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Old 17-05-2020, 10:14   #16
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

Not to promote this historical drift too far, but the history I learned is that Ottawa (formerly Bytown) was indeed selected to avoid risk from the perceived growing American threat. The Rideau Canal was constructed, in large part, as means of keeping supply lines safe from American attack.

The United Empire Loyalists were those fleeing the 13 colonies following the American revolutionary war. Most of them settled in Nova Scotia, and in Upper Canada, mostly in the southern/south-western part of the current province of Ontario. Not many settled as far north as Ottawa.
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Old 17-05-2020, 10:21   #17
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

This doesn’t answer your question but good viewing during lockdown. It covers the Rideau from Manotick to the Ottawa River.

https://www.tvo.org/video/documentar...e-rideau-canal
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Old 17-05-2020, 10:36   #18
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

Stibbles, check you private mail for contact with a friend of mine in Kingston. She has a shipper in mind too.
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Old 17-05-2020, 12:36   #19
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

Marinas now open
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Old 17-05-2020, 15:03   #20
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

Living on the Rideau, just north of the Merrickville locks, I see sailboats going along the river, mast down, every so often. My neighbour was just mentioning about taking his down to Brockville this summer in that fashion. He noted, that while some of the locks are supposed to open June 1st, they are not all opening.


I you make the trip, and want to stop off for a beer, just let me know!





Allan.


P.S. I am down in Kingston quite frequently, as I volunteer with the St. Lawrence II youth sail training tall ship at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.
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Old 17-05-2020, 15:18   #21
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

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Originally Posted by taxwizz View Post
Many years ago, I travelled, mast down, from Belleville, up the Rideau Canal to Ottawa, then down the Ottawa River to Montreal, then up the St. Lawrence to Kingston. (If I remember correctly, and my fuzzy brain has not confused the route). WONDERFUL trip, as I recall, single handed in a Northern 25, with an outboard.

Incidently...Do you know why the capital of Canada was located in Ottawa?

Answer....The British believed that the hostile Americans would never find it.

I see so my forefathers thought they were being smart? Well when we've visited it looked like an attractive spot high up over the river as we walked through that park near the Parliament.

Sounds like another vote in favour of this route...
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Old 17-05-2020, 15:23   #22
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

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Originally Posted by ayates View Post
Living on the Rideau, just north of the Merrickville locks, I see sailboats going along the river, mast down, every so often. My neighbour was just mentioning about taking his down to Brockville this summer in that fashion. He noted, that while some of the locks are supposed to open June 1st, they are not all opening.


I you make the trip, and want to stop off for a beer, just let me know!





Allan.


P.S. I am down in Kingston quite frequently, as I volunteer with the St. Lawrence II youth sail training tall ship at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.

The really kind, thanks, Allan!

Oh yes, the Tall Ship (?Brigantine). I'm really encouraging my 13 year old to get more involved and get off his X-Box. He had a taster 3-hr trip with his school last year. Looks like a fantastic project.
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Old 17-05-2020, 15:35   #23
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

Via locks you’ll be against flow, so may want to wait till late summer anyway.

On the warmer side of Lake Ontario, many of us talk of one day doing the Rye-doo with the same classy eyes as one dreams of Alaska. Some have done it, and return with bountiful stories of serenity and beauty.

Nobody has ever said “upstream from Ottawa to Brockville was awesome! We can’t wait to do it again!”

So my vote of course would be the canal.
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Old 17-05-2020, 17:37   #24
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

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Originally Posted by Niall leslie View Post
Dear Stibbles,

Given the dimensions of your vessel that should be doable.
If you want to keep the boat in Quebec for a while this year due to virus issues then there may be room at the Royal St. Lawrence, our side of Montreal. Obviously, as usual, beam is the issue.
The route via Ottawa is likely more interesting since it goes through many more places suitable for exploring compared to the seaway. It is, however, going to be much longer.
I presume that you're on a work permit and not a landed immigrant? If so it may well be very possible to get a US visa from here.
I'm located NW of Kingston in the country and came from the UK a long time ago so if you'd like to get in touch then please just send me your contact information to niall1.leslie@gmail.com.
Cheers,
Niall.

Hi Niall,

Thanks for your generous post as well. I'll send you an email.

Yes, I am on a (3 year) work permit. Hopeful of getting permanent residence next year, the way things are going. I regret not applying for a US Visa earlier. I looked into it in Jan and the wait time for an interview was 85 days then - I presuming everything will be gummed up now.

Nice to have further feedback on the virtues of this. We have already been for a potter on foot around Upper Brewer's lock and whilst I am definitely a sailer rather than a canal boater by inclination I can certainly see the attraction in travelling through this landscape.

Best regards, Andy
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Old 17-05-2020, 17:47   #25
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

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You will have no problem with your catamaran doing that trip. We've done Montreal to Ottawa on the Ottawa River, then down to Kingston on the Rideau on our Prout Catamaran (37' x 15"3" beam).

It's a great trip - don't rush it if you can!

Perfect! Nothing like knowing a pretty similar boat has made the trip successfully.

I haven't seen many catamarans around here. At risk of slight thread drift, may I ask how easy you find it get a berth when visiting other marinas? I have been pleasantly surprised to find that 3 of the 7 marinas in the Kingston area said that they could accommodate my cat for a season-long berth, but I appreciate it may not be so easy for visiting....
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Old 17-05-2020, 17:52   #26
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

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Hello

We live be on the canal and nothing is open or opening in the foreseeable future. Normally this is the opening weekend for the canal but so far they haven't even filled the locks with water. The trip you want to do would be no problem as it's the depth of the canal that would be a concern more than the beam of your boat. The are areas around Smiths Falls that through mid summer only have 4-5 ft of water. Some of the locks are also shallow like upper and lower Nicholsons just outside of Merrickville.
As a thought, seeing as how your boat hasn't shipped yet would it be feasible and cheaper for you to purchase a boat here and then sell it when you decide to return? I'm sure you here are going to be some deals coming up with all that is happening

It's a fair point about buying a boat over here. Much more sensible, I know. I'm rather keen on catamarans. I should loosen up a bit. I've kept an eye on the market (and the water) for catamarans since last Fall, but I think there is probably even fewer than there are in the UK.
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Old 17-05-2020, 17:58   #27
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

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Last time you wrote about this I replied as well and I repeat it is a wonderful multi day trip or at least it was 30 yrs ago. I made that trip in a wooden 35 ft Nova Scotia built sloop drawing 5 ft twice a year from her winter's berth in Manotick to first a marina in Kingston and later the PEYC in Picton for the summer, for many years and enjoyed it each time. As others have said take your time for it.

I have done the other route also many times first in that wooden sloop REVA perhaps three or four times and later in GAIA, the junk rigged schooner in which we recently completed a 23 yr long circumnavigation. I recently in a write up for the JRA, the Junk Rig Association entitled The Gaia Story, I wrote that the St Lawrence Seaway locks are 'easiest of all' and compared them to the locks in Sweden, England, the Netherlands, and in Panama. They were also incredibly cheap but 1995 was our last use of them. As was it Mike above said you do not, or at least did not then, have to do a formal entry when using the US administered locks.

Having said all this the Ottawa River route (I lived along the Ottawa river for 35 yrs) and the Rideau ro Kingston is much much nicer.. once in Kingston it is easy then to take your boat down the St Lawrence as far as Brockville say through the region they call The Thousand Islands and that way you will get to see the best of it as well.

Jim sv GAIA currently locked in in Guatamala

Yes, Jim, I absolutely remember you kindly sharing your experience when I asked mainly about the St Lawrence Seaway. Very helpful for me to be able to triangulate all these different experiences. I didn't dwell too much on the longer route before for a variety of reasons, but how circumstances have changed so maybe my plan needs to. Sounds like you've made some amazing passages. Fair winds.
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Old 20-05-2020, 09:52   #28
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

Anyone know what currents are like on the river between Montreal and Ottawa? I have gone up the St Lawrence from Gaspe to Lake Ontario. It is slow but doable. Not sure about the Ottawa River.
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Old 20-05-2020, 11:11   #29
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

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Originally Posted by AiniA View Post
Anyone know what currents are like on the river between Montreal and Ottawa? I have gone up the St Lawrence from Gaspe to Lake Ontario. It is slow but doable. Not sure about the Ottawa River.

Hmmm, good question. I don't know, but I bet it's not insignificant. I grew up in Ottawa and would sometimes paddle my canoe in the Ottawa river down below the Parliament buildings, over to Hull. The currents, especially in the Spring, were quite high in places.
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Old 21-05-2020, 06:29   #30
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Re: Montreal to Kingston via Ottawa - is this feasible for me?

The current on the Ottawa river varies with the season - early on it's higher and later it's low to none (depending on where you are). A friend on the Ottawa River just East of Ottawa reported about 3.5 kmph current the other day (while in spring flood). If my memory servers me correctly the Canadian charts do show a 2knot current which matches.

When we were out on the same section of river a year and a half ago (in the fall) we saw less than 0.5 knots of current.

I have never heard of any boats having an issue with the current on the Ottawa unless it was flooding.

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Anyone know what currents are like on the river between Montreal and Ottawa? I have gone up the St Lawrence from Gaspe to Lake Ontario. It is slow but doable. Not sure about the Ottawa River.
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