Great Loop Cruise Video

5' would be no problem, but I can't imagine taking a 103' there. You're more likely to experience weed fouling before running aground!

I took the RENA to Sarnia Bay a couple of years ago, and moored at the City Park. They don't offer transient dockage, but I have a couple of connections in town

Amazing how many places I've docked that can't take a boat the size I was on that day. Often they can fit one in if you're real nice and we have docked at a City Civic Center that didn't allow overnight either, but with full permission. Often it's just situational. But the shallow and weeds are another thing. Actually the boat we will do the loop in a couple of years does only have a 5' draft. I'm guessing Nycap is 5' or even less. Once you cross 5' your issues on the loop start to increase although not so much in the Great Lakes as the other sections.

A little reading to stir the cobwebs.

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/g...48-great-loop-cruise-video-13.html#post190428

If you do the Great Loop and follow the route during the normal time, the water level is usually much higher than posted. For example if you're in the Erie Canal May,June, and even into July the water level is much higher due to the snow melt off not draining out yet so depth is not usually an issue if your even 6'. I had no depth issues on a 75' Hatteras when I did it (nor a 64' Viking SC, or 58' Searay). Although we did have a lot of issues on the 75' with either marina's not having a slip large enough, or not enough electric at the slip 2-50 amps available.

Your notice must have been delayed because reopened now. There were also some roads closed for a bit. All of the NY waterways are now open except the Syracuse Inner Harbor.

So, did you wet a line?

https://www.facebook.com/TbbaTriBayBassAssociation

They were waiting for the start of the tournament. Having lived on a lake, we were quite familiar with these. Typical lake starts were 100 high speed bass boats taking off at the starting signal in a mad race to the best spots. Most bass boats around us were capable of at least 60 mph.

Heck, my friends 20' Ranger did 94mph on the motor and then he had another 150hp of Nitrous on top of that. I think he got it up to 107mph with the nitrous on gps and let off of it.

What model Ranger? I'm not familiar with any of their hulls that will handle that much speed. Although I know a few old tourney fishermen that had Allison boats painted to look like Rangers, Skeeters, Nitros and the like. Keep their sponsors happy, and be first to the hole.

It was an old one......mid 1980's I believe. He put a 250 Ocean Pro he built on it with a lot of work done pushing over 325hp on motor. It did 94mph on motor. I was on it for that, it started to chine walk and get a little squirelly at around 75 mph. He had a hydraulic jackplate on it and 4 blade prop. I was never on it with the nitrous, he kept the other fuel tank with race fuel and some weird oil, I think castor bean in it and switched it over to that tank for the nitrous excursions.

Yea, you mix castor oil with the fuel to spray a 2-stroke. Otherwise they tend to seize when you come off the nitrous. With that much, you could make a Ranger move pretty good. I am surprised a 4 blade prop hit that speed, 3 or 2 blades seem to be the norm for much over the 80mph mark. At least on single engine, smaller boats. Although I spent more time playing with hydro's, I've owned and run a couple Allisons over the years. Anyone that tops 100 on a sub 22' shallow v has my respect, they can be a handful.

He had a giant 3 blade clever 32" pitch I think he spun close to 7,000 rpms, but you could hardly get the boat up on plane with it. So he went to a 4 blade and it ran almost as good top end and only lost a few mph supposedly. But was a lot better performing for bass fishing and cruising around.

I stopped in Rodgers City and it was deep and easy to get into and the marina was large. Nothing going on there, but if all you're looking for is a safe stop, it's a good choice. It's halfway between Saginaw Bay and Macinaw

Gotcha......I've never done the Canadian side over there. However, every Canadian city I've been to has been very nice and clean.

Grand Bend

I'm glad Grand Bend worked out for you... It was great to meet you.. Enjoy your trip..

Adam / Blue Moon