I will be cruising Lake Ontario for the summer and would appreciate any recommendations for anchorages and moorings. I would also be interested in any must see ports on the lake.
Cruising Lake Ontario
- Thread starter Frank7693
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Get a copy of Ports - Lake Ontario
This will give you all the information you need for a fantastic cruise. It gives you details of every port on the Canadian and US shores with GPS waypoints, phone numbers etc etc. Also includes a complete cruising guide to the Thousand Islands.
This will give you all the information you need for a fantastic cruise. It gives you details of every port on the Canadian and US shores with GPS waypoints, phone numbers etc etc. Also includes a complete cruising guide to the Thousand Islands.
Strongly Advised to Check
Frank, make sure you are in compliance with INS rules; this is a very serious business post 9/11 and the earlier rules have been changed. I agree with Jim about the Ports guide, which is usually quite up to date.
Frank, make sure you are in compliance with INS rules; this is a very serious business post 9/11 and the earlier rules have been changed. I agree with Jim about the Ports guide, which is usually quite up to date.
1000 Islands Gananoque Ontario.
Thousand Islands is the place to go on Lake Ontario. I will be going there for 2 weeks this July. this will be my first time sailing there. I have many friends that cruise there and they return every year... Cant wait to spend 2 weeks on my new boat there!!!
Thousand Islands is the place to go on Lake Ontario. I will be going there for 2 weeks this July. this will be my first time sailing there. I have many friends that cruise there and they return every year... Cant wait to spend 2 weeks on my new boat there!!!
Careful how you go
Stay out of Canadian waters. My American friends, who include US coast guard reservists, will not be visiting us in Toronto this year because of the confusion around what is required for them to re-enter the USA. They tell me they receive nothing but courtesy from Canadian border officials but, last year, when attempting to return to the USA they were treated as terrorists. And, they claim, this year will be worse. American citizens,they say, will require a valid passport to re-enter their own country and may be subject to further scrutiny. So, don't leave the safety of your home waters.
Stay out of Canadian waters. My American friends, who include US coast guard reservists, will not be visiting us in Toronto this year because of the confusion around what is required for them to re-enter the USA. They tell me they receive nothing but courtesy from Canadian border officials but, last year, when attempting to return to the USA they were treated as terrorists. And, they claim, this year will be worse. American citizens,they say, will require a valid passport to re-enter their own country and may be subject to further scrutiny. So, don't leave the safety of your home waters.
Please don't pass along this false information
I have been sailing Lake Ontario for the past 12 years out of Rochester, NY. I have NEVER had any difficulty getting back into the U.S. after visiting Canada, and we go every summer. Frank may have visited the Canadian side of Lake Erie and already knows the procedure. There have been NO CHANGES in the rules to enter the U.S. since 9-11. In fact, it is even easier given more options. 1. Apply for an I-68 Form from U.S. Customs. Every person on board needs one, but children do not. This form is a pre-entry form that allows a boater to call in once he has reached a U.S. Port. This is good for only one year. 2. Apply for a NEXUS card. This is a more difficult to get card because of the involved security check and interview in Canada. It is good for 5 years and every person on board must have one. It costs less for the card but can take a couple months to obtain. It is also used in "express" lanes when crossing by car in and out of Canada. 3. Use the OARS Videophone available at most U.S. ports on Lake Ontario. This is free and allows the skipper to call in and present any paperwork needed. (Identification). If your boat is longer than 30 feet, you need a Cruising Decal from Customs. Available on-line for $25. You do not need a U.S. Passport yet. There is a bill in Congress to make one necessary for any boarder crossing for any citizen. It may not go through because it will have a huge impact on tourism from Canada. A drivers licence is not proof of citizenship. A birth certificate is excepted. This is a very simple explanation of the different methods. They may or may not be the same on the other Great Lakes. I have a page dedicated to border crossing on my website at http://lakeontariosailing.com/Reporting_requirements.htm. There are web links included that have been updated a few weeks ago. Canada has a huge sailing community in the Toronto with many yacht clubs, marinas, and anchorages. If you have enough time, visit the Bay of Quinte area, Kingston, and the Thousand Islands. Get the Lake Ontario Ports Book and a Richardson chart book. The U.S. shore has some very nice ports to visit also. Whatever your decision is, don't let the security issue cloud your judgment. Sail safe and be aware of security. If you own a Hunter, there is a Lake Ontario Hunter Sailing Association Rendezvous July 6-9 at Port Credit. The website for LOHSA is http://www.lohsa.com.
I have been sailing Lake Ontario for the past 12 years out of Rochester, NY. I have NEVER had any difficulty getting back into the U.S. after visiting Canada, and we go every summer. Frank may have visited the Canadian side of Lake Erie and already knows the procedure. There have been NO CHANGES in the rules to enter the U.S. since 9-11. In fact, it is even easier given more options. 1. Apply for an I-68 Form from U.S. Customs. Every person on board needs one, but children do not. This form is a pre-entry form that allows a boater to call in once he has reached a U.S. Port. This is good for only one year. 2. Apply for a NEXUS card. This is a more difficult to get card because of the involved security check and interview in Canada. It is good for 5 years and every person on board must have one. It costs less for the card but can take a couple months to obtain. It is also used in "express" lanes when crossing by car in and out of Canada. 3. Use the OARS Videophone available at most U.S. ports on Lake Ontario. This is free and allows the skipper to call in and present any paperwork needed. (Identification). If your boat is longer than 30 feet, you need a Cruising Decal from Customs. Available on-line for $25. You do not need a U.S. Passport yet. There is a bill in Congress to make one necessary for any boarder crossing for any citizen. It may not go through because it will have a huge impact on tourism from Canada. A drivers licence is not proof of citizenship. A birth certificate is excepted. This is a very simple explanation of the different methods. They may or may not be the same on the other Great Lakes. I have a page dedicated to border crossing on my website at http://lakeontariosailing.com/Reporting_requirements.htm. There are web links included that have been updated a few weeks ago. Canada has a huge sailing community in the Toronto with many yacht clubs, marinas, and anchorages. If you have enough time, visit the Bay of Quinte area, Kingston, and the Thousand Islands. Get the Lake Ontario Ports Book and a Richardson chart book. The U.S. shore has some very nice ports to visit also. Whatever your decision is, don't let the security issue cloud your judgment. Sail safe and be aware of security. If you own a Hunter, there is a Lake Ontario Hunter Sailing Association Rendezvous July 6-9 at Port Credit. The website for LOHSA is http://www.lohsa.com.
Chaumont Bay
Take a look at Chaumont Bay at the eastern end of the lake....might be a good place to duck-in incase of bab weather.
Take a look at Chaumont Bay at the eastern end of the lake....might be a good place to duck-in incase of bab weather.
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