Intracoastal Waterway

[skitterbug]

How do I access the Intracoastal waterway from Lake Ontario. We are talking about a 30' sloop, 5' draft.

[Tetepare]

Oswego to Hudson River, go south to NYC, turn right.

[hobopacket]

Can you go down the canal with the stick up? I think you have to demast. Low fixed bridges. I believe most people rig up a way to carry the mast on the deck.

[Tingum]

I think it is time to buy some charts and a cruising guide.

[Jason Flare]

There are places to raise or lower your mast just south of Albany, NY. I have used the Castleton Boat Club. Crane rental was $50. You operated the crane yourself but the crane controls had a long cord so you could reach your deck.

Heading south on the Hudson you would put your mast up. No low bridges from there. Heading east to Albany the mast would have to be down for the Erie/Barge Canal.

Someone else will need to chime in on where to drop your mast West of Albany.

[LoudMusic]

I think you might appreciate Distant Shore's videos on the topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctM1R_l0QGE

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by hobopacket

Can you go down the canal with the stick up? I think you have to demast. Low fixed bridges. I believe most people rig up a way to carry the mast on the deck.

Maybe in a Sunfish. Otherwise they won't let you in the first lock in Oswego with the mast, since you won't make it 50 yards.

[anacapaisland42]

2018 Lake Ontario/ICW latest date
Based upon current weather guesses/hurricane projections/ICW closing/water levels/etc


What would be the consensus of the latest "decent trip" date to head South thru the ICW (Oswego etc) this year.


Thanks


Bill

[AiniA]

The Erie Canal closes for the season on October 10th. That establishes your schedule since after that you can go when you want, weather permitting. Most people do the canal (Oswego/Erie) with mast down in Oswego and up in Castleton (you do) or Catskill (they do). Figure about three days for the Hudson (be sure to use the tides to advantage). When you get to Sandy Hook you need a decent forecast for the jump to Cape May, NJ which is about 100 miles of open ocean. Then you go up Delaware Bay (tides!) and through the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal (mast up/ no locks) This gets you to Chesapeake Bay. The ICW starts at the south end of the Chesapeake. Do some homework on the impact of Florence on ICW depths in the Carolinas. BTW, most people time their trip to be in Annapolis for the boat show. It generally is on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.

[AndrewB]

My experience was that they are really slick with mast lowering and raising in Oswego and Albany, cheap too, so don't let that put you off, as long as you have a reliable engine.

It's worth doing a check on the state of the Erie Canal before setting off. Subsidence, particularly in the Little Falls area, may mean shallow patches for a deep draft yacht. Some years certain locks have been out of action for periods.