In southern Ontario there are lots of places to sail from. In eastern lake ontario the wind is fantastic and very reliable. Where I am, near the Sandbanks Provincial Park there is a resort that lets us keep boats on the beach. In Kingston it is hard to find a good spot..
In the Toronto area Water Rats downtown is the best spot.
Burlington has the Burlington Beach Catamaran club which is going strong.
Also lots of other great places.. Sauble beach for eg..
Hey there, as it turns out I do most of my sailing in Moyie, lots of tacking. There definitely is screwy wind down the sides of the lake on days that are really blowing. I've been caught a few times trying to milk a run for ever last second only to get stuck along the side not able to tack and forced into a jibe. I have my eye on columbia lake up at canal flats and for more adventure down to flathead lake in montana. Just need to find an accomplice.
The winds here strike me a typical mountain lake winds, afternoon thermals that are gusty. So when it blows it blows good but you really need to be cranking your head around to look over your shoulder or it's a lazy sailing day (suntanning).
If you're looking for FREE access near Montreal, i wish you luck...
Sometimes the cheaper boat ends up being the more expensive one in the long run. Anyone need P16 parts?
like i said, just down the road in pointe calumet there appears to be a free boat ramp - check out the end of 32e av and 25e rue - no signs limiting access. i shall see....
meanwhile i have issues with my trailer lights. the PO twisted the connections together, now they are corroded and so therefore many bad connections. soldering and shrink tubing will fix this ive gotta figure out how to use my roller furler, never used one before.....
i looked for a cheap boat, with good hulls, because i plan extensive modifications. nothing stock here for me
i envision a hydrofoil cat with experimental rig. hence my sig. i might need some rigging stuff from your prindle. let me know what you have for sail. anyone have a hobie 14 main for sail?
Does Sandbanks have a place to launch a cat? And would they let you leave it on the beach if you're camping? That's an awesome beach/sanddunes!
That reminds me of another beach i camped on...Manitoulin Island, south shore somewhere...can't remember the name. Went there to windsurf (Lake Huron/Georgian bay). That was the first time i ever saw a cat flying a hull and decided i would have to try that some day! Beautiful water, but it will give you an ice-cream headache!
-- Jason Kasper
2000 Mystère 5.0XL
Lake St Francis (St Lawrence River)
Lancaster, Ontario, Canada --
I believe Dave Farmer is on the Flathead. I am a veteran of many misspent weekends in Kalispell, good people there, & a great lake.
-- Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap --
By the way, there is a Hobie dealer in Lancaster, ON on Lake St Francis (St Lawrence River). It's called Hybrid Marine, check out their website. They sell and rent cats, kayaks, etc.
-- Jason Kasper
2000 Mystère 5.0XL
Lake St Francis (St Lawrence River)
Lancaster, Ontario, Canada --
went sailing in lac deux montagnes today. 5 knots. i wish there were more wind, but everything went well, kids had fun (they wished for more wind too) no one asked me for money for the ramp, others used ramp as well, parking nearby. lots of cats and a tri on water. too much weather helm. i need to rake the mast forward as it is raked well aft. i guess i have to shorten the forestay? first time in years i couldnt tack. happened once. i know backing the jib and all, but still too much weather helm. lots of shallow water near ramp, at least a 1/4 mile before i could put rudders down. how do you put them down when sailing? i rigged the jib sheet wrong - it has to pass over the roller before going thru the block. no big.
jon
at least a 1/4 mile before i could put rudders down. how do you put them down when sailing?
Not sure what you are sailing, & how the rudders work. On my Nacras, it is virtually impossible to pull them down while underway.
I head up, once the speed drops to a crawl, they are easy to pull down.
-- Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap --
A great place is in Beaconsfield along the Lakeshore road . There are a few (free!!) small public boat ramps with some room to park car/traillers. Water has been low the last few summers ,so I'm down to one of them at Lakeview just before Baie D'urfe . Ramp is wide enough to back my Prindle 19 . Lac St Louie is wide open at this point lots of space to sail .
It would be great to see a few more cats out here.