Hi,

I have been watching this forum for the last couple of months, lots of
excellent advice & friendly, knowledgeable people.

I am planning on
bringing my "new" boat up from Louisiana to the Lake
Michigan for the summer.
I cannot spend any more time on the up route
than necessary, after some
remodeling is done on the boat, (and I retire
in September) My wife and I
will be taking her (slowly) back down the
river system to cruise the
Gulf/Caribbean for a while. Then possibly
continue with the "loop".

She is
a 1982 Gulfstar 40' Center Cockpit Sailboat. I am looking for an
estimate of
the current speed going down as I will be fighting it with a
boat that can do
about 7 knots with a 5'3" draft. When do the spring
flood/runoff currents
normally subside? I would like to start this
journey around Memorial Day, but
will postpone for better conditions.
Any info or links will be greatly
appreciated.

Chuck Kersey
HARLEY-DAVIDSON INC.
Franklin
Distribution Center
10000 S. Franklin Dr.
Franklin, WI. 53132
414-423-7535
414-423-4311 fax

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I have ceased to be amazed at the number of
boaters who are also involved in motorcycles!

In regard to your basic question, I have noted
that refueling possibilities on the lower Mississippi
are virtually nonexistent.  I would guess that you
have only two alternatives.  Have the boat taken
by truck/trailer from LA to Lake Michigan.  This
would be the quickest, by far, and might even
be the cheapest alternative in the long run.
The other alternative would be to have just
the mast shipped and motor the boat over to
Mobile, AL and then proceed up the Tenn-Tom
to the Tennessee, down the Tennessee to the
Ohio, down the Ohio to the Mississippi, up the
Mississippi to the Illinois, etc., to Lake Michigan.
I would estimate that at a motoring speed of
5-6 mph this would take you at least 6-8 weeks,
probably more.  My brother took his 38' SeaRay
from Lake Charlevoix to Knoxville, TN a couple
of years ago.  Cruising at up to 35 mph, this
trip took them three weeks!!!

YRMV (Your Results May Vary).

Best regards,

• D C "Mac" Macdonald  *
• m/v Another Adventure *
• '95 Carver 355 AC  *
• Grand Lake - Oklahoma *
• '00 FLTRSEI RoadGlide *

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Kersey, Chuck" Chuck.Kersey@harley-davidson.com
To: great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Subject: GL: Mobile to Chicago
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 06:45:59 -0500

Hi,

I have been watching this forum for the last couple
of months, lots of excellent advice & friendly,
knowledgeable people.

I am planning on bringing my "new" boat up from
Louisiana to the Lake Michigan for the summer.
I cannot spend any more time on the up route
than necessary, after some remodeling is done
on the boat, (and I retire in September).  My
wife and I will be taking her (slowly) back down
the river system to cruise the Gulf/Caribbean for
a while. Then possibly continue with the "loop".

She is a 1982 Gulfstar 40' Center Cockpit Sailboat.
I am looking for an estimate of the current speed
going down as I will be fighting it with a boat that
can do about 7 knots with a 5'3" draft.  When do
the spring flood/runoff currents normally subside?
I would like to start this journey around Memorial
Day, but will postpone for better conditions.
Any info or links will be greatly appreciated.

Chuck Kersey
HARLEY-DAVIDSON INC.
Franklin
Distribution Center
10000 S. Franklin Dr.
Franklin, WI. 53132
414-423-7535
414-423-4311 fax