Now come the tough decisions :) Cruising grounds!

T

tparrent

New member
All of my cruising dreams and plans in recent years have had one major obstacle : No Time.

That’s not a problem now! On July 15, I will pack up my office and turn off the computer. I'm not retiring but I am going to take a serious chunk of time off.

If I wanted to, I could probably find and start a new job within two weeks. On the other hand, it wouldn’t bother me a bit if I did not work again until January. That leaves a lot of time for cruising – especially when you consider that I have not taken off more than five days in a row since … well, I can’t recall that I have ever taken that much time.

Of course, as soon as we eliminate one problem, another crops up – but this time it is a good one: where to cruise?

Wherever I choose to go, my cruising boat will be the new to me C Dory 22 currently on a trailer in Wisconsin. My C Dory 16 will be for sale by the end of this weekend and my Hunter 280 is dam locked in on Kerr Lake. The 22, of course, is a great boat when you don’t know where you will cruise since you can bring it just about anywhere.

I have narrowed my choices to three admittedly large regions for your consideration.

1. Great Lakes and connected waterways

Even though I live in North Carolina now, the Great Lakes are my ancestral home waters. I have to drive up to Wisconsin anyway to get the boat so I could just make a “few” stops on the way home to include: Green Bay, the Bays de Noc, Manitou islands, Lake Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, Les Cheneaux, North Channel, Ontario waterways, Thousand Islands, Quebec canals, Lake Champlain, Finger Lakes and Erie Canal. Fresh water, friendly people, quaint towns, protected waters. Taking a sailboat or large power cruiser through all these areas would take at least a full season. I can tow the Dory from place to place and see them all if I want to.

2. Pacific Northwest

Need I say more? The PNW is a long haul from Wisconsin and even longer back to North Carolina but the tow is measured in days, not weeks. Interesting places to see along the way too. The closest I have been to the PNW is a couple days sailing the San Juans and a bunch of flights over the cruising grounds with drool streaming from my mouth as I looked out the plane windows. One important factor to consider here is that I will be cruising solo. No other boats and no other crew on my boat. Although so many Dory owners cruise the PNW in 22s, I do wonder if I would actually prefer a larger chartered boat. Of course then I would have to scare up crew, pay scads of money and … nah, I want to cruise in my own boat. One disadvantage to the PNW is that if I needed to get home, I would have to get to an airport and jet back here which could take days. Everybody is healthy right now but given what Spike has been through this year, I’m not sure I want to be days out in the wilderness if something should go wrong.

3. Southeast

Huh? Me, interested in the Southeast? I’m a yankee, I don’t much like heat, I hate snakes and alligators yet I am considering local cruising? Well, yeah. I happened to look at CarolinaLiving magazine today and began to wonder what I’m missing. I really haven’t done the NC coast yet. I haven’t boated any of the mountain lakes. I’ve barely been into South Carolina in a car. What caught my eye was a regional map of the Carolinas that showed a bunch of lakes, of which I was previously ignorant, along the Savannah River. More water than I expected there and they didn’t look bad on GoogleMaps. Of course there is Charleston, Georgetown, Savannah, Hilton Head and the whole NC coast.

The advantage of cruising locally is that all of these places are within five and a half hours of home. I could head out Monday morning, cruise Tuesday through Thursday and be back Friday before the weekend crowds hit the water. The next week I could go someplace different – unless the weather is bad. Then I can just stay home. If something came up at home, I could be here in half a day.

There’s also the fact that my next job is likely to take me away from this area and I can’t see myself making a special trip back for cruising. Contrast that to the Great Lakes region and the PNW. I will ALWAYS be willing to go to those areas to cruise. Maybe it makes sense to explore local waters while they are local. If I do happen to stay here long term, at least I will know the best places for quick getaways.

In all three regions there are climate issues to consider. I would want to be off the water of the PNW or Great Lakes by October 1. Not sure about the PNW but the best time to cruise the Great Lakes region is September when the bugs, humidity and crowds are all gone. September/October is pretty nice in the Carolinas. July and August is more challenging unless I head for the mountain lakes. The heat can be brutal. I’ve heard the locals say the bugs are bad too but they weren’t raised on Michigan/Wisconsin/Minnesota mosquitoes and Lake Michigan black flies. I haven’t noticed any bug problems since I’ve been here. If I were to try August cruising in the South, I would be tempted to add air conditioning and then that would mean a generator as I hope to hang on the hook most nights. Of course, if I was still lazing about come October, I could cruise local waters here from then right through the winter.

The exotic PNW, the familiar Great Lakes or the local Southeast – any thoughts? (Silly question ☺)
 
Get what boat? I read all your posts and you talked a lot about rigging a hammock in a 22 but have not mentioned (until now) that you got one! If so congratulations!!

What's wrong with starting out near where you got the boat and then working your way back to the Chesapeake by the fall (it's a lot cooler here then) so you'd be close to "home" when the really cold weather gets here. You'd be welcome to use our dock for a base here, we're near the middle of the bay at the mouth of the Potomac. It's a little cumbersome having to go back to get the tow vehicle every time but El and Bill do it all the time!

Charlie (Let us have some details on the new boat!!)
 
Hey Tom,

It's a great dilemma: which fun place to go... first. The good news: you can't lose! Rather than suggest the virtues of any particular place, go where your heart tells you... and I know how you feel about the Great Lakes and all that connected fresh water. You know the area, and it always seems to call you back. Why not start your cruising on a new boat in an area that has special meaning to you, and then expand on that? With the extended time off, you can really explore... and not necessarily do much towing.

As far as "needing to charter" more boat... put that behind you. Your 22 will be the comfortable, easy magic carpet that will take you anywhere (within fuel range). That boat can handle whatever you might toss at it.

The best thing about this whole situation is that new-found free time. I was just a tiny bit aghast that, considering that time, you even mentioned that you could get another job in two weeks. No doubt. HOWEVER, this is the time to discover if you really could enjoy life after the financial world... the boat is the vehicle, but YOU are at the helm. The discovery might just be more than "Where can I go in this great little boat?" and become "What does this next chapter hold for me?"

Heck, Tom, you may not be cut out for a life of wandering... but, this is a great time to find out. Take the time, explore any bit of water that suits your fancy, write about it, kick back, and just bask in the glory of your time and know that the financial world is there anytime you decide that a life of leisure isn't for you... but at least you will have the time to REALLY make that decision.

These next 6 months are less about where, and more about why. Enjoy the discovery... and keep us posted. I am excited for you, my friend.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
The is no question in my mind. Spend the next 4 months in the PNW. Then go back to the Carolinas for a few weeks, and about December head South to Florida. This gives you the best of all worlds. The great Lakes will be availalble any time--with a shorter time frame--like a couple of weeks or a month.

Incidently once you start in the PNW--one season will be no where enough--in fact you might go back there every summer.
 
Since you have to pick up the boat anyway, why not start cruising nearby? It's close to 100 here in Fl. and if I had the opportunity I'd go back to Bayfield as my base and leisurely cruise the apostle islands. Beautiful and COOL.
Enjoy your freedom.
 
well said Jim, goes for a lot of us. As I'm preparing to go "walkabout" with Kerri On", these little boats are plenty for happy cruising. I always keep in mind Larry Pardey's advice in sailing....."go small, go simple. go now!"

Will be joining a bunch of brats in the Broughton Archipeligo in a few weeks, then Sept 1 start heading for Lake Powell.

George
 
Tom,

The PNW is great in the summer, fall and later sometimes. And in this great big "wilderness" there is a seaplane service, "Kenmore Air" that covers from the North end of Vancouver Island to Olympia, and they connect up to Seatac. In an emergency I would think that same or next day would be easily attainable, albeit there would be some fee included I'm sure. Check out their website:

http://www.kenmoreair.com/

By boat from the San Juans to Seattle or to a place to get transportation there is not that hard.

You do have a point about the fresh water though. Once the salt chuck gets into your blood it is pretty much there forever.

You could always leave the boat here and fly back and forth.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon (Not TOO hooked on the PNW)
 
As mentioned, none of the areas you've mentioned are bad - it's just a question of what to do First.

The pick up location for the boat (Wisconsin?) seems to suggest beginning in the Great Lakes. And summer up there should be pretty nice.

Sure, you'll want to try and do-it-all eventually, but all that freshwater (aka: The Great Lakes) seems pretty enticing, then move southward as the seasons moderate.

Tough decision!

Casey
 
Don't discount the Great Lakes /Erie Canal as late as the third week of October; I have cruised the North Channel mid October several times and found it beautiful (fall colors), bug-less, and deserted (quiet).
David
 
Oh yeah - the boat has a warm and toasty pilothouse! I guess the Great Lakes season lasts a little longer than it did on my open sailboats :D

Cruising the Finger Lakes or Erie Canal in autumn color would be great
 
The gorgeous lakes of northern Idaho-Montana has some whoppers too. Jackson Lake in the Tetons. So many lakes and so little time and that is just in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah.

And, my all time favorite of the last 20 years, Lake Powell in Southern Utah. 2000 miles of shore line. Hundreds of bays with dozens of coves. 190 miles long. Perfect for September and October, or April through June and you will basically have many square miles all to yourself during those months. It is the perfect CD lake.
 
One other comment on transport out of the PNW--You are close to airports on most of Vancouver Island. We have had guests fly in and out from all parts, including the West Side. There are local taxis who will take you to the nearest airport at a fairly reasonable price--and small marinas where you can leave the boat if necessary.

Up in Alaska, we also had sea planes drop off crewmembers.

No reason for bigger boat in the PNW--if you want a bunch of people aboard--OK--but for one or two: the C Dory 22 is fine.
 
Our vote would be the North Channel - certainly our favorite to date. We are currently on anchor at Horseshoe Island in Door County Wisconsin - great area to cruise if you are coming to Wisconsin anyway.

Have fun...
 
Horseshoe Island is my planned first stop. I am picking up the boat in Ellison Bay.

Washington and Rock Islands followed by Fayette will round out the shakedown cruise.
 
You might take a look at our website listed below - lots of descriptions and photos. We're in the San Juans now - just back from the BC coast. Enjoy your travels.
 
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