The Great Loop - Are you a Looper? OFF TOPIC

kl8ton

I put this in the OT section so it is buffalo proof.

Has anyone done the great loop before or know anyone that has?  I am fascinated with it and want to try it.  I think I would have to take a couple of my sons when they are older as I am sure my wife would not want to go.  I have been reading a bit about it over the weekend.  

The Great Loop is the circumnavigation of Eastern North America, a continuous waterway connecting inland lakes and rivers with the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Great Lakes. It's an inland odyssey, an eastern inside passage of unusual intrigue touching the shorelines of the United States and Canada.

Basically for me, I would start in Lake Michigan, down the Illinois river, Mississippi, into the Gulf of Mexico, around or through Florida, up the Atlantic coast, down the St Lawrence, into the Great Lakes to home. 

I would try to do it on the cheap, not a $250,000 boat using $50,000 in fuel.

 

Thatgrimguy

It's been on my Bucket list for a LONG time. I will do this before I die.  I was shopping for the right boat when I bought the RV instead. My thought was to buy a 30ft sail boat and remove the mast for the journey. With a full displacement hull you get great gas mileage and then I can make it under all the bridges without worrying.

stompbox

Doesn't that go through the Niagra Falls?  I would imagine there would be dams throughout other passages to no?

kl8ton

@Thatgrimguy

What type of boat do you think would be ideal for you?  I think I want to do it UNTIL I die.  

Maybe after one time around I wouldn't want to step foot on a boat again, but I have been on a few cruises, 24 hour fishing charters (boat troubles turned this from a 6 hour into a 24 hour), I have fished Lake Michigan once in a while, a few people i know own larger boats. . . just like a camper but on water. . . I think it would be awesome.

Thatgrimguy

kl8ton said:

@Thatgrimguy

What type of boat do you think would be ideal for you?  I think I want to do it UNTIL I die.  

Maybe after one time around I wouldn't want to step foot on a boat again, but I have been on a few cruises, 24 hour fishing charters (boat troubles turned this from a 6 hour into a 24 hour), I have fished Lake Michigan once in a while, a few people i know own larger boats. . . just like a camper but on water. . . I think it would be awesome.

Sail boat, mast removed.  You can carry a ton of stuff, handle the rough seas if you see any and is very fuel efficient.   Another thing I have dreamed of is Kayaking down the MS river. There are enough stops along that you shouldn't need to camp more than a day or two. It should take about 3-4 months to kayak.

johnkitchens

That would be a great trip. I wish I could do it. 

kl8ton

@stompbox
There are 100-120 locks you go through during the entire trip.

@thatgrimguy
I am leaning towards sailboat to if i ever do it.  I love the look and thought of a trawler, but dang, the $$$$ for fuel and upkeep. . . 

Thatgrimguy

kl8ton said:

@stompbox
There are 100-120 locks you go through during the entire trip.

@thatgrimguy
I am leaning towards sailboat to if i ever do it.  I love the look and thought of a trawler, but dang, the $$$$ for fuel and upkeep. . . 

From what I understand, the only issue with a sail boat is getting out of the lakes. You need a way to remove and reattach the mast on most sails to make it under.

fishlessman

i could see doing that at 2.2 mph trolling the whole way i could do it in my little eastern lobster boat but would prefer a hinckley picnic jetboat

kl8ton

@Thatgrimguy
Yes, I read the lowest bridge is 19 feet or something like that.  Some remove masts completely for the whole trip or there are places to get it taken off, secured to the boat, then put back on after you are through.  Apparently this is fairly common.  Another issue is the draft.  You can't be running more than 5 feet, so some keels need to be modified (shortened).  I like the idea of heading south to the Keys or Bahamas for the winter and island hopping.  If you at least have a shorter mast, you can use the sail for some of the trips to these islands.  I rented a catamaran  in Mexico and really liked the "silent power"  it provided.  Ripping along at maybe 10 MPH and no sound of the motor, just water rushing by.  

Also, down the Illinois and the Mississippi, i hear that there is a bit of traffic so trying to "sail" through can be dangerous.

kl8ton

@fishlessman
That is what some people do!  Fish until you have enough for dinner and lunch the next day.  Your food source is all around you.  

DoubleEgger

I really want to do this. It's been on the radar for a long time. Unfortunately, I can't envision it happening until retirement. 

Thatgrimguy

I wonder if I could drop my pontoon off at the top of the MS and just ride it down and get off in Natchez. That would be a funny trip. 

[Deleted User]

the Buffalo loves boating, when do we leave? 

PS-but nothing is buffalo proof. 

SGH

EGGzilla_jr said:

PS-but nothing is buffalo proof. 

Brother Buffalo, you beat me to the punch. I was about to point out that nothing was safe from a buffalo attack May the buffalo forever roam free. 

Sea2Ski

Have not done it, but will.  Yes, I will.

I have spent significant amount of time on boats. While the romance of sailing is alluring, the thought of going through some areas of high vessel traffic  and strong currents such as the great loop has, would sway my opinion (pun intended)

My choice would be a ranger tug set up for LRC (long range cruising.) They have smaller engines which are lighter (decreasing draft slightly) more fuel efficient, and free up space in the hull typically for larger water and waste tanks. Twin diesels will still let you maneuver even if one engine/prop/shaft has issues and you have to shut it down. Finally, even though you are not in a rush, you will have enough power to go against tide and current and still make progress. Having boated the PNW, I have seen sailboats fight a 7 or even a 5 knot tide and literally sit still and clog narrow passages making them a hazard to themselves and worse others, simply because they did not plan their trip to the tide.  
I get it, things happen, but I would never want to be vulnerable like that. Think a ferry or cargo ship moving at 20+knots will be able to stop or willing to change  course in a narrower channel because you are under powered or ill prepared and put their vessel at risk? I am not a betting man in that situation. 

The water deserves utmost respect and caution. It is unforgiving and mercy less. Factor that in with others who throw caution to the wind and does not obey, yet alone even know the "rules of the road" and I want to tip the scales to my side whenever and however possible. If I need to get out of somewhere for any reason, I want to be able to whenever I want to -within reason of course. 

The tugs have a comfortable layout for an extended stay onboard, many have two helms and are fuel efficient to begin with. Docking can be significantly less expensive when getting a transient slip for the night since they charge by the foot and the overall stability when underway even in rougher water when going along the coast, the intercoastal waterway or through Great Lakes would make it comfortable. Granted, a sailboat is also stable if are under sail as well. But all things considered I would choose a well suited tug over a modified sailboat for this journey since it will take some time to complete.

If you really are going to do it, I would love to be a passive observer in your planning as well as journey. Trip of a lifetime for sure! 

BikerBob

I know a man who took a 14 foot open aluminum with an equally small outboard from somewhere near Copperhill TN to the gulf.
At St Augustine marina we met a man with a Canadian made displacement hull cruising boat under thirty feet. It had a fifty horse kicker as I recall. He was with a friend heading north having come from Indiana, as I recall. He held slightly above idle and took days to get anywhere.
The ditch north of St Augustine is a straight canal with no wake zone signs frequently posted on the solid string of docks. The long hours of passage with nothing but condos and houses to see is always boring.
I've personally only been from Wassaw to Daytona on the ICW and not all of that on one trip and some of it was on a government boat.
The trip sounds great, nights in a marina vary according to the marina some or very nice with a lot to do others are not. Nights on the hook can be fun with a good anchorage but again, when NOAA starts talking about my wife (Gale) I want to be at a dock.

Bob

DoubleEgger

Looping in a Pontoon 

http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2011/october/hurry.asp

Lit

My great loop is from the couch to the bathroom around the pantry to the fridge and finally making it back to the couch.

Sea2Ski

Lit said:

My great loop is from the couch to the bathroom around the pantry to the fridge and finally making it back to the couch.

Ha ha ha!
(Epic comment!)