Boating up the St Lawrence - currents/horsepower required?

[SuW]

Originally Posted by ikebartlett

Only 2 until the Welland Canal,

You are correct, you may pass the St. Lawrence Seaway locks with 2 people, up or down.
With a cat, you'd have to scoot from the helm to the side pretty quickly when you bring the boat alongside. 3 people would be preferred, imo.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by 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.

There is an active club in Toronto (Multihiull Cruising Club) with more than 50 boats, I think. Mostly at moorings, not docks, for obvious reasons.

[Rimica]

There is one spot around Brockville where the current is very strong especially in May and June (up to 7knots) as the spring flows work there way to the sea. Kingston is a great sailing area with predictable winds, several bays to hide and all fresh water. Used to sail all my summer vacations there with my sailboat.

[JimJohnston]

Welcome to the forum and an early welcome to Kingston.

I'd like to concur with other posters suggesting that you follow the route of the Ottawa river from Lake of Two Mountains (Montreal) to Ottawa and thence to Kingston via the Rideau canal. This latter waterway is a Unesco heritage site. Much is written about the waterway and can be found on the internet. If interested, read too about Colonel John By who directed the building of the canal in 1826-1832 and whose remains are buried in Frant, Sussex.

The alternate route via the St Lawrence while shorter isn't as interesting on the stretch from Montreal to Brockville. The leg from Brockville to Kingston is the more interesting as it passes through the Thousand Islands but is easily accessible from Kingston. Hence I would suggest you save this passage for another trip.

I very much doubt you will have power problems. 40 (combined) hp diesels on a 28 foot cat should prove more than adequate, especially if the trip is made after spring melt. Late May and onwards is good!

My home is situated in a small town on the Ottawa river and I have come to love both the river and the Rideau system. I hope you will discover and love them both too.

[30yearslater]

If you have access to Facebook the International Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River Board has an excellent page devoted to keeping the public aware of operations along the Lake/River. Worth a look to keep informed of the changing nature of this system. It is a highly dynamic area subject to radical changes year over year and even to a lesser extent weekly. Welcome to one of the most amazing sailing areas on the planet. They aren't called great by accident. https://www.facebook.com/Internation...location=group

[stibbles]

Everyone was so generous with their responses, which I have just re-read, to my original question that I thought I would like to give you an update.

I have now made it to Canada, but without my boat......so far.

This was not an issue with the boat, but rather with all the bureaucracy of moving. It took longer than expected for my professional association to grant me a licence for work, so we ended up making the move at the end of this summer rather than the start, which didn't leave enough time to move the boat too.

But we are now settled in Kingston and liking it very much. Things have calmed down a bit - enough to post a message like this.

I haven't given up on the boat move. That is now planned for next year. Now many of these places that were just names I have now visited and they are real to me. Been to Montreal (Science Museum), Cornwall (for Chinese meal), Gananoque (angling trip), Ottawa (Portrait Gallery) etc, etc. Now looking forward to visiting some by boat.

May well post soon with another practical question, but in the meantime best wishes to you all and I hope you had a good season.

[SuW]

Good to hear from you! I hope you're settled in.
You may have visited the 1000 Islands already, if not, I recommend a tour boat ride from Kingston, Rockport, Gananoque, Brockville or Clayton, NY.
On the subject of Clayton, it has a world class antique boat museum. Very well worth the trip.
My home village of Morrisburg has two free public docks which are a convenient place to stop between the last 2 Seaway locks.
We keep our boat at Iroquois, just above the last Seaway lock. It is home of the TIYC.
In general, the Active Captain website is my go-to resource for the whole of the Great Lakes. (Click on the Map link and do some armchair cruising!)
Good luck with the boat!

[Mirage35]

Hmmm ... just realized bureaucracy is like sailing - everything is more complicated and takes longer than you expected. Hope to cross paths next season.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by AnglaisInHull

Hmmm ... just realized bureaucracy is like sailing - everything is more complicated and takes longer than you expected. Hope to cross paths next season.

too true!

Kingston is the center of beautiful cruising. Said wistfully.

[hamburking]

Kingston? That's my home too! Welcome to Canada!

DM me if you need any local help with your boat, or any new questions about the area. If you don't mind a friendly suggestion...take a ride on the wolfe island ferry. Its the best boat ride around...and its free. Leave your car at home (or parked downtown) and skip the line.

Most boats here are already on the hard, and the last few will be hauled out soon. Cradles, tarps and antifreeze are my least favourite time of year. Can we start the countdown till spring launch yet?

[Rowglide]

Welcome! Freshwater sailing capital of the world! You'll have plenty of time over the winter to figure out where you want to keep your boat. We have lots of options in the area depending on boat size.
As Hamburking says Wolfe Island is worth the trip. On a nice day its worth taking a bicycle.
I am also available for local info if you need it. I keep my boat in Bath, just west of the city.
Rowglide

[SuW]

Originally Posted by hamburking

...
Most boats here are already on the hard, and the last few will be hauled out soon. Cradles, tarps and antifreeze are my least favourite time of year. Can we start the countdown till spring launch yet?

Did you find your boat yet, hamburking? Last time I remember you were thinking of a Westsail 32 or something.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Rowglide

As Hamburking says Wolfe Island is worth the trip. On a nice day its worth taking a bicycle.

While I fully agree with Rowglide, currently the ferry is using the winter dock on the island, so there is really nothing for several kilometers. The ferry line is shocking because the wolfe islander III is out on maintenance and the much smaller frontenac II is in use. Having said that, Big Sandy Bay is a great destination on the island. 10km by bike from Marysville. On rare occasions I've sailed there, but its an open anchorage, exposed to the prevailing winds...other that that...almost like being in the Caribbean (or so I would imagine).

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by SuW

Did you find your boat yet, hamburking? Last time I remember you were thinking of a Westsail 32 or something.

Thanks for asking!

I spent all summer searching. Drove many kilometers to see many boats.

Why do people post pictures from 10 years ago in their ads? Do they really think I won't notice any difference?

However, there is a Mirage 35 I like very much and would like to buy. But because of the time of year (haulout) it becomes logistically more difficult, since I can't bring it home till the spring.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details...dId=1451599048

There is also a Saga 35 I really like...Its local, but its 4 times the price. Its got everything...totally awesome boat:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details...dId=1461696951

Sorry to sidetrack this thread, but comments on these two boats would be appreciated. My gut tells me to buy the Mirage because its cheaper, but the Saga is so awesome!

FWIW, both are 35's, but the Saga is 33 feet plus a bowsprit, and the Mirage is really a Mirage 33 with a reverse transom. Both have yanmar, 5 foot draft, linear drive autohelm, electronics, etc. The Saga has a great (solent) rig which might be awesome because I mostly singlehand. I'd never even heard of this rig before considering this boat.

Any thoughts between these two boats appreciated.

[stibbles]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Kingston? That's my home too! Welcome to Canada!

DM me if you need any local help with your boat, or any new questions about the area. If you don't mind a friendly suggestion...take a ride on the wolfe island ferry. Its the best boat ride around...and its free. Leave your car at home (or parked downtown) and skip the line.

Most boats here are already on the hard, and the last few will be hauled out soon. Cradles, tarps and antifreeze are my least favourite time of year. Can we start the countdown till spring launch yet?

Thank you very much for the offer!

Is that Portsmouth Harbour? Looks like Kingston Penn in the background to me?

I neglected to mention that I did manage to get a bit of sailing in this year after arriving in August. I picked up a 50 year old O'Day DS17 for not too much and have been keeping her at Portsmouth - still there on I dock, but got to get her out by the end of the month, of course. Had some great little sails - back to basics.

I am now thinking of keeping the catamaran there as well in due course - they say they can accommodate her and POH is walking distance from our new home - what's not to like?

Hope to see you there next year.