Stupid shake-down cruise? Lake Ontario

[SkaterRace]

I am picking up a new to me 2019 Blackfin 212CC in April, I live on the St Lawerence river and the boat is about halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie at a dealer. For shits and giggles, I was curious how many tanks of gas I would need to boat it home from the closest launch point on Lake Ontario to the dealer. Turns out about 75 gallons at cruise speed based on Blackfin data. My tank is 105 gallons which means I would have 28% fuel left over. My plan has been to pick up the boat with my dad and drive it back to their place via the 401 which is about an hour from me but on Lake Ontario. The idea being I spend the night there and take it home the next day when he has more energy to help me get it all settled in. Also so my mom could look at it too. If I met my dad at the boat launch I like near their place it would be about 58 gallons of gas, 155 miles, and 7 hours if I went via water across the lake. If I make it a safer route then it is 185 miles and 62 gallons of gas.

I was thinking I could solo trip or bring my mom with me to drive the boat home via the water for the 155-mile trip. My dad would take the truck and trailer home himself and meet me/us at the launch about 3-4 hours after he gets home. Then the next day I can go with my dad to take the boat home on the trailer.

This seems like an amazing shake-down cruise and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for me. The longest trip I had planned was the 75-mile trip up the river to meet my parents and then a day on Lake Ontario then home for about a 180-mile day.

My post is about two things, one is the a practical idea and two is this a good idea or not

 

[Lou C]

Don't know those boating conditions but what I've heard about the Great Lakes suggests I'd not want to be out there, with a new to me boat in winter time!

 

[racerone]

The Coast Guard says-----" You just have to go out , but you do not have to come back "-----Very , very foolish idea to go out there in winter !!!!-------I have done my boating on Lake Huron in end of May.-----Over an 80 mile trip over 12 hrs you typically do not come across any one who could help you.

 

[SkaterRace]

Don't know those boating conditions but what I've heard about the Great Lakes suggests I'd not want to be out there, with a new to me boat in winter time!

April is winter time? Around here the temps warm up enough that we are out in shorts and a t-shirt lol We already had some plus 3-5 days this month that I was down by the river for a walk in a t-shirt and jeans.

 

[SkaterRace]

The Coast Guard says-----" You just have to go out , but you do not have to come back "-----Very , very foolish idea to go out there in winter !!!!-------I have done my boating on Lake Huron in end of May.-----Over an 80 mile trip over 12 hrs you typically do not come across any one who could help you.

As I said to someone else above, is April really winter? More so spring to me. I have been kayaking before in March when the ice clears up.

Not coming across anyone who could help is my worry. I don't expect issues but never know with a boat what could break or go wrong. I am leaning towards this being a bad idea but sounds like a lot of fun and if you take out the cold water it is safer than many other things I have done on the water. Pretty sure this would be my dumbest idea yet though because of the cold water and low boat traffic.

 

[alldodge]

New to you boat I wouldn't chance it. Once you have run the boat for a season and checked it out then that would be ok. The fuel consumption data may be correct for new, but don't know right now

If you do go, pick up a loaner EPIRB in case something happens
https://www.boatus.org/epirb/rentals/

 

[SkaterRace]

New to you boat I wouldn't chance it. Once you have run the boat for a season and checked it out then that would be ok. The fuel consumption data may be correct for new, but don't know right now

If you do go, pick up a loaner EPIRB in case something happens
https://www.boatus.org/epirb/rentals/

EPIRB is on my list of items to buy before I pick it up anyways so would have my own just incase I need it. Guessing fuel data would be correct at only 19 hours on the engine?

The more I think about this idea the more I like it and think it would be fun but then I am realistic and think this also might be a bit more risk than I should be taking solo in a slow season for marine traffic.

 

[briangcc]

April has the potential to encounter ice. That being said, everything I've seen/heard is that Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence really didn't ice over this year thus far and they're re-opening the shipping channel as soon as the marker bouys are back in the water...which is around March.

Sometimes in April you can be out on the water. I was in '99 almost every week breaking in the Bayliner. But its darn cold.

My uncle used to broker boats and made a trip with a used boat from Lake Ontario up to the St Lawrence. My aunt went with him and chummed the water the entire way if you get my drift. The lake is very unforgiving if the waves come up, and they can/will.

I'd be leery of taking an unknown boat that distance out of normal boating season where help could be had rather easily.

 

[racerone]

You will need a ----" cold beer to warm up your hands "----on a trip like that.

 

[SkaterRace]

April has the potential to encounter ice. That being said, everything I've seen/heard is that Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence really didn't ice over this year thus far and they're re-opening the shipping channel as soon as the marker bouys are back in the water...which is around March.

Sometimes in April you can be out on the water. I was in '99 almost every week breaking in the Bayliner. But its darn cold.

My uncle used to broker boats and made a trip with a used boat from Lake Ontario up to the St Lawrence. My aunt went with him and chummed the water the entire way if you get my drift. The lake is very unforgiving if the waves come up, and they can/will.

I'd be leery of taking an unknown boat that distance out of normal boating season where help could be had rather easily.

The river is actually pretty ice-free already this year, I was out swimming in it the other day and was thinking of taking the kayak out this weekend. Yes crazy but the cold doesn't bother me except when I fall in which ruins the day but good by nighttime to sit around and drink an Irish coffee.

The unknown boat outside boating season is my worry mainly. The waves I am guessing at worst would be 2-3ft for the route I was planning to take with the weather tolerances I had in mind. If the wind was bad or something I would have bailed last minute if needed.

Seasick isn't something I have ever had a problem with even in some terrible storms in my cadet sailing days when I did trips to the east coast

 

[jimmbo]

Myself, I wouldn't take a 'new to me Boat' on that type of Journey.
Reading your Posts, I feel your mind is made up, and are looking for someone to agree with you.
You can do what you want, but, I think it could turn out to be a bad Experience

 

[SkaterRace]

Myself, I wouldn't take a 'new to me Boat' on that type of Journey.
Reading your Posts, I feel your mind is made up, and are looking for someone to agree with you.
You can do what you want, but, I think it could turn out to be a bad Experience

Not sure my mind was made up in the way you are thinking? My post on Sunday at 4:17 pm includes the below

"The more I think about this idea the more I like it and think it would be fun but then I am realistic and think this also might be a bit more risk than I should be taking solo in a slow season for marine traffic."

So yeah my mind is made up I am not doing it even if it would be fun and I would likely enjoy it. The issue is the risk is a bit too much for me the more I look at it. I can't think of a more fun way to test out the boat but then again low marine traffic, boat/engine I am not familiar with, would be forced to wear my cold weather gear (swimming in 6C water requires it so I have it) that I am not a big fan of when dry, and coast guard response times can be a bit slow that time of year for that area from what someone told me.

 

[Lou C]

Agreed I don't know the Great Lakes but I know Long Island Sound well, which is only about 12 miles wide where I am, I can see Connecticut from my house on a clear day but there is no way I would be out on the Sound, in what I consider late winter, in a boat new to me, and also in the range of a 21' CC. A CC has basically no weather protection. And, in my case there is a Coast Guard Station nearby at Eaton's Neck, and I still wouldn't do it. There are NO boats out there now, except for tugboats and barges that throw off huge wakes.
The weather can be fine then turn quickly and a 21' boat, becomes very small.
Summer time, yes, there are boats out there, the weather is good, at least in the morning, however by afternoon, the gusts pick up & it's time to get out of Dodge....the worst in LI Sound is wind against tide, that makes the waves bigger and is quite dangerous.

 

[racerone]

True story.-----One time the police were running down the dock to their boat.------Folks told them that I was already 1/2 to the location of the emergency.-----Turns out the overturned canoe was able to get out of trouble by themselves.----Other time folks said----" if we were in trouble , we sure would like to hear on the radio that you were on the way "-----Coast guard here has to wait for qualified volunteers to show up before they can leave at 7 knots.-----Local coast guard auxiliary is not launched till early May I believe.

 

[909]

Better safe than sorry.

 

[dingbat]

If your survival plan involves the USCG you’re in trouble no matter what time of year it is.

SAR Readiness: Each Coast Guard unit with a SAR readiness responsibility shall have a suitable SAR resource ready to proceed within 30 minutes of notification of a distress.

SAR Mission Response: No greater than a two-hour total response time for any one response unit within a Sector or unit’s AOR to arrive at any location within the AOR. This time is calculated from time of notification of the Coast Guard until the time of arrival on scene, including 30 minutes of preparation time (i.e. a total of 90 minutes from underway to on-scene).

 

[Lou C]

As I said even with a CG station literally right at the mouth of Huntington Bay, (CG Eaton's Neck Station) which is within 10 miles of anywhere I might be, I would not be on a small boat at this time of year. Hypothermia kills quickly when the water temps are only about 40-45*F.

 

[dingbat]

I would not be on a small boat at this time of year. Hypothermia kills quickly when the water temps are only about 40-45*F.

Those water temps are right in the zone. Wouldn’t make much of a Striper fisherman.

How big a boat do you need to be safe?

Sadly, we loose someone Striper fishing from a private boat every couple of years. Always the same scenario….out trolling alone without an operational man-over board device in use. Person goes overboard, boat walks away from them.

Ironically, the largest single loss of life was when a 48’ boat went down from a mechanical failure.

 

[Lou C]

I think the question is not just how big of a boat you need to be safe but where you are using it. I see 2 skiffs in my harbor used during winter but these guys stay in a protected bay they definitely are not out in LI Sound. Same 2 boats left out there & used all winter.

 

[Lou C]