Kingston to Lake Huron

[grayzone]

We purchased our 380 SeaRay last fall, in Kingston and we are planning on moving it to Little Current in Georgian Bay in the Spring. We are coming from 20 years boating experience with a 230 Scorpion. Haven't really decided whether we're moving our SeaRay by land or through the Trent water way. Is there anyone making the trip by water, up north, as soon as the Trent system opens and would you be interested in a tag-a-long? Does anyone have any opinions about which is better; moving the boat through the waterways or truck it over land, or are there any other options available? Right now the boat is being stored in Gananoque.

Thanks al

 

[1956olds]

Isnt kingston on lake erie?if so i would take lake erie to detroit river across lk.stclair up the st clair river and up the lake huron shoreline.You will be able to cruise at optimum speed and fuel burn without many no wake zones.And there are plenty of nice marinas to stay at.Probably wouldnt cost any less to transport over land and a great adventure at the same time.

 

[northern]

When I was 16 my cousin and I took a 16 footer with a 10 Johnson on it from Bellville to Lake Simco by our selves. Simple trip. We never took the railway to Lake Huron but know people that have. It is simple also.
If I was you I would do the trip by the Trent System as you will not see any big water and the 38 footer you have will handle any wind you may hit. Lake Simco is shallow so is rough in the afternoon form what I remember but a 38 footer should handle it.
If you go at 6 knots youwill burn about 1US gallon a knot.
The only open water you will hit is from Kingston to Picton the rest is behind islands.

 

[Gofirstclass]

If I were making that trip I'd want to be in protected waters until I got used to the boat and learned the systems on board. The Trent is the place to do that. I've been across Lk Huron and up into Georgian Bay and into Little Current. Beautiful waters and a great way to go, but Lk Huron can blow up in a hurry. I don't think I'd want to make that trip in a boat that was new to me. Save that open water voyaging for when you know the boat and its capabilities.....and yours.

 

[TerryDes]

Hello from Sudbury, we have our FourWinns 348 in Little current ( Spider Bay Marina ) we will look for you in the spring.
We are actually looking at a boat in Ottawa and on the off chance we buy it we will also be looking to move it in the spring. We could maybe hook up part way through the trent.
Which marina in Little Current are you staying at?

 

[grayzone]

Actually we already have our slip in Spanish. I used Little Current since I figured nobody knew were Spanish was.

 

[1956olds]

Ok i didnt think about your boat specific knowledge when i posted.The 380 will be a lot different than a 23 fter and the other guys that posted are on the money about getting familiar with your new boat.I also have wanted to do the trent but i probably never will get the oportunity.I hear it is a great run and there are obstacles of wonder to keep the trip exciting .have a great boating excperience taking your new baby home.Glen

 

[Jackie J V]

Skip the Trent - ship the boat and enjoy the North Channel. Cost-wise, you'll be neutral to a little better off given fuel costs vs. shipping costs. Water levels are extremely low and therefore treacherous in spots (especially dodgy as you end the trip exiting under the Hwy 400 bridge at Port Severn). Weather at the very beginning of the season is often a little dodgy and it can be miserable going through the locks if you're cold and wet. Lake Simcoe can get nasty quickly - I know it very well having boated there for nine years. And if you're pushing for time, you want to be challenging both it, and the much more challenging open Georgian Bay on your own terms and timeline.

Maybe you'll miss a nice trip through the Trent, who knows, but you'll have certainty, time to familiarize yourself in familiar waters and a season of enjoyment in the North Channel.

Also, I'm on my fifth boat now and know from experience that there's always stuff that needs to be worked out in the early going. You want to do that handy to reasonable mechanics vs. being far flung!

Enjoy! And if you do chose to totally ignore my advice - joining my kids and my wife - let me know if I can give you any tips on the back half of your trip. I know the upper Trent-Severn (from Lake Simcoe through Lock 45) very well, as well as the route from there up to Little Current. I've even been to Spanish...

Paul

 

[northern]

From the trip we made in the 16 footer it was very smooth until we got to Lake Simco. Lots to see and there was lots of fuel along the way. We had the 5 gallon can for the boat and a 5 gallon spare. Food was simple to get but with your boat you will be able to load up before you go. We have thought of trailering our 21 footer that has a 330HP jet in it and doing the system and staying at hotels along the way but each summer other things seem to happen. I have no idea what the system in like now it was 1963 when we did it. We did get rain and the sides of the locks were slimmey on the sides. Back then there was no charge to use the locks.

 

[grayzone]

Thanks................ good info


love this forum

I think were 90% in favor of shipping it with "land Tug"

can't wait for spring

al

 

[northern]

You could probably find someone who knows the Trent to take your boat up for you. On the west coast there are lots of captians that deliver boats. Based on my insurance you could not let an unlicenced captian deliver it as my insurance would be void. But you could go along and your insurance would be good. If it was my boat I would practice in Kingston with alicenced captain for a day, then drive it around for a few days to see what needs fixing then do the Trent. A boat rental company once told me new boat come with training paint.

 

[ks65609]

We purchased our 380 SeaRay last fall, in Kingston and we are planning on moving it to Little Current in Georgian Bay in the Spring. We are coming from 20 years boating experience with a 230 Scorpion. Haven't really decided whether we're moving our SeaRay by land or through the Trent water way. Is there anyone making the trip by water, up north, as soon as the Trent system opens and would you be interested in a tag-a-long? Does anyone have any opinions about which is better; moving the boat through the waterways or truck it over land, or are there any other options available? Right now the boat is being stored in Gananoque.

Thanks al

We plan to be moving a 330 from the Toronto area to Orillia this spring. I had considered the Trent system (where we do all of our boating) and using Canada Maps calculated the distance by water, estimated fuel cost, time etc and elected to move by truck.
This locks do not open until May 24, and new this year are the 9 to 5 lock times which on a long trip will shorten the day cruising signifcantly as the search for lock overnight spaces will begin earlier in the day.

Best of luck with your new boat.
Ken

 

[northern]

Sounds like the locks have changes. When we did the trip we were the only boat in most locks. At the lift lock we were alone in it. Neat experience. If you have the time it would be a trip you will always remember. Like going to Alaska for the first time.

 

[Creekwood]

You could probably find someone who knows the Trent to take your boat up for you. On the west coast there are lots of captians that deliver boats. Based on my insurance you could not let an unlicenced captian deliver it as my insurance would be void. But you could go along and your insurance would be good. If it was my boat I would practice in Kingston with alicenced captain for a day, then drive it around for a few days to see what needs fixing then do the Trent. A boat rental company once told me new boat come with training paint.

Its not the Trent system that will be the hard part, its the trip up the small craft route through Georgian Bay that time of year. You didn't say if you have done the trip before. If you have and are comfortable with the best routes to take depending on wind and weather, then it might be an OK trip. As you know from living up North, spring weather can be nice, but more often its cold air and even colder water. The west side of Georgian Bay is often very windy too and the small craft route gets the brunt of the normal westerly wind. That time of year there will be very few boaters out there to aid you out if you get in trouble. If you get nasty weather and have to hole up in a sheltered cove in the middle of nowhere for a few days, it will not be much fun.

For those that don't know the area, here are a few charts from the area. The solid red line is the small craft route. The dotted red is alternate routes or routes to inner bays etc. The scale of these charts is that they are about 2.5 miles across. Its not 100% like this, but maybe 70% is. Navigation can be tricky and everything that is not water is granite. Water levels are very very low this year. The last couple pictures are what the views are like in the summer. It really is a fantastic place to be a boater.

Personally, if its in May, I would have the boat shipped up. If it was June or later, go for it.

 

[Molson]

I'm with Paul and Creekwood. With the adjusted lockage times, proposed scheduled lockage for the beginning of your trip, I'd anticipate it would add 3-4 days due to waiting. Ship it home, or at least ship to Georgian Bay and take it the rest of the way. If you do decide to venture this way, and end up in the Southern Georgian Bay area, let us know, I'm sure we all could meet up and go over your routes. As Creekwood said, with the low water levels, the small craft route will be tricky at best. On a good day your 380 will have no problem on the outside, but you may have to duck in at some point.

 

[ks65609]

I'm with Paul and Creekwood. With the adjusted lockage times, proposed scheduled lockage for the beginning of your trip, I'd anticipate it would add 3-4 days due to waiting. Ship it home, or at least ship to Georgian Bay and take it the rest of the way. If you do decide to venture this way, and end up in the Southern Georgian Bay area, let us know, I'm sure we all could meet up and go over your routes. As Creekwood said, with the low water levels, the small craft route will be tricky at best. On a good day your 380 will have no problem on the outside, but you may have to duck in at some point.

If waiting until May 24 is not an issue, overland to Orillia may be another option. The landscape of the escarpment on the Trent system changes dramatically as you venture West towards Georgian Bay, as well as the experience of Big Chute. In addition to Big Chute there are only three locks (42 Couchiching, 43 Swift Current. and 45 at Port Severn). Swift Current has the highest lift of 47 ft of the conventional locks. This trip amounts to 69 km. Also very good on water resturants such as the Waubic Inn near channel marker S146 and others at Big Chute.

Ken

 

[northern]

Now I know why Great Lake boat are prefered to Ocean boats. They do not get used hard. We cross open water a bit, up to 50 miles. We wait for a clear day. Once we waited 5 days. The sea was 3 to 4 meters with 30 to 40 knot winds, too much for us. We like 1 but will go in 2 meter waves. We have gone into areas there are no charts with depth. There we go very slow. Finding a place to anchor can be difficult at times.
Your boat you should be able to cruise at 15 to 20 knots so you need 3 to 4 hours to cross 50 miles of open water.
On one trip north there was a Coast Guard call looking for a 36 foot cruiser with 3 people on board. They went out when we felt it was too windy and they never found the boat or people.
If you do not have the skill or confidence to handle rough water best to truck it.
In a few years when you know your boat better and have more skill with it you may want to to take it on such a trip.