Lake Champlain outside and around to Rhode Island

GrayGoose · 01-03-2005, 11:00

Greetings folks,
Gunner, I took your advice, let the wood boat go and stayed with FRP, going with the flow. My experience is only day sailing for 12 years, tops in maybe 25 knots. With an Alberg 30, full keel, 5 tons, and two crew also with no bluewater experience, but young and strong, I'm picking up the boat late JUne on Lake Champlain and would like to sail north to the St. Lawrence, around to Nova Scotia and down the coast. How conservative must I be, or am I crazy to take on such an ambitious cruise my first time out? Thoughts, please, particularly from anyone whose got experience in those waters. Thanks.
Jack

irwinsailor · 01-03-2005, 12:19

Jack I don't think you will ever go wrong with a FRP Alberg! Beautiful boats. Check out my post under cruising plans. I asked for advise on how it would be best for me to take my boat out the St Lawarance. It looks like we are going out the erie.

GrayGoose · 01-03-2005, 13:57

I'm still fumbling around this site; I looked under Great Lakes, thinking it was under that. Give me another hint.
Jack

Jentine · 01-03-2005, 14:26

Jack, I don't understand. Do you wish to take an extended cruise or gather blue water experience or both? Your profile lists you as merely being down river from Lake Champlain. What is the purpose of the St. Lawrence?
You can, more safely, transit the Champlain Canal, Hudson River, Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound and finally, Block Island Sound enroute to Rhode Island. The entire route is in protected waters. A better choice with a new (to you) boat and no blue water experience.

irwinsailor · 01-03-2005, 14:37

My thread is under Members presentations, Sailors logs& cruising plans. Also I would tend to agree with Jim. I am somewhat in the same boat as you and I have desided that the St Lawrance is more than I should try to handle at this time. My thread about taking the boat from the great lakes covers some of the issues that we would face.

GrayGoose · 04-03-2005, 18:37

Jim, yes, my intent was both an extended cruise coupled with blue water experience. The boat is newly purchased from a port on Lake Champlain, and my choice was either locking through the Champlain canal to the Hudson, pausing at home, then carrying on south to Long Island Sound, Block Island, Buzzards Bay, etc....or to take the bolder alternative which would be to head north to the Richielieu River, transiting the St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia, Maine, etc. Since opening this thread, I've talked with two sailors in Nova Scotia, read some descriptive text from cruising guides...enough to see that--as you pointed out--with inexperienced crew and learning a new boat---the known waters would both be safest while offering sufficient opportunity to increase offshore voyaging gradually. I sat in West Marine for an hour or so and read some mariner's descriptions of the tidal currents up north that were daunting to say the least. Thanks for your practical view. Jack
P.S. Gunner, thanks, I found your post.

01-03-2005, 11:00	#1
GrayGoose Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hudson River near Albany NY Posts: 17	Lake Champlain outside and around to Rhode Island Greetings folks, Gunner, I took your advice, let the wood boat go and stayed with FRP, going with the flow. My experience is only day sailing for 12 years, tops in maybe 25 knots. With an Alberg 30, full keel, 5 tons, and two crew also with no bluewater experience, but young and strong, I'm picking up the boat late JUne on Lake Champlain and would like to sail north to the St. Lawrence, around to Nova Scotia and down the coast. How conservative must I be, or am I crazy to take on such an ambitious cruise my first time out? Thoughts, please, particularly from anyone whose got experience in those waters. Thanks. Jack __________________ Jack Gordon

01-03-2005, 12:19	#2
irwinsailor Senior Cruiser Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Macatawa Michigan Boat: Amanda Faye 61' Custom Irwin aftcockpit ketch Posts: 1,411 Images: 106	Jack I don't think you will ever go wrong with a FRP Alberg! Beautiful boats. Check out my post under cruising plans. I asked for advise on how it would be best for me to take my boat out the St Lawarance. It looks like we are going out the erie. __________________ *Gunner*

01-03-2005, 13:57	#3
GrayGoose Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hudson River near Albany NY Posts: 17	I'm still fumbling around this site; I looked under Great Lakes, thinking it was under that. Give me another hint. Jack __________________ Jack Gordon

01-03-2005, 14:26	#4
Jentine Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Cruising on the hook Boat: Beneteau 393, "Blackthorn" Posts: 591 Images: 5	Jack, I don't understand. Do you wish to take an extended cruise or gather blue water experience or both? Your profile lists you as merely being down river from Lake Champlain. What is the purpose of the St. Lawrence? You can, more safely, transit the Champlain Canal, Hudson River, Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound and finally, Block Island Sound enroute to Rhode Island. The entire route is in protected waters. A better choice with a new (to you) boat and no blue water experience. __________________ Jim We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." --Aristotle Last edited by Jentine; 01-03-2005 at 14:31.

01-03-2005, 14:37	#5
irwinsailor Senior Cruiser Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Macatawa Michigan Boat: Amanda Faye 61' Custom Irwin aftcockpit ketch Posts: 1,411 Images: 106	My thread is under Members presentations, Sailors logs& cruising plans. Also I would tend to agree with Jim. I am somewhat in the same boat as you and I have desided that the St Lawrance is more than I should try to handle at this time. My thread about taking the boat from the great lakes covers some of the issues that we would face. __________________ *Gunner*

04-03-2005, 18:37	#6
GrayGoose Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hudson River near Albany NY Posts: 17	Jim, yes, my intent was both an extended cruise coupled with blue water experience. The boat is newly purchased from a port on Lake Champlain, and my choice was either locking through the Champlain canal to the Hudson, pausing at home, then carrying on south to Long Island Sound, Block Island, Buzzards Bay, etc....or to take the bolder alternative which would be to head north to the Richielieu River, transiting the St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia, Maine, etc. Since opening this thread, I've talked with two sailors in Nova Scotia, read some descriptive text from cruising guides...enough to see that--as you pointed out--with inexperienced crew and learning a new boat---the known waters would both be safest while offering sufficient opportunity to increase offshore voyaging gradually. I sat in West Marine for an hour or so and read some mariner's descriptions of the tidal currents up north that were daunting to say the least. Thanks for your practical view. Jack P.S. Gunner, thanks, I found your post. __________________ Jack Gordon

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