Someday we would like to sail from our present location on Lake Michigan to the Atlantic ocean. We have heard of numerous routes, however, nothing specific. I understand you can sail up Lake Michigan, down Lake Huron, across Lake Erie, and then connect with a canal to the Hudson River. Could someone give me more specifics and distance?
Lake Michigan to the Atlantic
- Thread starter Mariluce
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Lift bridges on the canal?
Chris failed to mention that the bridges on the Erie canal are "fixed" bridges. You do not sail on the canal, you motor all the way. Your sailboat mast must be down and either secured to your boat or shipped ahead by truck. It used to be free to use the canal, but NY has re-imposed a fee for using the canal. You can link to http://www.nyscanals.gov/ for more information.
There are more routes to take. Dennis has a good idea about the Great Loop. You can get lot's of information by using your search engine, such as Google.
Chris failed to mention that the bridges on the Erie canal are "fixed" bridges. You do not sail on the canal, you motor all the way. Your sailboat mast must be down and either secured to your boat or shipped ahead by truck. It used to be free to use the canal, but NY has re-imposed a fee for using the canal. You can link to http://www.nyscanals.gov/ for more information.
There are more routes to take. Dennis has a good idea about the Great Loop. You can get lot's of information by using your search engine, such as Google.
Lake Erie to ICW/Atlantic
Looks like John Byers is an expert on the several passages. I have never traveled any of the routes but one of the books I read from someone who did is: "A Year in Paradise: How We Lived Our Dream" by Steve Wright Watterson. He and his wife traveled from Lake Erie across the Erie Canal (mast unstepped) to NYC. The book was copyrighted in 2001 so some of the info may be dated. It is a fairly detailed description of the locks, bridges and ICW from Lake Erie to FL.
Looks like John Byers is an expert on the several passages. I have never traveled any of the routes but one of the books I read from someone who did is: "A Year in Paradise: How We Lived Our Dream" by Steve Wright Watterson. He and his wife traveled from Lake Erie across the Erie Canal (mast unstepped) to NYC. The book was copyrighted in 2001 so some of the info may be dated. It is a fairly detailed description of the locks, bridges and ICW from Lake Erie to FL.
The Great Loop
Dennis is right. There has been a lot written about the Great Circle or the Great Loop. It takes you down the Mississippi, around Florida and up the east coast to the Great Lakes. I haven't read anything about going the other direction but, it must be doable. You'll have to take the mast down for the canals regardless of which direction you choose.
Dennis is right. There has been a lot written about the Great Circle or the Great Loop. It takes you down the Mississippi, around Florida and up the east coast to the Great Lakes. I haven't read anything about going the other direction but, it must be doable. You'll have to take the mast down for the canals regardless of which direction you choose.
Great Lakes Cruising Club (GLCC)
The GLCC, based in Chicago has the best port and cruising guides for the Great Lakes. All of the other guides are derived from their work. And, their exhaustive set includes brief guides and good logs of the Erie Canal, and the Great Loop.
This is not a cheap alternative, (you have to join the club, and buy the documents) but the cost is lower than the charts (paper, electronic, or both) you will want for the trip you plan. And they maintain a boaters view of every port and passage, written by other boaters who know them well. None of the other guides will really fill you in on cruising the St. Clair and Detriot Rivers, for instance.
David
Lady Lillie
The GLCC, based in Chicago has the best port and cruising guides for the Great Lakes. All of the other guides are derived from their work. And, their exhaustive set includes brief guides and good logs of the Erie Canal, and the Great Loop.
This is not a cheap alternative, (you have to join the club, and buy the documents) but the cost is lower than the charts (paper, electronic, or both) you will want for the trip you plan. And they maintain a boaters view of every port and passage, written by other boaters who know them well. None of the other guides will really fill you in on cruising the St. Clair and Detriot Rivers, for instance.
David
Lady Lillie
Chart 14500
This NOAA chart shows all of the Great Lakes, and the Erie Canal. We use it for planning distances, an port calls on the Great Lakes. It's also an informative and attractive chart - it gives our dreams a shape! So far, we have covered LAke Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake St. Clair with Lady Lillie. We have chartered in the North Channel, the Apostle Islands, and the Thousand Islands. So we are slowly exploring the limits of Chart 14500.
Walking my dividers across the chart says that from Milwaukee to the Hudson River is about 930 nautical miles.
Good luck with your dream!
David
Lady Lillie
This NOAA chart shows all of the Great Lakes, and the Erie Canal. We use it for planning distances, an port calls on the Great Lakes. It's also an informative and attractive chart - it gives our dreams a shape! So far, we have covered LAke Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake St. Clair with Lady Lillie. We have chartered in the North Channel, the Apostle Islands, and the Thousand Islands. So we are slowly exploring the limits of Chart 14500.
Walking my dividers across the chart says that from Milwaukee to the Hudson River is about 930 nautical miles.
Good luck with your dream!
David
Lady Lillie
I sailed my Hunter 34 from Waukegan to Solomons MD in 2006.
The route I took was to Buffalo. Mast down and stowed on deck on frames of 2 x 4 and ratchet straps.
350 miles of motoring alond the Erie canal. Mast up at Castleton NY. Then down the Hudson to NY city.
This bit took 2 months as we wern't rushing.
Then down the Atlantic and into Chesapeake and up to Solomons took another month.
In 2007 I then sailed to Bermiuda. Azores, France an onto UK took 3 months
My old website has some details of the US trip
http://www.geocities.com/dynamic.systems@btinternet.com/index
Its a great trip
The route I took was to Buffalo. Mast down and stowed on deck on frames of 2 x 4 and ratchet straps.
350 miles of motoring alond the Erie canal. Mast up at Castleton NY. Then down the Hudson to NY city.
This bit took 2 months as we wern't rushing.
Then down the Atlantic and into Chesapeake and up to Solomons took another month.
In 2007 I then sailed to Bermiuda. Azores, France an onto UK took 3 months
My old website has some details of the US trip
http://www.geocities.com/dynamic.systems@btinternet.com/index
Its a great trip
Dont forget the Trent-Severn Canal that conects Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...0&prev=/images?q=severn+canal&um=1&hl=en&sa=N
The trip via the St Lawrence Seaway Can be very frustrating but very pretty. Currents and tides make progress difficult at times but the scenary is outstanding.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...0&prev=/images?q=severn+canal&um=1&hl=en&sa=N
The trip via the St Lawrence Seaway Can be very frustrating but very pretty. Currents and tides make progress difficult at times but the scenary is outstanding.
The Erie Canal is a week of motoring and locking with the mast lashed on deck. Have done it a few times.
or
You could sail to Buffalo, lock through the Welland (with mast up), cruise Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, Thousand Islands, and then down the St. Lawrence. Lots of superb cruising grounds along that route, but the summer season is short up north.
or
You could sail to Buffalo, lock through the Welland (with mast up), cruise Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, Thousand Islands, and then down the St. Lawrence. Lots of superb cruising grounds along that route, but the summer season is short up north.
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