Henry, Regarding the timing from Aqua Harbor to Panama City. From Aqua Harbor to Pensacola is about 530 statute miles. At 9.2 MPH (8 knots) it would take 57.6 hours to cruise that distance non-stop. That of course is not realistic since you should not run at night, will have to slow down (because of your wake) as you pass different marinas and boats tied up at private docks, and will be held up at locks. Add to this the fact that it is the 4th of July weekend and you have really set yourself up for a lot of stress and potential problems. I normally allow for 30 minutes (estimate) lost time for locks. However, this can easily be hours if you run into a long tow that has to uncouple and go through a lock in two parts. With 12 locks that means you will lose 6 hours or probably a whole day of travel just going through locks. Now instead of 7 days you have 6 to make the 530 mile trip. That means 88 miles per day at 9 MPH or traveling just under 10 hours per day. That is very realistic during the summer daylight hours. If you depart at first light each day and don't have to slow down too often to pass other boats, marinas, etc, don't have to stop for fuel too often, don't have to stop for thunderstorms (common in the summer), you should be able to make the trip in the time frame you allotted. Here is how I see your trip laid out (without any of the problems I mentioned above) Day 1 - Aqua Harbor (mile 448.8) to Smithville (mile 376.7) (marina or anchor) - cover 72 miles and 4 locks Day 2 - Smithville (mile 376.7) to Tom Bevill Lock (mile 307) (marina or anchor) - cover 70 miles and 4 locks Day 3 - Tom Bevill Lock (307.0) to Demopolis (mile 216.2) (marina or anchor) - cover 91 miles and 2 locks Day 4 - Demopolis (mile 216.2) to Bobby's Fish Camp (mile 118.9) (marina) - cover 97 miles and 1 lock Day 5 - Bobby's Fish Camp (mile 118.9) to Big Bayou Canot (mile 16.6) (anchor) - cover 102 miles and 1 lock Day 6 - Big Bayou Canot (mile 16.6) through Mobile (mile 0) to Pennsacola (friends dock) - cover 86 miles and no locks With this optimistic schedule you arrive one day early. However, you have to look at this a one day available for time lost at locks and to weather as well as slowing down for boats and marinas. No one can predict when and if this will occur, but you can bet you will have at least some problems to deal with. My advice is to set a schedule for about 70 miles per day in the Tenn-Tom Waterway, 90 miles per day in the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway and 100 mile per day in the areas without locks. Plan on traveling 12 hours per day in daylight only. When problems occur, as they will, quickly adjust your days destination to put yourself in a safe anchorage or marina before dark. Then redo the above schedule based on the new reality. Bottom line. Can this trip be made in the time you have allotted? Yes, with the priviso that all goes well. Would I want to make this trip in the time frame you allotted? No! Have I pushed to cover 500 mile in a short period because of some unique problem? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, but I would hate it. Boating is supposed to be fun. Good luck on your trip. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesistate to contact me directly off line. Bob Skipper Bob Publications Http://SkipperBob.home.att.net

Thank you, Skipper Bob, and all who have given me your well taken advice. I have tried several times to lay out a schedule, using your publications, Bob, which would help accomplish my goal as I am not retired and only have so many hours away from the mines. Also, even though I have 30 years experience boating, this is my first large boat and first long distance cruise. After reading the responses from so many experienced cruisers, I have almost doubled the allotted time and now have from July 2, through July 14 to make the trip from Pickwick Lake to Panama City. After a one day layover I am going to continue to Clearwater and ultimately to Fort Myers, but the most important thing is to get to Clearwater where, if I run out of time (got to be back at the mones on July 25), I can make weekend cruises down the ICW to home. Henry "Wilhelmina" On 6/17/05, Skipper Bob <SkipperBob@att.net> wrote: > > Henry, > > Regarding the timing from Aqua Harbor to Panama City. From Aqua Harbor > to Pensacola is about 530 statute miles. At 9.2 MPH (8 knots) it would > take 57.6 hours to cruise that distance non-stop. That of course is not > realistic since you should not run at night, will have to slow down > (because of your wake) as you pass different marinas and boats tied up > at private docks, and will be held up at locks. Add to this the fact > that it is the 4th of July weekend and you have really set yourself up > for a lot of stress and potential problems. > > I normally allow for 30 minutes (estimate) lost time for locks. > However, this can easily be hours if you run into a long tow that has to > uncouple and go through a lock in two parts. With 12 locks that means > you will lose 6 hours or probably a whole day of travel just going > through locks. Now instead of 7 days you have 6 to make the 530 mile > trip. That means 88 miles per day at 9 MPH or traveling just under 10 > hours per day. That is very realistic during the summer daylight > hours. If you depart at first light each day and don't have to slow > down too often to pass other boats, marinas, etc, don't have to stop for > fuel too often, don't have to stop for thunderstorms (common in the > summer), you should be able to make the trip in the time frame you > allotted. > > Here is how I see your trip laid out (without any of the problems I > mentioned above) > Day 1 - Aqua Harbor (mile 448.8) to Smithville (mile 376.7) (marina or > anchor) - cover 72 miles and 4 locks > Day 2 - Smithville (mile 376.7) to Tom Bevill Lock (mile 307) (marina > or anchor) - cover 70 miles and 4 locks > Day 3 - Tom Bevill Lock (307.0) to Demopolis (mile 216.2) (marina or > anchor) - cover 91 miles and 2 locks > Day 4 - Demopolis (mile 216.2) to Bobby's Fish Camp (mile 118.9) > (marina) - cover 97 miles and 1 lock > Day 5 - Bobby's Fish Camp (mile 118.9) to Big Bayou Canot (mile 16.6) > (anchor) - cover 102 miles and 1 lock > Day 6 - Big Bayou Canot (mile 16.6) through Mobile (mile 0) to > Pennsacola (friends dock) - cover 86 miles and no locks > > With this optimistic schedule you arrive one day early. However, you > have to look at this a one day available for time lost at locks and to > weather as well as slowing down for boats and marinas. No one can > predict when and if this will occur, but you can bet you will have at > least some problems to deal with. My advice is to set a schedule for > about 70 miles per day in the Tenn-Tom Waterway, 90 miles per day in the > Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway and 100 mile per day in the areas > without locks. Plan on traveling 12 hours per day in daylight only. > When problems occur, as they will, quickly adjust your days destination > to put yourself in a safe anchorage or marina before dark. Then redo > the above schedule based on the new reality. > > Bottom line. Can this trip be made in the time you have allotted? Yes, > with the priviso that all goes well. Would I want to make this trip in > the time frame you allotted? No! Have I pushed to cover 500 mile in a > short period because of some unique problem? Yes. Would I do it > again? Yes, but I would hate it. Boating is supposed to be fun. > > Good luck on your trip. If I can be of any further assistance, please > do not hesistate to contact me directly off line. > > Bob > > Skipper Bob Publications > Http://SkipperBob.home.att.net > _______________________________________________ > http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop