Lake Ontario to Maine... the long way

[Howler]

Hi. We're planning to go from Lake Ontario through the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and down past PEI and Novia Scotia to Maine on a 41 ft. sailing vessel, starting next Spring. We'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's done this about your experience, advice, warnings and references to cruising guides, etc. Thanks!

[GRIT]

I made that trip years ago. Lovely scenery along the St. Lawrence.

I anchored, and slept, in the middle of the river a couple of times, in shallow areas, while waiting for the tide to turn. I would recommend that tactic, if the weather allows. Assuming you want to save the time, and money, otherwise spent going into marinas. I slept with the incoming tide, not necessarily nighttime.

Cheers, and enjoy your trip. If we can help, we're in Charlottetown, PEI.

Paul.

[Howler]

Thanks, Paul. Well look you up when we’re in that area next year. Dan

[GRIT]

I'll look forward to it.
We'll have our boat in the water, so perhaps we'll share an anchorage...

Cheers.
Paul.

[Dave Lochner]

Howler, we're planning a trip down the St. Lawrence next June. We'll be leaving Fair Haven on June 15 (we hope).

[Gaia]

Would recommend a side trip up the Saguenay river or fjord. Wonderful! Also radar and AIS for peace of mind. And of course Newfoundland and the Bras d'Ore lakes. A fantastic cruising area, far better than the shorter way imo. Take your time if possible. There are many other gems. We did it in GAIA 23 years ago and in a Nova Scotia built sloop called REVA even earlier. Many great memories.

Jim

[Paul Howard]

I have twice made the trip from Toronto out the St. Lawrence to Newfoundland and beyond. One time left early July, another left Toronto early June.
It was very wet and cold during June and we ran the heaters constantly to keep the interior warm and dry. July was better. Still lots of ice bergs in the Straits of Belle Isle in July, though the south coast of Newfoundland was warmer.
We did one trip along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and one on the south shore. The north shore was more interesting with more whales, seals, fish, birds, etc.
It is a great trip.

[captmikem]

I have made that trip several times taking new build yachts from PJ at Sturgeon Bay.
It is a great trip with lots to see. I will add Gaspe' to the list of great places to stop, Magdalens are interesting if you have the time.
If in a hurry you can cut thru the straights of Canso, but the Bras de Or trip is really worth the time. There used to be a 70' power line on the south exit limiting boats so you might check to see if it is still there.
Have a good trip.
M

[Ardbeg]

I did Kingston to Gaspe and back in 2017. The last flood year before this year. IT was a breeze going down and brutal coming back. I had a 40 foot newish boat with a deep keel. Original plan was to go around Maine to New York and then up Hudson to Lake Ontario. Ran out of crew in Gaspe so decided to return upriver. I would do it again only if I could guarantee not to have to return upstream. It is a truly beautiful experience with lots to see however be prepared for anything. Give me a shout if you want anything specific. I believe I still have a complete set of mylar maps of the Maine/Mass coast. Handy when raining.

[Scaramanga F25]

You could check out Sophie Girard on Facebook as she is doing the trip to Newfoundland as we speak. Her 14th trip I think.

[Howler]

Originally Posted by Dave Lochner

Howler, we're planning a trip down the St. Lawrence next June. We'll be leaving Fair Haven on June 15 (we hope).

Dave,

Would you be interested in flotilla cruising part of the way? If you are, perhaps we could move this to private messaging (which I haven't figured out how to initiate yet) to compare plans. Either way, I hope you can make the trip... looks fascinating based on all the replies and some initial reading. Thanks to all for your comments.

Dan

[hpeer]

Cheryl Barr has written the DownEast Circle Route Guide.

I used it and it was very helpful.

Capt. Cheryl Barr – Yacht Pilot Publishing

[Jhutt]

I am also planning this trip from Sodus Bay starting first week or so of July, after the GYC Scotch Bonnet race. I have Cheryl Barr's cruising guide and am starting to collect resumes of possible crew for one to three week stints. I sail a C&C 36Plus. There are several more modifications needed, i.e., a through hull for waste, radar and maybe an AIS. These are winter work items. This is a great thread...thanks to all for advice and recommendations.

[Jhutt]

Originally Posted by Howler

Dave,

Would you be interested in flotilla cruising part of the way? If you are, perhaps we could move this to private messaging (which I haven't figured out how to initiate yet) to compare plans. Either way, I hope you can make the trip... looks fascinating based on all the replies and some initial reading. Thanks to all for your comments.

Dan

Dan, Dave, A flotilla sounds good to me, too. Even if timing doesn't work, keeping in touch as we go would be a boon.
Jack

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Jhutt

I am also planning this trip from Sodus Bay starting first week or so of July, after the GYC Scotch Bonnet race. I have Cheryl Barr's cruising guide and am starting to collect resumes of possible crew for one to three week stints. I sail a C&C 36Plus. There are several more modifications needed, i.e., a through hull for waste, radar and maybe an AIS. These are winter work items. This is a great thread...thanks to all for advice and recommendations.

I understand that fog can be an issue, so Radar and AIS can be a real asset. We've added both.