san padre to chicago
#11
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Heres a choppy day on Lake Michigan. These gents are in a 36 apache. I love reading the posts where guys claim there 31-33ft v bottoms run 70+ in 6' seas. This lake can make a 41 apache feel like a 19ft bayliner.
[youtube]ttN2stWdoeg[/youtube]
[youtube]ttN2stWdoeg[/youtube]
#12
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Bokeelia, FL
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Key to a good trip... good logistics!
I had just done a nice long note... hit wrong button... GONE!!!
Long and short of it; here is a good article... http://www.marinalife.com/magazine/S...eat%20Loop.pdf
Working with a friend to bring his trawler from Eastern Michigan to SWF via the ditch, I spent many, many hours with charts, Google Earth and guides to prepare a float plan. A good float plan tends to take care of surprises along the way. You can learn where there are locks where multiple souls are required to pass, where there are long distances between fuel ports and ports where there is very limited access to accommodations or provisions. Our plan is to average 60 miles a day realizing full well there were days we would get 100 miles and days when we get to watch the weather radar.
Once I had the float plan finished, using the guides I went to websites. Granted it was not a large percentage, but there were stops which were no longer in business and apparently no new owner. At other sites discovered they no longer had a fuel dock and other sites no longer had a pump-out. The problem with one no fuel dock location was it was right in the middle of two fairly long runs by my standards and it was also a stop with a grocery store across the road.
The biggest hump to get over is boredom. There are days where everything looks the same for hour after hour and that is when mistakes happen! For much of the trip I will have a crew, but for those times of no crew I will be strict with myself to stop as close to 3 hours for 1/2 to full hour to do something else.
Frankly, I wouldn't be too afraid of trying your trip in a smaller boat as long as you understand there are days you get to sit in the marina and watch the wind and/or rain.
Long and short of it; here is a good article... http://www.marinalife.com/magazine/S...eat%20Loop.pdf
Working with a friend to bring his trawler from Eastern Michigan to SWF via the ditch, I spent many, many hours with charts, Google Earth and guides to prepare a float plan. A good float plan tends to take care of surprises along the way. You can learn where there are locks where multiple souls are required to pass, where there are long distances between fuel ports and ports where there is very limited access to accommodations or provisions. Our plan is to average 60 miles a day realizing full well there were days we would get 100 miles and days when we get to watch the weather radar.
Once I had the float plan finished, using the guides I went to websites. Granted it was not a large percentage, but there were stops which were no longer in business and apparently no new owner. At other sites discovered they no longer had a fuel dock and other sites no longer had a pump-out. The problem with one no fuel dock location was it was right in the middle of two fairly long runs by my standards and it was also a stop with a grocery store across the road.
The biggest hump to get over is boredom. There are days where everything looks the same for hour after hour and that is when mistakes happen! For much of the trip I will have a crew, but for those times of no crew I will be strict with myself to stop as close to 3 hours for 1/2 to full hour to do something else.
Frankly, I wouldn't be too afraid of trying your trip in a smaller boat as long as you understand there are days you get to sit in the marina and watch the wind and/or rain.
#13
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
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That's a pretty good video. And I've seen it a lot worse. One holiday weekend years ago it took me over 4 hours to get from Grand Haven to Saugatuck in what evolved into 8-10 foot pillows. When I got to Saugatuck and rang my Mom to tell her we weren't coming to Milwaukee, she was on the other line with the Coast Guard who was about to send out the chopper. Doh! My girlfriend at the time must have thrown up about 30 times. I never really liked her.