Great Loop anyone??

I didn't like going under the Erie Canal bridges or the Chicago bridge. All too close for my comfort. It was a reminder of when I started growing rapidly in college and suddenly head clearance became an issue.

Growth spurts can be rough! Ahh, you've been through the sanitation canal from Calumet harbor into the Illinois river and past Joliette penitentiary it seems. Interesting trip from mile marker #1 in Cairo IL. down the Mississippi to the federal locks in New Orleans. I did it one year with the Mississippi way over its flood gauges and I took on a river pilot in St Louis. He had to be 85 or 90 yrs old and I'll never forget him as he never had to look at a chart even though most of the buoy's were in the trees and the groins were submerged. I freaked for the first day or so until it was obvious that he'd forgotten more than most would ever know about that river.

We haven't yet done the lower Mississippi. Nor have we done the Mississippi above where the Illinois empties into it. Still also on our plans are the Ohio, the Missouri and the Arkansas.

From 5'6" to nearly 6'6" in shoes (6' 4 1/2" barefoot) in college introduces you to obstacles you never thought about. Worst are the stairs on which you'll hit your head if you raise on your feet at just the wrong time.

Funny how that works. You grew 10 inches from the age of 18 or so till 22 while in college while some kids (males) have their growth spurts from 14 to 18 yrs or so. I was a high school freshman playing varsity sports because of my size. Didn't make the cut talent wise for baseball as high school separates the kids who can hit sliders and such and wrestling as an oversized freshman was a lesson in pain and humility as I held the county record for being pinned under 5 seconds! Big clumsy kid never won a match, not even a draw...

I was 15 when I entered college so my spurt was at fairly normal age. 18 when I graduated. Loved all sports but basketball was my favorite and I was always too short. Ironically after college I was highly sought for local leagues but they wanted me to play inside and I'd always been a point guard dues to height. Wrestling, they wanted me because I could fit in the lowest weight class (96 pounds or so I think but not sure). I only wrestled in phys. ed. and never against anyone close to my size. So, I grew at high school age, just was in college. Baseball, only thing I could do in HS was get a lot of walks. Never could hit any breaking ball.

And that's a word to parents of how negative the impact of skipping grades can be. It results in kids never being with others their age or size or development and not enjoying the socialization that other kids to. I started when 5 years old as my birthday was the deadline. 6 hours later birth and I would have had to wait. Skipped 5th grade. Did high school in 3 years with some high school done ahead in 8th grade. I knew a girl who did similar and when she returned to the high school campus as a college freshman, some didn't recognize her and there were a lot of shocked boys suddenly interested. Unfortunately for them, she remembered everything said to her previously and how each treated her before her new developments.

I've seen negative impact on large kids like you as they may be good at athletics but because of size people expect them to act like adults when they're still children. We had a kid in the orphanage who was 6'4" at 14 and still a normal 14 year old in every other way. Before getting shot in a drug deal gone bad his father had been an all state high school basketball player. He's playing college ball now. 6'9". I use to be able to push him around on the court, definitely he gets me back now.

Back to boat draft. Be sure to get an accurate measurement.

You can't find out that way. They might say their 50' does but that doesn't mean yours is the same. There are variations in boats and those variations can be enough to change the answer. You must do your own measuring.

There were a couple of marine rigging companies that started business in the late eighties through the ninety's that specialized in helping boaters reduce their air draft as 95% of all Saugatuck built Broward's passed under that bridge on their way down. I would call a few marine service companies around Calumet and see if they know of these companies as I don't recall any names. It would make sense that a rigger would have a list of vessels past and air drafts. With the popularity of the loop I'm sure there's a company that still provides these services to cruisers. Of course your hard top could be higher or lower than the same make and model past. Drop a weighted line off the side and then take in the consideration of the hard top crown for a measurement.

I think he is talking about a POST 50, to get a handle on whether others have gone before him....

The plumb line is perfect, but I would also use a level and straight edge running outboard from the highest object on the top, ather than guesstimating. He probably carries about 900 gallons of fuel and 250 in water. My 50 sinks at least 4 inches at the stern when I fill.

Plan on clearing off your hardtop. anything sticking up proud of the crown of your top. Radar scanner , GPS antennas etc. Most likely everything would have to go.

We put our electronics, including radar on a moveable and tiltable base on the arch. We could then move them toward the stern and down and get under the height. We bought the boat without the hardtop and had a hardtop built with no electronics on it. We had to run it with the unit lowered through the Erie Canal as well. Radar and Satellites are generally the items that are problematic.

Many have arches that are hinged in more conventional ways. I've seen them on Hatteras, Marlow, and Grand Banks. The ones I've seen were done by Pipewelders.

I got a 63' OCean through the Erie canal locks at 20'6" simply by filling up the fish boxes and livewell and about 8" of water in the stern with the raw water pump on the boat.

I am nearly positive that a 50' Post will go through the Illinois locks without an issue. You may have to take off a few small items but nothing major. The actual height of some boats really surprises you when you get the tape measure out.

I did the Erie Canal all of the way to Buffalo this year on a 68' Searay express and got the boat down to 15'2 just by taking the masthead light off and nothing else and it had an open array radar that stuck up pretty high.

I did the Great Loop in entirety in a 75' Hatteras MY. BUT, I always wanted to do the Mississippi river all of the way to New Orleans, but haven't gotten the chance yet. I've down to Chicago area about 5 times......Chicago to Alabama only once.

Not sure when you’re about doing the Great Loop but beware of Lock Closures.

ILLINOIS RIVER LOCK CLOSURE:
2. ) The Illinois River which is your only navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, includes eight locks which are due for significant repairs. In order to facilitate these repairs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning a closure of six of the eight Locks in 2020.

Each site has a single lock chamber for passing vessels. If one lock on the waterway is closed, you will not be able to transit past that lock. Closing multiple locks at the same time is more efficient way to make repairs and get everyone moving again.

Currently, the schedule for closures are begin July 1st and end October 31st. This will affect most 2020 Loopers' schedules. Therefore, be aware, you will need to adjust your Looping plans accordingly.
The locks scheduled for repairs include: Dresden Island Lock & Dam – Morris, Illinois, and Brandon Road Lock & Dam – Joliet, Illinois – These sites are anticipated to only be partially closed allowing for traffic to pass at night.
Our suggestion: If you are planning a 2020 voyage around the Loop, you may want to be south of these two locks by the end of June.

The water level is controlled by locks. Rain and melting snow raise the water level, the army corp drains it. Generally Chicago South to the Mississippi is kept to a minimum air draft of 19'2, when I went through it was 20'4.

One of clients has just bought this to do the Loop. The mast folds pretty low but I think he's pushing it. Going to measure it this weekend.

You only need 2" of wiggle room really...it's calm water...….use the raw water pump to fill the livewell and fishboxes with water if you have to. I don't know your height but a spinning rod with a weighted bobber on the end of it is by far the easiest way to measure. lay the rod flat on the heighest point of the hardtop and let line out till the bobber is touching the water. Take it on land and measure.

I did the ENTIRE Great loop in a 1988 75' Hatteras MY (65' MY with 10' extension. We had to lower the radar arch and bimini and we were down to 18'2-6 depending on fuel/water load.

Remember...if you are too tall by a few inches, fill up with fuel and water, turn off your bilge pumps, and add water to the hull to lower you until your preferred height...go under the bridge....turn bilge pumps on to pump out the water and be on your way