Two years ago, George Sass Sr. and I drove a Cutwater 28 from New York City up the Hudson to Lake Champlain, into Canada and the Chambly Canal, and finally down the St. Lawrence to Quebec City. We took a week and, in a tribute to the easy livability of the 28-foot Cutwater, we were still as good friends at the end of the trip as we had been at the start. The first half of the Downeast Loop, this trip offers easy cruising through some beautiful countryside, great places to stay and even a bit of Europe once you cross into Quebec Province above Lake Champlain. It’s an almost idyllic summer cruise, which Sass, an accomplished photographer, captured on the video below.
The second half of the Downeast Loop, of course, is much more rugged. Eric Schweikardt, the photographer, and I did most of the many years ago on a Phoenix 35, from Norwalk, Connecticut, up to the town of Gaspe at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. This is an ocean-going journey around Nova Scotia where there’s often some nasty weather and challenging conditions. For me, I still need to traverse the St. Lawrence downstream from Quebec City to Gaspe to complete the Downeast Loop, but that’s another story. For now, enjoy Sass’s video of a great summer cruise:
