Taking a my Hatteras 43 from Lake Michigan to Marco Island Fl.

The distance from Chicago to Mobile is about 1300 miles and then roughly 400-600 miles to Marco Island. Assuming 10kt cruise speed this should take about 3 weeks of 8-hour days. Calculate your fuel costs, transient dockage for 3-weeks, and budget about $10,000-$12,000 for crew costs (wages, travel, food). I would also leave a reserve for repair costs if you don't normally cruise your boat to this extent.

The other option is to do it yourself and save the crew costs. Will be the trip of a lifetime.

I took a new to me Marquis 59 from Chicago to Annapolis, MD in 2014 with my wife and kids. We went around the other way (Lake Mich, Huron, Erie, Welland, Ontario, Erie Canal, Hudson) . It was the trip of a lifetime and would do it again. I am not suggesting you go that way, but encouraging you to take the trip.

Yes ! do it yourself great trip but be sure all the locks are running and for sure keep in mind about your time of the year when you go down it watch the spring time that's not good with the river and the fuel is kind of hard to get in certain parts I understand Hoppies is no longer and they are very long days but its an experience of a life time.

I've always considered moving boat an opportunity for pleasure. If it was me, I'd run it south, either the Mississippi, Ohio, TN route or the Erie, coastal route. Don't think it all has to be done at one time. If you have three weeks or so here and there, then you move it, dock it, return. You could do it over the course of a year. Your entire vacation time for one year could be various segments of moving the boat.

Pascal gave me a heads up on this thread. I’ll be happy to help depending on when you want to do this. Just finished moving a Sea Ray from Hilton Head to WPB, and I’m driving over to Bradenton to move a Hatteras 58MY back up to the Tennessee River.

I’ve done that trip several times (in both directions) and will be moving a 53MY from lower Lake Michigan to lower Lake Huron sometime the first part of May. I don’t recall if posting a web address is allowed on here, but shoot me a PM.

We did most of that trip(Grand haven to Panama City) in an old Pacemaker back in 2000 and yes, it was a great trip. Our only mistake was not having time to slow down and enjoy it all, we did it in 14 days. We opted for the lower Mississippi rather than the Tenn-Tom to save time.

The Tenn-Tom route is actually shorter. Thought about running the lower Mississippi a couple of years ago imagining that free push I would get from the current. Then I did the math.

Then there is the issue of precious few marinas and anchorages. The Tenn-Tom is the only way to go unless Huck Finn adventure is on your bucket list.

Yes, the Tenn-Tom is shorter but there are no locks on the lower Mississippi and there is a lot to see along that route. It's actually more scenic than rural eastern Mississippi. But if Kidd fuel dock in Cape Girardeau isn't open you'll be in trouble. I'd recommended it to anyone looking for an adventure. We ran up on some recent college graduates in Memphis on a home made raft headed to New Orleans. They had been on the river 2 months.

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Spring flood isn't the time for yachts to be on the Mississippi due to high water causing most groins to be submerged and channel markers in the trees. Even seasoned river pilots get white knuckles during the spring flood especially southbound where steerage becomes an issue when you need to tap the brakes. Tenn Tom is definitely the way to go this time of year.

So much for that advise, Just looked at the NOAA Mississippi & Missouri river 2022 spring flood outlook and due to the Midwest drought conditions both rivers are predicted to be below gauge with localized flooding from tributaries. Upper Mississippi Ice break up didn't seem to be a factor in this years reports either.

the lower Mississippi route is 350 miles longer, however with the current at a 10 knot hull speed/rpms we were doing almost 15 knots on the upper Mississippi. I should’ve kept going. I’ve done the tenn tomm several times.

The Tenn-Tom is shorter and takes less time We make that trip in ten days from Crowleys.

From my fruends at USACE
https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Portals/48/docs/Nav/NavigationCharts/ILW/AppendixB.pdf