Jumping off point for Erie Canal

[unbusted67]

    
This was originally part of another post but I wanted to put it out there

  Re: Erie Canal east then south Key West FL
? Reply #33 on: March 22, 2010, 10:43:59 AM ?    Reply with quote Modify message Remove message
My girlfriend and I are planning a similar trip aboard our Blackwatch 24. We are either going to head down the Ohio from Pittsburgh or trailer her up to Erie and head East on Lake Erie and Ontario until we get to the canal and then un-step the mast and head South.

The canal route seems a lot cooler but I am a little bit nervous about heading out on the lakes. The cost of charts and everything else seems a bit prohibitive too. Does anyone have any ideas about a good middle ground? Is there somewhere near Oswego that we could put in for some day sails before dropping the stick and heading down the canals?

[Bill NH]

If you're looking at the canal and/or Lakes Erie & Ontario as an obstacle to getting south rather than a destination, why not think out of the box a little...

If you can trailer the boat to Oswego, why not just trailer to the Chesapeake Bay?  You'll find the sailing much more interesting in the bay than the run down the Jersey coast.  Plus if you're nervous about heading out on the lakes, you really won't like the Jersey coast.  Spend the fall in the Chesapeake, enjoy the warmer weather and great cruising, and work on your open water sailing skills a bit.

You'd also miss Delaware Bay, which is really low on my list of small-sailboat destinations due to the frequent steep chop, lack of good harbors and busy ship traffic. 

Unless you want to see the Erie Canal why go there at all?  A few hundred miles is a long way to motor, and gas isn't cheap.  Your car probably gets better mileage pulling the trailer than your boat does when motoring!

[AdriftAtSea]

I'd second what bill said.  It would make more sense to use the ability to make 55 mph to windward to your advantage and skip the areas that will be more problematic.  The NJ coastline and the Erie canal strike me as relatively poor sailing destinations.

[unbusted67]

If you're looking at the canal and/or Lakes Erie & Ontario as an obstacle to getting south rather than a destination, why not think out of the box a little..

Oh no maybe I misspoke in my OP. I am not looking at the canal as an obstacle at all. In fact that and the Hudson river would be the whole trip. I really want to explore the Erie canal. I also want to explore Lake Erie and Ontario. I just want to do it in a safe way.

I have a bit of offshore experience just not any in this boat. In fact we have no experience in this boat. Are there any good places within maybe say a two day sail of Oswego that would be good to launch from and that wouldn't be too treacherous?

Everyone always says the lakes can be tempestuous. Maybe I have just drank the cool aid too much.

[Lynx]

Lakes - If you are used to offshore the lakes it can get a bit rough 4 foot steep and choppy. Reef main. For lakes sailors it is bad as they do not have the experience in heaver 4 - 6 foot seas.

Putting in. Many places. You need some place to store tow and trailer. Check with the different sailing clubs for secure storage.

Erie Cannal is a bit of USA history. I always wanted to do it for a very young age.