Hi All, has any of you ever sailed/motored from the Great Lakes out to the ocean, then down to Florida or close? I am trying to get information on doing this. Any help is appriciated. Time, cost, tips,hints......Cheers.
I have not done so, but there are some interesting stories at:
Guide to Sailing and Cruising Stories - Voyage Logs (http://cruisenews.net/db/voyagelogs.php)
I think there are some Ohio River or Tenn. River accounts on that page (I've read 'em, I just don't recall from where).
Yes, there were a group of guys that did it aboard a 26' boat just this year.
Here is a link to their log. (http://www.geocities.com/sjfaul/Sailing.html)
Great story, well written log. They were going all the way to Berkley California, and there was not a truck involved!
The boat was a Pearson Commander, same hull as the Ariel, smaller cabin. Their boat was also named 'Faith' there is no relation though.... ;D
s/v faith, what does s/v mean? ???
I see several folks with that...
Sailing Vessel. :)
...and stinkpotters use "M/V" for "Motor Vessel".
Oh I see boat code,
thanks
I've done Duluth to Key West and back. Not in the same year.
Hi Amorous, I assume you went throught the Erie canal? How long did it take to make the trip? What kind of cost did you run into on the canal? Cheers.
we took our time going down and spent 7 weeks. hurried coming back and took almost 4. i went through the erie canal to and from oswego and through the trent-severn waterway in ontario. both very cool. I don't remember the costs for the trent but there are no costs for the erie.
Hi A, so there is no charges for the locks all the way through the erie canal? Is there some website for the canal? Cheers.
djn,
Depending on which Lakes you are going through you would need to go through the locks. There is a cost for the locks - depends on your boat size. The web site for the Erie Canal system is: http://www.canals.state.ny.us/index.html - you need to drop your mast to transit the Erie canals.
If you are leaving from Lake Ontario you would also have to go through the 8 locks that make up the Welland Canal. I have more experience with this one. You can go through this one with your rig up - it is more expensive. You are also required to have a minimum of 3 aboard each boat. If you don't - they will provide people, for which there is a charge.
Hope that helps.
John
Seems there is a charge now. Sorry for the mis-information. Wasn't one when I went through last but it has been a while. We used to comment on how the US was so cool to go through all the trouble and expense for us little recreational boaters. Oh, well looks like it is a pretty reasonable charge anyway.
On the other hand the Trent-Severn was always a fee system including a canal pass for a certain amount of days, and also a charge to tie up to the locks' seawall overnight.
The locks through Ontario are of many different types, most are small and hand cranked by a bunch of college kids on summer employment. Others include an "over the top" railway, the "breadpan" which uses the weight of water in one "pan" to raise the other, and others of varying types. It's worth the charges simply to experience it all.
I've never been through the Welland canal as that would have been the long way around for me as I was either coming or going from Duluth.
The Sault Locks in Sault St. Marie are just amazing, if a bit daunting. OK, a bit terrifying! They are built for the 1000 foot lake boats, so are HUGE!
There is a Yacht club at Avon-on-Hudson that has a hand operated crane to do your own stepping and unstepping of the mast, and a marina in Victoria harbor on Georgian bay in Ontario with the same thing. Both were very reasonable ($30) but again, that has been a while so may have changed.
Thanks for the info. I just ordered the little booklet. I assume there is no locks on the Hudson once you get to Albany. It looks like about a ten day trip through the system from Buff to NYC. Cheers.
The last/first locks are the Troy locks in Albany. A series of four locks, two sets of two. One set on the river, one in the canal. 10 days sounds about right. They only operate during the day. There are a few places that you will want to be careful when stopping for the night, as you are stuck between locks. I've personally had a bad experience in Ilion for one. I like to stay away from the towns when tucking in for the night.
Hi A, I would like to get more info about your neg experience on the canal. If you would rather take this offline, I can be reached at djnagle@comcast.net Thanks.
The answer to costs is like answering 'how much does a new car cost?'......stay at marinas-anchor out.....motor all the way inside-go outside sailing often. You are going to eat and drink at home or cruising.These costs don't change much. It will be fuel and marinas that cost.There are lots of spots to anchor out...BUT a nice shower and a resterant meal sure is nice at times too.You WILL motor LOTS ! You know your engine/fuel use x 8-10hr days.Even time varies....nice trip-site see-no pressure=7+ weeks. Go destination bound and not enjoy the trip=4-5wks. Once out...offshore saves time and fuel BUT BE PREPARED.Gulf stream storms are not to EVER be taken lightly !!!!!
Thanks Frank. yep, those are all good variables. I am still in the investigation stage. I work online for a living so nightly internet connectivity is a must. That will drive how we plan the trip. Cheers.
djn,
I consider the only REALLY bad experience on the canal system to have been at Ilion, NY and completely preventable.
I saw on the chart that there was a lock west of town a mile or two so I tried to get there before it closed for the evening but the locktender was just locking up as I arrived. I tied to the seawall in anticipation of spending the night. At this particular lock there is a railroad that runs by right at the top of the hill and I went to just check-out the immediate area. Upon reaching the top of the hill and the railroad tracks I noticed what seemed to be campsites, and trash throughout the adjoining woods. Kind of a "hobo-jungle" for lack of a better term. This made me a bit nervous at the prospect of tying to the wall for the night, so I went back to the boat and suggested that we move somewhere back down toward town. There was a slough or backwater that had looked navigable about 1/2 mile back. As we were discussing it a runabout with 4 guys came idling up into the seawalled approach to the lock. They simply stared at my girlfriend as they went passed and didn't respond to our greeting at all. Upon reaching the closed lock doors they turned around and headed back out. When they got almost next to us they gunned the engine and set up a serious wake which lifted and banged us against the very deteriorated concrete wall, rolling our fenders out and causing alot of serious damage to the bulwarks and cap-rail. Thinking they were just some more stupid power boaters, I was checking the damage when they came flying back in, turned on a dime and DID IT AGAIN! I give everyone the benefit of the doubt.....once. I quickly untied the boat and headed back toward town while sending my girlfriend below. When they returned yet again I called the numbers down to her to write down, figuring I would go to town and report the incident They proceeded to turn around and come up toward my quarter so I yelled for my girlfriend to load and hand up the flare gun. Just as their boat touched mine and one of them reached out to grab my rail, I fired a flare down into their boat and reloaded. They yelled and fell back but not before I sent another flare into their boat. They were all yelling and rushing around and two of them jumped in the water. I was worried that the flare would hit the gas tank, causing an explosion but, at the same time wasn't going to have these fudge* hurt me or mine any more than they already had. I was also worried that they might be armed (after all, this IS the home of Ruger), so I didn't want them to have time to fight back. I had reloaded again and sent another flare toward the assholes but it flew over them and their boat. As I was trying to reload again, I noticed that the flare gun had melted and the barrel had collapsed so I slammed the throttle down and headed toward town as fast as I could go. The flares, and fishing their buddies out, kept them busy for a while and I reached the boat landing, where I found that I couldn't get close to the wall and the docks were in the middle of being torn out! I saw a telephone booth right next to the landing, so I dropped an anchor, jumped overboard, and swam ashore. There were other people there launching and recovering their boats, who all looked at me as if I were NUTS! I called the police and told them what happened, then swam back to Ningui to await their arrival. As we were waiting, the boat and all 4 of the sons-a-bitches pulled up to the landing and they loaded their boat lickety-split, while trying to ignore us, and headed into town. Just as they pulled out of the parking area, a police cruiser came in. I yelled and waved for them to stop the truck but the officer didn't understand. After I swam ashore again, the officer, who obviously thought I was out of my mind, took my statement and, after giving me a sobriety test, told us of a place right around the corner where we could get close enough to the wall to tie up. He came back later that night to tell us it was OK for us to leave. They had used the boat's numbers to get a home address and were there when they guy pulled in after dropping off his friends. He had admitted that they "may have scared" us after the officers had pointed out the burned carpet and also let him know that he was lucky to be alive.
He decided not to press charges against me for shooting at him.
Sorry for the length of the previous post. Maybe I should move it to the "stories" topic?
Shows High-Sea pirates are the only A-holes out there to look out for out there.
>:(
Sounds like self-defense to me.
Cell phones are a good thing...
That is the kind of thing that scares me as a female singlehanding. Glad to know about the flares as a weapon of defense. My son said the other day he was going to increase my fire power. I currently have a little 22 automatic. Probably not a bad idea.
I guess we could always hit them over the head with our pressure cookers. :)
Hi Conny, I would look into a Smith and Wesson stub nose 500. They are SS with ruber grips so the corsion factor is low, and when a 1/2 round goes off, every body listens. The rounds will cost you a buck a peice, but it is good protection. CHeers.
Like I said, I think it was completely preventable had I simply chose a different location to spend the night, either away from the town a bit further or right at the park where the boat launch was located.
However, I won't give up my right to go where I want, when I want because some hooligans think they can act the fool.
On subsequent trips up and down the east coast I have tied to piers, docks, and seawalls in the East River, Harlem River, and the Hudson River right in the city. The only problem I've had there, other than the freakin ferries, is the Port Police chasing me away from the Statue of Liberty. (It said right on the chart to stay 300' away!)
Hi A, what a trip!!! I have thought about what I would do when faced with a situation like that. Sounds like you did all the right stuff just shy of planting one in their chest. At least you have a great story to tell your grand kids. Cheers.
The trip was great. Except for that one hour or so. Writing about it pissed me off all over again though.
Quote from: djn on January 11, 2006, 10:26:00 AM
Hi Conny, I would look into a Smith and Wesson stub nose 500. They are SS with ruber grips so the corsion factor is low, and when a 1/2 round goes off, every body listens. The rounds will cost you a buck a peice, but it is good protection. CHeers.
Thanks for the recommendation! I will check into it. Not worried about the cost of the ammo... hopefully it will never get used. Just want to feel like I can defend myself if needed.
Cheers back at ya!
I am planning a trip in the next few years from the great lakes to Kentucky lake on a 19 foot boat. There are a couple of books out there that are packed with info. One title is Cruising from the great lakes to Kentucky Lake. It is packed full of GPS points and places to stop along the way. It has a list of phone numbers for the marinas and locks. Also all kinds of usefull Radio info. Places to checkout and to skip.
There also is a sister book that takes you from Kentucky Lake to Mobil Alabama. You could get both of these book in a package deal at amazon.
You might also look at the great circle cruise books out there.
Howdy,
I discovered this site a few weeks ago, and until now I've lurked on and off every few days. the wife and I are currently doing the trip you're trying to get informtion on. We're sailing "Windemere" our Bayfield 29. Yep it's under 30 feet.
The trip has been eventful, stressful, frustrating, exciting, relaxing, enjoyable, nerve raking, and at times terrifying. But I guess that's part of the experience.
We left Detroit on August 26th. We went through the Lake Erie, it's not that exciting. However, I do recommend stopping off in Erie, Pennsylvania. We had a good time there. Next we transited the Erie canal.
I recommend spending at least 2 weeks to get through the canal and site see. I think it cost us around 60 dollars or so for the canal pass. And it was a real bargain. The western end of the canal has much better facilities (town walls) usually with electric, water, pumpouts, etc... all for free. By the way the word "FREE" is my favorite 4 letter F-word. Most of the lock tenders are nice guys and very helpful. Although the guy at lock 22 is a real @#% of a #%%^$.
I don't think doing the welland is a time saver. And from a few folk I've talked to, it's a pain in the butt to get through.
After you get through the Erie canal. You'll need to restep your mast and head down the Hudson river. The trip down the Hudson wasn't bad. However, our stay in New York city was lousy. We we're pinned in at 79th street marina for a week with 40-50 knots of wind and 4-6 foot rollers when the tide shifted against the wind.
Getting around the coast of New Jersey and Deleware Bay is an experience, and one that is dreaded by most. We got pinned in again at Atlantic city for a week with near gale force winds and then Hurrican Wilma, and a Nor'easter spun up the coast at the same time. Once we finally got into Deleware Bay it was an exciting and nerve raking trip up the lower bay as we had breaking seas over the bow.
Chesapeake bay was, for us, a little too brief. We had intended to stay a month and do a lot of gunkholing. However, because we had lost so much time with the weather, we only got to stay a day in Annapolis, and 2 days in Solomans, MD. However, if you have the time it's a great place. There are tons of anchorages usually very close to you, great sea food, and some nice people.
We came down the ICW. To be honest with you I don't know how much longer people will be able to make the trip down the ICW. Many of the problematic spots in Virginia, and North Carolina have been, or are in the process of being taken care of.
The South Carolina, and Georgia sections are almost non-navigable. many vessles have to transit certain sections/cuts/etc... at high tide now. We only draw 3 1/2 to 4 feet, and it has been dicey on certain occassions for us. I can't imagine what it would be like on a deeper draft boat.
We've only made it as far as Ferdinia Beach right now. We decided to take some time off for the X-mas holidays and we stayed a little longer to get some projects done up. However, we'll likely head out in a couple of days to a week and continue south.
Feel free to ask any questions that you might have.
peace
Jerry
S/V Windemre
svwindemere@aol.com
Jerry!
AAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!!
You guys were here, at my marina, for like 3 days, in Georgetown, SC, I'm pretty sure. You were tied up on the inside of the outer dock during a bad spell in the weather. I wanted to get over and say Hi but was too busy, leaving too early and coming home too late, and didn't want to knock on your boat well after dark. Dang! I haven't seen a Bayfield in person before that, but just a day or so ago had someone write me from another board asking about them, and I told them about the one I saw at my marina - lol!
Well, anyway - Welcome aboard sailFar! Maybe we'll meet in person someday. :)
Lesson learned - I resolve that next time I will take a lunch break or leave a note on any boat that looks like kindred souls are aboard...
Quote from: CapnK on January 24, 2006, 11:33:48 PM
Jerry!
AAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!!
You guys were here, at my marina, for like 3 days, in Georgetown, SC, I'm pretty sure. You were tied up on the inside of the outer dock during a bad spell in the weather.
That was probably us. Was the boat color kind of a tan/off white with brown canvas, and a good looking guy at the helm. :P
I cannot remember the name of the marina. However, we were indeed on the inside of the outter dock. We got hemmed in one day with the winds, on day number 2, I was pretty sick. And on day number 3 the fog didn't lift until noon.
I amazed at how much they've cleaned up Georgetown. I was stationed in Charleston while I was in the Navy, and I passed through Georgetown once or twice in the lat 80's/early 90's.
You should have come over and said howdy. It wouldn't have bothered us in the least. While dockside we're usually up until around 10 pm or so. However, at anchor we seem to be between the sheets very early.
take Care
Jerry
Quote from: Jerrwhy on January 25, 2006, 08:35:12 AMThat was probably us. Was the boat color kind of a tan/off white with brown canvas, and a good looking guy at the helm. :P
LOL, yep, that was y'all. :) Darn, too bad we didn't meet in person, it was a perfect opportunity... My bad... ::)
Hi Jerry, what a great adventure. We are starting to plan our new life style and shuttling between the Great Lakes and Florida or south of there in spring and fall is a major aspect of our plans. One nessesity for us is internet connections Sunday through Thrusday nights. I make my living on the internet. How have you found internet connections at the marinas you have stayed at? Cheers.
Internet services seems to be a hit or miss kind of thing. Some marinas have it, others don't. Percentage wise, I'd say that about 50% do, and the other half doesn't.
The cost of the wireless is another factor. It seems that here in the south there's a company called yachtspots. Yachtspots seems to be a little cheaper than the service we were using in when we were north. I'm sorry but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of the company we used when we were more north of here.
Most librarys have internet access, and as long as you don't need to use the computer a lot you'll should be ok. There are also a lot of coffee houses and the like that offer free wireless.
It'll take a bit of work sometimes to track down a connection. However, if you're persistent and patient you can find internet access.
Hope it helps
Jerry
:o ??? Oh man was I ever in outerspace. Here I was dreaming about cruising to the keys and thought I would add a little info. Duh If I would have read the Question I would have understood Ya want to get to Flordia the other way :-[. Sorry for the head in the sand thoughts. And that was my very first post.
Sunset
Hi Jerry, I am a university professor and in the last three years transitioned to teaching all my classes online. Having internet connections five days a week is a must for me. Luckily I can do a lot of work off line then do a dump when I get to the net. I thing in a couple years we will have coverage anywhere cell phone will work. Cheers.
Hi Sunset, not a problem. getting to Florida that way might be a good change of pace. Cheers.
Did the Lakes (Superior, etc) to Oswego & Erie Canals, Hudson R., ICW to Fla, then Bahamas in '92, over a leisurely 2 months.
Take a peek at Tom and Pam Dove's "Intra-Coastal Waterway" guide, written by cruisers:
Goto: http://mysite.verizon.net/tomdove/icw.html
This is gonna be my trip.
CharlieH
at one time I modified several outdated flares with the sole purpose of self defense.basically I emptied 2 flares into a single one----I never tried it---- but i wouldnt want to be at the buisness end of it----also---flareguns are not considered firearms----atleast thats what I was told by the sheriff here in florida
What could possibly provoke people to do things like that!