Toronto to Georgian bay

[rooferdave]

I would like to do this trip in July, I know it is early but I would like to plan it well and perhaps drive overland first to make it as good as can be, also if I can meet up with some of you from here on the way it would be awesome! Planning on stopping at friends cottages along the way also. the above will ditate my route. Any idea's all? What would a good fuel budget be for me in my 36 ft trifly with twin 5.7s? Any ideas on places to go, inlets to check out? I am thinking 4-6 weeks would be cool. This would also eliminate the hassle of having to book off work early so much.

the adventure begins...

[k9th]

Are you saying you just want to truck the boat from Toronto over to Georgian Bay (about 85 miles) or you want to drive it in the water from Toronto to Georgian Bay through Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, up the river into Lake Huron, and ending in Georgian Bay (about 600 miles)? With your 4-6 week time frame I am guessing it is the latter.

My tri-cabin gets about .8 mpg at 18kts cruise if that helps. Sounds like a great trip. We are moving our boat back to Lake Huron next spring and one of the reasons is that we love the North Channel and Georgian Bay and the trip from southern Lake Michigan was just too far for our available time frames.

[Peter]

Trent-Severn Water Way is the way to go fromwhere you are located...is this what your saying???

[rooferdave]

I am thinking of the Trent-Severn waterway and its 47 locks or so. I am not sure of the way Mike is saying but I am up for the most scenic and intresting route, perhaps one way up and one way back? I think taking the kids threw all the locks would be pretty cool

[Peter]

sounds like a blast.expect to spend around 7 K in fuel

[jimbo36]

rooferdave, I have cruised through the Trent-Severn Waterway several times in my life. I Live in Belleville On Just a couple of miles from the beginning of the Waterway at Trenton. You will need to approach through Presquile and the Murray canel. The route to Georgian Bay, from your location, is shorter through the TSW. It is a great trip. It can be done in 4 to 5 days but you would want to take your time and explore. Note; locking through starts out great fun but, believe me, you are happy to get to the end. Pick up a copy of the Ports publication, for the TSW, right away, as it is one of the best resources available. (any Chandlery or the Nautical Mind in TO) There are many sites that feature the waterway as well. If you do not have a good GPS/Chartplotter yet, start looking for one. The 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay are very difficult to safely navagate. If you are cruising that far, you may as well go to the North Channel. This is some of the most beautiful cruising you will ever experience in your life for sure.Then you can decide which way to return. It always amazed me that the return trip through the waterway seems much differant than the trip up. There is so much to see. Jimbo36.

[rickalan35]

Dave,

I'd love to accompany you but just no time. Running the Rideau and Thousand Islands are my limits. Just remember though, you haven't really lived until one of your kids have managed to get a line caught around the prop while exiting a busy lock. We did it twice in one day back in the mid eighties.

Trent Severn has two lift locks and a marine railway. Kowabunga baby.

Rick

[captainmaniac]

The Trent is fantastic. I have cruised the bottom end of it (between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe) several times, and in fact we bought my F32 on Lake Simcoe and brought it down from there... Jimbo's estimate of 4-5 days may be a touch optimistic - if you go like hell and have perfect weather you might do it in that time, but odds are you will get a bad weather day or decide to just stop and enjoy the area a bit along the way, so you should allow yourself a week to do the canal itself. I do fully agree with his comment that locking starts out as great fun, but you will be happy to get to the end..... It is a bit of work, and after you do that 40 or 50 times, it takes a bit out of you.

RE Peter's comment :

sounds like a blast.expect to spend around 7 K in fuel

-- shouldn't be that bad. I don't have my Trent-Severn charts handy right now, but the Parks Canada web site claims the waterway to be 386km - or a little over 230 miles - long. Several stretches are no wake zones, so you will be doing a chunk of that at 1500 rpm / 8 knots or less. Based on k9th's figures of 0.8 mpg at 18 knots, you should expect somewhere between 0.8 and 1.1 mpg overall for the trip - or total burn somewhere between 200 and 300 gallons - call it $1200-$1800 for fuel (each way) at current prices, plus locking fees, plus docking fees depending on where you stay. Not sure if they charge you to stay over night at a Lock these days, or not... Marinas will probably be $1 to $1.50 per foot per night. When we brought my F32 down from Simcoe, we burned about 160 gallons between Simcoe and Trenton.

Of course, add to that whatever it will take in fuel to get from Toronto to Trenton and return, plus your Georgian Bay cruising.

[rooferdave]

Great info guys! I will be going to pick up the TSW publication this week and will try and find places to dock at night, I am a member of CBYC and will see if we have any reciprical deals with anyone on the way.

sooo, when your kids wrap your lines around a screw...whaddaya do? lol

Rick do you get wet?

[rickalan35]

VERY

[Peter]

fuel usage will of course depend on your route.if you return via the lake (huron to St Clair River-Lake St Clair-Detroit River-Lake Erie-lake Ontario and home...easily close to 7 k.( also add fuel usage in Georgian Bay itself...)

[ready123]

I would like to do this trip in July, I know it is early but I would like to plan it well and perhaps drive overland first to make it as good as can be, also if I can meet up with some of you from here on the way it would be awesome! Planning on stopping at friends cottages along the way also. the above will ditate my route. Any idea's all? What would a good fuel budget be for me in my 36 ft trifly with twin 5.7s? Any ideas on places to go, inlets to check out? I am thinking 4-6 weeks would be cool. This would also eliminate the hassle of having to book off work early so much.
the adventure begins...

Fuel budget depends on how you motor... What I would do is truck it to Midland and then start your trip there to go North. Since you have 4-6 weeks you should do the North channel. Read up on all that in Ports...
Do you want to be in marina's or hang out on the hook? Is eating out a priority?
Here is a capture of the whole Bay, showing direct route Midland to North Channel.

What I would do is the direct route one way and then hug the right shore (East) on the way down... some lovely spots to see. The Bad River, Britt, Shawinaga Island and then the channels and islands south of Parry Sound where I spend every weekend.
Travelling the Trent wastes 7 days and every day is like the last one except the lift locks and Marine Railway..... three things over 7 days, I wouldn't do it. You should be able to move the boat for around $400 each way.

[rooferdave]

eating out is not a priority, will stay is clubs, marina's but I think hanging on the hook will be a lot of fun also. I think our yellow lab will add a bit to the mix with his pee breaks and such. We are going to go up the trent when the adventure is new for the experience, plus having a cottage up Lindsay way as a child, will be cool to boat back up where I grew up summerwise. Trucking back may be the way but pulling the windows and railings etc is a pita and trucking from Midland last cost me $1100.00. Wife calls gotta go

[ready123]

Trucking back may be the way but pulling the windows and railings etc is a pita and trucking from Midland last cost me $1100.00. Wife calls gotta go

If you use a **lowboy** trailer you don't need to remove anything. All I do on my F32 is remove the canvas and wind deflector and I am much taller than you... 14' 9" from road. Your pricing is extreme, I spent half that from Windsor to Midland.... need to shop around.

[ready123]

eating out is not a priority, will stay is clubs, marina's but I think hanging on the hook will be a lot of fun also.

Georgian Bay's marina's are quite scarce as you go up the side.... IMO being on the hook is a must to keep the costs down. Do you have a dinghy to get the dog ashore?