Late Season Erie Canal trip

[AutumnBorne1]

Greetings.
Is there any experience "out there" with a late season trip, eastward, out the Erie Canal toward Troy from Buffalo, NY?

We'd like to leave the Tonawanda end in early October, spend some time in Troy or Albany replanting the mast, then cruise down to the North Carolina area... Pamlico River.

We'd have to leave the boat in the Pamlico River for a while (a month) for some local business back in the Buffalo Area.

Second question... relates to HOW COLD does it get in NC if we were to try to move the boat South in LATE DECEMBER 2007 (say.... Washington NC to Charleston SC.........?????

[Vasco]

Varies from year to year. I've never started later than mid September. About five or six years ago the water froze at Great Bridge (ICW just south of Norfolk) in late October or early November and the sailboats had to sail through the thin ice. Friends from New Berne used to go south after Christmas but it's cold. A full enclosure is handy for the trip south. You can get the historical high and low temps for the area on the web. As for putting the stick back up your best bet is at Catskill unless you want to do it yourself, in that case go to Castleton.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by AutumnBorne1

Is there any experience "out there" with a late season trip, eastward, out the Erie Canal toward Troy from Buffalo, NY?

...HOW COLD does it get in NC if we were to try to move the boat South in LATE DECEMBER 2007 (say.... Washington NC to Charleston SC.........?????

Here's a website of a man who (mostly) soloed his PDQ32 trawler from Whitby, Ontario to Miami in 2002, having departed Whitby on November 1st. I seem to recall a more comprehensive narrative of his journey than what I'm finding now, but if you crawl around this site, you may find it:

Canistel's November 2002 Cruise Toronto to Miami

As to the temperature in the Carolinas around Christmas, I can relate that last year I left Colorado on December 1st, driving to Raleigh, NC. I left after one big snowstorm had passed through Denver, and ahead of another one that was forecast to arrive a couple of days later. It was cold in Denver when I left, and the storm I was following pushed the temps down ahead of me. All the way through the midwest and Tennessee, into NC the temperature never was any warmer than it had been in Colorado. When I left Raleigh, headed south to Ft. Pierce, FL, I didn't enter anything that felt like warmth until I was into Florida.

As Vasco states, though, it all depends. This year may be completely different. Your best bet is to consult the records as he has suggested, watch the forecast, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Good luck.

TaoJones

[AutumnBorne1]

Catskill ? I see the city or town of Catskill. Is there a Marina there that has a crane large enough for a 60 foot mast of pretty healthy cross-section?

I've heard that a marina up river with a name like HOPNOSE is "the best".
Comments ????

[GordMay]

I think you're referring to "Hop-O-Nose" (or "Hop O'Nose") marina, on Catskill Creek.

[AutumnBorne1]

GordMay:
Thanks... Hop-O-Nose it is on Catskill Creek. The mast is too much too handle with just the wife and I. It takes a crew, and a knowledgeable one at that.... double spreaders, and keel stepped; lot's of things going on at the same time when stepping and unstepping.
Thanks for the correct name.

[Mustang Sally]

We did the Erie and east coast USA last year. By late October and into early November we stayed in Hampton VA for 4 weeks, it was very cold at times. Almost every night was just above freezing and many days were as well.

We used Riverview Marine Services Catskill NY to put our 62' mast up. They did it all for $175 and they do have a website which shows them putting our mast up since it was the longest they have ever done.

They are located on Catskill Creek at the Hudson River, 518-943-5311

[Pblais]

I lived in Central NY for 18 years and now 5 years in the lower Chesapeake. In NY late October is a crap shoot. Snow is easily possible. Down in Southern VA October is very reliable as is early November. the weather here holds until the daylight hours wane enough to drop the temperature of the Chesapeake. At that point it gets gray and the weather gets pretty fickle. Last year it held warm through to Chrisms other years may have periods of cold mixed into generally decent weather. I consider October to be the best month on the Chesapeake. Cools evenings, no bugs, marina rates are lower, reliable wind and fewer boats.

In NY the cold rains in October can be a pretty dreary times that can extend for weeks. I recall a year where we had 3 straight weeks in September. After the leaves fall it's catch as catch can for good weather. I would try be be gone before the leaves are about over. About the tail end of October can be a good time to leave Norfolk/Portsmouth but your insurance and weather at the time need to help you decide exactly when to leave. In good years Thanksgiving can be still pretty nice and about the start of good fall color. By the time leaves are gone here you really should have already left.

[Vasco]

Autumnborne,

As previously stated there are two marinas in Catskill that do masts. I prefer Riverview as the owner, is very accomodating. If you are returning north later you can leave all the mast support stuff at Riverview for use on the return trip. I would advise you to bolt it all together and paint your name on it so that others who need timber don't "borrow" it. If it's all together it's less likely to be used by someone who needs a board or two for their mast support.