South out of the Great lakes

[irwinsailor]

Does anyone have any experience getting out of the Great lakes with a sailboat? Today I'm leaning toward leaving from Chicago and taking the rivers to the Tenn Tom waterway. Has anyone done this trip?

[Anonymous]

One of the sailing mags I subscribe to just had a story on this route. I read the story, found it an interesting (yet scary) way to spend a month or so in a sailboat. Look up Cruising World or Sail (most likely Cruising World) and you'll find it. Darned sure it wasn't L&A!

And I thought the barges on the ICW were fun...

[irwinsailor]

Are you the same "Anonymous"that is on the Lats and atts BB?
If so I like the picture that you posted of the interior of your boat. I get Sail mag so it must be Cruising world that you are thinking of. I will se if I can look it up. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Yup, one in the same. I'm not Anonymous, however, that's the name of my boat.

The photo? Must be the one I took last week when I was watching capt ron on the laptop DVD. I took the sound out of the mini-pin, through a RCA spitter and into my amp via the CD input and out through my Bose speakers. The image may have been small, but the audio was fantastic, makes a huge difference.

I found the story, cruising world, March 2003, page 80. Nice little map and all. I think I'd be a wreck after finishing that trip.

[irwinsailor]

I will go out and buy one today! Thanks.

[Skylark]

Great Loop (includes inland rivers) links:
http://cruisenews.net/search2.php?se...erm=great+loop

Intercoastal Waterway links:
http://cruisenews.net/search2.php?search_term=icw

I'd like to try them both.

[irwinsailor]

I bought Cruising world yesterday and I read the story. I looks like the Mississippi river will be the worst part of the trip.

[Anonymous]

The thought of tows "six barges wide and seven barges long" being herded by tugs puting up four foot wakes sounds nerver-wracking. I figured I'd do the 'great loop' in my older years when I switch to trawlers.

For the moment, though, the barge traffic on the Mississippi makes what I deal with on the ICW seem like child's play. You've got a bigger boat, though, so you'd be tossed around less.

[irwinsailor]

I would like to go up and around out the saint Lawarance seaway but I fear that I will be leaving the Great Lakes to late in the season and I don't want to be in the north atlantic late in the fall. My sailing skills are not good enough for that trip. Down the river system is probably the best safest way for us to get to Florida. I have many years as a power boater and I would think that will help on a river trip.

[GordMay]

Two excellent ICW guides linked (Skylark) above:

Tom & Pam Dove's ICW Guide - Tom Dove Home Page
http://www.toad.net/~tdove/icw.html


Stonecutter II ICW Guide
http://www.ftkltd.com/ICW.htm

And Tide Prediction info' - Tide/Current Predictor - Site Selection
http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/

and Bridge Info'

ICW BRIDGES (FL)
http://www.islandhopping.com/bridges.html

&
ICW Bridge Restrictions (Complete ICW )
http://www.inter-yacht.com/CC/icwrestr.htm


Regards,
Gord

[SailorBoy]

If you want to go up and around through the Great lakes you can without going out the St.Lawrence. I took my sailboat from Lake Ontario down the NY state canel system, through the Hudson, and out that way to the Atlantic to Cape May, then uup the Delaware, to the Cheasepeke, and ICW. Lots of sailboats make the trip every year from the frozen north south, it was a good trip but a lot of motoring. A great way to see the east coast if you can afford to take your time. The down side was that you will need to demast whereever you enter the cannal system (We demasted at Oswego, then put the mast back up in the Hudson.

Colin.

[irwinsailor]

I have heard that the New Your canal system is a first rate way to go. I would like to do it sometime.

[GordMay]

FYI:

The New York State Canal System - Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga Seneca Canals
http://www.canals.state.ny.us/
&
WWW Tide/Current Predictor - Site Selection
http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/

Regards,
Gord

[Tony Cook]

Irwinsailor:

South to the Gulf via Chicago means traversing one of the busiest barge routes in the country - there is a lengthy log on this route on my website from a couple who completed it in an Ontario 32 sailboat.
http://www.searoom.com/veleda

As well, I have various descriptions of the Erie Canal route out of Lake Ontario (Oswego, NY).
http://www.searoom.com/ditch.htm

Paul and Sheryl Shard also describe the Canal route
http://www.searoom.com/shard/south-1A.html

[GordMay]

I can recommend the “eastern” route South - (Oswego to) Erie Canals, Hudson River, outside to I.C.W & southwards ...

It’s a splendid tour, and a fairly easy route.

You’ve a particularly large boat, which will present a few minor (or not so?) challenges, no matter which inside route you take:
1. The canals have a 10 Ft bridge clearance. Can you clear 10' with the mast lashed horizontally on/above deck? There are facilities to de-mast at Oswego (& I presume Buffalo etc) and free materials to build your mast-storage “crutch”. Don't know about Chicago.
2. Boat handling in tight quarters can get interesting - but then you are an experienced power boater.
3. Draft is always a problem /w larger boats. Over 6' gets problematic on the I.C.W.

I'd also reconsider a late season departure (which could be unwise on any route). If it's too late to go "outside", it may be (just plain) too late, period.

For what it's worth ...
Gord