Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the USA · Bela Musits

EP-125 Rochester NY to Portland Maine via the St Lawrence Seaway - Dan Kerpelman

·56 min·5 clips

Dan Kerpelman sideswiped a buoy while dodging a massive freighter on the St. Lawrence River.

This episode features experienced sailor Dan Kerpelman, who recounts his 2,000-nautical-mile voyage with his wife from Rochester, New York, to Portland, Maine, via the St. Lawrence Seaway. Hosts Bala Musitz and Mike Wasserman highlight this less-traveled alternative to the popular Erie Canal route. Dan explains they chose this "Down East Circle Route" for adventure and to avoid dropping their mast, planning it just before the pandemic. The trip spanned three months, crossing two U.S. states and five Canadian provinces aboard their Beneteau 41.1 sloop. Key segments included navigating the Thousand Islands, the St. Lawrence River with its strong currents, and passing cities like Montreal and Quebec City. They rounded the Gaspé Peninsula into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, visited Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, and crossed the Bay of Fundy into Maine. Dan details specific challenges like timing seven locks, sharing waters with large freighters, and adapting to significant tides. A surprising insight was the exceptional hospitality received, including fishermen moving trawlers to accommodate them and strangers offering car keys. Dan contrasts the Great Lakes' choppy waves with the ocean's more manageable swells. He learned to handle currents after sideswiping a buoy and to calculate tidal swings after running aground near Sorel, Quebec. The interplay of river currents and tides proved complex, leading them to adopt a simple departure rule: leave two hours before high tide. Fog and Maine's prolific lobster pots presented a major final challenge, with traps sometimes lurking in navigational channels. Dan notes they snagged one trap on their keel but avoided propeller issues. They managed power without a generator, relying on an inverter, solar panels, and motoring frequently to maintain day-hop schedules. The trip required careful planning due to fewer marinas and anchorages, especially in Quebec and Nova Scotia. The conversation is educational and conversational, blending practical advice with personal anecdotes. Dan's tone is reflective and detailed, offering lessons learned from mistakes without drama. Listeners interested in Great Lakes sailing, coastal cruising, or unique North American voyages will find this episode valuable. Those seeking high-drama sailing stories or purely tropical destinations might find the focus on cold-water and logistical challenges less appealing.

As heard by us

A practical cruising story about an unusual route and the tide-driven challenges it creates.

Dan Kerpelman's route gives the conversation a practical edge, tracing an unusual passage from Rochester to Portland via the St. Lawrence and making a solid case for why many Great Lakes sailors would choose the Erie Canal instead.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Great Lakes-to-Atlantic passage with real navigation tradeoffs.

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