were on a beach in the North part of the lake and I saw Sailboat after Sailboat heading to the northern most part of the lake. I assumed they were going back to Canada. Perhaps not? My greater dream is to head north on the St. Lawrence and circumnavigate Nova Scotia--eventually doing a figure eight of the East Coast. I fully agree the cruise begins when you leave. I have no timeline for this trip and don't expect to complete it in one sitting. Just gotta do it.
OK, I had this thing about Europe... Portugal and Spain, the Azores, the Canaries and the Antillian Arc... took me three years to complete. As you say not in one sitting.
To do what you are talking about you will have to get several cruising guides and charts.
Richardson's, Hudson River and adjacent waterways chartbook (brings you to Sorel)
St-Lawrence River and Québec waterways 2015 (the English version is 32.95$; the French 2017 is 14.95)
Atlas of tidal currents, St-Lawrence river
Cruising guide to the Hudson River, Lake Champlain & St-Lawrence river.
Since you will surely be using electronic charts, You will need only basic charts for the St-Lawrence, the Gulf & Maggies (Magdalen islands), PEI and New Brunswick & Nova Scotia... then Maine &c. My cruising guides for these areas are out of date and my pilot charts are all in French but I think I still have a black & white set of charts for all this area (great as back-ups & planning).
Just so you won't say nobody ever told you be advised that spring tides at Québec City will reach 22 feet and the current under the Pont de Québec will reach 6 knots either way... After Tadoussac it's a piece of cake. This said it's a wonderful cruise which shouldn't be done in only one sitting... Leaving the boat in Canada for the winter is a bit tricky if you don't want to pay taxes on it... It's OK if there is any work done to the boat (there always is) just make sure you clear it with customs beforehand.
I've done this trip several times and love it every time. If you don't already have a heater on board have one installed; past Matane they don't even sell ice, you put food directly on the hull and it keeps cool!
To do what you are talking about you will have to get several cruising guides and charts.
Richardson's, Hudson River and adjacent waterways chartbook (brings you to Sorel)
St-Lawrence River and Québec waterways 2015 (the English version is 32.95$; the French 2017 is 14.95)
Atlas of tidal currents, St-Lawrence river
Cruising guide to the Hudson River, Lake Champlain & St-Lawrence river.
Since you will surely be using electronic charts, You will need only basic charts for the St-Lawrence, the Gulf & Maggies (Magdalen islands), PEI and New Brunswick & Nova Scotia... then Maine &c. My cruising guides for these areas are out of date and my pilot charts are all in French but I think I still have a black & white set of charts for all this area (great as back-ups & planning).
Just so you won't say nobody ever told you be advised that spring tides at Québec City will reach 22 feet and the current under the Pont de Québec will reach 6 knots either way... After Tadoussac it's a piece of cake. This said it's a wonderful cruise which shouldn't be done in only one sitting... Leaving the boat in Canada for the winter is a bit tricky if you don't want to pay taxes on it... It's OK if there is any work done to the boat (there always is) just make sure you clear it with customs beforehand.
I've done this trip several times and love it every time. If you don't already have a heater on board have one installed; past Matane they don't even sell ice, you put food directly on the hull and it keeps cool!
Wow. Sounds like you will be a great resource once I get closer to embarking on this adventure. I was wondering about the currents off of Quebec. I've watched the canoe races during Carnival. Those ice flows look like they are moving a lot faster than I've seen them move down the Delaware. Do you know if there is a version of Active Captain for Canada?
Active Captain... Just move your cursor to a Canadian area on the chart and there you are. I just refreshed the Garmin bluechart Active Captain application on my iPad and it works fine. Plenty of information, of course as you get lower on the St-Lawrence the anchorages and marinas get scarser.
Most Canadian sailors on Lake Champlain leave there boats year round either in Vermont or New York. A great resource to have is the Cruising Guide to the Hudson River, Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River. By Alan And Susan Mckibben. You have to buy it either direct from the author or have someone local to Burlington buy one for you. I'm based at Point Bay Marina if you make it up this way.
If you are coming into Lake Champlain next summer, look me up. Champlain is lovely to sail, glad to hear you are putting your mast back up. The Chesapeake is also a delightful place to sail.
I also would love to go north and head out into the Maritimes. Once I have enough free time, I'd also really love to head back over to Europe. Not sure what route coming out of the Maritimes to get there is the best. It will be enjoyable to research.
dj
I also would love to go north and head out into the Maritimes. Once I have enough free time, I'd also really love to head back over to Europe. Not sure what route coming out of the Maritimes to get there is the best. It will be enjoyable to research.
dj
