I went the other way, from
Lake Ontario to
Newfoundland. Easier than your upriver
route, but similar challenges. In general you'll be fighting the prevailing winds, but other than that it's a great journey.
Get
current charts and relevant Sailing Directions. We also used a couple of guides (Cruising Guide St. Lawrence River and
Quebec Waterways). Best one was a French guide... the name escapes me but I can try and find it.
Lower stretch of the St. Lawrence is big and beautiful. Tides and currents are significant. I followed the north shore from Tadoussac so can't offer much info. We anchored out all the way, but this is challenging. There are more
marinas on the south shore than the north.
From Tadoussac up beyond
Quebec City the tides and tidal currents will dominate your travel planning. You'll basically be riding the flood tide up, and will stop once it turns. Those were fast days as we
rode the ebb tides down.
You'll encounter your first locks going up around Montreal. I think you need three crew to go upstream, but you can confirm this on the Seaway site. This Covid year they've been a lot more restrictive about when recreational boaters can go through, so check.
Beyond Montreal you'll start to feel the downstream
current of the St. Lawrence. It runs from 1 to 3 knots, depending on time and location. You'll be fighting it all the way to
Lake Ontario.
L.
Ontario is a fun run. You've got options from the 1000 Islands. You can
head up the lake, or cut through the Bay of Quinte. Lots of
anchorages and plenty of
marinas.
There's a number of folks who have done this
route, both up and downstream. Hopefully others will chime in. Meantime, if you have any specific questions, or want to narrow things down a bit, just ask.
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