NYC to Toronto with Sailboat

[viben]

I will greatly appreciate if you could share your experiences sailing Hudson River from NYC to Lake Ontario via Oneida Lake and Oswego, including information about good value marinas, moorings, free docs and experienced marinas to step and de-step the mast, etc.

Recommendations for single-handing the locks - or is that a no-go? I have single-handed relative easy locks with lift of 1-2 meter, but don't know what these locks are like. (Welland canal doesn't allow single-handing, does it?)

My boat is 38ft with 5.9 ft draft.

Constructive input will be greatly appreciated!


(What better thing to do on a frosty day than to plan summer cruising?)

[Vasco]

Riverview Marina in Catskill to take mast down. Oswego Marina to put it up. Good free tie ups all along the Canal. Single handing not a problem. Lines in most of the locks. Lock 17 in Little Falls is a side fill Lock. Pushes you off the side pretty badly. Also the highest lift. Lots of nice little towns. Enjoy the trip.

[psk125]

This might be useful:
New York State Canals

[viben]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Riverview Marina in Catskill to take mast down.

Thank you, Vasco.


What do you recommend for securing the mast on deck after de-stepping? Anything else than regular lines to tie it down? If so, is that something Riverview Marina will supply - or something I need to acquire beforehand?

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by viben

Thank you, Vasco.


What do you recommend for securing the mast on deck after de-stepping? Anything else than regular lines to tie it down? If so, is that something Riverview Marina will supply - or something I need to acquire beforehand?

There's usually lumber laying around. You'll need power driver and screws. Lashing is enough. Make sure no fore and aft movement plus side to side. Can get lumpy on Lake Oneida Leave headsail on foil and main on boom. Saves space, faster to do. Connect emergency antenna to main vhf, better than hand held.

[boatpoker]

Our favourite Cruising ground. Lots of photos of the NY State Canal system on this page of our website.

[Svan]

I have read that the canals authority requires two sets of hands on every boat. Anyone confirm?

It seems a good idea at any rate.

I would not put my mast up at Oswego. I would motor to the Trent-Severn system and continue to Georgian Bay, go up its east coast for about 2 weeks, then another 2 weeks through the North Channel. Back south to civilization or pay a visit to Chicago.

<3 the Great Lakes but Lake Ontario is kinda lame

[Svan]

Also, if you get a NEXUS card - not that hard - you can cross the border with a phone call.

[Bill O]

We did the full run of the Erie Canal and will say having at least two people on board was nice to fend off the lock walls and handle lines.

Will pass on a tidbit that was given to me, which was to have solid boat poles for the locks. The collapsible aluminum ones are too flimsy and we were told to get simple 2x2s (8') and screw in a big metal hook into one end. These were very stout and worked well. In fact, they worked so well, I made some real boat hooks that we carry on the boat now all the time.


Bill O.

[tweitz]

What is the cost of taking down and putting up the mast on each end?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Svan

I have read that the canals authority requires two sets of hands on every boat. Anyone confirm?

The NY State Canal System have no manning requirements. Lots of people singlehand the locks routinely. I have done it with a 47' boat. These are not difficult locks.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by tweitz

What is the cost of taking down and putting up the mast on each end?

We did the DIY mast stepping at Castleton Boat Club on the Hudson as we exited the canal system and the rate was $50 for the 1st mast then $25 for a 2nd. They have a nice rig and we helped others step their masts before we did ours to help familiarize ourselves w/the setup.

Here's a list of marinas that step/unstep masts on NYSCS.


Bill O.

[Svan]

It would be a shame to come to that area and not visit or anchor off any or all of Kingston, Picton, sandbanks provincial park (you can tuck into west lake at Wellington), Port Hope, Port Dalhousie, Humber bay park (anchor, shopping and restaurants right there, take the streetcar Downtown) , the Leslie street split (anchoring, far from civilization), Niagara-on-the-lake.

National yacht club is a good place to stay with very good city access.

[WB2019]

My name is Kayla Napier and I work for Wavve Boating - a marine navigation app that is taking a community based approach to on-the-water navigation and experiences.

I’ve done some research online and it looks like you’re a captain we want to know. We’re specifically looking for boaters who know the Ontario region waterways like the back of their hand and spend a lot of time out on the water. Why? Well, in the next month we are launching new route and tracking features, and in the spirit of community, captains will have the option to share their tracks with others. Essentially, we’re building a repository of popular boating trips segmented by draft profile.

We need people like you to help build out that repository. Imagine being paid to do what you love? Interested?

Link removed because its membership mining for there own purpose which doesn't benefit CF or the members.

[Pete7]

Kayla, were is this based? in another post you asked for Florida skippers, now Toronto? and how do you intend to pay the skippers which take part?

Pete