Planning Spring cruise, Canada or NC

[magnawake]

Am I missing something or just a cheap skate? I would like to go on the Down East circle loop up the St. Lawrence river to canada and around Nova Scotia and back around to New York. I looked on Active Captain to find marinas and stopping places. MAN !! they are super expensive with $3-5/foot trans dockage and 15% taxes too. I thought since fuel has dropped in price it might be a good time to go up there. Anchorages with mooring balls are $30-40/night. Hard rocky bottoms dont make good anchoring either. Open waters makes for a rolly night sleep too. I can see me breaking the bank on a trip like this unless im totally wrong. However, The NC outer banks have lots too offer. I have been up in the sounds a couple times but didnt get to scratch the surface on hitting all the little towns with free docks and good mom and pop restaurants. I bet I could spend two months exploring the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, not to mention the outer banks (manteo, Ocracoke, Cape look out). The trick here is travel before it gets too hot like in may. I dont want to be tied to a dock every night. Heck I cant even afford trans dockage now days anyway. All these little towns seem to have a museum and cool local people. We've been down in Florida for the last two years working and cruising so its time to do something different. Has anyone here went up to Canada on the St. Lawrence river or Trent Severne canal? Is it worth the cost?

 

[Dan Mapes]

We ran the ICW up to Charleston in May and the green head flies in the Georgia Low Lands were KILLER! Unless you have a lower station or an air tight upper I'd consider a different time of year to pass through Georgia.

We have cruised along the Hudson predominately and there isn't much to it South of say Haverstraw. Once above that and on the Erie you will find a few places you are looking for. These occur on the Oswego canal also. Going into the St. Lawrence we have been as far as Alexandria Bay and we enjoyed most of everything along the way.

There is a good chance you will find out how sloppy Lake Ontario can get. Ask me how I know.

 

[magnawake]

I knew Id get a response from you Dan. We are already in Charleston and plan to work in Southport, NC til April then head North somewhere. Where we stop nobody knows. We ran into the green heads in the pamlico sound pretty strong. Of course our fly bridge was covered. I have an electric tennis racket just for that purpose. Once we arrived at Ocracoke they seem not to be that far out. They were not at Cape Look out either thank goodness. Seems like doing a little town hopping in the albemarle on the free city docks would be kinda fun unless the bugs bite us. Ive been watching Youtube videos of the down east circle loop and most of it seem like the potential for rough water. Id hate to be stuck in an expensive marina waiting for the water to calm down.

 

[GJH]

I did a chunk of the Canadian Downeast loop (NB. PEI, NS) with a friend on his 42LRC. That was fantastic and incredibly scenic and fun. Did a chunk of the lower part of the loop on my 56My and that was also fantastic and incredibly scenic. Nothing here in the Carolinas compares. We went camping this summer up in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and had a super time.

Get a copy of Cheryl Barr's book on the Downeast loop.

My advice would be to at least try and make it up the Hudson then back down and around Long Island Sound. There are plenty of places to anchor and grab relatively cheap moorings and town docks if you plan correctly, as well as plenty of places to drop some $$ too. I regret not having done it one more time before selling the boat and would have loved to have taken the boat to Canada. The Waterway Guide North edition is recommended here.

Or barring that, at least get up to the Chesapeake, that can take a summer on its own.There is a great cruising guide put our by Chesapeake magazine every year that gives you a good lay of the land and sense of the area.

The problem I have with Active Captain is that it gives you no overview or "feel" for a cruising area ot its culture, plus no one is really accountable for the content.

 

[magnawake]

OK George thats cool. I want to go back to our NC stomping grounds too. We had so much fun there and its cheap too. I am a cheap skate to be honest. It just seems like every night up in the North you need to spend money. Active captain you need to take with a grain of salt. You read 10 comments and 8 might be correct and two are in left field. Then there's the attitudes that you can see glaring through the post if someones had a personality conflict. Most time it is right on the money. If it says its shallow, you better start pulling the throttles back. Its up in the air which side of the markers to favor though. We have both waterway guides and AC on the Ipad and like both.

 

[GJH]

It just seems like every night up in the North you need to spend money.

That just ain't true. Really.

 

[saltshaker]

The St Lawrence is one of the most amazing spots I've ever been to. I grew up spending my summers up there and you can spend the entire summer exploring all the different spots around the islands just between Kingston and Alex Bay.

 

[magnawake]

That just ain't true. Really.

I hope the cruising guides give me some cheap options. Im just used to dropping the hook and staying at restaurants or free city docks. Same with Key west too. Marinas are way high on trans slips. NC has some of the cheapest marinas on the East coast and lots of good cruising waters.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Between Canada and NC, there is no comparison. Canada wins for scenery, hands down. You should do it.

 

[bobk]

Pate, are you trying to take the frugal title away from me and Walt?

Seriously, the Chesapeake has more anchoring possibilities than almost anywhere. It can get hot mid summer. Youngsters like you ought have no problem with that.

You can spend a summer on the Erie Canal for almost nothing. The area is delightful, but depressed so low cost. The Rideau has a fabulous reputation for beauty etc., and if you need help, call us and we'll drive up and help with the lines as you cruise the north area. We had to abort our trip in 2010 because it was too taxing on us, but with four aboard, it would be easy. You know I can drive your boat.

Bobk

 

[GJH]

I hope the cruising guides give me some cheap options. Im just used to dropping the hook and staying at restaurants or free city docks. Same with Key west too. Marinas are way high on trans slips. NC has some of the cheapest marinas on the East coast and lots of good cruising waters.

Tell us where you want to go and we'll get you there cheap. Really cheap.

 

[saltshaker]

Slips are definitely higher in the NE particularly from NJ on up. The rates get better when you start heading up the Hudson and distance yourself from NYC. You can tie up at most locks for free and transient rates are very reasonable along the Erie and Oswego canals. Transient slips on the canals and St Lawrence are around $1-$2 per foot including water and electric. Many towns have free town docks.

 

[magnawake]

Tell us where you want to go and we'll get you there cheap. Really cheap.

NY through Hudson river north to Albany. Mohawk river west to Lake Ontario. St Lawrence river NE to Canada then to Nova Scotia and back down to NY. Its around 2500 miles around. They call it the Down east circle Loop. Thats an adventure for sure.

 

[krush]

Is it better to go up the hudson and west on erie or start outside and come in?

 

[saltshaker]

The Hudson is better running south but not that much as it is tidal and the current isn't the much of an issue. The St Lawrence runs North but again not too much of a current in most areas.

 

[GJH]

Actually if you play your tide cards right you can pick up a solid knot of push coming up the Hudson on the flood and about a knot and a half down on the ebb for most of the trip to/from Albany. The Indian name for it translated to "river that runs two ways" . It's a beautiful trip, like taking your boat through the mountains.

 

[Dan Mapes]

We know some who've anchored out behind the Statue of Liberty by Caven Point. The North Side of Croton Point is a popular anchorage. We have rafted up there with several other boats. The wind has to be correct for it to work.

North of this there are a number of places listed on AC but you must consider tide shifts. The tides on the Hudson are quite strong, and you can expect to swing 180 degrees and experience quite a bit of current. If you are up that way in Spring, there is a good chance that the canals will be shut down due to Spring run off. We have known them to be closed well into June. The river North of Haverstraw can be CHOCK FULL of debris and if there was a powerful Winter you can expect to bump into a few things along the way and quite often when the lock doors open they let some choice items loose.

However we have anchored behind Houghtaling Island. You will notice that tide can affect your travel time if you run at 8 knots. You will be better off working with the tide at that speed. Once on the Erie, as was said there are many town docks. We have used them and walked into the towns. In all honesty many of the towns along the canals are depressed. But the scenery along the way is very good.

I hope you know what you are doing with regard to locking. The lifts can be substantial and the lines tend to be goo'd up so make sure you have gloves. Fenders at the water line and rub rail are appropriate because when you go up many times the rub rail is above the lock wall. We used fenders on both sides because there were lock masters that had you enter and use port side vs. stbd side. Do not assume either of you will be able to merely hang onto a lock wall line without having it on a cleat. While I am at it, the poles that they sell in marine stores for grabbing things fail in locks miserably because they usually have a point end for pushing off or a deep hook. Half way down the system once I walked into town and bought a wooden pole, drilled a hole in the end and screwed in a vinyl covered screw hook. http://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Screw-In-Hook-4ERY1?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP
The S.O. was MUCH happier working with that and 10 years down she still depends on it.

If you make it to 1000 Islands Bonnie Castle has a peninsula area and you want to be stern to there. The view of Bolt Castle is incredible from that spot. Take the castle tours with Uncle Sam's making sure to hit Singer, Bolt and anything else they do. If your dink is stout enough you might consider a run up "The Rift" if it is still open to traffic. We have done some extensive dinking up there and it was all worth while.

If you have Google Earth installed and you click this link it will open G.E. and show you the tracks we laid down in the Summer of '04. In includes a couple of dink rides. Note there is a route in there that is not representative of a trip we did. It should be obvious because the lines are all straight.

http://www.danmapes.net/Summer04.kmz

 

[saltshaker]

Actually if you play your tide cards right you can pick up a solid knot of push coming up the Hudson on the flood and about a knot and a half down on the ebb for most of the trip to/from Albany. The Indian name for it translated to "river that runs two ways" . It's a beautiful trip, like taking your boat through the mountains.

The only time I've noticed the push was running south of the GWB. I do run on plane usually around 20Kts or so. Nothing like running the East River or the Gulf Stream but a little extra push is always nice.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Jack it all depends on your speed and where you are with the tide. A knot of push is a reasonable amount of push and we saw it regularly.

 

[saltshaker]

As a kid we would water ski through the rift and into Lake of the Isles. Great spot as the water is much warmer in there for swimming. I've been through there in some good sized boats. The Lost Channel, The Narrows and the countless routes between many of the islands are amazing if you venture off the main channels. Some great fishing for Northern Pike and Muskie in Eel Bay.