Great Loop, what boat?

The original owners of my boat did the loop and bought it specifically to do so. After they finished they sold it.

I would have to say the 420AC is a great all around boat. It can get decent fuel mileage and with to separate staterooms and a washer/dryer it is just like an apartment.
 
My dock neighbors just did the loop last year in a 40' Cruisers Yachts Aft Cabin. Our marina sees a lot of loopers come through in the fall. In general the 40 to 50 foot size seems to be popular. You see a lot of Trawlers come through. But have have seen a 360 Sundancer as well.
 
A buddy of mine did it a couple of years ago in a 280.

He told me it can get cold up there even in the summer. I'd have to say a sneaker. A sneaker with an extended cockpit would be perfect..... but they never made it! :huh:
 
A single engine tug or trawler with less than a 14 foot beam. Comfort is everything and a lot of patience goes a long way!
 
Something with deck all around, like a Banks Europa. Ease of handling in the locks. Good bridge clearance for the west end of the Erie Canal, and not going up and down stairs all day from one lock to another on the Trent and Rideau, and you said money was no object.

Or, in realty, any boat you are comfortable in, that draws less than 5', and can get under the bridges where you want to go, and can get about 250 mile range.

I can't wait!
 
If I had a choice it would be the 48 Dancer. Plenty of room and range and should be good on the clearance issues.
 
Depends on how much time you had to do it in :)
 
I don't know how to answer the question without factoring in price a bit.

Even without price, you are limited in your size by the draft and the risk tolerance you have. I saw 100+' boat up at Coinjock... Seemed interesting.

Personally, I think I lucked into one of best boats just by accident.

The 40' DA diesel seems to be just about as economical at 6 kts as a trawler. I didn't expect it, but when I ask trawlers what their burn rate is it's usually right around mine at 3gph. But, the advantage I have is I can get up and go 20kts all day long if I need to get somewhere. It was a big help when I wanted to make Wrightsville Beach from Charleston before weather. A trawler wouldn't have made it....

Now, you can go the sailboat route to get better fuel consumption but you compromise draft. Unless you go catamaran, but then you have to be concerned with mast height.

So, it really varies depending on what you want.

I can tell you a good washer /dryer would be great. But, the people I've spoken to, that have them, say they are very small and you can hardly wash anything. Further, the dryers have a hard time drying anything. So, as much as I'd like to have the combo, in the real world they don't seem to be the best. I can say, washing clothes was probably one of the biggest issues I had on my travels. I had no trouble finding a place to wash as most marinas has a laundry room. Yet, I destroyed more clothes by getting holes in them from the machines. Clothes I've had years that held up in my home machine with no issues, didn't last 6 months with the industrial stuff... I can't explain it...

A bridge boat has it's advantages too, but I think you will burn a bit more fuel due to the weight and have more windage. I was traveling with another guy at one point that wouldn't take his boat out of the slip the day we were planning on running. I pulled out of the slip without issues and ran that day.

Every boat is a compromise...cost..comfort...speed...economy...ease...draft...what's best for one person might not be the best for another....

I don't think my next boat will even be able to run the ICW....That's a compromise I might have to make.
 
Duel post some how
 
I would be very happy with the 320DA for this given the beam, draft and height limits - though I would much prefer a 420DA if I had the choice. It is a long time since i read a book on this but isn't fuel and range the biggest deciding factor here? I think the gas 420DA would be limited without truck fueling options.
 
Fleming 55 or 58 would be the ideal boat for me, but I have to check if they are too tall. If I recall, the lowest bridge is something like 19 feet. I'd want one anyway, even if it couldn't do the loop.

Dale
 
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Now, you can go the sailboat route to get better fuel consumption but you compromise draft. Unless you go catamaran, but then you have to be concerned with mast height

See quite a few go through, they have shoal keels, and leave the mast home, or have the mast trucked to the gulf
I just couldn't live "down below" anymore.
 
I would be very happy with the 320DA for this given the beam, draft and height limits - though I would much prefer a 420DA if I had the choice. It is a long time since i read a book on this but isn't fuel and range the biggest deciding factor here? I think the gas 420DA would be limited without truck fueling options.

There is a stretch somewhere (I think on the Tenn Tom ?) where range is an issue that most heavy gas cruisers can have.
anything over 45' can be an inconvenience for some marinas where tee heads are at a minimum or non existent.
Your 35 foot boat is in the norm length wise
 
See quite a few go through, they have shoal keels, and leave the mast home, or have the mast trucked to the gulf
I just couldn't live "down below" anymore.

I agree....

A sailboat might be a great option for some. Though, I consider every "sailboat" on the ICW a powerboat. I think I only saw sailboats under sail in the wide rivers. I did see a few w/o masts. They pulled them to save fuel when they realized they never did sail really anyway. The ICW is an interesting place to see the true disparity between boaters. I mean you have some boats that are so pristine and large they have crew and a captain, and on the other end an unsailable sailboat without mast and a little outboard. Though, I found about 95% of all boaters real nice and friendly...
 
For sure. I am always taken with how much "stuff" sail loopers can bungee cord to their decks, and how much they know about being on a boat for extended periods of time without any of what I wouldn't leave home without. And yes, all great people.
 
For sure. I am always taken with how much "stuff" sail loopers can bungee cord to their decks, and how much they know about being on a boat for extended periods of time without any of what I wouldn't leave home without. And yes, all great people.

It's a part of boating that I truly enjoy....Seeing how others live simply and happy... I did this little experiment to see just how little we need to be happy and still not feel like we are missing anything. It's surprising how much you think you need and how much you really need. When I pulled the lines I thought I was missing things. Part way through, I wanted about half the "Stuff" off the boat. Not only didn't need it, but didn't want it. I know you can take it to extremes and that wouldn't work for me. I've found personally, I like electricity and hot showers... It's helped me understand my tolerance.

BTW - Your boat looks like it would be great for the loop.
 
We bought our current boat with the intention of using it for the Loop. But now I think it may be too deep and too tall. Not counting the antennas, bridge clearance is 23' and the draft is 4'. I have researched hinging the radar arch but there is not much I can do about the draft.

If I can make that work I have a range of +/- 500 miles, good decks for handling lines and it's more than comfortable. I think I read there is a fixed height RR bridge on the Illinois river at 19'. If I get the arch cut I'm good....if there is no skinny water.
 
Hmmmm.... I don't know about that.

But, you seem to be part right.....

http://www.greatloop.org/frequently-asked-questions-cms-84

It doesn't appear to be a "fixed" bridge but a broken bridge that they don't fix.

Which brings up something that stunned and disappointed me. The lack of care of the waterway. Markers missing or dredging not done, etc... Don't get me wrong, it was all passable. It's just before I took my journey I expected it to be kept up 100%. I was wrong.....Some states invest more than others. In fact, I wouldn't have minded a small ICW boaters tax to fund the waterway.
 

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