Lake Ontario anchorages

[Tomi]

Hope to be cruising the North shore of the lake next summer. I'm still looking for a boat (currently in love with a Bayfield 32) and looking for safe secluded anchorages suitable for swimming. Will be cruising with kids (teens) so safety is a major concern. Looking at the charts, there doesn't seem to be much...
Does anyone have a favorite spot on the lake? North OR South?
Thanks!

[S/V Alchemy]

If you don't draw more than 5.5 or 6 feet, the Bay of Quinte area and westwards is quite rewarding. So are Kingston and the Thousand Islands. The west end of the lake has so many reciprocal YCs that it's only occasionally worth it to anchor.

Expect clay or clay overlaid with sand most places. You'll get rock in the Thousand Islands.

[Tomi]

Thanks - exactly what I thought - I hope to stay in Port Credit, so it will be a nice weekend sail to the Quinte area. Love being on the hook, but not a lot of nice coves in this basin of a lake!
Thanks for the reply, and hope to see you on the lake!
Tom

[donradcliffe]

The water is pretty murky in the Bay of Quinte due to agricultural pollution, and is much clearer in the 1000 islands/Kingston area. Expect weeds and soft mud bottoms.

[Vasco]

A few of the best anchorages on the north shore are right in Toronto.

[S/V Alchemy]

This is true. If you have NE to S wind, you can enjoy Hanlan's Point and SW to NNW, head to Ward's Island.

I also like anchoring off the sand and pebbles of the Scarborough Bluffs, parts of which, between Bluffers' Park and the Waterworks, are pretty wild. Just watch your swing to keep you clear of the rocky breakwaters/groynes.

If you are discreet about it, meaning non-drunk and non-loud, you can row ashore and have a fire on the beach. The locals at the top of the bluffs are pretty used to it, and are known to have the odd campout themselves.

Another little hideaway is called (informally) "Mendoza Bay" after a now-demolished Spanish-themed restarant once on the nearby shore. It's just to the west of the mouth of the Humber River and it's protected on all sides save ENE (if memory serves):

http://wikimapia.org/19326401/Mendoza-Bay

[AbaftAndBaffled]

Maybe Waupoos! A lot of the boats around here have been making that a destination for this summer. And Hanlan's Point is nice, we did a sailing school trip there when I was a kid and spent the day hanging around the beach.

[Tomi]

Thanks everyone! Hey I remember the Casa Mendoza! Hanlan's I never would have thought of as an anchorage, but will definitely try it, weather permitting. The Bluffs! of course!
I will have 2-3 years on the lake before heading south to my place on the Yucatan, and will be making the most of it! Thanks, I am so happy that I found this forum!

[sesmith]

Another vote for Waupoos. If you pack some bikes on, you can do some riding in the area. The cider place up on the hill is a nice place to stop, as is the cheese factory. Marysville, on Wolfe island is another good stop. Bike riding is great all over the island. The island is home to 88 wind mills, so it's a pretty interesting area. There is a free ferry from Marysville over to Kingston, so it's a good base to explore Kingston from. Depending on weather, Main Duck Island can be a nice stop also.

[Tomi]

[QUOTE=sesmith;1319520]Another vote for Waupoos.

Thanks! Picton is very nice!

[Tomi]

Originally Posted by sesmith

Another vote for Waupoos. If you pack some bikes on, you can do some riding in the area. The cider place up on the hill is a nice place to stop, as is the cheese factory. Marysville, on Wolfe island is another good stop. Bike riding is great all over the island. The island is home to 88 wind mills, so it's a pretty interesting area. There is a free ferry from Marysville over to Kingston, so it's a good base to explore Kingston from. Depending on weather, Main Duck Island can be a nice stop also.

Hey Sesmith, just checking out the Seaward - what a pretty boat!

[sesmith]

Thanks! We like it a lot. Attached pic. is of us heading to Waupoos last month from Cape Vincent.