MacGregorSailors.com

Looking to purchase a macgregor in the next few months and I was wondering where people go in Ontario with their trailer sailors.

One of the most beautiful cruising areas in North America - the North Channel. Take a look at Trailer Sailors cruises.

Ontario, thats a large area. I sail Lake Erie and frequently cross from Pennsylvania to Long Point Bay and sail into Port Dover or Turkey Point. Both towns have very nice launch ramps and modern Marina`s. Yhere are a few Mac`s located there.

As I know, you are going to buy your first sailboat For start you have to try Lake Simcoe or Hamilton bay, You can sail in any weather conditions. For Lakes Huron , Ontario, Erie you should have experience to sail.

Ontario has thousands of lakes as you already know. Whatever you do,


DO NOT SAIL ANY OF THEM WITHOUT A CHART.


It’s one thing to sail around at 3-5 kts, but with the Mac, you will end up going fast enough to hit a shoal/rock/whatever and, well…

Favorite spot for past 15 years... Trent Severn System, Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay and staying on This beautiful spot

G

My wife and I keep our boat in Lake Ontario...not the prettiest of lakes but sailing to Toronto is fun and it's only a ten minute drive to the boat...

However, we trailered up to Georgian Bay a couple years back...it's sooooo beautiful up there! I want to retire up in that area!

Cheers,
Rich.

You have to be very carefull & alert in some parts of Georgian Bay & the trent system do not soley rely on your charts set a depth sounder alarm some shoals marked 12ft are only 4ft & 6ft can become 6" the water level there changes drasticaly from yr to yr do to how much snow they get in the winter & the trent severn water way useage & level controls, in port severn and honey harbour you'll do alot of motoring alot of small channel's but the Severn Sound is ok a few shoals & reefs & the national park on the Isl is nice & alot of traffic in the trent system, is very nice but be perpared to spend alot of time at the locks if your on a time schedule the last I was up there they went on strike had to go get my truck & trailer to get out of there thats one of the nice features of a mac eh Collingwood to Tobermory is really nice get out into the Georgian Bay open water & sail for 8 to 10hrs & your only 1/2hr to 1-1/2hr from any safe port with a Mac powersailor . Tobermory is famous for its sunken ships could go on, on ,on happy sailing when you get your mac

John

Does Ontario still fine one for having on board an unplumbed (portable) portapotti?
Ron

ron,
as for plumbing, yes.
But a porta potti with a pump out line is ok

Are not all inland lakes the same, as in you have to have a pumpout deck mount so that you can't just chuck "IT" overboard

I was under the impression the only place you were permitted to have a portapotti was on the ocean.

I have the 5.2 gal type, drilled a hole through the cabin top, hooked up the drain hose to a deck mount, drilled another hole through the hull and hooked up a vent line using a gas tank vent from wm.

Works for my family and it was not expensive.

Cheers

G

You're located in an excellent for trailor sailing.

We have driven and sailed the Rideau Canal and Rideau lakes a number of times --since we are retired May-June and September -October up to the closing at Thanksgiving around the 12 Oct to see the colours. The canal is empty and colour is beautiful. Sailing and anchoring at Colonel By Island on the Rideau Lakes is a neat mid point for the trip.
We then go into the Thousand Islands at the beginning or end of the trips.

Trent Canal System from Trenton to Georgian Bay in the fall. The lift locks at Peterborough and Talbot are a must. However by October it was very windy in Georgian Bay's 10,000 Islands. Small craft warnings, closed marinas and very few sailboats cramped our trip.

Lake Simcoe to the 10,000 Islands in the spring. We spent over a month cruising up to the Franklin Islands and back in early July. Very few boats in early June but by July fairly crowded.

Ottawa River from Ottawa to Montreal is a nice sailing and motoring minivacation. Overnighting at the Fairmont Montebello is an excellent addition to the trip and motoring into Old Montreal shows what the Honda 50 can do.

In the planning stages:
The North Channel in June--see an earlier post
The Ottawa River Waterway from Lake Timinsking to Ottawa in the spring or summer. The MacGregor apparently will fit the boat movers.

These are our choices, enough for a few more trips.

Mike Purdy
Jedaro

Hey all,
I spent a week on the north channel last summer and have finaly weeded my 400 or so pics down to a short power point presentation.
will gladly email it to anyone interested . just pm me your email

THe people I sail with out of Wilson NY tell me any marine head must have the overboard function disabled (locked out with a lock or zip tie) so that it cannot be easily dumped overboard on Ontario.

I have it on good authority on the US side that a porta-potty is not a marine head and is unregulated. My PP has a macerator with a lock out position which I use when on Ontario as I dont want to take chances with the CG

I do not know Canadian regs so when you cross the line on Ontario, YKMV (Your Kilometerage may Vary)