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The article mentions the northern Chesapeake and I would like to ad how incredibly friendly the folks were as we sailed around in our group of 7 of 8 small boats several years ago. Home owners would come out in their boats to ask if we needed to do laundry or a trip for groceries etc. The hospitality was simply amazing!

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Moosehead Lake in Maine is spectacular! Multiple bays and islands surrounded by rolling mountains and some dramatic rock cliffs as well. It is a large lake, 30 miles long by memory and has a colourful history. Even Henry David Thoreau made the trek there twice in his lifetime. The quaint tourist town of Grenville sits on the south end and is very boater friendly. Cottages quickly, thin out to non-existent as you sail northward. I’ve made the 11+ hour trip 3 times now and hope to visit again. Highly recommend this lake!

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I had to look that up on a map. That looks great there!

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Lake Huron's, Georgian Bay and the North Channel with over 30,000 Islands, down the length of the eastern coast has crystal clear water, countless shelterred coves to sit out bad weather without worry, and big fish!!! Look up Sturgeons, even though they are protected and they aren't an option for the dinner plate, there are plenty others that willfit a plate! Georgian Bay should be a cruising "Goal in Life"!!! As nothing is perfect, there are also a million rocky shoals and individual rocks, keen to make thier presence known! Timing is everything! Summer mounths are busy and staying too long risks being frozen in place! Pack your skates in case, Georgian Bay's waters gets hard like the rocks mentioned earlier!!! Lol! AllthebestRoy

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The article mentions Pensacola on the West Coast of Florida but then lacks any details both on where to launch, sail, and the Florida 120 cruise that is held there the weekend after Mother's Day every year for the past 20 years. www.florida120.com . We normally have around 50 boats participating. Cruising the Panhandle of Florida and into Alabama encompasses a number of different bays all characterized by relatively deep (for Florida) blue waters and soft white sand beaches and bottom. This means you do not have to be stuck in skinny channels but have the freedom to plot your own course using the entire bay. My favorite bays include Big Lagoon and Santa Rosa both of which are bordered by national seashore to the South. The Florida 120 website lists a number of good launch ramps and has charts of the cruising ground but people like Mahagony Mills, Big Lagoon State Park, Shoreline Park, and Navarre boat ramps to name a few. Come down and join us for the Florida 120 or try the Panhandle 180 challenge (also listed on the Flordia 120 website).

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Gulf Islands in British Columbia deserve mention too. These can be considered the "Canadian San Juans" or to flip things around, the San Juans could be considered the "American Gulf Islands." :-)

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