Great Circle Loop Voyage

I'd recommend what I'm doing, contacting locals directly for local knowledge. I'm not a big one for trusting general statements on websites or books. For me it'll be bridge heights at the time we're cruising, but you can probably find out about lock 45's usable length now. Often with locks the doors swing one way. which means that you could come into the lock, move forward to the next doors and then slide back 10' or 15' as they close the gates behind you. In that case you'd only be up near the forward door while there's no water movement. IOW's the usable maximum length of the lock interior may be 84', but the actual space could be close to 100'. Some locks however have a guilotine type of door. In that case 84' would mean 84'. It's worth sending some e-mails or making some calls. I'd be real hesitant to go into a lock with only 2' of clearance over my length though. There's bound to be a little fore and aft movement. As for striping down the boat to make things possible. I don't mind dropping my arch since it's hinged, but I'll only dimantle my windshield if I get someplace and find it necessary. After all, this is supposed to be a pleasure cruise. It'd be different if say I needed to strip the boat down to get it to its home.
I think you'll be ok on the big shute if you can rest on those skegs while in straps (know where you can and can't strap also), although I would definitely let them (and the locks) know you're coming 48 hrs. in advance so they can schedule your locking through so you don't find yourself standing station for half the day.

Great Loop

I no a few deliveries captains that work and live on the Trent will try and get some of these question answered
HTM09 send in a picture of your boat.
Rodger

Great Lakes Cruising Club

Look up the Great Lakes Cruising Club website. If you join, which is well worth it, you have access to years of local knowledge. Each harbor report is well detailed with everything you need to know about every area of the great lakes.


They also have webinars which are very informative.

I have been a member for years and I find their information to be very up to date.

We cruise to the North Channel from Cleveland every few years and I always rely on the GLCC.

Happy Voyages!

Trent Severn

The Big Chute Marine Railway car looks pretty solid. As long as the retractable skegs will not rest in one of those recesses, the boat will sit perfectly on the hard. The Admiral will probably leave the boat prior and rather walk down the slope.

Port Severn lock is really tight. It is a swing door type and we actually would have app. 1 ft all around the boat. There will be not much water with us in the lock.

That leads to the point, that in a significant number of locks, we have to go in allone. We have to call the canal authorities, as soon as they are back on duty, whether they would advice us to take that route. They most likely give out a "warning to sailors" about this big fellow on the canal.

The Boat has a total of 8 props, plus one set of spare props mounted at the wall in the engine room. In case, I ruin one, we would survive. I have been told, a scuba diver can change an IPS prop under water.???????

Honestly, it is good to have a "Plan B", the Welland Canal, if Trent Severn does not make sence, because of the size of the boat. However, I do appreciate your advices, Gentleman.

Thats what the boat basically looks like.

Can you tell me more about the overhead? I don't see that listed in the guides, so I assumed over 10m. I've read about the currents below the locks and the restricted channel by Hwy. 400, but no overhead warnings. We're 18'1". Doesn't look like a spot where I'd like to stand station while taking off our windshield. On the good side the Seline draws about a foot more than us and we've got more power for that current, but I don't know her air draft with the mast lowered. I do have concerns about our height especially since the pool hights are running high at the moment. Any insights are welcome.

The first time I transported a boat up the east coast I stop at this marina with a fabulous place where these elderly ladies served the best food, family style. Of course I remembered exactly where it was. For the next 20 years and over 25 transports I tried to find it again with no luck until just a couple of years ago. The human brain is an amusing thing, and a bit frustrating at times also. Tell the Admiral thanks from me. I'll sleep better tonight.

Great Loop

Two years ago I took a 85' Lazzara up the Welland Canal which had 4 IPS and he had gone aground in the Oswego Canal and took off two IPS and they had to pull the boat out of water at Sodus Point and fly mechanics from Florida for repairs.
Rodger

Eri Canal

May I assume, by your postings and advices, that taking the Hudson River up to Albany, then via the Eri Canal and River to Oswego, is sound and save with our boat and can taken into the final planning?

The further route will be determined when more info are comming in.

The Hudson is completely safe for your boat. It's used for shipping up to Albany, and a 100'+ (I believe it was the Lady Christine) went up to Troy about a year or two ago. When I took the Erie a couple of years back I passed about a 60+ footer going the other way. "All lock chambers on the canal system are 328 feet long and 45 feet wide and are designed to accommodate vessels up to 300 feet LOA and a 43.5 foot beam."
You'll be fine for clearing the bridges (lowest bridge 19'6") and the bottom. I haven't been on the Oswego Canal, but I suspect that boat Rodger mentioned went too close to the bank or someplace else he shouldn't have, or found something floating.

The bigest problem you should encounter will be dockage. With 80' you'll want to plan on getting docked mid-afternoon in most places unless you make arrangements. I only encountered a real problem at one spot that I assume has been rectified by now. The spot escapes me right now, but the town seawall was under construction and I had to go onto a dock across the canal that I feared our little 40' express might take with it. That was the exception though, not the rule.

Loop

The Lazzara had to go around a working tug and struck some rocks.
I took Burgers M/Y Sycara down the Weland she is 150' x 26.7 ' she then went down the Oswego canal to the Erie Canal all the way to Albany.
Rodger

Damaging an IPS Duoprop is not a catastrophic mishap, as long as there is no damage to the drives. Breaking off a complete IPS drive or even two, would be the end of the journey and would cause (if my fault) a lack of communication between me and my son for a while. That noise, breaking off an IPS drive, must be awful.

But in shallow waters and at displacement speeds at or below 10 Kts, we will always go with the 3 hydraulic protection skegs extended. The are build to take a rock at low speed and save the coresponding drives behind them. They and the hull structure above them are strong enough to carry the whole boat.

The first portion of the trip, from Newark to Oswego, is so scenic and rich in variety, it is a vacation of its own.

The Hudson River is truly spectacular. Probably the most beautiful time to cruise it is in the Fall as the leaves are changing color, but there is no bad time (although in winter is would require an ice boat which you'd probably see up around Sing Sing as they race them near there.) It's a huge slice of American history every mile of its length, from the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Lackawanna RR that took the Swedish immigrants out to Minnesota, the new Freedom Tower rising from the ashes of the World Trade Center, on up past Grants Tomb, Bannerman's Castle and West Point (where a chain was draped across the river to stop the British ships during the Revolutionary War. I've traveled it many times and I always seem to notice something I hadn't before like, if the timing is right, you can get to see the train going into or out of the base of Bear Mountain.

The Hudson River is truly spectacular. Probably the most beautiful time to cruise it is in the Fall as the leaves are changing color, but there is no bad time (although in winter it would require an ice boat which you'd probably see up around Sing Sing as they race them near there.) It's a huge slice of American history every mile of its length, from the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Lackawanna RR that took the Swedish immigrants out to Minnesota, the new Freedom Tower rising from the ashes of the World Trade Center, on up past Grants Tomb, Bannerman's Castle and West Point (where a chain was draped across the river to stop the British ships during the Revolutionary War. I've traveled it many times and I always seem to notice something I hadn't before like, if the timing is right, you can get to see the train going into or out of the base of Bear Mountain.

My son called me last nght. The complete paperwork, maps and software for the first portion of the loop has arrived. The trip from Newark via Hudson River, Albany and Eri Canal to Oswego is save and sound and hereby secured.

He is strongly recommending me to cancel the upper part via Trent Severn and instead going through the Welland Canal, Lake Erie, Detroit River, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan to Chicago. I think, he is afraid, his old man may ruin his new boat. It looks like, he is manipulating the "Admiral" to join him on his effort.

For the portion from Chicago to St.Louis, I am concidering to hire a professonal pilot or a delivery captain, who is well familiar with that route. He could even bring his wife on that trip, as we have one free double cabin available. As said before, we are planning touristic speed, because we will be on vacation, not on the run. A name or help finding one, would be appriciated.

As much as I expect to enjoy the beauty of the Trent-Severn, I have concerns about doing it in a 56'. Unfortunately, because of my experience and responsibilities, I spend all my time on a boat wondering what will go wrong next. So I would have to vote with your son on this. You should be able to make it, but you're right about at the max of what that waterway can handle. That's bound to add some worries to your cruising.
I'll try to locate a good contact I have out in the mid-west and PM his info to you. Hopefully he'll be able to put you with a good captain.

It appears that we've just passed the last big hurdle in our refit. With only a couple of minor jobs to complete we hope to be casting off later this week to begin the Loop (over a month delayed).