We sailed from Tortola to
Bermuda and then
Long Island Sound on a 38’
sloop with a crew of six. Each leg took 3-4 days, so it might be reasonable to figure at least a week to ten days on a new-to-you, short-handed catamaran. Allow for good
weather windows, so add a few days for that too. You do NOT want the
Gulf Stream to be in a bad mood. Another time we set out from
Bermuda and hove-to for a day to let a front pass while other “tough guys” pushed on. Some of their crews ended up injured and had to be helicoptered off. Make sure to arrange for pulling the
mast ahead of time so you don’t get stuck waiting to
head up the
canal to Lake Champlain. Say Hi to Champ for us when you get there!
Champlain
Canal:
The minimum clearances of overhead structures (bridges, guard gates, and utilities) range from 15.5' to 21' for different sections along the canal; so sailboats need to de-mast prior to entering the system. Sailors looking to
cruise within the canal system, as opposed to transiting through, may not want their masts and
rigging with them (in order to conserve
deck space), and so may leave them at select facilities. Below is a list of
marinas that perform
mast stepping, and additionally which ones store masts.
Hudson River – East end of Erie Canal / South end of Champlain Canal
Riverview
Marine Services, Inc., Leaving NYS Canal's Website Catskill, NY (518) 943-5311, Mast
storage.
Hop-O-Nose Marina, Leaving NYS Canal's Website Catskill, NY (518) 943-4640, Mast
storage.
Castleton Boat Club, Leaving NYS Canal's Website Castleton-on-Hudson, NY (518) 732-7077, Self-serve gin pole.
Lake Champlain – North end of Champlain Canal
Chipman Point Marina, Orwell, VT (802) 558-4574, Mast storage.