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A
Cruising Itinerary to the Northern Ports of Lake
Champlain
By
Captain Robin Jeffers
Frequently
I am asked from both locals and visitors alike,
what’s there to see and do on Lake Champlain?
Last season I suggested an itinerary for cruising
the southern portion of Lake Champlain, this season
I offer an alternate float plan for cruising the
northern section of the Lake. The itinerary will
take you from Burlington, centrally located at
the Lake’s widest section up the Lake into
the “Inland Sea” and then takes you
back visiting many different ports, harbor and
islands along the way. The route is roughly circuitous
and may be begun or concluded at any port mentioned
along the way. The journey covers a little of
everything the Lake has to offer, from secluded
anchorage's to all amenity marinas, sand beaches
to rock cliffs, some long legs of sailing and
some shorter ones and leaves time for exploring
ashore.
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Day
One:
Beginning in Burlington Harbor, provision locally
at any of the many markets easily accessible
from the Burlington waterfront. There is a complimentary
shuttle service provided from the Community
Boathouse at the base of College Street which
runs throughout the day up and down the hill
Burlington is located on, returning to the waterfront,
roughly every 20 minutes. Burlington’s
downtown Marketplace, not to be missed, is a
great place to shop with it’s many boutiques,
stores and street vendors, and also has an endless
variety of restaurants, cafes and bars to entice
you to stop for awhile and enjoy the street
scene. If you’re in town on a Saturday,
be sure not to miss the Farmer’s Market
held every Saturday morning. You can purchase
everything from the freshest, morning harvested
produce and flowers to fine Vermont made arts,
crafts, clothing, pottery and glass, just to
name a few things. Burlington offers boaters
amenities from ATMs, bars and chandleries to
movies and Mozart.
After enjoying what the city has to offer, you
can set sail northwest to Valcour Island, an
easy two-three hour sail from Burlington Harbor.
Located just south of Plattsburgh, NY, Valcour
has several anchorage's that are well protected
and beautiful. Wide flat rocks line the shoreline
and invite you to bask in the sun. There are
walking trails that traverse the island to be
enjoyed by those who like to get out and explore.
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Day
Two:
You’ll want to get an early start the next
day to begin your trek up to the ‘Inland
Sea’. It’s a good days sail from Valcour
Island to the entrance of the ‘Gut’
or entrance to the Inland Sea. It is advised
to motor through both the Gut and the drawbridge
as the channel is narrow and shallow, leaving
you little room to maneuver unless you have
a very shallow draft. A great place to tuck
away for the night just south of the gut through
the drawbridge is Tudhope’s Marina. It’s
a full service marina with dockage, showers
and store.
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Days
Three and Four:
Leaving Tudhope’s you will want to sail
on up to Burton Island. This is a spot not to
be missed. Burton Island is a state park whose
beaches and walking trails everyone will enjoy.
Nature walks are offered occasionally by Vermont
State Naturalists who discuss the wildlife and
plantings indigenous to the area. There is a
ferry service to and from the island from Kill
Kare State Park just outside of St. Albans.
This makes Burton Island a great place to have
guests visit you or embark and disembark if
they are only able to make part of your journey
with you. There is a small market with provisioning
available for necessities. Nearby there are
several islands which are fun to explore and
while it’s not advised to overnight, their
harbors make good day anchorage's.
Across the sea, is the Village of North Hero
with several places worth visiting. The North
Hero House offers brunch and dinners in a lovely
setting overlooking the sea. It is best to make
reservations by phone ahead of time. The North
Hero House places several moorings in front
of their pier for transient use, or you may
anchor in the harbor. Dinghy ashore and explore
the village. There is water deep enough to anchor
in City Bay although the entrance is tricky
and one must use caution. Just up the street
to the North from the village center is the
Northland Boat Shop a little boat shop/ antique
shop which also sells hunting and fishing licenses,
a good place to stop if you think you might
like to cast a line. There is also a small market
in the village for provisioning.
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Day
Five:
To continue our exploration of the Northern
section of the lake we must now reverse our
tracks and exit the Inland Sea by way of the
Gut. Entering the main lake again, there are
several directions you could explore, depending
on the time you have available and the type
of anchorage you’re looking for next. If
your time allows you to continue northward,
head to Monty Bay where you’ll find Mooney
Bay Marina, a full service marina and restaurant.
Another option would be to sail westward of
the Gut towards Deep Bay. Monty Bay is somewhat
protected from the winds , while Deep Bay is
extremely well protected. Deep Bay is quite
narrow, with room only for a few, and vessels
heading there are advised to get there early
to find a spot. Deep Bay is one of the most
popular spots on the Lake, and many people will
“hole up” there for a day or two.
There are walking trails linking Monty Bay to
Deep Bay and also exploring Long Point. Located
next to Deep Bay is Treadwell Bay which offers
a large sand beach.
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Day
Six:
Returning southward now, continue on to Plattsburgh.
You’ll find a recently renovated marina,
the Plattsburgh Boat Basin with restaurant,
which has live music on weekends. If you’re
up for a walk, Plattsburg’s downtown offers
a variety of shops and restaurants. Cumberland
Bay just to the north is home to Cumberland
Bay State Park, which boasts one of the Lake’s
most beautiful sand beaches.
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Day
Seven:
From the Plattsburg area, it’s a great
reach to the entrance of the outer bay area
of Mallets Bay. It’s then another four
and one half miles to the ‘Inner Bay’.
Marble Island Resort at the tip of Mallets Head
which marks the entrance to the Inner Bay. Transient
boaters are welcome here. Heading on into the
Inner Bay, you will find many marinas with slips
available and where you may also anchor your
boat. Ashore, Lakeshore Drive winds it’s
way around Mallets Bay and offers just about
everything a boater might want. You’ll
find groceries, hardware and marine stores,
clothing and book stores, miniature golf, public
beach and a great variety of bars and restaurants.
Several of the marinas offer shower and toilets
for boaters. Consult your cruising guide for
specifics.
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Day
Eight:
Leaving Mallets Bay, head south west to
Willsboro Bay. A great stopping point on
the way over is Schulyer Island, which is
fun to explore and offers some great swimming
spots. Willsboro Bay itself has spectacular
beauty. Steep rock cliffs line the western
shore extend straight below the waterline,
allowing you to navigate extremely close
to the shoreline with depths of 75-80’
just a few feet from shore. Halfway down
the bay, on the western shore, under a railroad
trestle, is a waterfall whose runoff creates
one shallow spot. This is a great for exploring
ashore. There are three places to overnight
in the bay. The first you’ll come across
is Indian Bay Marina, a small marina with
dock and restaurant. The second is Willsboro
Bay Marina, a large full service marina
with a newly renovated restaurant offering
fine dining, the marina offers slips, pumpout,
fuel and showers for overnight guests. Third,
many mariners opt anchor in the southern
end of the bay, where there’s a motel
that offers dining ashore. Leaving Willsboro
Bay, Burlington is about a half days sail
due east.
It is important to note that I’ve only
mentioned a few of the many anchorage's
and marinas located on this part of the
Lake. I urge all boaters to review their
charts for navigation information and The
Cruising Guide to Lake Champlain which includes
complete and up to date information on all
of the marinas, their hours and services
offered. Fairwinds and great sailing on
the Lake!
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A
Cruising Itinerary to the Southern Ports of Lake
Champlain
By Captain Robin Jeffers
Sailing on Lake Champlain...What's it like, what'
there to see and do?? Of course sailing on the Lake
means many things to different people. I am asked
this question all of the time. My usual response
is something like this, Lake Champlain is the "Sir
Francis Drake Channel" of the north (referring
to a popular chartering area of the Caribbean in
the Virgin Islands). Lake Champlain is safe sailing
for the most part, fresh water, tide free and deep.
You are always in site of land, yet can sail long
distances. It has the local lore of Champ, a sea
monster to be on the lookout for, is surrounded
by beautiful scenery with the Adirondacks of New
York to the west and the Green Mountains of Vermont
to the east, some great anchorage's that offer a
complete getaway from it all feeling and plenty
of full facility marinas that offer all amenities,
with good food and drink nearby. And... the best
sunsets anywhere.... in my opinion anyway.Where
to go, what to do, will my kids be bored, are the
questions I am most often asked when customers call
and are considering a charter on the lake. A typical
itinerary I would suggest would be like the following.
It has something for everyone, some anchoring out
"away from it all", some evenings ashore,
and suggestions for kids and others who need to
stretch their legs every day. Most of the sailing
legs are short and land stops are included every
day.
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First
Night
Board and provision in Burlington and enjoy
some of the city's nightspots and restaurants.
A free shuttle service provides transportation
to the Church Street Marketplace for great shopping,
outdoor cafŽs, movie theaters, etc. There's
a farmers market every Saturday morning in City
Hall Park, where local farmers and crafts people
sell everything from fresh produce to flowers,
crafts and clothing.
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Day
One
Depart for Valcour Island just south of Plattsburgh,
NY. Smugglers and Sloop Coves are beautiful
anchorage's where you can dinghy ashore and
explore walking trails that loop over and around
the island. For those who prefer the comfort
of a marina overnight, just north of Valcour
is the City of Plattsburgh and Plattsburgh Marina,
and to the west of Valcour Island is Snug Harbor
Marina, both offer dining and full services.
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Day
Two
Head South to Willsboro Bay, NY., you will enjoy
spectacular scenery of cliffs which drop straight
into the lake to depths of 198+ feet. About
halfway down the bay there is a shallow spot
formed by stream runoff, adjacent to a railroad
trestle where a where you can anchor and swim
ashore to discover a beautiful waterfall. This
is not an overnight anchorage and if you continue
across the bay you will come to Indian Bay Marina,
a great spot for burgers and beer, they have
other offerings as well. Further south down
the bay is Willsboro Bay Marina, they have transient
dockage, showers, ship's store, chandlery and
newly renovated bar and restaurant with an extensive
menu. You may also anchor in the southern end
of the bay. There is a small beach on the south
west side of the bay, you can dinghy ashore.
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Day
Three
Continue South to beautiful Kingsland Bay, VT.
and enjoy a Vermont perspective sunset over
the Adirondacks. On the north shore is a park
for those who want to stretch their legs and
wander.
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Day
Four
Sail further south to Westport, NY, on route
stop at Basin Harbor Resort, VT, home of the
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. You can picnic
aboard or dine at either of two restaurants
at the resort. Both kids and adults will enjoy
a taste of maritime history at the museum. There
are moorings available to pick up for your stop
here, or you may anchor close by. Leave to the
southwest to Westport, a beautiful town to walk
around and there are a variety of restaurants
offering casual to fancy fare. The Westport
Marina offers showers and welcomes transient
boaters.
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Day
Five
Begin heading back north stopping at picturesque
and historic Essex, NY, where you might enjoy
the casual atmosphere of the “Old Dock”
or dine at the Essex Inn. There are two marinas
in Essex offering dockage for the evening. Holding
is not great here so if you opt to stay overnight,
docking at one of the marinas is recommended.
There are two marinas each offering showers
and services for mariners. A walk around town
should be a definite on your list, Essex is
very proud of it's historic heritage and many
homes and storefronts are restored to original
condition and are a pleasure to see.
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Day
Six
Continue on northward to Shelburne Bay, stopping
on the way to enjoy the sandy beach at the mouth
of the Bouquet River for a picnic lunch. The
delta of Bouquet provides the Lake with one
of it's nicest sand beaches and is a great midday
stopping spot. Shelburne Bay has two great anchorage's
for transients boaters, one about halfway down
the bay on the western side and the other at
the extreme southwest end of the bay, this is
also the town anchorage area. Walking trails
here make this a popular spot.
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Day
Seven
Take a last reach across the lake and picnic
off Schuyler Island and explore a bit and then
reach back across to return to Burlington.
Of course the Lake has much, much more to offer,
as I haven't even begun to delve into the northern
portion, which could host someone for another
entire week, or the sailor who prefers to sail
longer distances might want to and could see
both the north and south in a weeks time.
All in all the lake offers sailors, tourists
and locals alike something new at almost every
harbor or cove, whether it's simply a breathtakingly
beautiful view, or a Lake Trout for dinner (freshly
caught) or a perfect skipping stone to skip
across the water. For me, just thinking about
the lake brings back memories of the excitement
of racing on weekday evenings and weekends,
cruising for a week or long weekends or just
sitting on the mooring having coffee and reading
in the sun, and of course, puttering around
on the boat anytime, pre-season, post-season,
under way and at anchor. "Sailing"
on the lake encompasses it all, time with friends,
a getaway, romance, relaxation, sometimes a
challenge, so much more above and beyond all
that wind in your hair and the sound of water
lapping at the sides of the hull stuff, which
by the way is wonderful too.
The Winds of Ireland was started in 1992 at
the Burlington Community Boathouse by Stuart
Ireland, a local business owner who had always
wanted to see a charter fleet on the Lake in
Burlington. Stu grew up in Rhode Island and
always remembered looking out at all the boats
and it made a lasting impression on him. The
fleet is managed by Robin Jeffers, who has been
sailing on the Lake for 30 years. In addition
to bareboat charter, Winds of Ireland offers
captained daysails three times daily. A two
hour cruise is $20.00 per person, with a maximum
of six passengers on board. It's a great way
for non-sailors, or visiting sailors to see
the lake. Often people will come to celebrate
a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary.
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