2020 Lake Champlain Cruise info

[Rick from Maine]

Widget and Hunky Dory are planning to cruise Lake Champlain around Columbus Day this October. We haven’t found much cruise info, only Richardson’s chartbook. Do any C-brats have recommendations on where to cruise, anchorages, must sees or other info? We're planning to launch at the Mallets Bay State Ramp. Are the water levels high enough to go thru the bike causeway cut to the main lake? We'd welcome any other C-Brats who would like to come play with us.

Rick from Maine

[gulfcoast john]

Hi Rick!
We really enjoyed Lake Champlain on last summer’s 800 mile Triangle Loop using Waterway Guide, Great Lakes, Vol 1. Has 15 dense pages (of 536) on the lake including sites, marinas,navigation notes and web updates.

https://www.waterwayguide.com/

This lake is bigger than it looks on a map, 109 miles north to south and up to 9 miles wide, when the horizon is 3 miles at typical C-Dory helm height. And really, starting in upper New York in mid-October rather than July or August? There’s a reason NY shuts down the canals Oct 15.

Water levels at:
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?04294500

We pinged south back and forth from the NY to VT sides, but a stiff breeze could make that uncomfortable in a CD22. Hope you have at least 2 weeks! Lots of spots on either side to hide out in a blow, but by Nov a blow can last 3 days and include snow. We don’t do snow, (me sissy) but then we’re from FL. Entire area has thick weeds that make anchoring in under 8 ft of water almost impossible, or at least not worth the effort, and a Fortress is useless there. Get a Rocna or Manson spear-tip, or a marina slip with unlimited hot showers. Active Captain anchorage rec'd looked good and entire lake has good Verizon coverage except in the middle.

Must sees (between ice storms) include Burlington (at your launch point), Plattsburg, the Inland Sea at The Gut, esp Burton Island State Park and marina (closes Sept 30 for some reason), Valcour Island, and Westport at least.

I don’t see a ‘bike causeway cut’ on Active Captain, but going around Marble Island it’s 85 ft deep and close by.

Hope this is helpful.

Best of luck and weather, get a photo album and post about your most excellent adventure!

John

[Rick from Maine]

thanks John,

Your info is very helpful. I didn't know about the waterway guides, or that the state park closes by 9/30. I've cruised the southern half on Columbus Day weekend 15 yrs ago. Froze my butt off. I'll have better heat this time.

The foliage should be good. Your anchor info is helpful. I use a heavy Bruce type which hopefully will break thru the weeds. Widget might need to upgrade his Danforth.

We're only cruising for 4-5 days, weather dependent. I will post about our adventure for future Champlain cruisers. The history of this area is very interesting, with 2 towns claiming to be the birth of our navy.

Thanks again, Rick

[outbackbill]

I agree with John on his anchor suggestions. I had a 16 pound Bruce anchor with 30 feet of chain and could not get a good set in any of the shallow coves. I now use a 22 pound delta and although I haven’t been back to Champlain, it seems to hold better in grass.

[journey on]

Journey On has a Bruce anchor which has proved effective in the mud of the PNW, especially Canada. Then I tried it in SoCal, where we have a lot of seaweed and grass. It refused to cut through the seaweed/grass and we couldn't get a good set. I used a Danforth, 12 lb HT, and got a good set.

Bruce flanges are relatively blunt whilest the Danforth has sharp edges to cut through the grass. If you don't want a Danforth, try another with sharp point, such as delta/Ronca/Manson.

Boris

[gulfcoast john]

To clarify for Rick, these exotic weeds (Eurasian watermilfoil as I recall) can get enough sunlight to grow towards the surface from 8 to 10 feet deep in these clear pristine waters...but not deeper than that. So boaters just find any cove area OVER 8 feet deep...no weeds in water over 8-10 feet. The bottom is mostly rocky. No tides to worry about. Avoid the deepest spot, 408 feet. Harvey can calculate the 7:1 rode requirement for us.

An issue unique to Lake Champlain is that NY and VT law specifies that any vessel sewage (blackwater) overboard pumpout system must not be just disabled or locked off, but instead have the final section of plumbing to the waste through-hull be physically removed. (Be glad you don’t have to find that on a Ranger Tug or Cutwater. You might have to remove the engine to get to it).

Maine is in excellent COVID shape right now, but if that changes to meet New York’s strict criteria you could join the 33 states (changes daily) where visitors to NY must quarantine for 2 weeks on arrival or face a $10,000 fine. So check the NY website before you leave.

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

Otherwise, we would be cruising the eastern Erie canal right now.

The scenery alone is well worth the trip!

Safe travels and stay well!

John

[Rick from Maine]

Thanks for your input John & Boris,

Widget checked the COVID rules and we're from an acceptable area of ME, so no quarantine needed so far.

I'll take my Danforth backup. But, it's good to hear that over 10' deep eliminates the weed issue.

It is frustrating that ya gotta get pricey non-resident fishing licenses from both NY & VT to just throw out a line.

[thataway]

The best anchor for weed is an old fashioned "Fisherman" or Luke or Hershoff anchor. The next best is the Northill pattern. I had a folding SS Northill, from a PBY and sold it (mistake--but even the folding are difficult to stow on a C Dory.) The Northill pattern for sea planes of WWII were especially good in grass--they had spikes on the ends of the flukes and sharpened blades of the flukes.

Fisherman anchor:



Small Northill pattern anchor: