Longtime cruisers can get in a rut, sometimes not realizing they're visiting the same harbors, anchoring in the same gunkholes and following familiar routes. But one of the allures of boating is its adventure and unpredictability. A whole new world of snug harbors, cozy anchorages, full-service marinas, memorable restaurants and friendly people is waiting for those willing to head in a different direction. Boaters on the Great Lakes should consider a summer voyage to Lake Champlain, North America's sixth largest lake. It could very well be the adventure of a lifetime.

Getting There Is Almost All the Fun
The number of rivers, waterways, canals, locks, islands and foreign cities between ourstarting point on Lake Michigan���s Drummond Island and our eventual destination near Burlington, Vermont will require a bookshelf of cruising guides and chart books. Just about any popularly sized, well-equipped vessel is capable of making the trip, as the route is mostly in protected waters. With a little planning, fuel and provisions will be no problem.

The first part of this cruise is the most challenging, as it takes you through the beautiful but remote North Channel and Georgian Bay. Here, you���ll be doing a lot of anchoring, so you���ll want a pair of them, each with 150 to 200 feet of rode, a trip line, and at least one 100-foot line to tie ashore. The most popular spots can be crowded in July and August, but if you���re on your way to Lake Champlain, you���ll probably be cruising these waters in early June.

Transiting De Tour Passage and rounding Drummond Island, you���ll work your way along the north shore of Manitoulin Island, enjoying the navigable ports of Meldrumand Gore bays, both offering good overnight facilities. From Gore Bay, the ever-popular Benjamin Island group is just 25 miles away. These beautifully sculptured pink granite formations and crystal-clear waters are a magnet to boaters, and finding a spot to anchor in July and August can be difficult. Hiking to the top, you���ll be treated to magnificent views, and if you have a kayak, you���ll enjoy exploring the nooks and crannies of each island.

Navigation in these parts requires up-to-date charts, constant attention and, above all, a cautious attitude, because if you make a mistake, what lies under your boat is unforgiving. While visiting nearby Little Current, we saw the results of what happens to those who cut marks or don���t pay close attention to where they are. Indeed, Boyle Marina has a healthy business repairing bottoms and replacing shafts and props. An accurate GPS, chart plotter and radar are invaluable and will quickly pay for themselves with great peace of mind.

The town docks of Little Current offer 1,800 feet of dockage on a first-come, first-served basis, but there are a number of marinas that take reservations. You won���t want to miss the tasty seafood, cool brew and friendly atmosphere at the Anchor Bar & Grill. Another 25 miles and you���ll come to Killarney, a favorite place to provision and recharge before heading into Georgian Bay.

For the next 175 miles you can follow the ���small-craft��� route through the Thirty Thousand Islands of Georgian Bay, choosing from hundreds of picturesque anchorages, some charted, some not. This is a protected passage, and you���ll want to take your time to enjoy the beautiful sights and learn some of the history of the hunters and fishermen who traveled centuries before you. Be sure to get the latest Canadian Hydrographic Small-Craft charts and follow the red line. With names like Bad River, Dead Island, Hangdog Channel and Lost Bay, you���ll want to be sure of where you are.

The limiting depth of this route is 6 feet, but you can always venture into open waters for faster passages. Beware of the weather, as conditions can deteriorate quickly and only a limited number of inlets have navigation aids. Even in good conditions it���s hard to pick out one island from another. The challenges are well worth the risks, however, as each anchorage is more beautiful than the other. If this is your first time in Georgian Bay, you must stop at Henry���s on Frying Pan Island for the famous fish delights. It���s an institution that lives up to its reputation.

Are Your Ready For Some Locks?
At Port Severn you���ll begin a fascinating one-week, 240-mile exploration along the Trent-Severn Waterway that leads to Trenton on Lake Ontario.With 36 conventional locks, two flight locks, two hydraulic lifts locks and a marine railway, you���ll have quite an adventure.

As a national historic site maintained by Parks Canada, the waterway is mostly unspoiled, yet the everyday needs of boaters are amply met with full service marinas, fuel, provisioning, pump-outs and overnight mooring facilities.

While one will never forget being hauledup 60 feet in the Peterborough hydraulic lift lock or riding their boat over land on the Big Chute Railway, even more memorable are the peaceful settings along the locks. You can tie up for the night for a very modest fee and enjoy the impeccably kept picnic grounds. Equally fascinating are the towns and villages populated by friendly people eager to share the history of this 85-year-old waterway.

The private island is on Big Lake Rideau. The angle of the trees is from the winter-winds.

From Trenton you���ll have an easy 60-mile run to Kingston, the oldest city in Ontario and one of the largest in the area. This is where you can get a taste of civilization before heading up the beautiful Rideau Canal, a system of lakes, rivers and locks that leads to Ottawa. Completed in 1832, this waterway features mostly hand-operated locks and was considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the century. The maintained depth is 5 feet, and the locks will accommodate vessels up to 90 feet long and 26 feet wide. The Parks Canada lock-masters are polite and helpful, making them true ambassadors of this national attraction.

At a leisurely pace, the 126-mile trip will take you five days, but you���ll be tempted to stay longer. Big Rideau Lake offers superb cruising with an especially enjoyable stopover at Colonel By Island. With dockage space, barbecues, washrooms and hiking trails, it���s a favorite destination of local boaters. In total there are 24 locks,ending with the dramatic group of 8 step-locks that take you from Ottawa, 80 feet down to the Ottawa River. Stop for a day or two at Dow���s Lake Pavillion before you make the descent, and you���ll enjoy visiting the city by bike along the flower-lined trails that follow the canal.

Follow the river for 125 miles and you���ll come to Montreal, one of the most beautiful waterfront cities in the world. If you stayin the Old Port section of the city, you���ll be within walking distance of everything except a grocery store. But don���t bring your dog, as the city doesn���t allow them in this section (unless you can prove you���ve arrived by boat and are staying at the city marina). Otherwise, it���s a wonderfully friendly city with lots to see and do.

Welcome To The Sixth Greatest Lake
From here Lake Champlain is only 110 miles away, and you���ll reach it by going down the St.Lawrence River 40 miles to Sorel and then taking the Richelieu River to the Chambly Canal system that leads to Rouses Point, New York. One hundred and twenty miles long and 10 miles across at its widest point,the lake is bordered by the Adirondack Mountains on the west and the Green Mountains on the east, giving it a cozy, mountain lake feeling. But don���t befooled by its sense of intimacy. This body of water can stir up a tempest with little warning.

As far south as Burlington, you���ll wonder if you���re still in Canada, since much of the VHF chatter is in French and the ports of call on transoms are often Canadian. With more than 70 islands to explore as well as the New York and Vermont shores, you can spend an entire summer without seeing everything. Navigation is straight forward, and most of the time you���ll be doing line-of-sight plotting. You���ll want to be sure to use your holding tank, as Vermont has very strict laws that require overboard discharge lines to be disconnected and/or sealed and locked. This is a beautiful lake, and the state wishes to keep it that way.

One of the first gunkholes you���ll want to visit on your way south is Deep Bay, tucked into the northeast corner of Treadwell Bay. A field of over 60 permanent moorings has made things easy for transients; a modest fee will be collected by the harbormaster. You can dinghy in to the service dock and take a 3-mile hike, following the path along the cliffs over-looking the anchorage.

Farther south is Valcour Island, 1,000 acres of paradise. With several protected anchorages, small, pristine beaches and 7 miles of wooded hiking trails, you can lose yourself in the peace and quiet. Its popularity, however, can diminish its allure, so you���ll want to be respectful of others as the anchorages fill up each summer day. My family and I spent nearly a week in Sloop Cove with our stern tied to a rock (not a tree!) and our bow anchored facing the cove���s entrance. Make sure your anchor is well set, as the holding ground is full of weeds.

After all this time in the wilderness, you may be in the mood for some action. Burlington is just the ticket. The presence of three colleges and an abundance of high-tech companies make for an intellectually stimulating, small-city atmosphere. This is a busy harbor, and you���ll want to watch for the ferry and other commercial traffic as you enter the protected breakwater area. There are a number of fine marinas along the waterfront,and the city maintains per-manent moorings.But there is also ampleanchoring room with good holding ground. Either way, you���ll find the city to be boater-friendly and a great base for further exploration. Burlington is also an ideal choice for picking up and changing crew,as it offers train and bus service as well as proximity to a good-sized airport.

There is much to see and do on Lake Champlain, and if you have the time you���ll want to cruise all the way to Fort Ticon-deroga. The towns along the New York shore have a different feeling than the ones on the Vermont side, but both provide good marine services, protected anchorages and plenty of unspoiled, accessible shoreline. Many first-time visitors elect to winter their boats here, returning in the spring to continue their adventure before returning home.

Returning to the Great Lakes, you can look forward to an equally fascinating voyage, as it is impossible to absorb all the quaint wonders of the Canadian waterways and the raw beauty of Georgian Bay and the North Channel during your first transit. Take about a month each way and at least 10 days on Lake Champlain. The distance from De Tour Passage to Burlington is about 1,000 miles. Regardless of how or when you do it, one thing is certain: This will be the adventure of a lifetime.