CS22 in the Thousand Islands

jssailem · Apr 9, 2024

Welcome to SBO, @DMD.
Congrats on your CS22.
Sounds like you are thinking of stretching your sailing legs. Sailing into unknown waters, for you.

It is not about your CS22 that you need to think or what one of the few sailors that may own one think. It is about have you set up your own boat to deal with the challenges you will face being away from the local water you know.

Do you have charts of the area you intend to sail? Have you studied them?
Just like if you were to drive to some place and camp for the night, you need to apply the same skills to your boating. Do you have fuel? Are there spots on the charts to park if the weather turns bad? Do you have the equipment (anchor system) to hold the boat in place?

These are just a scratch the surface of the planning you need to do.

Then there is the tourist issue. Are there places you must see. What if there is no place to park your boat? How do you get from the boat to shore?

I spend almost as much time planning a cruise as I do taking it.
Good luck!
This promises to be a fun summer.

dlochner · Apr 9, 2024

DMD said:
Have been looking at a number of CS22s that are for sale. I live on the St Lawrence. Havn't sailed for a few years and never on the St Lawrence. Did a great deal of sailing growing up in a variety of boats. I have no experience on swing keels and was hoping that someone in this forum was sailing the Thousand Islands in a CS 22 and can give me their assessment / thoughts.
thanks

Welcome to SBO.

Back in my youth I frequently sailed across Lake Ontario to the Thousand Islands in my Tanzer 22. Not a Cat 22, but same size.

Most of our sailing was done upstream of Alex Bay between Kingston and Gananoque. We particularly enjoyed hanging out in the islands, our favorites are Camelot and Endymion. The Canadian Parks are great for relaxing. On the US side Clayton and Cape Vincent are worth a visit, avoid Alex Bay as it is filled with powerboats that like to go fast. We avoided going downstream of Clayton because of the current. We typically went on a week cruise and getting to far downstream made getting back to Lake Ontario too time consuming.

If I were younger and more limber, I would have no qualms about sailing in the region on a Cat 22, in fact when I bought the Tanzer the choice was a Tanzer or Catalina 22.

dlochner · Apr 9, 2024

DMD said:
Thanks for this. I have all of that in hand. I am mostly interested, to be as clear as possible, in opionions regarding the C23's suitability for the Thousand Island sailing.

It will be fine. The river is well protected, there are plenty of anchorages to explore and there is a good breeze most afternoons.

dlochner · Apr 9, 2024

Perhaps the most important thing to remember on the St Lawrence is the gross tonnage rule.

As for sailing qualities, be more generic there is nothing that unique about the River that should render special consideration. You know the wind patterns, strong late afternoon breezes, flukey winds around the islands. Especially deep in the islands the bottom can go from 5 feet deep to over 100 in a boat length or two and it's not soft sand or mud. The swing keel is an advantage and will let you get into places others won't be able to.

We hope to be passing by in late June on our way out the St Lawrence to the Maritimes.

David in Sandusky · Apr 10, 2024

We have sailed a Rhodes 19 and own a Hunter 27. We have vacationed on an island downstream from Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands since our honeymoon long ago. All through that time, I have sailed a Sunfish on the St. Lawrence there, in the main channel, and through the nearby US and Canadian islands. About 10 years ago, we chartered a C&C 30 out of Kingston into the Islands. Here are some comments for your idea:

- In the islands, there are no long fetches - meaning stretches of water where the wind can build up waves. (On Lake Erie, a northeaster has hundreds of miles from Buffalo to us, and can build 12-16 footers for us in the Lake Erie Islands.) As a result, waves are never above 2-3 feet and usually around 1 foot in the islands . These are comfortable seas for a 22 footer.

- From Grenadier to Wolfe Island, there are many fine anchorages where you can spend a peaceful night. The Thousand Island National Park offers anchorages with few if any residences ashore, and great walking opportunities if you do go ashore.

- There are plenty of places to launch your boat from a trailer on the Canadian shore.

- We have a Nexus card that allows us to call in border crossings in the Thousand Islands and Great Lakes, rather than reporting in to specified offices for clearance. (Cruising in the islands across the border does not require clearance. But dropping an anchor, or going ashore (touching land in any way) does.) There are plenty of great places to visit on the Canadian side.

- There is a downriver current in the various channels, and you might have to motor to go upstream in some narrow spots north or south of Wellesley Island. But in the wider channels the only issue is adjusting distance made good to plan the timing of legs of a cruise.

- I would recommend acquiring one of the various cruising guides available for the Thousand Islands/St' Lawrence River. We belong to the Great Lakes Cruising Club, whose Internet Harbor Reports are the gold standard, and their coverage of the St' Lawrence is rapidly growing. In addition, you can phone their Harbor Captains for detailed discussions, and current conditions.

In summary, I think the Thousand Islands are an ideal sailing ground for a 22 footer. Day saying, anchoring out, and visiting port towns from Mallorytown Landing to Kingston are all easily available.

Fair winds and following seas on your new adventure!

CS22 in the Thousand Islands

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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