Canandaigua Lake, NY

[brianb]

Does anyone here sail on Canadaigua Lake?  I've sailed on Keuka Lake and the sailing was great there but the winds were a little flukey especially around the bluff where the three branches of the lake meet.  I'd love to hear any insights from anyone who has sailed Canandaigua.  How are the winds?  Any currents?  Any great spots to anchor or take in the scenery?

[SpeakEasy]

Interesting question! I live in Canandaigua (not ON the lake, unfortunately). But I do my sailing on Cayuga Lake. That said, when I was young I was part of a junior sailing league and raced on pretty much all of these finger lakes, including Canandaigua. The lake is clear and cold, and fairly deep. In the northern end of the lake there are no surrounding hills to speak of, so the winds are not broken up as much as you experienced in Keuka Lake. Down toward the southern end of the lake the hills rise pretty dramatically. I haven't sailed there, but I can assure you that the winds there will be "fluky," shifty, and gusty most of the time. There really aren't any currents to concern yourself with.

If you'd like to sail on Cayuga Lake sometime, let me know. I can get you access through my Yacht Club.

-Speak

[brianb]

Thanks for the info Speak!  We waited long enough to commit to a rental that we found our best deal on Canandaigua Lake.  We're staying around the north end of the lake (about 3 miles from the town of Canandaigua) on the east side of the lake.  Glad to hear the winds are steadier there!  This is our first summer with the Legacy so we have a lot to learn.  Any idea where would be the best place to launch a modest draft keel boat like the Legacy?

We looked at Cayuga Lake last year and found a cruising fleet there that sounded like a great organization.  Are you affiliated with that?  How is the sailing on Cayuga?  That lake is so enormous it must be an interesting place to sail.  Our first finger lakes vacation was on Seneca Lake and we were blown away by how the lake absorbed the boat traffic and left plenty of room for everyone.  Our nearest lake (Deep Creek Lake in Maryland) is small and winding and overrun with ski boats that make sailing difficult.

[SpeakEasy]

The cruising fleet that I'm aware of is near Ithaca, NY at the south end of the lake. I'm up closer to the north end. The lake is about 40 miles long, so we're not really close. For many years our club has hosted a dinner in which they sail up to our club on Saturday, have dinner, spend the night, and sail back home on Sunday.

Sailing on Cayuga is excellent most of the time. During the dog days of summer you have to get out early in the morning to catch any decent wind, however. Since you'll be on Canandaigua in July you'll probably find the same thing there. That time of year, by 11:00AM or so the wind typically goes flat and stays that way until about 4 or 5 PM.

On Canandaigua there is a state boat launch up here on the north end of the lake right in the City of Canandaigua. I'll check to see if it's the best place to launch your boat. I have used it for a small powerboat a few years ago, and I can't remember if it would have the depth that you would need. I'll get back to you on that.

You'll find that Canandaigua Lake is pretty congested in July - probably much like what you are used to with Deep Creek Lake.

JS

[brianb]

Thanks Speak.  If you would check out the ramp that would be a huge help!  Since we are new to the Legacy my biggest concern will be the launching and retrieval of the boat.

We'll definitely keep an eye out for boat traffic but I imagine Canandaigua will seem fairly quiet in comparison to Deep Creek Lake, which is tiny in comparison but crowded with vacationers from Washington DC, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore.  Since we are arriving on the 6th I'm sure that first weekend will be crowded.  I'll try to launch early in the morning on Sunday.

[SpeakEasy]

Well, Brian, I just drove down to take a look at the launching ramp that I told you about. Unfortunately, I think it would be difficult to launch your boat there. It slopes too gently into the water. To get to a deep enough level to float your boat off the trailer, you'd have to be quite far into the water. Unless you have a trailer extension, I think it would be tough.

I'll keep asking around. I'll find you the best place.

-Speak

[brianb]

Thanks for looking into this for me!  I really appreciate it.  That's not very good news is it?  Unfortunately we don't have a trailer extension.

Anything you can find would be a huge help.  I'll keep looking at marinas I find online.  I've checked out a few using Google earth but that hasn't been very encouraging either.  Maybe I'll give some a call.  One of them might be able to refer me to a good marina for sailboats.