Boating up the St Lawrence - currents/horsepower required?

[dancor01]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I believe there is a canal around the worst of it but there are other alternatives.

Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is actually up river past Montreal. From there you could take the Rideau canal.

Alternatively, you could ship to New York and then go up the Hudson and across the Erie

???????????


The Rideau canal is on the Ottawa river.
Valleyfield is on the ST Lawrence river


As for going to NYC, why in hell would you want to end up in the Erie

[blueskymessenge]

We sailed the entirety of the St. Lawrence and for the most part nothing required anything over 3-4 knots to fight any current with the exception of one area. Right outside the island of St. Helens Island and the Old Port of Montreal. In the stretch of the St. Lawrence River at the time we were traveling the current was about 6 knots and we were full open throttle trying to get into the Old Port, which is a trick as you come in around a protected barrier and the current immediately stops. This is just past the the old worlds fair fairgrounds and that section of the river does have a current.

It might have been time of day and/or tidal but there is also a set of rapids up the river from there. Regardless, against the current we were only doing about 2-3 knots.

Anywhere else, you should be good to go. Pic of the fair grounds and a video that shows what I am talking about are attached. Note the buoy in the river is at a near 45 degree angle.

[Ardbeg]

If you were to ship to New York and go up the Hudson, you would have to take mast down at Albany for the Erie Canal. Been there done that. Boring and lots of trains at night. You do not have to Lake Erie though. If you were to take Erie canal it connects to Oswego canal. 7 quick locks and you are on Lake Ontario at Oswego. Mast up in Oswego. From there about a 30 mile sail to Main Duck Island and you are in Canada. Another 20 miles and you are at Kingston. Given the choice, I would go to Valleyfield and put boat in water there. Much nicer trip in my opinion. To be clear about a previous comment. The Rideau canal is between Ottawa and Kingston. It is a cute canal with mast down and max draft of 5 feet. Lots of other things to do that are more interesting going up St Lawrence to Kingston. From there plan your sailing life. Someone mentioned electricity for plug ins at Marinas. That is correct and you should source an inverter before you start out. I believe they are called step down converters.

[sailduggar]

An interesting alternative is to take the Ottawa River from just west of Montreal and proceed up river to Ottawa. There is very little current on the Ottawa as compared with the St. Lawrence, and almost no traffic. At Ottawa take the Rideaux Canal over to Kingston. The Rideaux canal goes through the center of Ottawa where you can tie up just one block from Parliment, so allow several days to see the sights in Ottawa. Each morning there is a changing of the guard at Parliment, well worth seeing and hearing. Some evenings there is a light show depicting the history of Canada projected on the side of the parliment building. Lots to see. Then the Rideaux is a wonderful ancient canal system, although it only operates during the summers. Parks Canada operates the canals and sells season passes for all of their canals and mooring passes to tie up for free along the walls and piers at all of their facilities.

[dancor01]

Originally Posted by stibbles

Newby to the forum here. We are hoping to move next year to Kingston, Ontario from the UK (very excited!). I am hoping to bring with me my boat, which is a small cruising cat.

Having neither the skill or time (and possible not the courage either) to sail across the Atlantic, I'm looking at 7-Star Yacht Transport, which would take our boat as far as Montreal (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield).

I would be extremely grateful for opinions as to whether we have the grunt to cover the last stretch under the boat's power as I've read about some fierce currents. Montreal looks lovely, but I don't want my boat to be stuck there.

Our 28' catamaran has 2 x 20hp inboard diesels. I think she'll go 7 knots at about 3000rpm (both engines), but more comfortably at 5.5-6 knots at 2300-2500rpm.

Would anyone be so kind as to give me their opinion (taken only as opinion, of course) as to whether I will be able to make sufficient headway?

Many thanks in anticipation.

I am originally from that area. Montreal actually.
Would triple check with 7 stars cause there is no marina in the seaway in Valleyfield The Marina is on the opposite side behind.



Would suggest to get wet in Montreal. That would be probably downtown.
Near the Jacque Cartier bridge. As for supplies there isn't much in that area. But you will be able to find food for a couple days.


From there your next step will be up the seaway first lock been neer the Jacque Cartier bridge. Your second lock will be near the Mercier bridge.
Now you are in lake St Louis. Follow the channel it is very shallow
Your goal at this point is to get to Saint anne de Bellevue It is the west end tip of Montreal island. There you will find grocery, hardware store, etc. If you are not afraid of walking a mile or 2. you can walk over the bridge to Ile Perrot On Don Quichote boulevard near the 2/20 you will have pharmacy, grocery,booze,hardware store.
That is where you should get 1-2 week supplies. Water etc.
A place where you can anchor is docker island.


Next come the Valleyfiled locks. The worst lock. Those people are arses.
You are now in the lake ST Francois. That lake can get nasty in a blow.
Up you go. that lake. A place where to anchor out is behind ST Regis island for the night.
Next come the Eisenhower lock, A tricky one. They have floating type of cleat where you have to pass your rope around it. Also you start to feel the current.


Next step would be Chrysler park if you need fuel and water. That is near Upper Canada Village. You can anchor out also


Up the river you go. Yes there is a strong current and the progress is slow.


You come up your last lock. It's a nothing lock. Depending of the traffic they will tend a basket over. pay the fee. and by that time the exit door will be open.


Brookvile is a place to stop if you need food. It is also the beginning of the 1000 island area.


In the 1000 island you have 2 choice. The seaway or the scenic route.
The scenic rout can be impressive, when you pass 20 feet away from an island and have 200 feet of water under you. If it's a 1 time thing for you, do the scenic route. Plenty of place to anchor out.
One word of advice in the 1000 island Have plenty of bug spray and mosquito screen are a must. Mosquies will eat you alive.


Now I wonder why Kingston. It is not that great.







PS if you need boat part, Stop near the Dorval island. The place is called boat house. they have a vast inventory.

[Mike OReilly]

Late to the game here. Sounds like the OP got the right advice. Not sure if it's been mentioned, but going upstream requires a minimum of three people to transit the St. Lawrence locks. Two is fine for downstream, but three is required for upstream.

Buy your lock tickets ahead of time, and online. It is cheaper, and you don't have to futz around paying at the station for each lock.

Currents to Montreal are all downstream flows. Usually no more than 2 knots, except in a few squeeze areas like Montreal. Tidal currents, and tides, don't start till Trois Rivieres.

[yahtzee]

Originally Posted by dancor01

The Rideau canal is on the Ottawa river.

Sorry Dancor01, but the Rideau Canal is part of the Rideau River system, connecting the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence River.

[dancor01]

Originally Posted by yahtzee

Sorry Dancor01, but the Rideau Canal is part of the Rideau River system, connecting the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence River.

Yes it is. From Ottawa to Kingston. Yes it could be an alternative route.
But doing it in a Cat?
Last time I did it. was on a 20 footer mono. Locks at Ottawa was so full, I barely fitted in. As far as I know there is only 2 locking a day.
I can't imagine myself doing the 6-7 locks in a row at Ottawa in a cat.

[ajchan]

The strongest currents are between Repentigny and the Jacques Cartier bridge. Expect as much as 4 knots of current although normal would be 3 knots. Once you get past the bridge you can duck into the Lachine lock and it is a pretty simple trip from there.

The only bit to be careful of is around Cornwall Ontario where there can be some interesting eddies!

[ikebartlett]

I did a North Carolina to Lake Ontario via Newfoundland and the St Lawrence this summer in a 40’ with 5.5 knot speed. There are places you need to be at to utilize the tide or you will be going backwards. May require very early or late starts, Every marina you stop in will have people with local knowledge, it was really fast coming back down the river. It was my best trip ever. Only 2 aboard required for the locks,
Enjoy
Sailing Florence Clara

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

We found lots of helpful charts on playing the currents in Chryl Barr's book, A Complete Cruising Guide to the Down East Circle Route. We were able to pick a port, our speed, and a destination, and look up the best time to leave to maximize your time in fair currents and minimize your time in foul ones.

Obviously, you can do the same thing with the CHS's current tables, and a lot of math.

Beat me to it.

https://www.amazon.com/Down-East-Cir.../dp/0973165928

[ikebartlett]

Only 2 until the Welland Canal,

[SuW]

Fwiw, there is a canal around the Carillon Dam:
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/qc/c...urite-security

[SuW]

Originally Posted by yahtzee

Sorry Dancor01, but the Rideau Canal is part of the Rideau River system, connecting the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence River.

Connecting Ottawa to Lake Ontario at Kingston.

[1234 Thunder]

The Great Lakes have a reputation for not being kind to cruising catamarans. They say the tall square waves make heading into the wind very uncomfortable and reaching isn't the greatest either. In the two Lake Michigan harbors that I know well, there are over 400 sailboats and only one trimaran. Not a single Cat.

You might want to look into this issue before going to all of the trouble of bringing your boat over.

Personally never sailed on a cruising Cat.