We are starting the Great Loop for the second time.

[ris]

We have decided to do the Great American Loop again. We will be leaving from Ruskin Fl. in the next week. Taking intercoastal waterway up to Hudson River then going up Lake Champlain to Sorel Canada. Then Montreal, Ottawa then the Rideau Canal to Kingston. Down the St. Lawrence to 1000 Islands. Back to Trenton Ontario for Trent-Severn waterway to Georgian Bay. On to North Channel, back into US waters to Mackinaw Island. Down east side of State of Michigan, thru Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. Get boat moved to Ohio River from Cleveland/Erie area. Our 26X is set up as a trawler with a 60 hp Honda.
Enjoyed meeting several of you as we did the loop last time. Hope to meet some of you this trip.

[gyroplanes]

Wow! that's ambitious.

We have a great loop that takes us about 70 miles and I have been planning that trip for years.

I'd love to see a picture (or many) of your 26X "trawler".

How long will this great loop take? ..... roughly, of course.

[Chinook]

Hi Richard and Jill,

Your Loop plans sound great. What arrangements will you make to get into the Ohio River? Will you be continuing down the interior rivers to the Gulf Coast? Will you be posting a blog again? If so, I'll look forward to following your progress. I'll be doing a little loop of my own this summer, circumnavigating Vancouver Island. The cruise will cover around 1000 nautical miles and will take us about 7 weeks. Best of luck on your trip. Say hi to Kevin and the other folks we met up with on your last Loop.

Mike and Sandy/Chinook

[ris]

We have a lot of pics under Mods. Look up water system under Mods search and then click on ris when you see our water system and all our mods will come up. Also at the bottom of the opening page find latest mods and you will see our skeg mod, click on Author column ris and our mods come up. The loop takes about 8 to 12 months depending on where you go and how long you stay at places. It is about 5800 miles. I got most of my ideas for the boat from Mike of Chinook and from Sumner. Mike I saw Kevin last week when he came by the house. Our blog is "thejillkristy.wordpress.com" . We will hire a boat hauler to move us the 110 miles. We will go down the Ohio to the Cumberland River then to Green Turtle Marina on Lake Barkley/Lake Kentucky then down the Tennessee Tombigby waterway to Mobile then back to Florida. Mike you and Sandy be safe that is a lot of big water out west. We will check out your blog as you travel also we will be following in your wake going up the Champlain route.
If you notice I said start the Loop as you never know if you will make the whole trip. Life gets in the way of your adventures at times.

[dlandersson]

Let me know when you approach Michigan City, IN. Be glad to help in any way I can.

We have decided to do the Great American Loop again. We will be leaving from Ruskin Fl. in the next week. Taking intercoastal waterway up to Hudson River then going up Lake Champlain to Sorel Canada. Then Montreal, Ottawa then the Rideau Canal to Kingston. Down the St. Lawrence to 1000 Islands. Back to Trenton Ontario for Trent-Severn waterway to Georgian Bay. On to North Channel, back into US waters to Mackinaw Island. Down east side of State of Michigan, thru Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. Get boat moved to Ohio River from Cleveland/Erie area. Our 26X is set up as a trawler with a 60 hp Honda.
Enjoyed meeting several of you as we did the loop last time. Hope to meet some of you this trip.

[Chinook]

If you notice I said start the Loop as you never know if you will make the whole trip. Life gets in the way of your adventures at times.

How true. For us, life got in the way of our completing the last 150 miles of a 6000 mile Great Loop due to a serious illness in the family. Life also intervened in a remote corner of the Broughtons when Sandy had her stroke. Planning and starting an extended cruise requires a substantial portion of hope. You adjust your course based on the winds and current, which are found both in the environment as well as in life. One thing I know about you and Jill is that you have an abundance of optimism and hope, tempered by careful planning, great judgement, and skill. We sincerely hope that no obstacles get in the way of the completion of your cruising plans.

[Herschel]

If you notice I said start the Loop as you never know if you will make the whole trip. Life gets in the way of your adventures at times.

How true. For us, life got in the way of our completing the last 150 miles of a 6000 mile Great Loop due to a serious illness in the family. Life also intervened in a remote corner of the Broughtons when Sandy had her stroke. Planning and starting an extended cruise requires a substantial portion of hope. You adjust your course based on the winds and current, which are found both in the environment as well as in life. One thing I know about you and Jill is that you have an abundance of optimism and hope, tempered by careful planning, great judgement, and skill. We sincerely hope that no obstacles get in the way of the completion of your cruising plans.

I certainly want to add my best wishes for "fair winds and following seas" and a successful voyage. Having enjoyed two brief visits with you (and, yes, I did eventually find my truck keys ) I am confident you will have a great time. I am much more modest in my aspirations. I am contemplating a "Florida Loop" of sorts from my homeport in Sanford, FL down the St, Johns and around to Venice or St. Pete via ICW. But no 'float plan" under development at this time.

[beene]

Sounds like a great trip.

I've done the Trent Severn, beautiful trip.

This May, I'm going with Highlander and Delevi from this site.
from Bayfield, down through Lake Huron to Sarnia
down the St Clair river to Lake St Clair
down the Detroit river to Lake Erie
through Lake Erie to the Port Colborne
Up the Welland Canal to Lake Ontario
Accross Lake Ontario to my home base near Port Credit Ontario

Looking forward to it and hoping for warm enough temps to enjoy it

Cheers

G

[Seapup]

Cool.

I know I like reading travel books while traveling. You may enjoy these if you have not read them.

RIVER HORSE -- The Logbook of a Boat Across America


He takes a mac sized Cdory trawler from East coast to West Coast. He does the Allegheny/Ohio to Mississippi section if I remember right.


On the Water: Discovering America in a Row Boat




This guy rowed it so has a neat perspective on camping along the way. He portaged from lake Erie into the Allegheny then down the Ohio to Mississippi. If I remember right he really liked that section and was not a fan of the East coast ICW from a rowing/camping perspective.

[gyroplanes]

We have a lot of pics under Mods. Look up water system under Mods search and then click on ris

Did exactly as you said and saw the "trawler" pictures.
I found a mast and sails from a 19 foot boat and seriously thought about a "short rig" to keep the sailing option and single handing the mast raising. I gave up that notion.

I read and enjoyed every one of your mods. Best wishes on your journey, I will be following you.

I found a very happy solution to the Mac steering wander (see new steering thread)

[ris]

We are staying overnight at St. Lucie lock just east of Lake Okeechobee in Florida. So far all is going well. We will be in Ft. Pierce or Vero Monday afternoon. Did some adjusting on the wheel pilot today hopefully the boat will self steer better will let you know. We have seen lots of gators, snail kites, white pelicans, eagles, hawks, herons of all types including yellow crowned night herons.