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Old 03-08-2020, 00:00   #1
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Toronto to Picton

My husband and I are taking our first sailing holiday on our 33 ft Hunter. We will leave from Toronto and make a few stops along the way in Whitby and Coburg before continuing on to the Bay of Quinte.
Would you recommend going through the Bay of Quinte or sailing around the south end of the island? Any recommendations on anchorages/marinas.
Other advice for someone new to this area?
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Old 03-08-2020, 01:50   #2
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Re: Toronto to Picton

I was getting a little concerned then that you were thinking of going from Toronto to the South Island of New Zealand for your first holiday
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Old 03-08-2020, 02:32   #3
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Re: Toronto to Picton

Hi from Australia Smithsonian. I grew up sailing on the Bay of Quinte and have made the trip from Toronto to the Thousand Islands many times. The decision to sail the Bay or stay outside could depend on weather, your schedule to get to Kingston or further and if you are looking for a more scenic route.

The Bay of Quinte route is a bit longer but more scenic and calmer. You need to time your passage through the Murray Canal during its operating hours. There is an excellent marina at Trenton with plenty of good restaurants within walking distance. I’d recommend Jim’s pizzeria or Tomassos next door and sit outside along the river if weather permits. You should be able to reach Kingston the following day and the sail is easy and quite picturesque. You could stop at Preniers Cove anchorage or Picton if you wanted a shorter day.

If you stay outside on Lake Ontario, there are no good stopping places between Brighton Bay and Waupoous but there is an a marina at Waupoose with a good pub a short walk away. There is also a good marina at Collins Bay near Kingston.

Many people go one way through the Bay and the other on the lake.

Enjoy your sail!
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Old 03-08-2020, 03:12   #4
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Re: Toronto to Picton

The Murray Canal is a nice trip through and there is lots of nice scenery through the Bay of Quinte. The only issue with going that way other than some difficulty sailing in the Bay of Quinte due to the narrowness of it is that you will need to go through the canal during operating hours due to two swing bridges. Going around the outside is a long way with no place to stop if you need to, otherwise it is certainly shorter and often better sailing.

If I saw a nice weather forecast I would likely try to do it in a loop going down the outside utilizing the prevailing westerlies and motoring back up the Bay. Depending on how good a time you make you can comfortably make it back to Trenton in a day which would put you at the mouth of the canal for the next day.
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Old 03-08-2020, 03:15   #5
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Re: Toronto to Picton

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Originally Posted by Tillsbury View Post
I was getting a little concerned then that you were thinking of going from Toronto to the South Island of New Zealand for your first holiday
It's a local couple-of-day's hop from Toronto.

This is one of the reasons that the locations are so helpful in our CF profiles!

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Old 03-08-2020, 03:37   #6
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Re: Toronto to Picton

All good comments above - the decision on the outside route really depends on the winds and your tolerance to them. With a repeat: there is no place to stop between Presqu'Ile and Waupoos. (And I haven't heard if Waupoos marina is open this year.)

If you take the Bay of Quinte there are a few good anchorages; for prevailing winds check out Horse Point opposite Belleville and Witlow Point at the start of Hay Bay.
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Old 03-08-2020, 03:59   #7
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Re: Toronto to Picton

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With a repeat: there is no place to stop between Presqu'Ile and Waupoos. (And I haven't heard if Waupoos marina is open this year.)

I was told they are open by a local.
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Old 03-08-2020, 07:56   #8
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Re: Toronto to Picton

Thanks for all replies. I have now updated my profile so I dont appear to be sailing to New Zealand from Toronto.
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Old 03-08-2020, 08:31   #9
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Re: Toronto to Picton

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Originally Posted by Smithsonian View Post
My husband and I are taking our first sailing holiday on our 33 ft Hunter. We will leave from Toronto and make a few stops along the way in Whitby and Coburg before continuing on to the Bay of Quinte.
Would you recommend going through the Bay of Quinte or sailing around the south end of the island? Any recommendations on anchorages/marinas.
Other advice for someone new to this area?
As others have said, it depends on conditions, and also what you prefer. Going south means a faster passage. Inside is slower, but certainly more sheltered, and many more anchorages and marinas.

Going south from Coburg is a full day. Might want to hit Presqu'Ile first. Either way, and as Anglais says, I don't know of any good anchorages until you get around to Prince Edward Bay. Once in there though there are plenty of places to drop the hook, or to carry on to Waupoos Marina.

You could go a bit further to Main Duck Is. if you're looking for more solitude and semi-remoteness.

In through Upper Gap there's Prinyer's Cove. There's a small marina there, and lots of moorings. Last time I was there you could still anchor, but the balls were clogging things up pretty good.

Once in the Bay of Quinte there are lots of anchorages, but many are dependent on forecasted wind. Picton is a nice place to hang out. You can anchor just north in Hollowell Bay, or go right in and dock or rent a mooring from the PEYC.

The Murray Canal option is also good. The canal itself is kinda neat. Then once inside the Bay there are a number of marinas and anchorages along the way to Picton. Trenton, Belleville, Napanee. I could point out a few specific anchorages along the way to Picton if you like, but they're pretty obvious.

Gonna be a great trip .


Add: Here's one online resource for marinas. It has a few anchorages as well, but I think Active Captain would be better for that.


https://www.waterwayguide.com/explor...10&mode=marina
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Old 04-08-2020, 05:40   #10
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Re: Toronto to Picton

If you're not pressed for time, definitely Presqu'Ile! It's scenic and serene, if shallow and weedy. Hay Bay is pretty, the towns are OK, and it's a route one should be familiar with anyway.


After Picton, if still headed east, make sure you stop in quiet Prinyer's Cove. From there you can easily get to Kingston or Wapoos.
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