Cheap Travel Guide

Cruising Lake Champlain is very enjoyable and different way to see Vermont and New York from the wide vistas of the water instead of the road.

The Spirit of Ethan Allen has been plying the waters for 22 years. Four years ago, they purchased the spirit of Ethan Allen III, which holds 500 people.

The Ethan Allen III is heated, air conditioned, has three decks, and is handicap accessible. It sails out of the Burlington boathouse and operates from late May to mid October. There is a 90 minute scenic narrated cruise that sails four times a day and there are brunch, dinner, sunset and music cruises as well ?� see the schedule for more details.

Keep this in mind for fall foliage viewing as well. Note the $1 discount coupon button on the home page.

Northern Lights is a newer operation that began a couple of years ago but it is owned by the company that has been operating car ferries on Lake Champlain for more than a hundred years. Northern Lights can carry up to 150 people.

?�The M/V Northern Lights is a 115 foot long cruise boat built in 2002 with the traditional lines and layout of 19th and early 20th century lake steamboats.

?�The mahogany finished main lounge is a beautiful setting for any event. The open upper deck allows full enjoyment of the beautiful summer weather on Lake Champlain.

?�The boat’s name is inspired by the breathtaking displays of the Aurora Borealis that is sometimes seen shimmering over Lake Champlain after sunset.?�

Like the Spirit of Ethan Allen, it sails out of Burlington. There are two scenic cruises every day plus luncheon and brunch cruises.

TIP: for both cruise ships, it?�s a good idea to call ahead to make sure the cruise has not been booked for a private group. It does not happen often but you might like to know ahead of time unless you don?�t mind wandering the waterfront or downtown Burlington for a couple of hours until the next cruise. Of course, if it?�s the last cruise of the day, you may have to wait until the next day. Spirit of Ethan Allen phone number is 802-862-8300 and Northern Lights is 802-864-9669.

Another enjoyable way to see the Lake is on one of the three car ferries. There is one on the northern part of the lake (12 minutes crossing time), one in the middle of the lake (one hour crossing time), and one at the southern end (20 minutes).

There are eight ferries making the three crossings so the wait time is not very long for any of them. I?�ve taken the southern crossing several times and enjoyed it a great deal. There are wonderful views of the Green Mountains of VT and the Adirondacks of NY.

The northern crossing and the southern crossing operate year around. The middle crossing from Burlington to Port Kent NY begins in May and ends in October.

The rates for all three vary and get a little too lengthy to explain here but there are full rate schedules on the web site. No reservations are needed. You don’t have to take your car on the ferry - they are happy to accept pedestrian passengers and they charge less for that. There is a parking lot near all three ferries where you can leave your car.

If you are looking for something more exciting and closer to the water, try the Whistling Man Schooner . It sails from the same dock as the Spirt of Ethan Allen. It’s a beautiful and classic sail boat.

From their website:

?�The Friend Ship is a boat design that has been built all over New England for over a hundred years. The type is named after the town of Friendship, Maine, where builders such as Wilbur Morse brought them to the state of refinement that you see today. On the coast, they were built and used by fisherman and lobstermen for hauling traps, while shipwrights right here in Burlington built them for light cargo and recreation. . .

?�In the late 1970’s, a Maine boat builder named Jarvis Newman discovered an old lobster sloop named Dictator. He took it upon himself to completely restore her to original condition. Once he finished, he took a mold off of her hull, and over the years, built numerous reproductions of the Dictator. . .

“Our boat, Friend Ship, was built from that mold by Jarvis Newman in Southwest Harbor Maine in 1981. She is gaff-rigged and her spars are varnished solid spruce. Friend Ship is Lake Champlain’s only US Coast Guard certified sailing vessel, and can accommodate up to 17 passengers.?�

It usually sails three times a day from May to mid October but is weather dependent. The cost is $30 per person. Reservations are recommended. Contact Captain Glen Findholt, (802) 598-6504, email wmsc1@attglobal.net

Sailboat and yacht charters are available from the Winds of Ireland Their fleet of seven sloops ranges from a 30?� Hunter to a Hunter 410. You can rent for a half day or full day, or charter for longer periods. For details, call (800) 458-9301. Also located on the waterfront in Burlington.

In addition, there are fishing charters and small boat rentals available at marinas around the lake.

(c) 2006 Jeff Connor Grunberg Haus LLC

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