Forgive this stupid question...

[s/v Beth]

Hey I know this is really stupid and has probably been answered a thousand times... I just can't find the answer anywhere! If you have a boat on the Great Lakes and you don't want to take the mast down, can you get out through the St. Lawrence Seaway? I am looking at some big sailboats on Lake Erie...
What type of time are we looking at to get it to the Eastern Seaboard?
Thanks

[knottybuoyz]

No problem unless your mast is over 100'

[TaoJones]

If you're just trying to get the vessel to the coast and take it south, I think you'd be better off sailing it to, for example, Oswego, having the mast taken down and stored aboard, taking the Erie Canal to the Hudson and having the mast stepped again at Albany. From there, it's down the Hudson to New York Harbor, then you're well on your way to the southeastern US.

If you do want to cruise the Maritimes and the New England coast, then the St Lawrence is a great option. I'm not certain, but I believe you can leave your mast up for the whole trip. Gord or knottybuoyz can best answer that question.

I presume this is a voyage you're contemplating for late spring / early summer, as it's a bit nippy up that way after October.

TaoJones

[Amgine]

You can download Google Earth and use the 'measure path' tool to mark a route through the sea way and down the easter seaboard. That should give you a decent "guesstimate" of the distance. Fudge up the distance and down the 'cruising speed' by whatever factor you're comfortable (I'd say +10% and -25%, personally.) Then solve for time.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

If you're just trying to get the vessel to the coast and take it south, I think you'd be better off sailing it to, for example, Oswego, having the mast taken down and stored aboard, taking the Erie Canal to the Hudson and having the mast stepped again at Albany. From there, it's down the Hudson to New York Harbor, then you're well on your way to the southeastern US.

If you do want to cruise the Maritimes and the New England coast, then the St Lawrence is a great option. I'm not certain, but I believe you can leave your mast up for the whole trip. Gord or knottybuoyz can best answer that question...

I agree /w Tao.
Yes, the St. Lawrence is done entirely mast "up".

[s/v Beth]

Thank you. I had gone on google earth but I just could'nt be sure about getting past Niagara falls. Is there a shortcut once you are beyond Maine for coming down through the Maritimes? I guess this would be a good middle of summer cruise?

[knottybuoyz]

Originally Posted by newt

Thank you. I had gone on google earth but I just could'nt be sure about getting past Niagara falls. Is there a shortcut once you are beyond Maine for coming down through the Maritimes? I guess this would be a good middle of summer cruise?

If you do a Google search on "Downeast Circle" or "Downeast Circle Route" you'll get plenty of info. A lot of cruisers head to the Maritimes in the summer. They hug the north shore of the St. Lawrence till just past Quebec City and cross over the gulf. Once you round Gaspe into the Northumberland Straight you've got two options, the Canso Canal bypassing Cape Breton Island or around the cape. Both bring you out on the south shore of Nova Scotia. I think there's a pretty good stretch of open water between NS and Maine. Google Earth should show you that.

The normal route, as mentioned by others, uses the Erie Canal (plenty on Google on that) and you'd have to drop your mast if you enter at Buffalo NY or alternatively you can transit the Welland Canal and enter at Oswego NY and you'll end up on the upper Hudson River at Troy NY.

IIRC the air draft on the bridges across the St. Lawrence Seaway are 49 meters.

[TexSail]

Originally Posted by newt

Thank you. I had gone on google earth but I just could'nt be sure about getting past Niagara falls. Is there a shortcut once you are beyond Maine for coming down through the Maritimes? I guess this would be a good middle of summer cruise?

Be sure and stow everything well before proceding over the falls.

[Hal]

TexSail stole my thunder, but I'm going to say it anyway: It only takes a few seconds to get over the falls.

Welcome!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by knottybuoyz

No problem unless your mast is over 100'

We took a 68 footer (dunno how high the mast was) from Muskegon, Michigan to Nova Scottia, with the mast up all the way!

Americans will tell you about the Mackinak Bridge (Spelling! Macinaw?) but that bridge is about a mile high, goes up through the clouds and scratches the moon.

Its the most wonderful trip you can do! truly sensational


Mark

[Greenman]

There is an excellent blog about the S/V Bluejacket that did the great circle route in the summer of 2008, starting in Chesapeake I think, up through the canalsm through the Great Lakes and down the St Lawrence.

This is a very cool blog BTW, extremely well written IMO withg pics and vids.
BlueJacket Trip Reports for 2008:

[boatpoker]

How long does it take ? My buddy and dock neighbour did it from Port Credit Yacht Club (west of Toronto)to Halifax in four days.

Oh yeah, my buddy is Derek Hatfield and he did it with his Open 60 last summer with his 95' mast up all the way

[Sailormann]

Thank you. I had gone on google earth but I just could'nt be sure about getting past Niagara falls.

Uhmm - I'll let you in on a secret but don't tell anyone.... there's a canal .... SHhhh keep it quite though or everyone is going to want to use it !!!