This weekend a fellow sailor and I were speculating on whether there is a water route from Pittsburg to Lake Erie suitable for a cruising sailboat with 5 feet of draft? Anyone know of a way to get to (motor) Erie from the Ohio River? Would need at least 15 feet of vertical clearance - would like more.
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Long route an option
I'm not sure but the Chicago River (which becomes the Illinois-? Canal) connects to the Mississippi River (or perhaps the Ohio River itself prior to joining the Mississippi River). Once you hit Lake Michigan, you obviously have to go over the tip of Michigan and down Lake Huron and the St. Clair River to Lake Erie. Very, very long trip.
I'm not sure but the Chicago River (which becomes the Illinois-? Canal) connects to the Mississippi River (or perhaps the Ohio River itself prior to joining the Mississippi River). Once you hit Lake Michigan, you obviously have to go over the tip of Michigan and down Lake Huron and the St. Clair River to Lake Erie. Very, very long trip.
Anybody done the Illinois and Michigan Ship Canal?
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to the Des Plaines River (Illinois and Mighigan Ship Canal) to the Illinois River. Illinois River to the Mississippi River. http://www.answers.com/topic/chicago-sanitary-and-ship-canal Use this highway map, blown up to 600% and start in Chicago at the Chicago River and Lake Mighigan. The map shows lock and dam at several locations so I assume it's navigable. http://www.dot.state.il.us/statehighwaymap.pdf The confluence of the Illinois River and the Mississippi River is just upriver from Alton, Illinois. I couldn't find a website that spoke to navigation, rules, Coast Guard date, etc. I'm now interested in hearing if anybody has made this journey.
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to the Des Plaines River (Illinois and Mighigan Ship Canal) to the Illinois River. Illinois River to the Mississippi River. http://www.answers.com/topic/chicago-sanitary-and-ship-canal Use this highway map, blown up to 600% and start in Chicago at the Chicago River and Lake Mighigan. The map shows lock and dam at several locations so I assume it's navigable. http://www.dot.state.il.us/statehighwaymap.pdf The confluence of the Illinois River and the Mississippi River is just upriver from Alton, Illinois. I couldn't find a website that spoke to navigation, rules, Coast Guard date, etc. I'm now interested in hearing if anybody has made this journey.
Downstream on the Ohio ...
Upstream on the Mississippi ... upstream on the Illinois River ... upstream on the Des Plaines River ... through the locks on the Chicago Sanitary & Shipping Canal ... and finally the Chicago River or the Calumet River into Lake Michigan. Then the Great Lakes journey begins. You could take at least a long summer season to do this. Did you know that the flow of the Chicago River was actually reversed by construction of the CS&S Canal so that sewage did not have to flow into Lake Michigan and spoil Chicago's drinking water supply? This was an engineering marvel that the City of St. Louis sued (and won) the City of Chicago over way back in the day. This forced the City of Chicago to construct state-of-the-art sewage treatment facilities in an effort to minimilize the impact of sewage discharge into water that eventually flowed past St. Louis and ruined their drinking water supply.
Upstream on the Mississippi ... upstream on the Illinois River ... upstream on the Des Plaines River ... through the locks on the Chicago Sanitary & Shipping Canal ... and finally the Chicago River or the Calumet River into Lake Michigan. Then the Great Lakes journey begins. You could take at least a long summer season to do this. Did you know that the flow of the Chicago River was actually reversed by construction of the CS&S Canal so that sewage did not have to flow into Lake Michigan and spoil Chicago's drinking water supply? This was an engineering marvel that the City of St. Louis sued (and won) the City of Chicago over way back in the day. This forced the City of Chicago to construct state-of-the-art sewage treatment facilities in an effort to minimilize the impact of sewage discharge into water that eventually flowed past St. Louis and ruined their drinking water supply.
Check out "River Horse"
This book by the author William Least Heat Moon details a trip by motor boat from the Atlantic to the Pacific - with a few portages in between, including from Lake Erie to the Alleghany River. Not saying you can't do it the long way, but it is a reeeeal long way.
This book by the author William Least Heat Moon details a trip by motor boat from the Atlantic to the Pacific - with a few portages in between, including from Lake Erie to the Alleghany River. Not saying you can't do it the long way, but it is a reeeeal long way.
Reading it...
right now. A C-Dory 25 that is trailerable is a lot different than a sailboat with a 5 foot draft. The best way to get a sailboat of that size from the Ohio to Lake Erie is to truck it...
right now. A C-Dory 25 that is trailerable is a lot different than a sailboat with a 5 foot draft. The best way to get a sailboat of that size from the Ohio to Lake Erie is to truck it...
Thanks for the responses!
We didn't think there was a way to go from Pittsburg to Lake Erie without the traditional loop method. Thanks for the discussion.
We didn't think there was a way to go from Pittsburg to Lake Erie without the traditional loop method. Thanks for the discussion.
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