Hey all, I am a regular lurker here, and I learn tons and enjoy all the personalities! Thank you all! I am getting set for my first sailing holiday and was wondering what distance is an average day for a Contessa 26. I know this is a "how long is a piece of string " question, but I would love some input. We will be leaving Toronto and ending in Cobourg or Port Hope, about 56 miles. I was thinking of breaking it into 2 days, first stop Oshawa,(28 miles) then onto PH or C the next day. The misses has never been a sailor and I was hoping to limit water time to about 6 hours/day. Does this sound do able? Any suggestions to help make this go smoothly thus opening the door to more weekend jaunts? Thanks. Grant
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We plan 4 knots
We use 4 knots for all of our cruise planning with our '77 h27 on Lake Erie. Then, if we are on a long leg (over 30 nm's) and our speed drops below 4 knots for a sustained period, we turn on the engine and make 4.5 knots. We typically keep all legs below 40 nms which means a 10 hour day on the lake. We would break up your planned trip as you suggest. 2 legs of 6 to 7 hours each is a good trip. On the 20th, we will leave Mentor, Ohio for a cruise east. We'll start (if the wind allows) with the 42 nm trip to Rondeaux Bay, then a similar trip to Port Stanley. The next leg looks like 54 miles to anchor on the east side of Long Point. We plan to get up early in the morning for this 12-14 hour run so we can anchor in daylight. The return will be shorter legs - most less than 30 nms - Erie, Ashtabula, Mentor for instance. It's important to say that this is just our plan. We have 11 days for the trip, and will wait for the right wind, or change plans to ride the wind. We really want to get to Port Stanley, but if the winds seem against heading east from there, our second plan would be to head west to the islands (between Sandusky, and Pelee.) If the winds are from the northwest when we set out from Mentor, we will head for Ashtabula. You have a great boat for cruising the lakes, and a good cruising plan (if you have some spare days to lay up in an adverse wind, or when you feel like it!) Enjoy yourself - this is great fun. David Lady Lillie
We use 4 knots for all of our cruise planning with our '77 h27 on Lake Erie. Then, if we are on a long leg (over 30 nm's) and our speed drops below 4 knots for a sustained period, we turn on the engine and make 4.5 knots. We typically keep all legs below 40 nms which means a 10 hour day on the lake. We would break up your planned trip as you suggest. 2 legs of 6 to 7 hours each is a good trip. On the 20th, we will leave Mentor, Ohio for a cruise east. We'll start (if the wind allows) with the 42 nm trip to Rondeaux Bay, then a similar trip to Port Stanley. The next leg looks like 54 miles to anchor on the east side of Long Point. We plan to get up early in the morning for this 12-14 hour run so we can anchor in daylight. The return will be shorter legs - most less than 30 nms - Erie, Ashtabula, Mentor for instance. It's important to say that this is just our plan. We have 11 days for the trip, and will wait for the right wind, or change plans to ride the wind. We really want to get to Port Stanley, but if the winds seem against heading east from there, our second plan would be to head west to the islands (between Sandusky, and Pelee.) If the winds are from the northwest when we set out from Mentor, we will head for Ashtabula. You have a great boat for cruising the lakes, and a good cruising plan (if you have some spare days to lay up in an adverse wind, or when you feel like it!) Enjoy yourself - this is great fun. David Lady Lillie
Depands ....
on what the rest of the crew wants. When my wife and I took a cruising course several years ago, I could have sailed from 8 AM to 4+ PM but that's not what the rest to the crew wanted. I feel one of the most important lessons I learned was that (peaceful)cruising is a compromise. You don't want to over stress your crew with long days they aren't enjoying as much as you are. Use your day sails as a guide to when your wife's interest wanes and then you can push that some to reach a destination. Hopefully that will increase her interest and her willingness for longer sails by visiting new places. But if you push it too much you may find her willingness decreases. Like with a lot of things slow and steady is often the best approach. It's working for me.
on what the rest of the crew wants. When my wife and I took a cruising course several years ago, I could have sailed from 8 AM to 4+ PM but that's not what the rest to the crew wanted. I feel one of the most important lessons I learned was that (peaceful)cruising is a compromise. You don't want to over stress your crew with long days they aren't enjoying as much as you are. Use your day sails as a guide to when your wife's interest wanes and then you can push that some to reach a destination. Hopefully that will increase her interest and her willingness for longer sails by visiting new places. But if you push it too much you may find her willingness decreases. Like with a lot of things slow and steady is often the best approach. It's working for me.
Good points Bill
Stop for lunch and plan on making port by 3pm so you have time to moor/anchor and relax/swim a bit before starting dinner. As she becomes accustomed to being aboard you can extend the sailing time, but do it in stages, e.g. if you skip the lunch stop don't sail late. Happy sailing! Peter H23 "Raven"
Stop for lunch and plan on making port by 3pm so you have time to moor/anchor and relax/swim a bit before starting dinner. As she becomes accustomed to being aboard you can extend the sailing time, but do it in stages, e.g. if you skip the lunch stop don't sail late. Happy sailing! Peter H23 "Raven"
Toronto - Cobourg
Grant, I've done both of those trips. With a westerly (which is very common in the summer), Toronto to Cobourg is a great sail, a lot of time on the water. Leave early, you will be arriving late. Cobourg to Toronto into the wind is tough. Breaking the trip in two is good idea. You might want to research Oshawa, I thought I read that they were closing the Marina? Enjoy your trip!
Grant, I've done both of those trips. With a westerly (which is very common in the summer), Toronto to Cobourg is a great sail, a lot of time on the water. Leave early, you will be arriving late. Cobourg to Toronto into the wind is tough. Breaking the trip in two is good idea. You might want to research Oshawa, I thought I read that they were closing the Marina? Enjoy your trip!
Toronto
I hope you don't mind if I piggyback on your post. I'm in Buffalo and have a 26" O'Day that I am considering taking up to Toronto. Anyone done this trip?? I'm planning on at least eight days- one from Buffalo to Port Colborne (5-6 hrs), one to get through the canal (4-8hrs???), and a third from the canal to Toronto (6-8 hrs???), 2-3 in TO and then three back. I've heard wildly varying times needed to get through the canal- anyone done it?? How about the leg from the foot of the canal to TO?? Any input is much appreciated.
I hope you don't mind if I piggyback on your post. I'm in Buffalo and have a 26" O'Day that I am considering taking up to Toronto. Anyone done this trip?? I'm planning on at least eight days- one from Buffalo to Port Colborne (5-6 hrs), one to get through the canal (4-8hrs???), and a third from the canal to Toronto (6-8 hrs???), 2-3 in TO and then three back. I've heard wildly varying times needed to get through the canal- anyone done it?? How about the leg from the foot of the canal to TO?? Any input is much appreciated.
Toronto
Hi all. I'm new here. I hang out at the Trailer Sailor BB mostly. Nathan, perhaps I can answer some of your questions. Last spring I had the opportunity to go through the Welland Canal, upbound, crewing on a C&C 44. Passage through the locks can be very demanding. Make sure you have ample crew onboard for this part of the journey. When you start at Pt. Colborne, Lock 8 is a "balancing lock", it levels you into the canal. The fun begins a lock 7 when the trip down the escarpment begins, through the Flight Locks then 3,2,and 1. You may have to wait at the begining to join other vessels going down. There's no stopping once you start. You move with the flow of the canal traffic. You may have to tie up briefly before you enter a lock, but things move fairly well. Have plenty of fenders, for both sides of your boat. Having to switch sides going into a lock is no fun when the guys are tossing you a line from the wall. You might also blow one!(We did.) The lock walls are rough!! Fender boards are a very good idea. Have lots of line, and good quality leather work gloves to hold the lines as they slide through your hands. No need to ruin your nice Gill sailing gloves
. Pay the lock master in CDN funds. No exchange given. When you're out at Pt. Weller head west to Pt. Dalhousie for a rest, dinner and a beer! Lots of restaurants there. We where about 8 hrs going through. We had to wait for clearance at the Lock 1 wall for about an hour though. You'll have to check in with Canada Customs when you get to Pt. Colborne. When are you going? I might be able to offer my crewing services if you require, and if the time is right! Good luck! Cheers, Eric
Hi all. I'm new here. I hang out at the Trailer Sailor BB mostly. Nathan, perhaps I can answer some of your questions. Last spring I had the opportunity to go through the Welland Canal, upbound, crewing on a C&C 44. Passage through the locks can be very demanding. Make sure you have ample crew onboard for this part of the journey. When you start at Pt. Colborne, Lock 8 is a "balancing lock", it levels you into the canal. The fun begins a lock 7 when the trip down the escarpment begins, through the Flight Locks then 3,2,and 1. You may have to wait at the begining to join other vessels going down. There's no stopping once you start. You move with the flow of the canal traffic. You may have to tie up briefly before you enter a lock, but things move fairly well. Have plenty of fenders, for both sides of your boat. Having to switch sides going into a lock is no fun when the guys are tossing you a line from the wall. You might also blow one!(We did.) The lock walls are rough!! Fender boards are a very good idea. Have lots of line, and good quality leather work gloves to hold the lines as they slide through your hands. No need to ruin your nice Gill sailing gloves
. Pay the lock master in CDN funds. No exchange given. When you're out at Pt. Weller head west to Pt. Dalhousie for a rest, dinner and a beer! Lots of restaurants there. We where about 8 hrs going through. We had to wait for clearance at the Lock 1 wall for about an hour though. You'll have to check in with Canada Customs when you get to Pt. Colborne. When are you going? I might be able to offer my crewing services if you require, and if the time is right! Good luck! Cheers, Eric- Status