Ha! Good to see that the spirit of adventure is alive and well though apparently couched in cynicism regarding the sanity of those who seek it. Yuk, Melody...... who wants to crew with a bunch of egos. Been there, done that. This GRC begins at the eastern ICW (about 200 yards from my house) north. Will be poking into the wonderful rivers that are so rich with history including the Potomac all the way to DC. Up the Chesapeake to Dover to catch my plane to England. (retired U.S. Coast Guard gets me a cheap to free flight). Then back up the Hudson (stopping in NYC of course). To the Glakes via the Erie Canal (past Niagara falls). Of all the waterways and oceans I I've been on or seen I respect the GL's the most. Rolled a 36 footer in 20 foot seas on Superior. Stuck on a lighthouse for 3 days with 30 footers breaking over it. Truely hairy rescues. They also have the friendliest, best natured sailors and fishermen and women I've ever met. Out through Chicago down the wonderful gut of the Illinois, Missisippi, Tenn-Tom, and out Mobile. Turn left down the Gulf side to the Keys for a while. Up the ICW for a bit to catch the right weather for the 50 mile passage to Bimini. Explore the Bahamas then head back to the ICW and home to Neptune Beach (the good side of Jacksonville). Also want trailerable because I will then be going to Lake Tahoe (my birthplace) by putting in at various lakes and rivers and waterways along the way. So ....... rugged, trailerable, sea worthy and kindly, not too expensive, and room to carry good wines....., Do I ask too much? Apparently so by some of your comments....oh well..... I hope that I might meet some of you on my journey...... That is going to be the coolest part by far.... Would you be able to offer me a beer, hot shower, and a good meal? ;>) Kief...
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John Visser
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Thomas Ehmke
This time it's better written
Kief, I thought your first post was kind of rambling and confusing... something concocted from a mind with a lot of armchair pipedreams and little experience. That kind of stuff appears on this site at times and those of us who answer sometimes are a bit cynical with good reason. It can be a wake-up call for someone with unrealistic ideas about sailing. If you had outlined your adventure in your first post as completely as you did in the second one, the responses would have been different. Reading of a sequence of events that does not include a GCR through the great lakes shows me that you're not a wacko trying to strut his stuff on the site, and I apologize for my sarcasm. Damn straight I'd buy you lunch (and an adult beverage of your choice!!!) if you came my way through Lake Erie. I envy you the opportunity to sail in such a variety of environments. Tom Ehmke
Kief, I thought your first post was kind of rambling and confusing... something concocted from a mind with a lot of armchair pipedreams and little experience. That kind of stuff appears on this site at times and those of us who answer sometimes are a bit cynical with good reason. It can be a wake-up call for someone with unrealistic ideas about sailing. If you had outlined your adventure in your first post as completely as you did in the second one, the responses would have been different. Reading of a sequence of events that does not include a GCR through the great lakes shows me that you're not a wacko trying to strut his stuff on the site, and I apologize for my sarcasm. Damn straight I'd buy you lunch (and an adult beverage of your choice!!!) if you came my way through Lake Erie. I envy you the opportunity to sail in such a variety of environments. Tom Ehmke
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Rick Webb
Cheap, Free Flights
I am sure you know but do not overlook BWI, Andrews or Norfolk NAS when trying to get your hop. Also if you do not already know you can fax your request in and get on the list much sooner that way esecially for the return trip,you may stay on the list for 60 days. Email me through this site if you have any other questions I am going to be gone for a couple of days but will get back to you as soon as I get back.
I am sure you know but do not overlook BWI, Andrews or Norfolk NAS when trying to get your hop. Also if you do not already know you can fax your request in and get on the list much sooner that way esecially for the return trip,you may stay on the list for 60 days. Email me through this site if you have any other questions I am going to be gone for a couple of days but will get back to you as soon as I get back.
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Brian Jarchow
Sounds like a fun trip!
First let me give you some instructions to clarify something. Get yourself a map of the world, a globe, and some string. With the flat map put one end of the string on San Francisco and the other on Tokyo. Pull the string tight and you have what wrongly looks like a direct route that is almost parallel to the lines of latitude. That's because of the map layout. Now try the same thing on the globe. You'll find that the shortest route really involves a straight line that starts by heading somewhat north out of SFO and ends southbound into Japan. That's what a Great Circle route is. Years ago my brother took a flight from Los Angeles to Taipei, Taiwan. The flight was so long that with good headwinds the plane would have to stop in Anchorage to refuel, a stop that was only slightly out of the way. Naturally some small-minded people couldn't accept that because looking at a flat map a straight line wouldn't come near Alaska. What you propose is a circumnavigation of the eastern US. For both the ICW and Erie Canal sections of the trip there are a few really good guidebooks to the waterways. You can also find a lot of good information online by going to your favorite search engine. One question for you and everyone else - are there navigable waterways from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River? One of these days I want to ship my sailboat from Washington to Chicago, then sail to NYC via the Erie canal then down the coast before Island hopping to Venezuela, going through the Panama Canal, and finally back home by heading out to around 140W and riding the winds north towards Cape Flattery. When you take your trip please post occasionally to let us know how it is going. Brian
First let me give you some instructions to clarify something. Get yourself a map of the world, a globe, and some string. With the flat map put one end of the string on San Francisco and the other on Tokyo. Pull the string tight and you have what wrongly looks like a direct route that is almost parallel to the lines of latitude. That's because of the map layout. Now try the same thing on the globe. You'll find that the shortest route really involves a straight line that starts by heading somewhat north out of SFO and ends southbound into Japan. That's what a Great Circle route is. Years ago my brother took a flight from Los Angeles to Taipei, Taiwan. The flight was so long that with good headwinds the plane would have to stop in Anchorage to refuel, a stop that was only slightly out of the way. Naturally some small-minded people couldn't accept that because looking at a flat map a straight line wouldn't come near Alaska. What you propose is a circumnavigation of the eastern US. For both the ICW and Erie Canal sections of the trip there are a few really good guidebooks to the waterways. You can also find a lot of good information online by going to your favorite search engine. One question for you and everyone else - are there navigable waterways from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River? One of these days I want to ship my sailboat from Washington to Chicago, then sail to NYC via the Erie canal then down the coast before Island hopping to Venezuela, going through the Panama Canal, and finally back home by heading out to around 140W and riding the winds north towards Cape Flattery. When you take your trip please post occasionally to let us know how it is going. Brian
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Don Evans
My In-Laws Did The Journey For Their Honeymoon
Trailored their Albin 27 from Victoria, B.C. to Chicago. Dropped boat off then took trailer to Thunder Bay, there ultimate end point. Took bus back to Chicago and headed down the Miss., to the Gulf, then to Florida. Wintered over, then set out up the ICW, through the Erie and across all Great Lakes to Thunder Bay. Did all this in a little over a year, and had a great time, by all accounts. Still happily married too. 8^). Sounds like a great plan. From your original post, I like the Nimble best. Not known as a great sailor, but very sturdy, and your actual sailing will probably be minimal from all the exploring you will do. A reliable power plant will be a necessity. Don
Trailored their Albin 27 from Victoria, B.C. to Chicago. Dropped boat off then took trailer to Thunder Bay, there ultimate end point. Took bus back to Chicago and headed down the Miss., to the Gulf, then to Florida. Wintered over, then set out up the ICW, through the Erie and across all Great Lakes to Thunder Bay. Did all this in a little over a year, and had a great time, by all accounts. Still happily married too. 8^). Sounds like a great plan. From your original post, I like the Nimble best. Not known as a great sailor, but very sturdy, and your actual sailing will probably be minimal from all the exploring you will do. A reliable power plant will be a necessity. Don
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Ron
GSL stop over
Just before you finish your trip to Tahoe. Be sure to visit the south shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Interesting sailing there. Due to the salt content on the lake, it is hard for the winds to get "a hold" of the water surface. Many times you can have 10-15 knot winds without ripples on the surface. Have you ever sailed at hull speed on glassy water? We call it the "magical sail" Enjoy your trip!
Just before you finish your trip to Tahoe. Be sure to visit the south shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Interesting sailing there. Due to the salt content on the lake, it is hard for the winds to get "a hold" of the water surface. Many times you can have 10-15 knot winds without ripples on the surface. Have you ever sailed at hull speed on glassy water? We call it the "magical sail" Enjoy your trip!
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Tim Mason
What about a H260
The Nimble is a great boats, but would anyone ever consider a H260 waterballast for a trip like this? There is plenty of space, and with some imagination you could find ways to store extra water etc. Would a motor like a Honda 9.9 be powerful enough? The H260 with a swing keel could allow someone to do some great exploring. Plus, there are many stories about people hauling their 260's to Alaska to explore. Tim
The Nimble is a great boats, but would anyone ever consider a H260 waterballast for a trip like this? There is plenty of space, and with some imagination you could find ways to store extra water etc. Would a motor like a Honda 9.9 be powerful enough? The H260 with a swing keel could allow someone to do some great exploring. Plus, there are many stories about people hauling their 260's to Alaska to explore. Tim
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