What is the best boat for the Intracoastal Waterway?
The best boats to travel down the ICW are motorboats or sailboats with a mast no higher than 64′ or a keel not too much deeper than 5′. There’s a stretch of the ICW that will, however, allow boats with tall masts (over 64′) and deeper keels (7′ or so) running from Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale.
What is the lowest bridge on the Great Loop?
The lowest unavoidable fixed bridge on the Great Loop is currently charted at 19.6′ and is located at mile 300.6 on the Illinois River. The boat you intend to use for the Loop must be able to clear that bridge. Some members with taller boats are able to get under 19.6′ by lowering antenna, radar arches, etc.
What size boat is best for the Great Loop?
between 28 and 38 feet
Experts advise that no matter whether your vessel is a sailboat, cruiser, sportfish or trawler, a good boat size for the Great Loop is in the range between 28 and 38 feet. The size of your vessel is a decision that will depend on what you are most comfortable in and what allows you to maintain the lifestyle you prefer.
What is the maximum height of a boat to do the Great Loop?
The Great Loop can be done in virtually any type of vessel, as long as draft doesn’t exceed 9 feet and height from the waterline is less than 19 feet, 1 inch. Sailboats must have masts that can be lowered. The Loop has been done on PWC.
Can you boat the entire Intracoastal Waterway?
Did you know that you can go all the way from Canada down to Key West, Florida with your boat as the only means of transportation? The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a highway of sorts for smaller boats.
What is the safest type of boat?
What are the safest sailboats available?
- Wayfarer. The wayfarer is a large two-man sailboat. Someone can sail it solo if they wish, but that might take a little more practice.
- Flying fifteen. The flying fifteen is a sturdy two-man keelboat.
- Sprint 15 Catamaran. Catamarans are great boats for beginners.
How long does the Great Loop take?
The Great Loop—a year-long, nearly 6,000-mile journey through the eastern United States and Canada’s interconnected water passages—takes boaters counterclockwise from the Gulf and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterways to the Erie Canal, Great Lakes, Canadian Heritage Canals, and the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers.
How much fuel does it take to do the Great Loop?
555.08 gallons of fuel.
Can you do the Great Loop solo?
You absolutely CAN complete the Great Loop solo, regardless of the size of the boat. Let these Loopers give you the information and inspiration you need to get cruising.
How long does it take to travel the entire Intracoastal Waterway?
To optimize the time, most cruisers have the lines in at “crack of dawn” (COD) and plan to be off the water with an hour or two of daylight left. This allows them to travel between 40 and 70 nautical miles each day. At that pace, completing the ICW would take three to four weeks, provided you do not stop.
What kind of boat is a great loop?
Take a look at our Affordable Used Great Loop Boat Guide and find that reliable “clunker with a character” that you have always wanted. Coming to age during the 1970’s Fuel Crisis, these motor yachts combined diesel engine efficiency with a sleek exterior and a luxurious interior.
How big is the air draft on the Great Loop?
The one absolute and immutable dimension for the Great Loop is an air draft of 19 feet, 6 inches, in order to clear the fixed Chicago railroad bridge. Of course, you can also complement your Loop experience with air drafts of 17 feet (downtown Chicago) or 15 feet, 6 inches (the Erie Canal).
Who is the broker for the Great Loop?
Curtis Stokes has also been a speaker discussing “Finding the right boat for your Great Loop cruise” at the AGLCA’s Rendezvous. Please Contact Curtis for more information. See Great Loop boats for sale listed below.
Where do you start on the Great Loop?
The Great Loop is America’s great boating adventure on the waterways of Eastern North America, in Canada and the USA. You start out at your home port which can be anywhere from the navigable waters of Florida, Atlantic coast, Hudson River, the Great Lakes or Inland Rivers.