2023 cruising, So Where are You Going?

2023 has arrived. If you're cruising this year, you probably have your plans already made. It could be a trip to Fort Pierce to the TF rendezvous, a couple of weeks on the St Johns river or the Great Loop. Always fun to hear about where people want to cruise and why.

One of the nice things about discussing plans is finding out who's along the way. Last year I met 8 TF members in my travels. Always nice to meet people and gain information from locals in the area.

My plans for this year are to leave Florida in early April and spend 6 weeks in Lake Superior. That's it. Other than going up the East coast, Hudson river, and West on the Erie canal, I don't know what my route coming and going will be. May go back to Canada, but don't want to get stuck if the Kirkfield Lift Lock repair is behind schedule. Will probably come back across the Erie canal in September, but may leave the boat there for the winter. Yet to be determined. It's unlike me to be this undecided at this point, but I really don't have to make a decision until I get to the intersection of the Erie and Oswego canals.

Hope to see more of you this summer while I follow the "No Plan, Plan" through the Great Lakes.

So where are you going?

Ted

I love that style of cruising. As I mentioned earlier, we have similar use patterns.

I'm currently in Toronto, leaving early May for the Maritimes via NYC. No particular pace or schedule. Will likely head south on east coast before winter.

We are docked in lower Lake Champlain and work full time. Plan on going to the Northern end of the lake to get into Canada. Maybe explore Fort Montgomery and other places of interest having to do with the revolutionary war. Lots of history on that lake and this is only our second season, so we haven't been north of Burlington yet.

Also want to go back down the Champlain canal to do a bit of the Erie canal. Whatever we can fit into a week.

CharlieO. said:

We are docked in lower Lake Champlain and work full time. Plan on going to the Northern end of the lake to get into Canada. Maybe explore Fort Montgomery and other places of interest having to do with the revolutionary war. Lots of history on that lake and this is only our second season, so we haven't been north of Burlington yet.

Also want to go back down the Champlain canal to do a bit of the Erie canal. Whatever we can fit into a week.

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I was on Lake Champlain for the summer of 2021. It's a wonderful place to explore. Enjoyed anchoring around and hiking Valcour Island. Shelburne museum and the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum are well worth the stop. History is everywhere on the lake. Will probably spend one more summer there before I'm done cruising.

Ted

We plan to leave Malta in June, head back to Sicily, then Calabria and Puglia, crossing to Corfu, Corinth Canal, Southern Aegean islands as far as Rhodes and most likely return to Athens/Piraeus area to leave the boat for the winter.

We don't have much of a plan for this year beyond a short trip for the Memorial Day long weekend. Due to budget and possibly some other life constraints, it's looking like it'll be a somewhat light travel year for us. We'll definitely bounce our way around Lake Ontario at least some, it's just a question of how much of the lake we end up covering and whether we poke our noses down into the canals.

What a treat to be actually thinking about a cruising plan! Even though it's a non-plan at this point.

Weebles will launch in Ensenada within a few days, and hopefully all will go smoothly. I have a small apartment in Ensenada and haven't been home since I made a mad-dash to Florida for hurrican Ian back in October. Even then, I had been either at my tiny cabin in Colorado during the summer or Ensenada much of last year. I'll get Weebles settled with some prelim sea trials, then head to Florida for a month or two. Sometime late summer we will return and get serious. I'd like to put at least 100 hours on Weebles before heading south, which probably means heading to the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara.

Current loose plan is to go to Mazatalan, about 1000 nms south of Ensenada, and spend a few months there. Mazatlan of course has a large international airport so getting in/out should be easy. Sometime next year, keep heading south. I have a good friend who lives in Costa Rica; and we've always wanted to visit Puerta Vallarta. And of course, some decent inland adventuring - Oaxaca is on our bucket list.

But who knows. Right now, it's a bit scary to plan.

Peter

Our plan is lots of 1-3 day trips around home (we are blessed with some great destinations nearby like Gosport Harbor, Portsmouth, NH; Gloucester, Salem, and Rockport, MA), a 17 day trip to Penobscot Bay, ME, and a 9 day trip to Fall River, MA for a wedding.

I am at home in Northern Wisconsin. We have about a foot of snow on the ground. I burned about two cords of dry maple last month and my gas bill was still almost $400.00.

I am recovering from my heart surgery but came down with pneumonia and as soon as that was better I caught a dandy winter cold.

To say I am anxious for spring is an understatement!!

pete

https://youtu.be/TvIGzHUlSFQ

Harbor in Santa Rosalia today, Baja Sur

20+ knots, gusting to near 30

Poulsbo Wa through the Inside Passage up to Glacier Bay and back. Late April through mid September. Wandering sort of route yet to be determined, as always.

GoneFarrell said:

https://youtu.be/TvIGzHUlSFQ

Harbor in Santa Rosalia today, Baja Sur

20+ knots, gusting to near 30

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I love that place

I'll be cruising most of the summer in Alaska around homer and Kodiak with my trawler.

i have a smaller boat 30' that i cruise around SoCal Channel Islands, in addition I cruise sea of cortes from Gonzaga to la Paz any time i get.

We are in beginning mode on annual maintenance, ASD will be on the hard for a couple of weeks end of March.

After attending the Astoria Crab and Wine Festival mid-April we will be looking for weather windows to head to Sound East Alaska for the summer. Will return back to the Columbia around beginning of September.

We will spend the summer in SE Alaska. The only concrete plan beyond that is to spend the month of May in Glacier Bay.

We are exploring the Sea of Cortez this year.

No plans, making it up as we go like the last six years.
But tomorrow we are going back out to the reef to try and see baby turtles hatching at Lady Musgrave Island.
Then a week or two later back into Gladstone to pick up a wine delivery
Then ............

We are planning on the Triangle Loop for the summer. Leaving Rockland, Maine about the first of June, down to NYC, up the Hudson to the Erie Canal, out the Oswego River to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence for the Thousand Islands then up the Rideau to Ottawa and down to Montreal, down the Richileau to Lake Champlain then down the Champlain Canal back to the Hudson and back by NYC to Maine. Planning to be back by the end of September.

AnsleyS said:

We are planning on the Triangle Loop for the summer. Leaving Rockland, Maine about the first of June, down to NYC, up the Hudson to the Erie Canal, out the Oswego River to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence for the Thousand Islands then up the Rideau to Ottawa and down to Montreal, down the Richileau to Lake Champlain then down the Champlain Canal back to the Hudson and back by NYC to Maine. Planning to be back by the end of September.

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That's lots of time. Great way to spend the summer.

AnsleyS said:

We are planning on the Triangle Loop for the summer. Leaving Rockland, Maine about the first of June, down to NYC, up the Hudson to the Erie Canal, out the Oswego River to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence for the Thousand Islands then up the Rideau to Ottawa and down to Montreal, down the Richileau to Lake Champlain then down the Champlain Canal back to the Hudson and back by NYC to Maine. Planning to be back by the end of September.

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Sounds like a great summer of cruising! Interested to hear how locking on the St. Lawrence goes. Was thinking about the Rideau to Ottawa, Ottawa river to St. Lawrence, to Sorel, to Lake Champlain. Curious to hear how Ottawa to Lake Champlain goes.

Ted

O C Diver said:

Sounds like a great summer of cruising! Interested to hear how locking on the St. Lawrence goes. Was thinking about the Rideau to Ottawa, Ottawa river to St. Lawrence, to Sorel, to Lake Champlain. Curious to hear how Ottawa to Lake Champlain goes.

Ted

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I've done that trip. I don't think there's any reason to fear the seaway locks, unless they're jammed with locals.

This year I'm thinking of going down the seaway to Montreal. I've never done that segment, and also haven't been through Lake Champlain. I went up the Richelieu two years ago then turned around at the border and went back down.

You need crew for both the seaway locks and the Chambly Canal.

Currently in Riviera Beach FL and will head back to NJ in late April. Really enjoyed using the boat a full year and not just the summer in NJ.
A bucket list is Newfoundland but I may only make ME next year - I really want a refit to work the salon next year.
But who knows and I hope it works out for us - so far so good...

Jeff F said:

You need crew for both the seaway locks and the Chambly Canal.

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That part annoys me. Was considering the Welland canal this summer as a back up plan, but you need a crew of three. I understand crew are available. It frustrates me that they'll let Moe, Larry, and Curly (The Three Stooges) beat their way through the locks, but not someone who knows what he's doing.

Ted

O C Diver said:

That part annoys me. Was considering the Welland canal this summer as a back up plan, but you need a crew of three. I understand crew are available. It frustrates me that they'll let Moe, Larry, and Curly (The Three Stooges) beat their way through the locks, but not someone who knows what he's doing.

Ted

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The Welland needs 3 crew going up bound to Lake Erie. But only 2 crew required going down. The rest of the seaway locks require 2 I think.

Right. That's total people aboard.

I agree with Ted. I've done hundreds of locks solo, and wouldn't have any difficulties with the seaway locks. It can be a PIA for solo travelers to round up additional bodies to meet the requirement.

Ted, see https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66537 for discussion on St Catharine lock.

We went through St.Catharines last year, quite honestly they didn't pay any attention to people on board.

mbevins said:

We went through St.Catharines last year, quite honestly they didn't pay any attention to people on board.

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Yeah, but they would have stopped you if they didn't see any. No direct experience, but I'm not going to challenge their policy. It's stupid and immovable.

Maybe I'll take it up with the AGLCA. There have been complaints for a while. A petition?

Somewhere between Sullivan Bay and Powell River.

Maybe a trip to Princess Louisa to see Chatterbox Falls during the snowmelt.

Best thing about where I live is that I don't have to go far or long.

Hey Ted-

Excited you are coming up to our great lake again! Hopefully this time I'll be around more and we can say hello.

GopherBroke (you guys met in Houghton but did not know it at the time) and myself and you could ride up around the corner and give Pete a visit, great little place to eat up there...all local sourced and made from mostly scratch.

Look forward to your travels and meeting up if it works!

MNCruiser (Sean)
Mainship 390 "Phoenix"
Bayfield!!

mncruiser said:

Hey Ted-

Excited you are coming up to our great lake again! Hopefully this time I'll be around more and we can say hello.

GopherBroke (you guys met in Houghton but did not know it at the time) and myself and you could ride up around the corner and give Pete a visit, great little place to eat up there...all local sourced and made from mostly scratch.

Look forward to your travels and meeting up if it works!

MNCruiser (Sean)
Mainship 390 "Phoenix"
Bayfield!!

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Yes, that sounds good. Not sure what my itinerary is yet, but getting back to the Apostles Islands, the Black River, and of course Isle Royale are on the list.

"There are 5 Great Lakes. Only one of them is Superior."

Ted