South Shore Erie to Toronto

Hugh McCully · Feb 1, 2009

Has anyone made the trip.
Once from Lake Erie. Many times to Toronto and other Lake Ontario ports as I'm based here on the Lake.

Do you take the Welland Canal to get to Lake Ontario?
That would likely be the most logical way to do it

How do you get to Lake Ontario?
Once you are out of the Canal it's not too far to the Lake

Are there any must see places between Cleveland (as far East as I've been) and Toronto?
Erie and Dunkirk are interesting stops along the way in Lake Erie.

Any advice on going through the canal?
After you get to Port Colborne (Sugarloaf Marina) and check in with Canadian Customs and Immigration, walk over to the Canal. There you will find a phone both, only it is the place where you buy your Canal pass and there is a phone there that you can use to talk to the Canal dispatch. Ask them how things look for traffic the next morning. They are usually quite accommodating as they are tracking traffic all along the Seaway. They will likely tell you when a good time would be to call in the next morning. Once you are in the Canal it will be about eight hours. Sometimes faster. Sometimes slower. You can get held up for Seaway traffic and things like bridge maintenance! You need two on board going down to Lake Ontario and three on board going up.

What is the cruising guide of choice for Lake Ontario?
The best one is Ports Cruising Guide: Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands
http://www.portsbooks.com/cruising-guides

The book has all the information you will need to plan your stay in Lake Ontario. Get it soon. It will make great winter reading!

The Lake Ontario Hunter Association is at: http://www.lohsa.com/

Scott B · Feb 2, 2009

Not sure why you'd want to go to Toronto rather than the North Channel

..... but if you must definitely get the Ports book. It'll save you tons of time in finding marinas, places to go and see etc. Mine is dog-eared after only two seasons and I still am finding new things.

A good place to stop for touristy type shopping is Niagara on the Lake. Lots of shops and restaurants to see and if you're into plays there's a few theaters.

Toronto has lots of interesting places to go in the downtown area, depending on what your'e into, many shops, restaurants theaters, museum, Skydome ( Rogers Centre for baseball ( Blue Jays) & Canadian football), CN Tower etc. The Toronto Islands also has Yacht Clubs and places to dock, some nice park lands to explore and you could also take the ferry across to the downtown core.

Pier 4 is great for Seafood, along the harbourfront, (avoid Captain Johns on the boat). Harbourfront also lots of activities all summer long including a Jazz festival.

If you're going late July you could hit Port Credit for the Hunter Rendezvous. Check out the LOHSA site for info.

Get the Ports book and start reading it'll give you more than enough info to find and do what you're looking for.

( Glad to hear there'll be 1 less boat in the North Channel this summer when we head back again

)

Hugh McCully · Feb 2, 2009

Re: Why 3 on board

Why Three?

Because that's the rule!
Crew members in the Welland Canal
"In the WELLAND CANAL, because of the higher incidence of water
turbulence, all upbound pleasure craft transiting from Locks 1 to 7
must have a minimum of three (3) persons on board, i.e. one
operator and two persons capable of tending the lines. It is suggested
that operators first contact marinas at Port Weller for needed additional
manpower and, if unsuccessful, use the telephone located at the
pleasure craft dock to request the assistance of the officer in charge."

Which you will find on page 17 of the "St Lawrence Seaway Pleasure Craft Guide". It is available on the web at: http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/pdf/pleasurecraftguide_en.pdf

When are you coming through? I might be able to help with crew.

Guelph is a great place. But I am prejudiced. That's where I found my admiral!

David in Sandusky · Feb 2, 2009

Tried, but lost our engine!

Here is our blog of the trip we planned from Sandusky to the Thousand Island and back:

http://jojofoster.livejournal.com/?skip=20

Although we lost our engine in Erie, and didn't make the trip through the canal, the blog covers our visits to all of the ports we visited on the south shore of Erie going out, and on the north shore coming back.

We visited our favorite anchorage in the 360 degree protection of the little bay on the west end of the north side of Presque Isle Bay off Erie, PA, in the state park.

The other great anchorage was on the north side of Long Point, a great night in crystal clear water (I could watch the anchor set at the end of a 70 foot scope!). The rest of the ports speak for themselves.

The reason the authorities insist on three people coming up the Welland is that there is tremendous turbulence as the water rushes into the locks. You need one person on the engine, and one on the bow and one on the stern to manage the lilnes, and fend off as needed. You need fenders that will survive the rough wall of the locks and still protect the boat as you ride up and down.

Although we did not get to sail Lady Lillie in Lake Ontario, we had a great time, and especially enjoyed the return trip along the north shore of Lake Erie.

Fair wind and following seas on your trip. By the way, we are considering our first trip to the North Channel this summer of the next. Maybe we should meet somewhere while we are getting the boats ready to splash to compare notes.

Scott B · Feb 2, 2009

JohnnyMac said:
Hugh,

Scott, I am with you on the North Channel. We have been 3 times in the last 5 years, but I would go every year. The admiral likes change. She would not mind if the trip started in Tobermorey. Our son and daughter-in-law want to check out Guelph as a place to live.

I'm just yanking your chain...

I grew up 1/2 out of Toronto ( at least back then it was only a 1/2 hour drive) and really enjoy living much farther away, but still close enough. We're just north of Guelph, I work in Guelph, only a 15 min. drive NO traffic. My only traffic jam is the drive-through at Tim Horton's.

Guelph is a great commuinty to live in. Small enough to have the small town appeal, yet have large city conveniences and just close enoughto Toronto for the BIG city stuff. Are they working here or in the Tortonto region.

Seriously, I enjoy going downtown TO, but probably because I grew up going into Toronto all the time, went to University and am familier with the area. My kids on the other hand having grown up in a town with 10,000 pop. think TO is way too big & noisy etc.....

Did I mention to get the Ports book ???? It will really save you a lot of time

CaptChuck · Feb 2, 2009

In Erie there are several marinas but we enjoy anchoring out in the Presque Isle State Park. On the Canadian side anchor out at Long Point. The Port Dover Marina is within walking distance of a fun town. There is a nice marina up the river at Port Maitland. Second the vote for Sugar Loaf Marina in Port Colborne. Eat at LuLu's. If you get to Buffalo I will be happy to show you around, just let me know and I'll buy the first beverage. I think the cost for the Welland Canal is $20.00 CDN per lock (there are 8) each way.
Capt Chuck
S/V Obsession
Catalina 320

Hugh McCully · Feb 3, 2009

I would check the rates in a month or so, once the Seaway is open again. Last summer the St Lawrence locks were $25 for the Canadian locks and $30 for the two American locks.

Check the Seaway site at: http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/pdf/web_schedule_tolls.pdf

On page 8 it says "A charge per pleasure craft per lock transited for full or partial transit of the Seaway, including applicable federal taxes $25.00.
The applicable charge at the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation's locks (Eisenhower,
Snell) is $30 US or $30 Cdn per lock.

2008 Pleasure craft rates – subject to change in subsequent years."