How to chart a course across Lake Ontario

[Scott B]

The Power Squadrons is a US organization. There might be a Canadian equivalent

That would be the Canadian Power Squadron, recently renamed CanBoat, and there are many divisions across Ontario & Canada

CPS | Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons is a non-profit organization and the foremost educational boating authority in Canada

www.cps-ecp.ca

 

[shaant01]

That would be the Canadian Power Squadron, recently renamed CanBoat, and there are many divisions across Ontario & Canada

CPS | Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons is a non-profit organization and the foremost educational boating authority in Canada

www.cps-ecp.ca

There is a class for basic navigation that starts next month near me!

 

[Scott B]

There is a class for basic navigation that starts next month near me!

CPS / Canboat also have very good PCOC course ( and others , more indepth than online basic courses. Lake Ontario can get very nasty very quickly. Make sure you're preparded in all aspects before heading out.

 

[cymeyer]

Hello,

I am a new sailor and want to understand how to chart a course. I understand that it is rather complex so I want to leave it simple for now. This is more hypothetical as I am not experienced enough to sail that far. I don't own any nautical charts so I have been using an app called OpenSeaMap. Let's assume that I want to sail from Port Credit to Niagra-on-the-lake (which I have included below). It is a distance of 27.66 nautical miles and it says I would need to sail on a true course of 127.46 degrees. However, I want to use a magnetic compass. The magnetic deviation is -10.1W. I understand that if the deviation is west, it is added to the true course, so I would sail on a course of 137.47 degrees on the compass.

Can someone tell me if that is even remotely correct? I have not accounted for other factors such as the tide.

Thank you!

I never heard of that software. We use Navionics. Have on our chartplotter but also on our smartphones. Excellent for navigation. We used it extensively on Lake Huron so I know it would work crossing lake Ontario..

 

[BrianH]

Easy.

From Canada to the US sail south. From the US to Canada sail north.

Except between Windsor Ontario and Detroit Michigan. There you have to flip it because Detroit is north of Windsor!

 

[Foswick]

I can sail from my marina in the WA state for 2 days southwest and arrive in Canada. Or, I can sail 2 minutes north and also arrive in Canada. Or, I can sail for a couple of hours due west and arrive back in WA state. Weird, huh?