Best Place to Sail a Small Boat
Here at SCA we’re slowly putting together an article on the best places in North America to sail a small boat, and we’d love to hear what our readers have to say—in fact we need to hear what they say! Where are your favorite cruising grounds? How about sharing that special sailing spot?
Certainly the Florida Keys, San Juan Islands, and North Channel are popular—and we’re happy to have you vote for them—but how about some lesser-known locales? Maybe that little Midwestern lake near you has its own special charm? Perhaps you’ve never found any place more fun than that creek or pond down the road from your house.
While scenery and weather have a lot to do with great sailing venues, there are other considerations as well. Maybe it’s a hidden boat-in campground, a special dockside eatery, or a maritime museum that make a place your personal favorite. Perhaps it’s a yearly boat show or messabout that attracts you, or the welcoming warmth of the locals—whatever it is we want to hear about it.
Your feedback and that of other readers will aid us in our never-ending quest for small-boat paradise. Please consider adding your thoughts to the comments at this blog post or we’d be happy to receive an e-mail with your suggestions. We might even use your quote when we write the eventual article. —Eds
We like to sail on the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. For being in the middle of a megalopolis it’s a really beautiful location for a small sailboat. Decent wind most of the time and lot’s of wildlife to see around the Mason Neck Preserve. You can also sail up into DC, past Mount Vernon and take a look at the monuments and have dinner at several really nice restaurants with docks on the river.
Lake Dillon, Colorado. amazing scenery. wind almost always comes up at 1030am and usually is 10-15kts (i’ve only had two days with no wind in four years) … also a challenging lake to sail with shifting winds and gusts caused by the 13,000ft mountains. almost every day is sunny (it is Colorado). few powerboats and NO jetski’s!! the Tiki Bar at the Dillon Marina has lakeside views of the sailing. may great places to eat walking distance of the marinas at Dillon (city of) and Frisco (city of).
We love to sail Long Point Bay on Lake Erie in Canada. Winds are good, much wildlife and great fishing.
We usually anchor out at night under the stars. We anchor tucked into the small shallow bays and inlets found all around both the inner and outer bay. Very safe even in a blow. Gunkholing at it’s best.
The Bay is quite shallow in spots and is perfect for our swing keel.
Several restaurants and marinas can be found close by. ( I have not updated our blog yet this year, Stay tuned. )
I would put forward two places in Oregon:
1. Fern Ridge Lake, near Eugene. OK, it’s a shallow muddy flood-control lake with no reach longer than about 3.5 miles, and they drain the pool in October. However, the lake is set in farmland and woods, and has a predictable north wind on summer afternoons. The shoreline has multiple sites for launching and camping. The lake is often used for regional and national races. Thistles are particularly popular right now, but Day Sailer, Lido, and other classes are also common, along with Potters, Montgomery’s, and other small cruisers.
Information: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (manages the lake water); Lane County Parks (manages the marinas and public campground).
2. Winchester Bay, near Reedsport on the Pacific. Usually thought of as a place for big yachts to launch into the ocean, Winchester Bay’s Salmon Harbor Marina also serves the lower Umpqua River where it cuts through the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. You have to deal with currents and ocean tides, and the river is less than half a mile wide in most places. However, the channel accommodates centerboarders almost bank to bank, and a sandy beach is always nearby. Wind on many Oregon coast rivers is compromised by coastal mountains, but the sea breeze reaches the lower Umpqua across the relatively low Oregon Dunes. In contrast to places like Fern Ridge, this is a regular nautical setting, with seals and pelicans, commercial fishing boats putting to sea, and breakers pounding on the jetty at the harbor entrance.
Information: Salmon Harbor Marina, Winchester Bay, OR; Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
Winchester Bay image:
http://www.daysailer.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=67&image_id=1865
Come try the majestic Saguenay Fjord in north central Québec. If you want a spot with remote wilderness and hardly any boats, this is it. You can look at where I sail during daylight hours on this direct camera:
http://tourisme.saguenay.ca/en/croisieres-internationales/camera
Warning though, there may be occasional violent winds screeching up the Fjord with huge waves and there are 20 foot tides to deal with. Some pretty villages along the route between Chicoutimi and Tadoussac (60 miles one way). Incredible scenery all the way. Beluga whales.
I sail a Matt-Layden-designed Paradox.
We go to Maine each summer, and it’s hard to imagine any better place to sail a small boat than around Penobscot Bay. But lately we’ve been exploring waters closer to home that we never paid much attention to, and have found some really nice spots. Although we’ve mostly been kayaking these places, they are also great for small sailboats (with shallow water capabilities).
Who would think that in New York City you could find beautiful, almost pristine waters, with undeveloped shorelines and abundant sea birds and fish everywhere? But that’s where we are hanging out these days — in The Bronx. The largest New York City park is Pelham Bay Park in The Bronx. Although one side of the coast of this park is the very busy Orchard Beach, just north of there on the same “island” (now a peninsula due to development many years ago, but still called an island) is a beautiful coast, that shares a bay with New Rochelle, New York. Make your way out of that bay, and you can skirt around a series of wonderful little islands, most with little or no development — Goose, David’s, Columbia, Pea, Huckleberry… and north a bit, Pine Island, Echo Bay and up to Larchmont Harbor (our home base). There are so many semi-submerged rocks and shallow areas around here, the Big Boats largely stay away. There are countless shallow areas where you can sail (or paddle, or row) in near solitude, which Osprey, Oystercatchers, Herons, Egrets, and even the occasional Eagle fly overhead. Meanwhile, the Bunker jump sometimes hundreds at a time, all around your boat, avoiding the substantial Stripers and Blues beneath. At times, in a quiet cove off Huckleberry or David’s, I think I AM in Maine. All this, close to home for those who live in NYC or environs. It’s remarkable.
Please, don’t tell anyone.
Mark
I have spent a good percentage of my life at sea and as a career Naval Officer I had a chance to travel places both far and near. I have lived on a sailboat in Hawaii and sailed all kinds of boats some big and some small. But my favorite place to sail remains the Toms River and Barnegat Bay area in NJ.
The area has a rich sailing tradition and the Barnegat Bay Yachting Association has been sponsoring sailboats races on the river and bay for over 100 years. The waters are protected by a barrier beach and there is typically a stiff breeze and safe sailing. Water depth is between 5-8 ft in most of the area so shallow draft boats are best.
It is also a great sailing location for traditional bay craft like the Barnegat Bay Sneakbox, Garvey’s, Duck boats and Cat boats. Truly a frequently overlooked gem on the east coast
Could not agree more with you, Harry. The Barnegat Bay/Great Bay area is hard to beat. I sail an 18′ cat boat and a sailing canoe and with good ramps and places to gunkhole from Bay Head down to Tuckerton/Little Egg harbor it is a real small boat paradise. The Great Bay/Mullica River area is part of the J. Cousteau national research estuary reserve and is surrounded by Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge with great wildlife viewing. Over 40 miles of good protected water sailing.
We like swimming in warm water here in the Pacific Northwest during summer daysails or cruises. That means Lake Washington in Seattle and Desolation Sound in British Columbia.
Of all the sailing we’ve done over the years in New England, both coastal and inland, aboard our O’day 22, I’d say our hidden treasure lies in the geographical center of Narragansett Bay: Prudence Island. It’s the largest in Rhode Island, measuring seven miles long by one mile wide at it’s widest point. At the northern end of Prudence Island lies two coves, potter on the east, and Coggeshell on the west. We sailed from Newport up the east passage, taking advantage of the prevailing southerly breeze. We entered and anchored in Potter cove. After a short trip to the island in our inflatable , we soon were walking the islands trails. The Prudence Island trails are maintained by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. A visit to the island is truly a wilderness experience , from glimpses of circling Ospreys to owls in hollowed-out trees, song birds and the roaming White tail deer. The salt marsh to the west supports the habitat for egrets and heron. The following day, we tacked across the bay and sailed back to Prudence, ending the day anchored in Coggeshell Cove, where we enjoyed swimming as well as watching the setting sun.
Our favorite location for sailing a small boat would be the Miles River at St. Michaels, MD. The Miles River is six miles wide at this point, and features the stunning waterfront views of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum with its 1879 screw-pile Hoopers Strait lighthouse, 1932 classic log canoe racing sailboat ‘Flying Cloud’, 1955 Skip Jack oyster dredging sailboat “H. M. Krentz’, 1926 Buy Boat ‘Winnie Estelle’, and numerous other classic sailing and motor vessels, along with the gorgeous 1926 cat boat, ‘Selina II’ or the 1935 Philip Rhodes – designed 45′ sailing yacht, ‘Lady Patty’.
Any or all of these classic vessels will pass you by on a weekend sail of the beautiful Miles River. A peaceful river branching off the northern Chesapeake Bay, it offers access to the famous Wye River (site of the negotiations for the 1998 Wye River Peace Accord between Yassar Arafat and Benjamin Netanyahu) and numerous other estuaries featuring waterfront views of historic waterfront colonial estates.
For pure beauty of nature, combined with views of historic colonial landmarks and sharing the water with classic vessels found only on the Chesapeake Bay, the Miles River is a small-boat sailing adventure that will produce lifetime memories.
After retiring in 2010, I discovered sailing and now have a Kent Ranger 20 on a trailer. Living in central Washington state, we have a 52 mile long lake with lots of nice scenery. The water is warm in the summer, and there is a local sailing club. So my vote is for Lake Chelan, in Washington state.
I’d like to suggest that the lakes of North Idaho are pretty nice places to sail. From south to north, these would be Lake Coeur d’Alene, Lake Pend Oreille, and Priest Lake (including upper Priest Lake).
Lake Coeur d’Alene is about 25 miles long and up to a few miles wide with many interesting bays and many public ramps and docks at which to anchor or tie up for the night. There are many services and two large state and parks including one boat-in park. There are many summer homes around most of the lake. The southern half of the lake has fewer power boaters but there is much active sailing along it’s whole length.
Pend Oreille was high-lighted in SCA a few years ago. It is about 30+ miles long and has a width of 2 to 5 miles or so. It is a very popular place with sailors who will call it an inland sea as it can have steady winds and get some nice swells. Being further north there is less developed shoreline than CdA but still many services and good spots to spend the night away from people.
Priest Lake is the furthest north and has the least developed shoreline. Upper Priest Lake accessed by a 2.5 mile slow connecting river called the “Thorofare” is completely undeveloped. Be careful, only sailboats that can raise their keels or are shoal draft (i.e. draw ~ 2′) should attempt the entrance to the Thorofare. Priest lake is about 19 miles long and a few miles wide with public ramps and anchoring and shore camping options. Kalispel Island and Bartoo Island are part of the local National Forest and is a popular place to shore camp. (Reservations are highly recommended!) Upper Priest lake is only a few miles long but rewards the intrepid sailor with the chance to sail on waters that look much like they did in the days before Lewis and Clark.
I certainly second others who have mentioned the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay, of course, is one of the best small boat sailing grounds in the world, but it is far too vast an area to cover in a single post.
Over the past several years, I’ve had the good fortune to sail off the western shore of the Bay in the area between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. Our base for several years was a home on Towles Creek off of Ingram Bay, which lies at the mouth of the scenic Great Wicomico River, and then opens out into one of the widest points of the Chesapeake. This same region is noted for Reedville, the capital of the Bay’s Menhaden industry on Cockrell Creek. Other destinations reachable in a day include Tangier Island and Deltaville, Virginia, which is a major boating center.
As for the Potomac River, I currently sail often near the Mason Neck Preserve mentioned by Steve Lack. We launch from the excellent ramps at Leesylvania State Park near Woodbridge, Virginia. Among other things, we can sail over to Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant for dinner, across the river to Smallwood State Park in Maryland, on Mattawoman Creek, or up to the Occoquan River and on to the quaint town of Occoquan itself.
The Maryland/Virginia state line actually runs down the western shore of the Potomac in this region, so only the inlets on the Virginia side are Virginia waters. The river proper is in Maryland. This area is a very wide section of the River for this far north, enhanced by Occoquan and Belmont bays.
As far as drawbacks to these locations:
The Chesapeake Bay, while sheltered, is a large body of relatively shallow water which is known for its chop. Not all smallish boats can handle stiff chop and still make significant forward progress, which can be a problem as the wind pipes up. Also, you can get a long way from shore, so an eye needs to be kept on the weather. Outside the bays and rivers off the Chesapeake Bay proper, a sailboat over over 20 feet with a bit of weight to it is often a better choice.
As for the Potomac in the area described, way too much of the land on both sides is reserved for military installations, which greatly diminishes the options for amenities of any kind. It can be a very long distance up and down the River to get to interesting points north and south, but a multi-day trip can bring one to fascinating historic sites, of which Mount Vernon is just one example.
Huntington Lake, California.
At over 6900 feet elevation and hundreds of miles from the coast, you wouldn’t expect much in the way of sailing conditions, but the summer afternoon winds are often brisk, to say the least. And the lake is oriented to give you the longest run, 2.4 miles almost dead before the wind, from the dam to the launch ramp at Rancheria Creek.
But don’t go in a drought year. The lake will be low making the launch a lot more difficult.
Oriental, North Carolina is the Sailing Capitol of North Carolina… Need I say more? Ok… Oriental is a small town of less than a thousand people. There are more boats there than people! Located on the Neuse River just before it opens into the Pamlico Sound, Oriental offers protected water sailing in the many small creeks and rivers that branch off of the mighty Neuse River. Sailing on the Neuse itself is the favored place for regattas, day sailing and much more. It’s great location on the ICW means easy access to points North and South like Cape Lookout, Beaufort, Moorehead, New Bern, Ocracoke Island, Bath and much much more. The Neuse River at Oriental is approx 2-3 nautical miles across and has a maximum depth of 25-30 feet with average depths of 10-20 feet… And 4-10 feet closer to shore. Perfect for shoal draft vessels as well as boats that require deep water. I’ve been sailing my Pearson 27 there since 2007 and previously owned an Oday 22 for 20+ years which was also perfect for the area. There are numerous regattas year round as well as the standard Wednesday nights races. It’s hands down my favorite place to sail and I would highly recommend it!
I agree 100%. Great place to sail, wonderful people, and a very boater friendly town. Super place to get ASA or US Sail certifications as well as to get a bareboat or captained charter. Boats from 8′ to 35′ are also available for day sailing. Good weather almost 12 months of the year.
A must sail area, use your boat or come charter/rent one.
The Chesapeake bay is a great cruising ground for small craft. There are rivers and creeks aplenty to poke. Hurricane hole anchorages are in ample supply generally with good holding ground. Should you be unfortunate enough to run aground the obstacle encountered will usually be sand or mud. Tidal ranges are not extreme and the weather is mostly temperate although one needs to watch out for summer thunderstorms that sweep in from the west to break up the heat and humidity.
The region is steeped in history. It is easy to reach many important scenes from the revolutionary and civil wars. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Micheals, MD features local history and great examples of the areas watercraft. Located on the Miles River you will find excellent anchorages including Wye East River and Leed’s Creek. These are two of my favorites. I live in Port Angeles, Washington now but miss the Bay especially in the Autumn. For a close up look at a typical Chesapeake Bay hurricane hole see my blog post at: http://www.seawardadventures.com/2010/04/05/sentinel-of-sellman-creek/
Some of the best small boat sailing in the US is on Green Bay at northern Door County Wisconsin. From Egg Harbor to Sister Bay offers protected harbor towns, quaint walking villages, islands, fill services, arts, music, theater, nature, Niagra Escarpment bluffs, Wisconsin State Parks and more. Green Bay has long been a sailing resort area with plenty of gunk holes making for a reasonably priced sailing destination with lots of scenery and land activities.
Oriental, NC. Not just for big boats anymore
You couldn’t ask for a better sailing spot than Oriental, North Carolina. With great conditions, excellent access to the water, and world-class hospitality, the Sailing Capital of NC really delivers as an amazing sailing destination.
Michigan!
Huge body of water (5+ miles across)… no tidal currents… consistently good winds… good depth… soft bottom… moderate climate… lots of boats with the overwhelming number being sail (minimal annoying power boat wakes)… small town atmosphere (& prices) with no traffic and a ‘non-tourist-y feel’.
SAIL Magazine rated it one of America’s 10 Greatest Places to Sail.
Where, Joe? Great description, but I don’t see your preferred sailing location!
Thanks,
Lara
My vote is for the California Delta (Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta). It gets strong San Francisco bay winds, but the wide canals and rivers which wind back and forth don’t have enough straight fetch for large waves- making it a sailing paradise. There’s over 1,000 miles of waterway ranging from undeveloped wildlife reserve to comfortable resorts and marinas. The weather is warm and sunny with enough wind to sail almost year round. You can also launch and retrieve a trailer sailor in freshwater but spend the day sailing in saltwater!
Readers of SCA will certainly recognize Cedar Key, Florida as a great place to sail small boats, especially those without fixed keels.There are a number of offshore keys as destinations, seafood restaurants, “Old Florida” charm, and the new “outside” launch ramp which is wider and more rigged sailboat friendly.
But I would also like to point out Shrewsbury Bay in New Jersey as a favorite of mine before I moved to Florida. I used to sail my BB Swan catboat (late 1940’s fiberglass catboat designed by Carl Beetle after he left his Beetle Cat business) there in the summer. Nice public ramp at Blackberry Park (used to be free, now there is a fee), lots of estuaries/creeks for gunkholing, a wide (though shallow) bay area for longer reaches, and no impediments to the wind off the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Watching the local Sanderling Catboat fleet races from my own boat was always a plus. While most of the shoreline has development, it is mostly residential and made for interesting viewing wandering up and down the creeks and facing the challenges of tacking in tight spaces.
I’m not familiar with Shrewsbury Bay, but I second your mention of Cedar Key. Great place and people.
You can’t find a more amazing sail than that which starts in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on the Piscataqua river and ends at Gosport Harbor at the Isles of Shoals. We sail our brave little 21′ McGregor Venture sailboat, Cape Elizabeth, with our Snark as tender, the 7ish glorious miles, at times spotting seals and, most recently, WHALES! Once moored or anchored, we snark over to Smuttynose, hoping to stumble upon some of the pirate booty rumored to have been buried amidst Native American artifacts. This beautiful, rocky island is also the site of a turn-of-the-century murder mystery, made famous in a novel “The Weight of Water” & a movie entitled the same. Across from Smuttynose is Star Island and hotel, also must see sites. As the sun begins to sink low in the sky, the breathtaking palette demands full attention. Looking shoreward, you feel yourself disappearing to a time when sailboats littered the sea and 7 miles may as well have been 700. Modernity blessedly disappears, and, as darkness descends, the sky is alight with stars. Lying in the cockpit under a thick blanket, sea breeze and rollers rocking the boat, the gulls quietly settling in, relaxation, so evasive in our modern world, ushers in peaceful sleep.
I love sailing a muddy lake east of my home that 4 generations have maintained a cottage on. Echo Lake Ontario is my favourite small boat designation because it is easy lake to get to and sailing is sporty. The spring winds can whip the lake up and you will have gusty wavy rides in 15 to 35 knot gusts. The summer can quite down a lot and the wind doesn’t show up till long after lunch but can plow till dark. The lake is 4 mikes long and 2 miles wide with two long points jutting out kind of dividing it into two sections. The mountains and cliffs surrounding the lake can make things interesting. The fishing hasn’t been that good for years but people far and wide have visited this little piece of Canadian paradise for years. Put in at the Trotter’s farm and sail up the outgoing river into the lake. Look for a little red Siren 17 sail #899.
Best sailing, in my Opinion, is out of the Mystic River, Mystic CT into Fisher’s Island Sound, Long Island Sound, and Block Island. There are many great little coves and marinas on the east coast to explore.
tucked in daniel boone national forest is a lake called cave run. it is 8270 acres and has a great marina with a great staff. sailing in summer can be a little rough during the day, but the night sailing is great. I have lived aboard in their mooring field and at the docks, for about 7 years is the past, even in the winter…..sorry that I can’t post pictures, but take my word for it, it is well worth the trip…..campgrounds, such as twin knobbs,, zilpo, give small craft owners the opportunity to camp and sail in this beautiful national park in Kentucky…….and cave run, is also the muskie capital of the south…..and the pan fish fishing is great…..see you on the water……….
In the 1940’s the TVA created a series of lakes which came to be known as the Great Lakes of the South. The crown jewel of those lakes is Cherokee Lake about half way between Knoxville TN and Asheville NC. From Cherokee Dam in Jefferson City to Bean Station the lake offers some of the finest sailing to be had anywhere. I sail out of Black Oak Marina and one of the best aspects is the small number of power boats on the lake, and most of those are pontoon boats and less likely to go zipping around creating huge wakes.
The Lake itself is long and narrow (about a mile at its widest) and is dotted with many small islands that are easily accessible by sailboats of all sizes. Persimmon Cove is a favorite camping and picnicking spot and lies about 5 miles from the Marina. In the fall the leaves change making for a beautiful and peaceful sail on an afternoon. Other destinations are the dam across from the marina and Panther Creek State Park, about 10 miles up. Unfortunately, this is East Tennessee and in the mountains so winter sailing is “brisk”
As they say in the South, Yall come, ya hear!
Let’s hear it for The Tennessee Valley Authority!
Closer to West Tennessee and West Kentucky are Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, joined near the northern end by a 2.2 mile canal, and just a couple of miles off Interstate 24. The lakes and canal form Land Between The Lakes, a 170,000 acre public area of campgrounds, boat ramps, and woodlands, as well as a bunch of coves and bays.
Lake Barkley, an impoundment of the Cumberland River, covers about 57,000 acres, with about 118 miles of shoreline. Kentucky Lake serves up another 184 miles of shoreline and 160,000 acres.
Best times to sail are late spring, early summer, and fall. Check it out.
For me it has to be Lake Superior. Pristine waters, wild unspoiled coast line, hundreds of islands all make for a spectacular cruising lake. Yes, Lake Superior is cold and has a deserved reputation for challenging weather, but with a sound boat, proper gear, and an eye to the weather one can have the most spectacular cruise.
Try Isle Royale off the north coast of Lake Superior. It has incredible fiords with amazing anchorages. Most of the island itself is a National Park with moose and wolves. On the island they have been conducting a predator-prey study — the longest of its kind. My two daughters and I have done three cruises around the island when we had our Montgomery 15.
The Apostle Islands is another great location on Lake Superior. Another National Park that offers approximately 22 islands with camping on most of the islands. The anchorages are a bit more open but the park has many docks that can be used when sleeping aboard or camping ashore. Here you can see black bear, sea caves, light houses. My daughters and I have spent several weeks sailing and camping among the islands on our Wayfarer.
The north shore of Lake Superior is an amazing wilderness cruise. This last summer I did a solo sail from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Marathon, Ontario on my Wayfarer. Great anchorages, many islands, wilderness, and solitude. Can’t beat it.
If you want to learn more about cruising Lake Superior, check out Bonnie Dahl’s “The Superior Way.”. Though it is geared to larger boats, it contains lots of useful information.
John Hippe
The Beaver Islands in N Lake Michigan. The Beavers are largely untraveled even at peak season. St James harbor is the start place with islands within 2 miles. Garden Island is off the charts exotic complete with Native American burial ground and spirit houses. Woman Island (Squaw), Whiskey and Trout make a lovely short hop chain south to High Island former home of the off the wall religious group the House of David. Beaver Island is charming and rich in history. The only self declared king in the United States (King James) attempted to secede from the Union in the 1800’s and the follow on story is fascinating. A beautiful place to sail with secluded coves, beaches and deep forests. I have sailed the Beavers in small boats numerous times and find the islands to be otherworldly and just about perfect for beach cruising.
The best place to sail is where ever you are. We sail out of Shell Point Fla into Appalachee Bay. There’s an oyster bar roundabout to maneuver and the channel looks like it leads directly onto the little spit of beach coming back in, but the best part is it’s close.
If what you’ve got is a small man made lake and an old wooden Windmill to sail, and, you can sail three times a week, you’re rich. That is your best place to sail.
Do you have a friend with an O’Day daysailer on a wide patch of river? if you’re out sailing (not sitting on the couch). You have found the best place to sail.
We used to keep our P19 at a dock with a long snakey channel out to the bay. There was a family learning to sail their 20foot something as they refurbished a 40 foot something. They would sail up and down the channel right in front of the marina. They sailed the little one while working on and dreaming about the big one, right there in the grassy channel.