Fred is certainly right about taking three weeks for the trip. I don't
know how fast your boat is but we usually took two leisurely days from
Atlantic City to the New York city area. If you take the inside route,
bridge opening delays will slow you down as well as the almost
inevitable risk of running aground. Weather this time of year may pose
a problem if you go offshore. Either way you will probably get to Sandy
Hook on the second day.

Unless you are intimately familiar with New York harbor, don't try to
do it at night. Stay in Jersey or in a Staten Island Great Kills
marina. The next day you can pass through New York harbor and,
depending on how well you have played the river currents, make it to
Croton, Haverstraw, or Verplanck. Stay at one of these places
overnight. The next twenty miles are too scenic to rush through. On the
following day stop at Kingston. The town dock is a good place to
overnight. The next day you will reach the Albany area and the entrance
to the Champlain Canal.

The Champlain Canal must be done it daylight. Given delays for lock
openings, it will probably take two days. More if you have to sober up
after the Fort Edwards hangover. That's a week so far and you haven't
even gotten into Lake Champlain. That takes another two days until you
reach the Canadian Border. Check through customs, travel another half
day and you are at the Rideau Canal. And that's a fast trip.

We usually do as Fred suggests. We take several weeks, enjoying the
sights and getting fat on gourmet food in Croton, Kingston, and the
CIA. The Hudson, Lake Champlain and associated canals are among the
most entertaining portions of a Great Loop trip. Savor them.

As far as meeting guests goes, the Amtrak rail line parallels the river
all the way to Albany. Trains run frequently. The stations are usually
within walking distance of town docks so it is easy to pick up and drop
off guests. Just include a train schedule in your planning.

What's the hurry?

Larry Z

Hi Larry'
We are thinking alike. We are not in any hurry to get to the Rideau. We do
want to take the normal leisurely rate of travel to go up the Hudson.
Our boat is a Defever 41 that travels at 7 kts.
8-10 hour days of travel seem to be enough for us now.

I agree about New York Harbor. I went to college at Pratt Institute and used
to watch the harbor at night. Having run lots of boats at night in my local
Atlantic City area and up and down the coast, I always felt really confident
and comfortable running at night. That is, until I observed the New York
Harbor. Way too many background lights and opportunities for problems that
are better off avoided.

We do look forward to enjoying the Hudson. I have your guide and will be
reading into it as we approach our departure from Atlantic City NJ in May.
R.

-----Original Message-----
From: great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com
[mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com] On Behalf Of
lrzeitlin@aol.com
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 10:49 AM
To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: Re: GL: Rideau Canal

Fred is certainly right about taking three weeks for the trip. I don't know
how fast your boat is but we usually took two leisurely days from Atlantic
City to the New York city area. If you take the inside route, bridge opening
delays will slow you down as well as the almost inevitable risk of running
aground. Weather this time of year may pose a problem if you go offshore.
Either way you will probably get to Sandy Hook on the second day.

Unless you are intimately familiar with New York harbor, don't try to do it
at night. Stay in Jersey or in a Staten Island Great Kills marina. The next
day you can pass through New York harbor and, depending on how well you have
played the river currents, make it to Croton, Haverstraw, or Verplanck. Stay
at one of these places overnight. The next twenty miles are too scenic to
rush through. On the following day stop at Kingston. The town dock is a good
place to overnight. The next day you will reach the Albany area and the
entrance to the Champlain Canal.

The Champlain Canal must be done it daylight. Given delays for lock
openings, it will probably take two days. More if you have to sober up after
the Fort Edwards hangover. That's a week so far and you haven't even gotten
into Lake Champlain. That takes another two days until you reach the
Canadian Border. Check through customs, travel another half day and you are
at the Rideau Canal. And that's a fast trip.

We usually do as Fred suggests. We take several weeks, enjoying the sights
and getting fat on gourmet food in Croton, Kingston, and the CIA. The
Hudson, Lake Champlain and associated canals are among the most entertaining
portions of a Great Loop trip. Savor them.

As far as meeting guests goes, the Amtrak rail line parallels the river all
the way to Albany. Trains run frequently. The stations are usually within
walking distance of town docks so it is easy to pick up and drop off guests.
Just include a train schedule in your planning.

What's the hurry?

Larry Z

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Snip:"...We didn't notice any effect of current at all in the Ottawa,
although

it is obviously against you.  We were having too much fun and not in a
hurry!

Then against the current again for 97 miles up the Ottawa River..."

2008 on part of our first Loop we travel down the St Lawrence thru Thousand
Islands to Montreal then up the Ottawa (two easy days) to Ottawa and down
the Rideau to Kingston.  We experienced a max on .5-1 knot adverse current
on the Ottawa River and no significant lock delays.  We are saving the Lake
Chaplain trip for the Down East Loop :).

Joe

M/V "Carolyn Ann" GH N-37

MTOA# 3813

AGLCA# 5485 (Platinum Looper)

CarolynAnn-N37.blogspot.com

Joseph.pica@gmail.com