The French Loop in a Shannon '36

As my readers know, I am a fan of Down East-style boats built in New England. Anne and I have owned a Jarvis Newman 36 and a Dyer 29 – both Down East designs, and I have written about these vessels in past columns. Our friends from the Chesapeake Bay purchased a 1993 Shannon Downeast 36 flybridge model and recently cruised her in the North Country up The French Loop to Ottawa and Quebec. The Shannon is a lovely Down East design with a graceful shear and good proportions.

Bruce Ogden and his wife Jill Seagraves are active boaters in every sense of the word. They have sailed extensively, made several boat deliveries, and still find the time to sail a catboat at their home on the West River – about 10 miles south of Annapolis, MD. They also own a 1973 Lyman 26 Hardtop Sleeper named “Bay Belle Marie,” which they keep at their dock. In 2016, Bruce and Jill found a Shannon Downeast 36 Flybridge at the Shannon yard in Bristol, RI. The boat was undergoing a refit, but after closing on the vessel, the yard stopped work on her. So, the couple was forced to ship the boat to Maryland to complete the refit. This project turned into a two-year upgrade. They named the boat Avalon.

The Shannon 36 was designed by Royal Lowell. Her beam is 12.5 feet, and the draft is 3 feet. The vessel’s power comes from a single 3116 CAT diesel, rated at 350 horsepower. The semi-displacement boat cruises at 13 knots at 2400 rpms and its nominal range is 250 nautical miles, using 11 – 12 gallons per hour. Slowing down to 6 knots reduces the fuel consumption to 3 gallons per hour.

In 2024, Jill and Bruce embarked on a six-week cruise from the Chesapeake Bay up the Hudson River, the Erie Canal, and north to the so-called Triangle Loop. This triangle-shaped voyage runs from Waterford, NY, to the Oswego Canal, across Lake Ontario to Kingston, ON, and then through the Thousand Islands to Sorel, QC, and from there to the Richelieu River and Canal River to Lake Champlain. Jill and Bruce elected to take the “French” version, which takes one through the Rideau River and Canal to Ottawa, down the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence Seaway, and then the St. Lawrence Canal to Montreal. From there, The French Loop joins the Triangle Loop.

The voyage into Canadian waters and back to Maryland covered 1,750 miles and 100 locks. The owners perfected going through scores of locks by preparing numerous round fenders and proper dock lines, and by calling the lock tenders about one mile out. This system worked well for Bruce and Jill as they became veterans of locks.

When they arrived in Oswego, their refrigeration system failed. A local tradesman was contacted to try to repair the cold plate system. Unfortunately, the fellow overcharged the system and blew out the evaporation plate. So, for the next four weeks Bruce had to add ice to their refrigeration system, which was a real chore. In retrospect, Bruce wished that he had turned east to go to Clayton, NY, to get a marine refrigeration specialist to have their system properly serviced.

The owners of Avalon made a safe crossing of Lake Ontario to Kingston, where they visited the Royal Military College, Fort Henry, and enjoyed many of the local restaurants. Their trip up the Rideau Canal was memorable with lovely scenery and many good spots to dine. Everywhere they cruised, they reported meeting lots of very nice people.

The 36 Shannon took them to Ottawa where they saw the Ceremonial Guard in the Changing the Guard ceremony, the Canadian Parliament, lots of sightseeing, and more fine dining. Jill and Bruce had lots of fun going down the last part of the Rideau Canal to the Ottawa River through a series of eight locks, which represented a 65 foot drop and required half a day to traverse. The locks were filled with many other boats, so the couple made lots of good friends on other vessels. The lock master and staff did a great job, according to Bruce.

After running down the Ottawa River, they entered the St. Lawrence Seaway. The crew of Avalon spent three nights in Montreal, which they felt was not enough time. They safely rode out Hurricane Debbie at The St. Lawrence Yacht Club. From there, they cruised down the St. Lawrence to Sorel, QC, to head up the Richelieu River and eventually onto Lake Champlain. Their refrigeration woes prevented them from spending another week on the lake as the scenery between the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains was quite memorable. They passed many Revolutionary War historical sites along the way.

The six-week cruise was without incident except for the refrigeration. Avalon performed well, which is a testament to her designer and builder. At present, Jill and Bruce are searching for a larger vessel to replace Avalon. They want more beam, wider side decks, and a safer ladder to the bridge deck. They found a Hinckley 44 Flybridge in Holland, MI. The initial survey went well, but the boat is at the back of the storage facility so they must wait for 70 other boats to be splashed first, before the new boat can be launched for a sea trial.

Jill and Bruce have not cruised in the Thousand Islands. They did attend the annual show in Clayton at the Antique Boat Museum, when it featured Lyman boats. Bruce tells me that cruising our section of the St. Lawrence River in their new vessel is on his bucket list, once they bring the new boat back to the Chesapeake. As a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society, I have promised Bruce that I will keep him abreast of the cruise and rendezvous schedule of the Thousand Islands Chapter, so they will have a chance to meet many River Rats! Stay tuned for more adventures from this water-loving couple!

( If all goes well on the upcoming sea trial, Jill and Bruce plan to bring Tern back through the North Channel, Georgian Bay, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the Thousand Islands. They also plan to once again, cruise to Montreal, Quebec City, the Richelieu River, Lake Champlain, and the Hudson, which are the best parts of the Great Loop!)

By Rick Casali

Rick Casali is a resident of Wellesley Island. During his youth, from 1947 to 1976, his parents had a cottage on Grindstone Island named The Orchards. Rick now splits his time between Stuart, FL, and the River. He worked for Columbia Gas System for 29 years and ran their Washington, DC office. Then in 2000, he started brokering boats and yachts, and he continues as a broker with North Point Yacht Sales. Rick and his wife Anne cruise the River in a recently purchased 1968 Chris Craft 31 Commander, which they named Foxtrot. They also have a Seaway 24 named Miss Annie.