Thread: Boating

So you have half a year off, $20K for food & gas, oh and a boat... and are looking for something to do:

America's Great Loop

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Any boaters out there in SRP land? I would love to do this! Time and money aside, my only real concern would be my 2 & 3 year old - even if they would be older once I got off my duff .

A retired friend of mine did it a few years back departing and returning to Thunder Bay. He and his wife enjoyed very much. That route has been pretty popular with boaters here over the years with a lot extending out to the Caribbean too.

Bob

I've lived and worked by/at the sea for whole of my life. Nowadays i live about 100 meters away from the shore of the Baltic Sea.
Used to have a small boat with 30 hp engine when my kids where little, i used to go fishing with them. As they grew older, they lost their interest on fishing so i sold the boat.
Howevers, we have a very beautiful archipelago here on sw parts of the country.
I got my share of it. I nowadays work at the ship so no wild horses could force me to go out there at sea when off work.
Of course it might change if the kids would want me to go there again with them.
Fishing is still great.do it with my son every now and then. But nowadays we can do it from the shore.

Originally Posted by Sailor

I've lived and worked by/at the sea for whole of my life. Nowadays i live about 100 meters away from the shore of the Baltic Sea.
Used to have a small boat with 30 hp engine when my kids where little, i used to go fishing with them. As they grew older, they lost their interest on fishing so i sold the boat.
Howevers, we have a very beautiful archipelago here on sw parts of the country.
I got my share of it. I nowadays work at the ship so no wild horses could force me to go out there at sea when off work.
Of course it might change if the kids would want me to go there again with them.
Fishing is still great.do it with my son every now and then. But nowadays we can do it from the shore.

That's almost heart breaking Sailor - but I see your point. I was in sales for a long time. I lived out of my car for years! It was all I could do to just drive to work there once my position changed lol. Now my poor wife gets a fight whenever she wants to travel anywhere over 5 miles with me lol.

I just bought myself a tiny little subcompact in stick - knowing how much I hate driving, I couldn't justify a "nicer" car. Oddly enough, it's such a blast to drive, I am begrudgingly changing my ways . Maybe you need a fun little boat to bounce around in on the old Baltic lol!! Though I have been on those waters in a boat and well - you NEED a cabin lol. Boy those waters are cold .

I've done the ICW three times -- twice in a 24' sailboat, solo, and once in a 36' sailboat (with new wife -- what a way to break-in a marriage!). And we've been down the Pacific coast from Vancouver BC to Costa Rica.

The "Great Loop" is one of the best things you could do as a family cruise. It's essentially safe, if you take reasonable care. Whether it's _comfortable_ depends on you, and your boat. Whether your family relationships survive, depends on how much everyone wants to do the trip.

But some questions first:

. . . Do you have any boating experience?

. . . Have you taken any courses?

. . . Do you have enough money to get the boat you think you need?

One couple we met, in North Carolina, had come down the coast from Maine _in a St Pierre dory_. They had a small SABB diesel, and the boat had canvas covering, without a proper wooden superstructure.

. . . "It was free -- that was what we could afford".

There are lots of ways to do the trip. You don't _need_ a 36' trawler.

I could talk about this forever -- send me a PM.

. Charles

We boat on Lake Pend Oreille during the summer

Lake Pend Oreille - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

We finally took the "Plunge" and bought a boat this past summer, didn't get too crazy and just got a very loved 20' Bayliner Cuddy Cabin, it has a 270 Volvo Penta I/O that sips gas, the wife figured if we used it enough we could go bigger in a few years..
It has plenty of room for the two of us for a day trip, or even an overnighter, the first day out we did almost the entire lake shoreline.. The trip took 12 hours and is just over 100 miles

I had this Ranger for 5 years and went out once a week at least. 19.5 ft. 200hp 5 blade prop. 75 miles an hour with 1 1/2 foot chop. 68 on glass.



Once a year we would rent a houseboat at Lake Powell or Mead. I could do that for a year.

I am not to big on Ocean floating. Love the scene but my stomach hates it. Every time I get out there it's a 50/50 chance of revisiting my breakfast.

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

I've done the ICW three times -- twice in a 24' sailboat, solo, and once in a 36' sailboat (with new wife -- what a way to break-in a marriage!). And we've been down the Pacific coast from Vancouver BC to Costa Rica. Nice!

The "Great Loop" is one of the best things you could do as a family cruise.

But some questions first:

. . . Do you have any boating experience? Yeah a bit... Learned to sail in Scotland as a lad - kept it up as I grew up in the Caribbean - when I moved back to North America I was captained mostly lol... sigh. It's been a while. Could use a bit more lol!!

. . . Have you taken any courses? The Canadian one that I needed to boot around in cottage country.

. . . Do you have enough money to get the boat you think you need? It's a matter of convincing my co-pilot lol! She wants to "houseboat in Europe... sigh. Europe, Europe, Europe... she's a Euro-whore!! ARG!

I could talk about this forever -- send me a PM. Thanks man!! I might just do that!! It's all about getting her... "on board." If she buys in - I'll certainly be PMing you! Thanks very much!!

. Charles

That sounds like heaven to me Glen!! I could handle that any day of the week lol!




10Pups

That sounds like a blast! Fast boats as fun as they are - aren't my thing anymore though - though a day or two wouldn't hurt .



What I was hoping... and don't tell the wife is - to get my sea legs back with the family, and then get out and fulfill my ultimate fantasy which is... wait for it:


To navigate the North West Passage!!

Yup - crazy I know but... it's my dream I guess lol.

What I was hoping... and don't tell the wife is - to get my sea legs back with the family, and then get out and fulfill my ultimate fantasy which is... wait for it:


To navigate the North West Passage!!

Yup - crazy I know but... it's my dream I guess lol.

As global warming hits the Arctic, the sea ice is retreating. A bunch of guys did the Northwest Passage in a small catamaran some years ago. It took them two seasons, and there's a book about it.

The Great Loop would be a good warmup for that trip. The NWP is _remote_ -- bad charts, very thinly settled.

My wife and I have talked about a European (or British) houseboat vacation. You can rent boats easily, and you can go through some very picturesque scenery. And eat really good food!<g> [Not so good food in Britain, of course.]

. charles

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

As global warming hits the Arctic, the sea ice is retreating. A bunch of guys did the Northwest Passage in a small catamaran some years ago. It took them two seasons, and there's a book about it.

The Great Loop would be a good warmup for that trip. The NWP is _remote_ -- bad charts, very thinly settled.

My wife and I have talked about a European (or British) houseboat vacation. You can rent boats easily, and you can go through some very picturesque scenery. And eat really good food!<g> [Not so good food in Britain, of course.]

. charles

It's that "remoteness" that so appeals to me... Ever so much. I think its 7 parts fear, and 3 parts knowing the adventure of poorly charted waters that makes it so appealing to me. And you know it just has to be beautiful up there... just beautiful.

There is a guy setting up to pass with a bunch of boats in 2014 I think it is - in order to raise awareness. I wish I was ready!!

Ultimately - I also want to scope out a bit of land up there to buy for my kids future. I figure a "Quick Shop" or "Mac's Milk" up there in about 30 years would be a major score for the kids!

Yeah - maybe Europe would be ok for now, being we really aren't sure if we'll be living where we are for all that much longer. But house boating in Europe isn't what I would consider getting my sea legs on lol!! But yeah you are right - it would be a blast.