De-stepping the mast?

[HuskerDave]

We're looking at possibly buying a boat that's now on Lake Erie. We plan to sail mostly on the East coast, Bahamas and eventually the Caribbean. The question is how to best get her to the Southeast coast?

1. Hire someone to haul her over land - 42 foot boat with 13 1/2 foot beam - that would be pretty expensive.
2. Sail to Buffalo NY, have the mast removed and either ship the mast to the eastern end of the canal system just above NYC, or have the mast lashed to the deck - with 7-8 feet sticking out on either end of the deck.

Once we get to NYC area, we plan on finding an experienced captain to assist us on the ocean route from there, as our experience level is not sufficient to take on New York Harbor and going around Cape Fear, etc. Once we get down to SC or there about, we can take our time in building up skills. I have done a couple of Gulf Stream crossings in a sailboat, but my wife has not, so we need some intense time practicing before doing that with just the two of us.

Any suggestions are welcomed.

[bljones]

My vote is for the canal. Mast stepping is a regular practice at both ends of the canal, and it is a nice trip in the spring. It also give you a chance to work out any bugs in a part of the world (lake erie) where parts and service are readily available, and arguably cheaper than on the east coast.

[canadianseamonkey]

You're not interested in taking the St. Lawrence River to the east coast? There is no need to take your mast down if you take that route. If you have the time, I think you might enjoy it.

[bljones]

The only challenge with taking the Seaway is getting through the Welland Canal, which requires a minimum crew of three.

[klem]

It depends what you want to do with the boat. If you want a neat motorboat trip, taking the mast down and lashing it to the deck is the best option. However, if you are interested in sailing, shipping might be a better use of your time.

If you want to look at it from a cost perspective, make sure you look at the cost of everything. Shipping is a expensive but it is 1 fee instead of many which you will incur in the trip down the canal system if you treat that as a delivery rather than a vacation. Fees include your living fees, crane fees, fuel, wear and tear, etc. The most important thing to me is to put a value on your time. If all you want to do is go sailing, then the obvious answer is to ship it and spend your time doing what you want.

It really comes down to whether you are interested in doing the canal system or not since it is quite expensive to do it if you don't treat it as a vacation.

[FSMike]

HuskerDave -
If you take the boat by yourselves through the canal system, by the time you get to NYC your experience level should be quite capable of dealing with the harbor.

[tommays]

I would think the cost of your time unless you have a LOT and the cost of a Captain would = out against the cost of trucking

I cant see how you will learn much about sailing until your below NYC in the thick of weather and ship traffic

[Hudsonian]

If you have the time, think about turning left at the Battery. A month or six weeks in Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay would be highly rewarding and help prepare you for the hop off the New Jersey coast. You might find it the most enjoyable part of trip south.

[HuskerDave]

Thanks for all the replies. Time won't be a big factor as once we leave, we're gone with no set time lines except as dictated by weather. If mast stepping is commonly done on both ends of the canal, that in itself would be a good part of our learning process as it's something we might need to do again as part of maintenance.

[mooregm5]

Hi Dave,

12 Days +/- on the Erie Canal and Hudson River may be a nice way to break in the boat, fix broken items and get things how you want it on the boat.

Two things would make you NOT want to take this route. 1st is if you have little time. If you only have 3-4 weeks of vacation a year, and can't or don't want to deditcate it to the trip, then the obvious answer is shipping the boat. The other is along the same lines, if you just want to sail, and have no interest in the canal/river, then shipping it is the best option.

The canal is a love-hate relationship among boaters. Some just look at it as a long boring ditch to get from Lake Erie to NYC. Others take their time and make it a destination in itself. The style of cruising is very unlike sailing on open water, and thus you will probably will either love it or hate it. The nice thing about the canal is that it is very cheap! A 10 day pass for the canal is about $50, and then you can get free docking with power/water/restrooms nearly the entire way to the Albany.

Raising and lowering the mast at each end is routine business. Here are is a list of places on both ends.

Eastern End (Albany)
* Castleton Boat Club, Castleton on the Hudson, NY; 518-732-7077 --- Note: Do it yourself gin pole.
* Hop-O-Nose Marine, Catskill, NY; 518-943-4640
* Riverview Marine Service Inc., Catskill, NY; 518-943-5311 --- Note: Cannot service catamarans, must fit in slip to reach crane.

Western End (Buffalo)
* Wardell Boat Yard, North Tonawanda, NY; 716-692-9428
* Smith Boys Inc., North Tonawanda, NY; 716-695-3472
* Rich Marine Sales, Inc., Buffalo, NY; 716-873-4060
* RCR Yachts, Buffalo, NY; 716-856-6314