Can I anchor my boat anywhere in Lake Ontario (Toronto)?

[Troy H]

Originally Posted by John_Trusty

They do make 'bubblers', effectively underwater fans, to keep the water moving and prevent freezing - not heated. The smaller ones for boats require 110V shore power, and cost about a thousand each, and still require monitoring: https://www.savvyboater.com/de-icers-ice-eaters/ Typically that solution is for larger boats where it is not economical to lift and store on the hard. That is why you see those huge parking lots full of covered boats around all of the great lakes all winter.

TL/DR - water storage on the Great Lakes is not a cheap option.

If you think of your boat just sitting out there quietly, like you parked your car at the long-term lot of the airport, and still being ready to go a month later in any weather, I think that is a fantasy. Boats have a tendency to deteriorate quickly and bad things happen to them. If your car has a leaky tire at the airport, the worst that happens is you need to call a tow truck if you cannot just change the tire yourself. A leak on a boat means that it is a total loss, and there is much more that will leak than four bits of rubber.

John,


Concur 100%. The idea of leaving a boat on the hook for weeks or months on end & then coming back to find it just like you left it = fantasy land.

[Shrew]

1) Once you've rowed ashore, where are you going to land. You will need 'right of access' to the beach in order to get to your boat. You cannot trespass.

2) Where are you going to park your car?

3) If you're boat washes ashore, you are responsible for it's salvage. If you can't afford a marina, you certainly won't be able to swing a salvage.

4) Almost no marine insurance that I have ever seen will allow you to store a vessel on anchor unattended.

5) There is no tenable means to prevent the boat from become beset in ice. Neither bubblers or a heating system is sustainable on anchor. Particularly if unattended.

[gonesail]

there are definitely anchored boats in the river across from my marina .. and nobody is on them either. they can launch a dinghy from the park nearby. I'm not really sure about the legality of it .. maybe the city just looks the other way.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by gonesail

they can launch a dinghy from the park nearby.

If the park is public, that is what grants them the right of access. In fact, its more than likely why they're anchored there.

[MC2019]

yeah if you have enough rode you can anchor almost any where, question is always whether you should ......

[macieknan]

Hey, I had a small 25ft sailboat on Lake Ontario, in Port Credit for many years. Anchoring for winter is not an option for you, sorry. If you can't afford hauling-out and winter storage fees, just cancel the deal and look for a trailable sailboat -this would expand your options significantly. Yacht clubs require expensive initiation fees. Public marinas will quote you for haul out and storage