I have seen pack ice at Marquette out over 3 miles in the last week of
April. Middle of may is the earliest I would go, and it still gets real cold
up there. Green bay is about 3 weeks earlier than Superior. Also the
Trent-Severen canal system is supposed to be nice.
"Schoonertrash" wrote in message
...
Next trip I'm leaving the Pacific but not by way of Panama. Plan to truck
the boat from Vancouver BC to Lake Superior and work my way East. There
are
three major choices. Leave the lakes at Chicago and go S. on the
Mississippi. I'll pass on that one. Leave the seaway and travel through
Pennsylvania and New York for the Atlantic and then South. Go down the
whole St. Lawrence Seaway and then turn South for some coastal scenery.
To
compound the issue I have friends I'd like to visit in the
Connecticutt/Massachusetts area. Not so far from NYC for a side trip.

The boat is a 33' LOA Westerly twin keeler with cathedral mast so height
is
not a restriction. I will be singlehanding unless somebody pops up here
and
there to help crew.

So between my two major choices what are your suggestions? Which way . ..
and why. What time of year is best considering I'm starting somewhere N.
of
Duluth.

MST

Thanks to all who provided the information. Since I grew up on and near
Lake Superior I'm now thinking the best thing to do is stretch the truck
transport portion as far as possible perhaps to Sault Ste. Marie or beyond
and then travel down to the first canal entrance visit down to the Finger
Lakes area at the least and then back up to where I think the maps and
charts show a second canal system entrance and so on to Belle Isle. With
any sort of weather luck and my trusty radar set I should be able to handle
all of that and get far enough South. One other parameter is not going too
far South too soon until the hurricane season is well over. Something good
I noticed along the Atlantic coastline is the multitude of harbors. I don't
think you could go a whole day without some neat place to visit.

Most probably wonder why not take the traditional route through the Panama
Canal. Well for several reasons. I lived there and have over 60 transits.
Like Tahiti it's exotic only once then it pales rapidly. Plus the cost
measured against trucking to the Great Lakes is getting prohibitive,
especially when you add itn wear and tear and time. Finally you miss some
of the greatest scenery in the world


Thanks again.

MST

Thanks to all who provided the information. Since I grew up on and near
Lake Superior I'm now thinking the best thing to do is stretch the truck
transport portion as far as possible perhaps to Sault Ste. Marie or beyond
and then travel down to the first canal entrance visit down to the Finger
Lakes area at the least and then back up to where I think the maps and
charts show a second canal system entrance and so on to Belle Isle. With
any sort of weather luck and my trusty radar set I should be able to handle
all of that and get far enough South. One other parameter is not going too
far South too soon until the hurricane season is well over. Something good
I noticed along the Atlantic coastline is the multitude of harbors. I don't
think you could go a whole day without some neat place to visit.

Most probably wonder why not take the traditional route through the Panama
Canal. Well for several reasons. I lived there and have over 60 transits.
Like Tahiti it's exotic only once then it pales rapidly. Plus the cost
measured against trucking to the Great Lakes is getting prohibitive,
especially when you add itn wear and tear and time. Finally you miss some
of the greatest scenery in the world


Thanks again.

MST