Advice on boat to use for the Great Loop

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

I've done many parts of the loop and the east coast while delivering various power boats. I don't deliver sailboats cause sailors are cheap

Primer For First Timers Heading South covers from Toronto to Bahamas/dry Tortugas and will give you a bit of an idea of what to expect on that leg.
Best vessel is a diesel fueled displacement trawler like the one in the article ...
145hp /1.62gph at 7.5 nautical miles per gallon or the one in my avatar 55hp / 0.75gph at 7.5 nautical miles per gallon

Sorry ..... meant to say 7.5 nautical miles per hour, not "per gallon"

[vjm]

Fisher 25 or Prairie 30/Atlantic 29 trawler would get my vote.

[SeaSon]

We are doing the loop over 2 summers so we could really explore. And so here are some basics according to me:

You have to clear a fixed bridge near Chicago with a max clearance of 19.5 ft., you have to wait for many bridges if you are over 22ft vs gliding under.

It is a fantastic trip for couples to spend time together, and to become experts at boating and working together. I'd never talk my wife into crossing the Pacific, and this is a great compromise that lets us live the dream together.

My twin lehmans get over 2.3 gph, and just glide along at 7knts (39ft wl). That's about 3.5gpmile, so a 7000 mile loop is under 2000 gal. At $3, that's about $6000. Plan on $10k in fuel so you don't poo yourself every time you go to fill up, and can tell your frugal spouse you are under budget..

There are places to sail and/or favorable winds, but you'll be motoring mostly. I saw a modified sailboat that has removed the mast permanently that boasted half my fuel consumption.

We love our old pilot house trawler as we are in the shade, out of the rain, and out of the cold winds It is a long voyage. Many people state you must have a full walk around, we don't, and it's never an issue as the pilot house offers immediate access to the fore deck (vs a fly bridge), with the Mrs. on the stern as we lock and dock.

But ultimately, your pocket book outlines your choices, there are few bad choices, just levels of good, and you will love the adventure. As an example we anchor mostly and look for free docks. We use a laptop to nav as it is cheap, and allows active captain to over lay the chart. With active captain, any moron can do the trip with little stress - even me. (Though I am still looking for a low cost Canada solution.) Still a sailor, just not on this trip.

We spent this summer gunk holing the entire Chesapeake after cruising from Fort Myers - even spent a week in DC for the 4th of July. Next summer, the Great Lakes and the Canada canals!

'Boldly going where thousands have gone before!'