Escape from the Lakes

[mattinri]

We plan to leave from the Apostle Islands this Monday and make our way back to Rhode Island via the North channel, then scoot for the Oswego and Erie Canal. Rough itinerary is Soo locks week of 27 July, North Channel 10 August, Lake St Claire 17 August, Welland Canal 24 August, Oswego Canal 31 August. Anyone traveling similar route/ time, please give a shout. Also any advice on route appreciated.

Matt and Laurie
Nordhavn 46 First Light
(Folded mast air draft 19’, draft 5’6”)

 

[kthoennes]

We'll be motoring behind you on that same route someday - in a few years. From Duluth back to Newport and Narragansett Bay where we bought our boat. So envious. What a trip that will be. Hope it goes well.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

whats your air draft on your Nordy?

 

[mattinri]

Air draft is 28’, 19’ with mast folded. With mast down we can get out via Oswego and Erie rather than St Lawrence. We want to do the “Downeast” Loop via the St Lawrence, but not enough time this year.

 

[BandB]

Note that the Welland has a new policy and schedule in place this year for recreational vessels.

Seaway System - Recreational Boating - Lockage Schedule for Pleasure Craft

Also, note that on day one they didn't follow it and still put commercial ahead and make recreational wait, so to this point it's not functioning as planned yet.

 

[boatpoker]

Note that the Welland has a new policy and schedule in place this year for recreational vessels.

Seaway System - Recreational Boating - Lockage Schedule for Pleasure Craft

Also, note that on day one they didn't follow it and still put commercial ahead and make recreational wait, so to this point it's not functioning as planned yet.

The "new" policy says nothing about preferential treatment of pleasure craft nor does it say there will be no commercial traffic on days allotted to pleasure craft.

I've done somewhere around 80 transits of the canal, my quickest was less than 5 hrs. and my longest was 36hrs. (dense fog and heavy commercial traffic). Commercial traffic will always take precedence.

 

[BandB]

The "new" policy says nothing about preferential treatment of pleasure craft nor does it say there will be no commercial traffic on days allotted to pleasure craft.

I've done somewhere around 80 transits of the canal, my quickest was less than 5 hrs. and my longest was 36hrs. (dense fog and heavy commercial traffic). Commercial traffic will always take precedence.

All true but it does have a day and time for recreational boaters and on the first day they were sent back to the pleasure craft dock. That was after they told the boat to enter lock 1. On day 3, it seemed better.

All the policy really states is the days to be used for pleasure craft and they must be in position, paid, and registered by 9:00 AM. Persons I know working there are suggesting 7:00 AM as sometimes that will get you ahead of the first commercial locking.

Our one time through was about 10 hours.

Commercial traffic paying $23,000 versus pleasure craft paying $200 will always take preference and there is no illusion of that. The effort is to not do so to the exclusion of pleasure craft and to put pleasure craft on fewer days. As I understand it, last year, there were pleasure craft held for more than a day. This year, the implied promise is that if you're there before 9:00, you will start through on that day. If not, you'll wait until the next scheduled day for pleasure craft.

The reason I posted was to advice the OP which days he could go through and what the requirements were to do so. If he hits on another day, he will not be taken through.

 

[mattinri]

Thanks BandB. I was not aware of this.
Matt
Approaching the Portage Canal, Lake Superior.