What would you do with a week on L. Ontario?

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DaveC426913
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What would you do with a week on L. Ontario?

Post by DaveC426913 »

The Admiral and I were thinking of cruising around Gananoque, but I have no tow vehicle. This is our first big outing, so maybe we'll stick closer to home. We've never done the obligatory W. L. Ontario shore. Maybe we'll make the fabled crossing from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

In your experience, how long a crossing is Toronto to NotL?

I measure it at ~ 52km. So, at an average 4 knot sail that's 13 hours. If I motored I prolly won't do over 7 knots, so that's still 7.5 hours. That's brutal either way.

Hm. Maybe we'll just cruise down to Hamilton along the North shore and back again...
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Tomfoolery
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Re: What would you do with a week on L. Ontario?

Post by Tomfoolery »

DaveC426913 wrote:That's brutal either way.
Naaahhhh. That's living. 8) :wink:
DaveC426913 wrote:Hm. Maybe we'll just cruise down to Hamilton along the North shore and back again...
Sail that far, spend the night, then continue on to Niagara On The Lake. Depending on the wind, should be able to hit Hamilton on one tack, and sail downwind (do you have a spinnaker?) for a day to NOTL. Can get a little stuffy sailing downwind when it's hot, but that's part of the fun, too. :wink:

Coming back it's probably easier to sail across back to Toronto in one shot, on a port tack. I've sailed from Rochester to Cobourg, but that was in a larger boat, and with waves better than 4 ft at the time, it would have been less fun in a Mac. But sticking to the west, the water shouldn't have as much fetch. Theoretically. Maybe it would be better to motor back to Hamilton if the winds aren't right, then sail on a broad reach back to Toronto, again assuming winds out of the west. :|
DaveC426913
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Re: What would you do with a week on L. Ontario?

Post by DaveC426913 »

Tomfoolery wrote:
DaveC426913 wrote:That's brutal either way.
Naaahhhh. That's living. 8) :wink:
DaveC426913 wrote:Hm. Maybe we'll just cruise down to Hamilton along the North shore and back again...
Sail that far, spend the night, then continue on to Niagara On The Lake. Depending on the wind, should be able to hit Hamilton on one tack,
Doubt the Admiral has the fortitude for that. I suspect about 5 hours is her top. We'll see how far down the North Shore we get in one day.
DaveC426913 wrote:and sail downwind (do you have a spinnaker?) for a day to NOTL.
Yes, but it's still in shrink wrap. Never flown one before. And no pole.
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Tomfoolery
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Re: What would you do with a week on L. Ontario?

Post by Tomfoolery »

DaveC426913 wrote:Never flown one before. And no pole.
Don't need, and have no use for, a pole with an asymmetric spinnaker. Use a ChuteSCOOP or a similar device, and it's not even hard to manage on the deck. But do put a spinnaker halyard hound and block about 18" higher than the jib hound and block - it's not so good trying to fly it from the jib halyard, especially with a ChuteSCOOP.

http://www.chutescoop.com/
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Catigale
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Re: What would you do with a week on L. Ontario?

Post by Catigale »

In a MAC, you definitely have to be ready to stay in port when Ontario kicks up.

My Wilson NY sailors say the best way to do that crossing is at night, arriving at TO early dawn. The lake is calmer and the views spectacular.

Warning!! Large freight traffic doing 18 knots is not be trifled with!!!
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