Transporting a boat from Ohio to Toronto

[Tasty Waves]

We are at the survey stage of purchasing a 1986 Hunter 31 in Ohio, near Sandusky, and want to sail/motor it home to Toronto. Our plan is to sail from Ohio to Pelee island to pay the duty/taxes, and then embark on our 'adventure'.

We haven't sailed on Lake Erie, and are trying to plan - as much as we can - how long it will take us to get home.

We know that we can get from the Lake Ontario side of the Welland Canal to Toronto in a full day, and we've allowed a very long day to pass through the canal, but the Lake Erie trip is a complete mystery to us.

Has anyone out there done this? We're not looking to take our time, and if the winds are good are open to sailing overnight.

Any advice/suggestions/tips would be appreciated!

 

[CaptChuck]

Sounds like a great trip. Here are some suggestions for the Eastern part of the trip. Good anchorages in Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA and Gravelly Bay behind Long Point, ON. Port Dover Harbour Marina is close by a fun beach town. Sugarloaf Marina at the Lake Erie end of the Welland Canal is very nice. The broker here at RCR Skyway marina just came through the Welland and it took him 20 hours.

 

[Tasty Waves]

Thanks CaptChuck! Great advice, although a 20 hour trip through the canal is a bit of a concern.

You sound like you know your way around lake Erie...if we wanted to sail and/or motor hard, do you think we could take a line from Pelee Island to Port Colborne and make in 2 or 3 days?

 

[David in Sandusky]

If we were day sailing from Scudders at Pelee, we would go:

Scudders to Erieau
Erieau to Port Stanley
Port Stanley to north side of Long Point
Long Point to "The Port" (colborne)

over nighting would allow you to skip stops
, of course.

Good luck - this is great cruising!

 

[Tasty Waves]

David in Sandusky - can you make each of those legs within 12 hours? We've planned for 3-4 crew to make Pelee Island to Port Colborne in 4 days, day and night if we have to...do you htink this is enough time? Too much? I'm just trying to book my vacation time to get this boat back.

 

[David in Sandusky]

The only leg beyond 45 nm is from Port Stanley to Long Point. About 52 nm if you anchor just inside the point itself, and 60 nm if you double back to the beautiful anchorage behind Bluff Bar. If you plan 5 knots, the longest is 12 hours. The point is good for SW or W winds, while Bluff Bay is good for all winds but (perhaps) NW. You can balance the legs by going to Port Bruce rather than Port Stanley. You need good directions to come up the channel in Port Bruce, but it is nice once you make the marina.

Having thought it through, I'd recommend Port Bruce, instead of Stanley.

You can easily make the run to Port Colborne in 4 days, if the wind is not dead against you, or if your power plant will move you into a northeaster.

We have enjoyed all of these ports/anchorages, and they will be a great introduction to Great Lakes cruising.

My charts show Pelee to Colborne to be 165 nm. At 5 knots, that's 33 hours. So if you left Scudders on Pelee at 7 AM, you could come into Colborne at 4 PM the next day. This is very doable, if your crew has experience cruising in freight traffic and fishermen at night. You need at least 2 who can understand lights at night, and can steer and handle the boat while the other sleeps. Without that experience/ability, I would recommend the 4 day day-sailing approach.

 

[CaptChuck]

Here is a link to someone who has made the trip http://latassesailing.blogspot.com/
scroll down on the page and you will find the log.

 

[Tasty Waves]

Thanks to both of you - great information! Survey is Friday, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well.

 

[BreakingWind2]

That's exactly what we did

Scudders to Erieau
Erieau to Port Stanley
Port Stanley to north side of Long Point (Port Dover)
Long Point to "The Port" (colborne)

We did this exact route. Port Stanley is quiet, gotta wait for them to raise the bridge. Port Dover Marina is awesome, great facilities.

Erieau - we arrived really late at night and just tied up at the public wall. Enter the channel and take the channel to the left, quieter and not so bumpy.

Once at the top of the Welland Canal you contact Seaway control on the telephone at the top lock. Tell them who you are, boat name and they will ask you to stand by on VHF.

When they are ready, they will begin to lock you through. Remember, freighters are their priority. We called at 0700 hrs and were told to have a late breakfast, that it would be at least 1300hrs before we started. Turned out to be 1530hrs!

Came out the other side cold, tired and grumpy at 0130hrs in the morning. Just tied up at the wall on the right side, had something to eat and slept. Left the next morning and made Newcastle ON in about 10 hours.

Have fun

 

[BreakingWind2]

Attached photos of Port Stanley bridge, the entrance to Port Stanley.
Port Dover Marina, marina at Port Colborne and one of the locks in the canal.

 

[letterman]

35 hours from Cleveland to Buffalo non-stop. Add another 7 hours Cleveland to Pelee.
I motored the whole way at 7.5 knots.

 

[pogo2]

check with seaway welland and find out the cost thru the locks. US or CDN it doesn't matter no exchange rate. Last trip thru it was $160 some one mentioned that its up to $300 now? I've made the trip mostly from Ontario to Erie, we've done it in 4.5 hrs the fastest and 36 hrs the longest. Make sure you have food and beverages on board, there's no tieing up to the wall unless Seaway tells you to. Good luck

 

[edd]

Tasty-----I've made the trip from Sandusky,Toledo,Detroit,and Port Clinton to Toronto a number of times using both routes (north and south).... I prefer the southern (US side) to Dunkirk NY then across Erie to the canal and on to Toronto....Seems to me to be more straight forward.... Wind usually out of the west, no well heads and many towns along the way in case of gear failure.... It's a nice sail......DON"T HURRY, ENJOY....

EDD