Buying a sailboat on the Great Lakes or buying on the ocean?

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by DarwinHolmstrom

That's good advice with useful links. Thank you.

It's difficult to make long-term plans that are anything but vague right now, with the international situation shifting dramatically from day to day. Unless the world regains its sanity over the next year or so, which seems less likely by the day, the Erie Canal route is probably the only realistic option. If I have the opportunity to visit the Maritime Provinces I will began planning a much more specific itinerary!

Boy do I know that. We were in the Caribbean when this hit. We ended up sailing back non-stop, 13 days, to lay up in NC for hurricane season. Now we have booked a slip for the winter, through March.

THEN, MAYBE, we will be able to make some plans. MAYBE we will be allowed to visit our boat and cabin in Newfoundland.

Best of luck.

I would recommend exploring the trucking option, just as a back up. From what I recall it was surprisingly affordable.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by hpeer

...THEN, MAYBE, we will be able to make some plans. MAYBE we will be allowed to visit our boat and cabin in Newfoundland.

Yes, and MAYBE you and I will finally be able to have that long-delayed beer in some remote anchorage near Lewisporte. Here's hoping for a better 2021 .

[hpeer]

Mike,
I’ll drink to that!!! LOL

[Justcuz]

Late to the party but chiming in anyway. We were in a similar boat (hehe) earlier this year and are on Superior. We don't have any short term plans to sail to the Atlantic, but long term...yes. We were adamant to find a Superior boat and spend a few seasons here for a few reasons: Freshwater boat is a huge plus in our opinion, Superior is friggin amazing, and finally--we wanted to get to know the boat in our backyard where we know people, have help, and know the culture.

I know that boat you're looking at (I think). I looked at it too. Draft was a killer for me as we just never really knew what we would get into and when we needed something shallower. We opted for an Island Packet for that reason (we looked at everything that was for sale from Duluth to Marquette). You could definitely find an IP27 in that price range and very likely an IP31 FWIW.

As for the debate on ST Law or EC, I'm watching and intently listening as one day we'll have that choice to make.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by Justcuz

We were adamant to find a Superior boat and spend a few seasons here for a few reasons: Freshwater boat is a huge plus in our opinion, Superior is friggin amazing, and finally--we wanted to get to know the boat in our backyard where we know people, have help, and know the culture.

This is almost exactly the same reasons I'm looking for something on Superior. I'm hoping to devote this fall and next summer to getting familiar with the boat. I'm a writer by trade and I find that Lake Superior seems to energize my work, so I hope to spend my days sailing and my nights writing. The draft does present challenges for harbors, inland waterways, and anchorage, but I hope to circumnavigate the globe before I'm too much older and it has advantages for that. Maybe if this C&C turns out to be the one for me we might cross paths! It might be fun to enjoy an aquavit with you at Vikres!

[DarwinHolmstrom]

I've been encountering almost vitriolic hostility toward Americans from Canadians on a number of forums. This is making unstepping the mast and taking the EC seem like a more appealing prospect.

[Justcuz]

Originally Posted by DarwinHolmstrom

This is almost exactly the same reasons I'm looking for something on Superior. I'm hoping to devote this fall and next summer to getting familiar with the boat. I'm a writer by trade and I find that Lake Superior seems to energize my work, so I hope to spend my days sailing and my nights writing. The draft does present challenges for harbors, inland waterways, and anchorage, but I hope to circumnavigate the globe before I'm too much older and it has advantages for that. Maybe if this C&C turns out to be the one for me we might cross paths! It might be fun to enjoy an aquavit with you at Vikres!

Mmmm Vikre. Had a good bud who got their distribution up and running. They've done well. We're over toward Houghton but get over that way to visit friends and fam a lot.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Ardbeg

Another thing. If your boat has spent its life on Lake Superior, the thru hull black water discharge is probably sealed. You will have to fix that to discharge overboard at some point with a Y valve or something similar. Not many pump outs east Of Quebec City. You will still need a way to seal it closed when transiting USA waters of the Great Lakes.

You do realize, "sealing" usually means the handle on the discharge has a tie wrap holding it in the closed position. That or a padlock meets Coast Guard requirements.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by DarwinHolmstrom

I've been encountering almost vitriolic hostility toward Americans from Canadians on a number of forums. This is making unstepping the mast and taking the EC seem like a more appealing prospect.

It's easy for random anonymous people to spread vitriol. In real life, people are almost always friendly.

As long as you aren't completely obnoxious....Right now it's more about the govt rules closing the border.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by Justcuz

We're over toward Houghton but get over that way to visit friends and fam a lot.

You're a Yupper! I've been working on a film project with a good friend about his childhood in the Upper Peninsula. This is a scene from that project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z1otQ1noJk

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

It's easy for random anonymous people to spread vitriol. In real life, people are almost always friendly.

As long as you aren't completely obnoxious....Right now it's more about the govt rules closing the border.

Yes, I grew up just south of the Manitoba border and Winnipeg was the nearest city to our farm, and I was married to a Canadian woman for over 20 years so Canada has always felt like home to me. When I went to California to work after leaving the farm I had to show my social security card to get work because with my accent everyone assumed I was Canadian. Discussing the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway was the first time I've ever encountered hostility from Canadians and it was unsettling.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Bill O

We draw 6.5' and never touched anywhere in the EC. Don't think you will have a problem going that route. I guess my real question would be what is your final destination? If you are going to the Gulf or Florida, maybe contemplate going down the Mississippi instead. No weather or Canadian legal issues either.

Actually, the River System Route, you should be fine up to around 10ft draft. Your anchorages and marinas may be more limited but the channels and locks are set to handle commercial barges which are typically drafting 9-12ft fully loaded.

While it's possible to take the Mississippi all the way to the gulf... past St. Louis, it becomes more challenging as there are no dams to limit the current and almost no facilities for pleasure boats.

Assuming you start in Lake Superior after coming out of the Soo, turn right:
- Hop down Lake Michigan (great cruising also)
- At Chicago, pull the mast and motor thru Downtown. About 20miles west, you merge at the start of the Illinois River (you can do the cal-sag also but then miss going thru downtown).
- Illinois River merges with the Mississippi just north of St. Louis.
- You run about 200-250miles of the Mississippi (making great time with 2-5kt current pushing you along).
- Before turning up the Ohio River for about 60 miles (current tends to be more moderate).
- The up the Tennessee River (Cumberland is an alternate).
- Eventually, you make your way to the Tenn-Tom which connects to the Tom Biggby River which flows down to Mobile Alabama.

This gives you a following current for the majority of the route and except the Mississippi/Ohio river section, there are plentiful fuel, anchorage and marina stops making for leisurely cruising.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Actually, the River System Route, you should be fine up to around 10ft draft. Your anchorages and marinas may be more limited but the channels and locks are set to handle commercial barges which are typically drafting 9-12ft fully loaded.

That might be a nice route to take during hurricane season.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by DarwinHolmstrom

Yes, I grew up just south of the Manitoba border and Winnipeg was the nearest city to our farm, and I was married to a Canadian woman for over 20 years so Canada has always felt like home to me. When I went to California to work after leaving the farm I had to show my social security card to get work because with my accent everyone assumed I was Canadian. Discussing the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway was the first time I've ever encountered hostility from Canadians and it was unsettling.

Sorry to hear you've hit on hostility Darwin. Too many of us up here are a bit touchy on the whole border issue these days. Canada has taken the whole pandemic thing quite seriously, and has worked very hard to get the disease under some semblance of control. But this has been done at great cost, both socially and economically.

Sadly, the USA as a whole has not managed to do the same. Meanwhile, stories of Americans flaunting Canadian pandemic rules (when they are allowed in) are all too common in our media these days. It leads a small minority up here to behave rather poorly.

Don't take it too seriously, nor personally. Even within Canada there have been internal restrictions. I've been barred from accessing my boat because it is in Newfoundland, and I am not. We all hope Covid-19 will be a thing of the past come 2021.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by DarwinHolmstrom

That might be a nice route to take during hurricane season.

Search "Great Loop" and it will come up with lots of details on the route.