Great Lakes to East coast
- Thread starter Alan
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I once did the preliminary planning for
a cruise up the Hudson through Lake Champlain down the Richelieu river to the St. Lawernce River , down the St. Lawernce River to Nova Scotia and down the east coast to home. But the world turned too many times and I probably will never make the trip. :'(
a cruise up the Hudson through Lake Champlain down the Richelieu river to the St. Lawernce River , down the St. Lawernce River to Nova Scotia and down the east coast to home. But the world turned too many times and I probably will never make the trip. :'(
What's your round trip idea?
Are you thinking of sailing the Great Lakes or just getting back to the east coast for a boat delivery? Are you thinking of doing the route Ross suggests, except going upstream on the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario and then sailing to the west end of the lake and entering the Erie Canal to get back to the Hudson? I checked out the Bay Breeze Charter website from Traverse City in Michigan (northeast shoreline of Lake Michigan) and am definitely wanting to do a charter there next summer. If I had a lot of time on my own boat I would spend the summer in the northern parts of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, including Door County Wisconsin. I'd think about Lake Superior to go to the Apostle Islands, Isle Royale National Park and Grand Portage, Minnesota. That would be a looooooonnnnngggggggg way out of the way and would proabably mean committing your boat to a winter lay-up out there! Think about how nice it would be to fill up your water supply with cold, clean, fresh water right out of the lake! Are you thinking about a loop that would include the Mississippi to the gulf and then up the east coast? You would have to sail down to Chicago to pick up the waterways to the Mississippi. The Mississippi has a lot of current, brown water, and dangerous barge traffic and would not really appeal to me. Scott
Are you thinking of sailing the Great Lakes or just getting back to the east coast for a boat delivery? Are you thinking of doing the route Ross suggests, except going upstream on the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario and then sailing to the west end of the lake and entering the Erie Canal to get back to the Hudson? I checked out the Bay Breeze Charter website from Traverse City in Michigan (northeast shoreline of Lake Michigan) and am definitely wanting to do a charter there next summer. If I had a lot of time on my own boat I would spend the summer in the northern parts of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, including Door County Wisconsin. I'd think about Lake Superior to go to the Apostle Islands, Isle Royale National Park and Grand Portage, Minnesota. That would be a looooooonnnnngggggggg way out of the way and would proabably mean committing your boat to a winter lay-up out there! Think about how nice it would be to fill up your water supply with cold, clean, fresh water right out of the lake! Are you thinking about a loop that would include the Mississippi to the gulf and then up the east coast? You would have to sail down to Chicago to pick up the waterways to the Mississippi. The Mississippi has a lot of current, brown water, and dangerous barge traffic and would not really appeal to me. Scott
Long trip, would take a summer
I haven't done it, but I have done some research. You are talking about 1,500 n.m. of mostly river travel. At Quebec City, the tides are up to 18 feet and the tidal current 4 knots; this keeps up for the next six hundred miles or so. I would think that you would do real well to average 50 n.m. a day, so probably at least a month one way to Nova Scotia. Back home is harder as you are fighting the current of the St. Lawrence from Quebec to Kingston, 300 miles or so. This is not to mention conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the world's largest estuary, which can include fog, gales and close encounters of the freighter kind. In short, this is a complex trip requiring a lot of planning and at least two to three months to execute. Really the only time to do it is between May 15 and Sept. 30th. Before then the water is really cold, after that the winds will be scary. Best of luck, I hope you do it and tell us about it.
I haven't done it, but I have done some research. You are talking about 1,500 n.m. of mostly river travel. At Quebec City, the tides are up to 18 feet and the tidal current 4 knots; this keeps up for the next six hundred miles or so. I would think that you would do real well to average 50 n.m. a day, so probably at least a month one way to Nova Scotia. Back home is harder as you are fighting the current of the St. Lawrence from Quebec to Kingston, 300 miles or so. This is not to mention conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the world's largest estuary, which can include fog, gales and close encounters of the freighter kind. In short, this is a complex trip requiring a lot of planning and at least two to three months to execute. Really the only time to do it is between May 15 and Sept. 30th. Before then the water is really cold, after that the winds will be scary. Best of luck, I hope you do it and tell us about it.
West to East part
I did part of the trip last year. It was great. I left Waukegan Ilinois end of April and went up Lake Michigan, down Huron and across Erie to Buffalo. Then took the Erie canal 350 miles east to the Hudson river at Albany. Then 200 miles down the Hudson to New York city arriving mid June without rushing. Going past Manhattan Island and round the Statue of Liberty is quite an experience. I then carried on down and went into Chesapeake. You could go back up the hudson to Albany then down the Champlain canal to the Lawrence. Back across Lake ontario and up the Welland canal but others would have to give advice on that stretch. The canal locks are easy to use and very attactive countryside. More details on my website
I did part of the trip last year. It was great. I left Waukegan Ilinois end of April and went up Lake Michigan, down Huron and across Erie to Buffalo. Then took the Erie canal 350 miles east to the Hudson river at Albany. Then 200 miles down the Hudson to New York city arriving mid June without rushing. Going past Manhattan Island and round the Statue of Liberty is quite an experience. I then carried on down and went into Chesapeake. You could go back up the hudson to Albany then down the Champlain canal to the Lawrence. Back across Lake ontario and up the Welland canal but others would have to give advice on that stretch. The canal locks are easy to use and very attactive countryside. More details on my website
Great Loop
As part of the Great Loop, you can find a lot of info on their site. Including books, charts, advice etc.
As part of the Great Loop, you can find a lot of info on their site. Including books, charts, advice etc.
Hunter Voyager
Your link is dead. How many times did you have to unstep the mast to do this trip?
Your link is dead. How many times did you have to unstep the mast to do this trip?
I had the mast down just once
at Richies marina Buffalo and put it back up at Castleford yacht club 20 miles down the Hudson from Albany. I made 3 tressles of 2 x 4 to support the mast and used ratchet straps to hold it in place. The link should work eventually... The server is busy.
at Richies marina Buffalo and put it back up at Castleford yacht club 20 miles down the Hudson from Albany. I made 3 tressles of 2 x 4 to support the mast and used ratchet straps to hold it in place. The link should work eventually... The server is busy.
Buffalo, NY to Charleston, C
My wife & I made the trip from Buffalo, NY to Charleston, SC last year. It was a great trip. If you contact me off list I would be happy to send you copies of our daily logs. CDickhut2@aol.com. Keep me in mind if you need crew next year.
My wife & I made the trip from Buffalo, NY to Charleston, SC last year. It was a great trip. If you contact me off list I would be happy to send you copies of our daily logs. CDickhut2@aol.com. Keep me in mind if you need crew next year.
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