An ideal height for Loop boats is 16 ft. Better if 15ft but 16 ft height gives the option to do the Loop in any of the Loop routes. Our boat has been through the Loop three times with three different owners. We were the only ones to take the Champlain Route which requires no more than 16ft. Our bimini top is 16ft. There is one pool that has to be lowered just north of Mechanicsville on the Champlain Canal. We made it by a few inches. If your boat has 15ft height then you have the option to run the entire length of the Erie Canal if you like but you aren't doing The Loop. R. Our blog is http://www.SayGood-Bye.com Youtube channel for the videos www.youtube.com/user/ralphyost1 Say Good-Bye 41 Defever -----Original Message----- From: Great-Loop [mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com] On Behalf Of Randy Pickelmann Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2014 8:10 AM To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com Subject: GL: Rideau Canal Seventeen feet is the lowest height on the Canadian Loop-in the Champlain Canal. The first time we did the Erie we lowered our mast to get our air draft down from 24' to about 15'. I ultimately cut 7' off the mast to get our air draft down to 17'. We went through the Champlain Canal just fine and we have dramatically reduced the number of bridges we have to open as we travel the ICW. Regards, Randy Pickelmann Morning Star lying Sunset Bay Marina-Stuart, Fl www.CruisingMorningStar.com Sent from my iPad _______________________________________________ http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.) go to: http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com

I have always considered the route thru the western Erie as a Great loop as well. Some boats draft too much to use the T/ S canal. So must use the western Erie or Welland Canal to do their loop. You can do the loop using the Western Erie Canal as an option. It to my knowledge is as much an alternative route as is the Lower Mississippi River vice the Ten/Tom. I've done both thru Canada and thru Lake Erie and down both the Tenn/Tom and Lower Mississippi River to Nola. Both have merit as loops offering different features worthy of experiencing. The Western Erie Canal is a cruise destination in itself just as are the Canadian Canals. Both routes can involve the Georgian Bay and North Channel. My advice is to opt for a boat that gets down to 15' to permit both routes and the rich experiences they offer. Joe Pica Carolyn Ann GH N-37 On Saturday, January 4, 2014, Ralph Yost wrote: > An ideal height for Loop boats is 16 ft. Better if 15ft but 16 ft height > gives the option to do the Loop in any of the Loop routes. Our boat has > been > through the Loop three times with three different owners. We were the only > ones to take the Champlain Route which requires no more than 16ft. Our > bimini top is 16ft. There is one pool that has to be lowered just north of > Mechanicsville on the Champlain Canal. We made it by a few inches. > > If your boat has 15ft height then you have the option to run the entire > length of the Erie Canal if you like but you aren't doing The Loop. > R. > > Our blog is > http://www.SayGood-Bye.com > Youtube channel for the videos > www.youtube.com/user/ralphyost1 > Say Good-Bye > 41 Defever > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Great-Loop [mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com<javascript:;>] > On Behalf > Of Randy Pickelmann > Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2014 8:10 AM > To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com <javascript:;> > Subject: GL: Rideau Canal > > Seventeen feet is the lowest height on the Canadian Loop-in the Champlain > Canal. The first time we did the Erie we lowered our mast to get our air > draft down from 24' to about 15'. I ultimately cut 7' off the mast to get > our air draft down to 17'. We went through the Champlain Canal just fine > and > we have dramatically reduced the number of bridges we have to open as we > travel the ICW. > > Regards, > Randy Pickelmann > Morning Star > lying Sunset Bay Marina-Stuart, Fl > www.CruisingMorningStar.com > Sent from my iPad > _______________________________________________ > > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > > To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, > unsubscribe, etc.) go to: > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > > > _______________________________________________ > > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > > To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, > unsubscribe, etc.) go to: > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > -- Joe Pica Carolyn Ann GH N-37 MTOA #3813, AGLCA #5485 http://carolynann-n37.blogspot.com/

Joe, Ralph, Randy and List, Yes, the America's Great Loop Cruise has several different routes including: (1) the Entire Erie Canal and through the Welland Canal into Lake Erie and then into Lake Huron and around the state of Michigan, then South to Chicago on Lake Michigan (from Lake Huron, one can add the Georgian Bay and the North Channel if desired. (2) the Lake Champlain Route which also frequently includes the Rideau Waterway (many taking this route also do the Trent-Severn Waterway; (3) a partial Erie Canal route to the Oswego Canal and into Lake Ontario and then up the Trent-Severn Waterway into the Georgian Bay. All of the above are recognized Great Loop routes and there is no requirement to cruise any of the Canadian waters. Indeed many long range cruisers avoid going into Canada for several reasons (prohibition against carrying firearms aboard; customs regulations and tariffs on alcohol; regulations regarding pets; need for Passports for everyone aboard, also written permissions from parents for grandchildren aboard; want to avoid "locking through" as much as possible, etc.). Below are the published / charted air heights for the Loop: The Air Heights for the Great Loop 1. Chicago River...downtown route the air draft is 17 ft. 2. Calumet Sag Sanitation Canal....19 ft. 1- inch 3. Erie Canal from Albany to Oswego.........20 ft. Western half of Erie Canal..... 15 ft. 5 inches OR less -- (with high pool levels after heavy rains as little as 15.0 ft.) 5. Lake Champlain Route & Richelieu River........17 ft. OR less -- (with high pool levels after heavy rains as little as 16.5 ft.) 5. Rideau Waterway..... 22 ft. 6. Trent-Severn Waterway....22 ft. Hope the above helps those who are in the boat purchasing and/or the planning stage for their Americas Great Loop Cruise. Check out our published Long Range Cruising Articles in the ARTICLES section of our website (web address below). John and Judy Gill Delaware River Sail & Power Squadron, D/5 Two J’s V, a 36 ft. Carver Mariner Slip E-26, Sassafras Harbor Marina, Georgetown, MD AGLCA Life Members, Gold Flag Loopers AGLCA Harbor Hosts for the Northern Chesapeake Bay USPS Life Members & CPS-ECP Members eMail: < jjgill@twojscom.com > Website: <http://www.twojscom.com/GreatLoop/> ======================================================= On Jan 4, 2014, at 2:08 PM, Joseph Pica <joseph.pica@gmail.com> wrote: > I have always considered the route thru the western Erie as a Great loop as > well. Some boats draft too much to use the T/ S canal. So must use the > western Erie or Welland Canal to do their loop. You can do the loop using > the Western Erie Canal as an option. It to my knowledge is as much an > alternative route as is the Lower Mississippi River vice the Ten/Tom. > I've done both thru Canada and thru Lake Erie and down both the Tenn/Tom > and Lower Mississippi River to Nola. Both have merit as loops offering > different features worthy of experiencing. The Western Erie Canal is a > cruise destination in itself just as are the Canadian Canals. Both routes > can involve the Georgian Bay and North Channel. My advice is to opt for a > boat that gets down to 15' to permit both routes and the rich experiences > they offer. > > Joe Pica > Carolyn Ann GH N-37 > > On Saturday, January 4, 2014, Ralph Yost wrote: > >> An ideal height for Loop boats is 16 ft. Better if 15ft but 16 ft height >> gives the option to do the Loop in any of the Loop routes. Our boat has >> been >> through the Loop three times with three different owners. We were the only >> ones to take the Champlain Route which requires no more than 16ft. Our >> bimini top is 16ft. There is one pool that has to be lowered just north of >> Mechanicsville on the Champlain Canal. We made it by a few inches. >> >> If your boat has 15ft height then you have the option to run the entire >> length of the Erie Canal if you like but you aren't doing The Loop. >> R. >> >> Our blog is >> http://www.SayGood-Bye.com >> Youtube channel for the videos >> www.youtube.com/user/ralphyost1 >> Say Good-Bye >> 41 Defever >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Great-Loop [mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com<javascript:;>] >> On Behalf >> Of Randy Pickelmann >> Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2014 8:10 AM >> To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com <javascript:;> >> Subject: GL: Rideau Canal >> >> Seventeen feet is the lowest height on the Canadian Loop-in the Champlain >> Canal. The first time we did the Erie we lowered our mast to get our air >> draft down from 24' to about 15'. I ultimately cut 7' off the mast to get >> our air draft down to 17'. We went through the Champlain Canal just fine >> and >> we have dramatically reduced the number of bridges we have to open as we >> travel the ICW. >> >> Regards, >> Randy Pickelmann >> Morning Star >> lying Sunset Bay Marina-Stuart, Fl >> www.CruisingMorningStar.com >> Sent from my iPad >> _______________________________________________ >> >> http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com >> >> To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, >> unsubscribe, etc.) go to: >> http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com >> >> To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, >> unsubscribe, etc.) go to: >> http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com >> > > > -- > Joe Pica > Carolyn Ann GH N-37 > MTOA #3813, AGLCA #5485 > http://carolynann-n37.blogspot.com/ > _______________________________________________ > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > > To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, > unsubscribe, etc.) go to: http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com