I am taking delivery of a 1988 Ericson 32-200 at St Clair Shores Mi in May 2022 and sailing to Owen Sound. I have a good deal of experiance sailing lake Ontario but none on Huron / Georgian Bay. Has anyone done this trip and if so, what is a realistic route? Thanks in advance for the help.
Lake St Clair to Owen Sound
- Thread starter SRoyall
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Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new-to-you boat!
It has been a very long time since I made that trip so take my notes with quite a bit of prejudice. There really aren't route options, head north along the St Claire River, keep heading north until you get to Tobermory then turn right until you get to Owen Sound
The currents in the St Claire River can be a bit challenging so plan a little extra time for this portion. I was heading from Tobermory south and it did add a couple knots to our SOG at times. I don't remember Goderich at all, looks like you draw 6ft, you may want to verify depth before going in. I do remember stopping in Kincardin but not the details of the harbour. My memory from 30 years ago is getting a little foggy. I was recently in Port Elgin looking at a boat and it does seem like a very nice harbour with some amenities. A bit of a hike to town for provisions.
Tobermory is an absolute must! Wonderful little town and Little Tub is a very protected harbour in the middle of the action, at least what there is of it in this small town. I haven't sailed along the west coast of Georgian bay but once past Tobermory there look to be a lot of wonderful little places to stop and you may want to take your time along this portion.
If you are from Owen Sound I'm sure you are familiar with the fantastic cruising grounds all around Georgian Bay. If I had an extra week or two I would make a detour to the North Channel on the way, maybe even circumnavigate Manitoulin Island.
Most importantly, keep us up to date on your planning and take lots of pictures to share with us
I just realized you will be coming from Michigan. You will likely need to clear into Canada in Sarnia so this would be a good place to stop for provisions before heading into Lake Huron where the next easy grocery stop will be Tobermory.
It has been a very long time since I made that trip so take my notes with quite a bit of prejudice. There really aren't route options, head north along the St Claire River, keep heading north until you get to Tobermory then turn right until you get to Owen Sound
The currents in the St Claire River can be a bit challenging so plan a little extra time for this portion. I was heading from Tobermory south and it did add a couple knots to our SOG at times. I don't remember Goderich at all, looks like you draw 6ft, you may want to verify depth before going in. I do remember stopping in Kincardin but not the details of the harbour. My memory from 30 years ago is getting a little foggy. I was recently in Port Elgin looking at a boat and it does seem like a very nice harbour with some amenities. A bit of a hike to town for provisions.
Tobermory is an absolute must! Wonderful little town and Little Tub is a very protected harbour in the middle of the action, at least what there is of it in this small town. I haven't sailed along the west coast of Georgian bay but once past Tobermory there look to be a lot of wonderful little places to stop and you may want to take your time along this portion.
If you are from Owen Sound I'm sure you are familiar with the fantastic cruising grounds all around Georgian Bay. If I had an extra week or two I would make a detour to the North Channel on the way, maybe even circumnavigate Manitoulin Island.
Most importantly, keep us up to date on your planning and take lots of pictures to share with us
I just realized you will be coming from Michigan. You will likely need to clear into Canada in Sarnia so this would be a good place to stop for provisions before heading into Lake Huron where the next easy grocery stop will be Tobermory.
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We have sailed Lake Huron a few times. In May it will be very cold on the lake. We don't venture up to Huron until July because the cold. Sarnia is probably a good place to stop and check in. When you get to the Black River start to hugging the Canadian side by the Casino to catch the Eddy current. Look for where the water isn't going down river. There will probably be near 5 kts of current that time of year.
Huron can go from dead calm to very nasty quickly. Are you planning on doing this solo or with crew. You're looking 250 nm + to do the trip. At 5 knots thats 50 hours in ideal straightline sailing / motoring.
As above, Huron will be very cold still. Bundle up.
If you're stopping, Goderich, Kincardine, Southampton ( Port Elgin ) Tobermory all have harbours that will accomodate your boat. You could very easily be holed up in one of those locations for a few days.
It could be a fun trip. Just make sure you plan for the time and weather.
Other option would be to take it to Sarnia and trucked to Owen Sound.
As above, Huron will be very cold still. Bundle up.
If you're stopping, Goderich, Kincardine, Southampton ( Port Elgin ) Tobermory all have harbours that will accomodate your boat. You could very easily be holed up in one of those locations for a few days.
It could be a fun trip. Just make sure you plan for the time and weather.
Other option would be to take it to Sarnia and trucked to Owen Sound.
We did part of this trip (north bound from Port Huron) on one occasion and the other leg (south bound in Georgian Bay) on another trip. We decided to do one-day legs to Tobermory with stops in Goderich (where we cleared customs with a phone call) and Port Elgin. Because of weather, we laid over in Goderich for a day--which is the advantage of one-day legs. We have talked to many boaters who go from Port Huron to the North Channel by doing one overnight leg from Port Huron to Tobermory. We weren't ready for that type of trip with a new-to-us boat. Ditto the advice about the channel between Port Huron and Sarnia--stick as close to the Canadian shore as you can. The advice we got was "close enough to touch it." We navigated that stretch a couple of times before we took TANGO north and you must heed that advice to avoid the 5+ mph current in the center. We now keep our sailboat in Little Current and we're looking forward to returning after a 2-year hiatus due to the closed border. We love the North Channel and highly recommend it as the "best fresh-water cruising" in the world. Much nicer than Georgian Bay (for us, depends on what you are looking for) until you get north of Point Au Baril.
This is probably the prettiest cruise I have ever done - it is one to remember for your lifetime. Best marinas would be Sarnia (after fighting the current), Goderich, Kincardine, and Port Elgin, and they are all very touristic so you may want to plan an extra day. Southhamton up the coast from Port Elgin is also lovely with a small island bird sanctuary with light (Chantry), but not accessible for anything larger than 2 ft draft with local knowledge. All marina staff are professional and docks are top condition. From Port Elgin to Tobermory, there is not a safe harbor - not even a bailout really with nasty rocks. Pick that weather window well, and plan to leave early so you make Tobermory in the afternoon light.
Area around Tobermory is filled with tourist dive boats and a big ferry (Chi Cheemaun) stops in every 6 hours, so keep a lookout. Transient docks are in Little Tub harbor, which is a public area. I was shocked that tourists came down and took pictures in front of my boat at all hours - not restful. Ferry wake does not affect you, but the dive boats start at 7am. Trip to Owen Sound is long for a day, and you may want to stop off at Cape Crocker to anchor.
This is a really cool trip - I am jealous.
Area around Tobermory is filled with tourist dive boats and a big ferry (Chi Cheemaun) stops in every 6 hours, so keep a lookout. Transient docks are in Little Tub harbor, which is a public area. I was shocked that tourists came down and took pictures in front of my boat at all hours - not restful. Ferry wake does not affect you, but the dive boats start at 7am. Trip to Owen Sound is long for a day, and you may want to stop off at Cape Crocker to anchor.
This is a really cool trip - I am jealous.
It'll be a great cruise. Watch the weather closely. I've not been as far down as Sarnia but sailed quite a bit from Bayfield to Tobermory to Owen Sound. Prevailing winds on Lake Hurin are from the NW, meaning much of the trip is likely to be upwind. Safe harbours are far enough apart to easily get caught out in storms. They move quite rapidly up the coast and the long fetch allows for large waves to build. Many boats come to grief North of Goderich when they don't go out into the lake around Cape Albert, there's a long shoal there. Once you pass Port Elgin and Southampton there are no marinas until you get to Tobermory, so plan that leg carefully. I have put into Stoke's Bay, I don't recall the depth of the channel, we needed 4 feet and had no problem, but I recall many shallows on the chart and I would not even think about it if the winds picked up. We went in on a dead calm needing diesel. There were no facilities there. A fisherman kindly drove me to Lion's head.
Make sure you have charts for your trip. And I've found a copy of Port's Cruising Guide to be useful on my trips. If you're sightseeing along the way, don't miss Wingfield basin. I've always found it a great anchorage and often taken a dinghy ashore and enjoyed a walk up to the lighthouse. Lion's Head and Wiarton are also great harbours with fuel and pump-out facilities, but visiting either adds quite a few miles to the trip.
All in all, I'd love to be doing that trip.
Make sure you have charts for your trip. And I've found a copy of Port's Cruising Guide to be useful on my trips. If you're sightseeing along the way, don't miss Wingfield basin. I've always found it a great anchorage and often taken a dinghy ashore and enjoyed a walk up to the lighthouse. Lion's Head and Wiarton are also great harbours with fuel and pump-out facilities, but visiting either adds quite a few miles to the trip.
All in all, I'd love to be doing that trip.
I've made the trip twice from St. Clair shores. I used Navionics both times, and found it to be very accurate. The channel is very well marked, though it can be a little daunting if you are not accustomed to freighter traffic. The river is plenty wide though, so I never felt threatened by them as long as I hugged the edge of the marked channel. Expect to lose a knot or two in the current. If memory serves me I believe it took us about 9 or 10 hours from St. Clair Shores to Sarnia at a leisurely engine RPM.
That said, I will echo the previous comments. It is a beautiful trip. Haven't sailed to Owen Sound, but we sailed from St. Clair Shores to Killarney and The Pool in 2016, and to the North Channel in 2018. The first trip we did several unplanned stops (mostly due to weather), stopping in Bayfield, Kinkardine, Tobermory, and finally anchoring in the Wingfield basin before crossing to Killarney. This was serendipity at its best, as each stop was gem. The second trip offered better weather so sailed nonstop (~30 hours) from Sarnia to Club Island.
If you have the time, stop often and enjoy the ports. Well worth the time. Enjoy!
That said, I will echo the previous comments. It is a beautiful trip. Haven't sailed to Owen Sound, but we sailed from St. Clair Shores to Killarney and The Pool in 2016, and to the North Channel in 2018. The first trip we did several unplanned stops (mostly due to weather), stopping in Bayfield, Kinkardine, Tobermory, and finally anchoring in the Wingfield basin before crossing to Killarney. This was serendipity at its best, as each stop was gem. The second trip offered better weather so sailed nonstop (~30 hours) from Sarnia to Club Island.
If you have the time, stop often and enjoy the ports. Well worth the time. Enjoy!
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I would suggest that you join the Great Lakes Cruising Club at How To Join | The Great Lakes Cruising Club.
The detailed reports for Great Lakes Marinas, harbors and anchorages are updated by the members. The Harbor Reports and membership cover all 5 Great Lakes and significant tributaries. The reports are available to all Members online, and can be stored or printed in pdf formats. Many of the harbors have a "Port Captain", whom you can call along the way, or calling ahead, for questions. Your plans are for a beautiful part of the Great Lakes!
Marilyn Kinsey,
GLCC Port Captain, Escanaba, MI
The detailed reports for Great Lakes Marinas, harbors and anchorages are updated by the members. The Harbor Reports and membership cover all 5 Great Lakes and significant tributaries. The reports are available to all Members online, and can be stored or printed in pdf formats. Many of the harbors have a "Port Captain", whom you can call along the way, or calling ahead, for questions. Your plans are for a beautiful part of the Great Lakes!
Marilyn Kinsey,
GLCC Port Captain, Escanaba, MI
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to write. I will be keeping a close eye on the forecast and yes, will be ready for cold weather.
I was working in Port Huron a week ago. I arrived a little early so I parked at Lakeside park ( just north of the Bluewater Bridge) and thought I'd walk down to the beach. 20 knot winds coming off Lake Huron. Never made it to the beach. Froze my butt off. Dress warm.
Long overdue update on this trip. I left Saint Clair Shores early June and headed up the Sant Clair River. First stop was Ecarte Marine where I checked in with customers to register the boat. Spent the night and then up to Sarnia and spent the next night at Bridgeview Marina – very nice accommodations. Early next morning we left Bridgeview, under the bridge and entered Lake Huron. The currents were strong but not as bad as I had been led to believe. From this point on it was Sarnia to Goderich, Goderich to Port Elgin and then Port Elgin to Tobermory.
Port Elgin to Tobermory was the “eventful” part of the trip. There is really nowhere to pull in with a keel boat so it is a commitment once you head out. We had high winds, 6-8ft seas on the stern and fog. Two reefs in the main and doing 7knots. Once in Tobermory we I spent 2-3 days playing tourist. Partly because we had 2-3 days of very high winds – no one left the marina during that period.
From Tobermory it was a day trip to Lions Head and then on down to Owen Sound. I cannot say enough about how well the Ericson 32-200 (1988) sailed. I have been sailing for 50 years and it might just be overall the best sailing sailboat I have owned.
I have just sold the Ericson and moving on to a 2004 Catalina 36mkii. I need the space and creature comforts – I only hope the Catalina sails as well as my Ericson 32-200.
Port Elgin to Tobermory was the “eventful” part of the trip. There is really nowhere to pull in with a keel boat so it is a commitment once you head out. We had high winds, 6-8ft seas on the stern and fog. Two reefs in the main and doing 7knots. Once in Tobermory we I spent 2-3 days playing tourist. Partly because we had 2-3 days of very high winds – no one left the marina during that period.
From Tobermory it was a day trip to Lions Head and then on down to Owen Sound. I cannot say enough about how well the Ericson 32-200 (1988) sailed. I have been sailing for 50 years and it might just be overall the best sailing sailboat I have owned.
I have just sold the Ericson and moving on to a 2004 Catalina 36mkii. I need the space and creature comforts – I only hope the Catalina sails as well as my Ericson 32-200.
