Tony:
I have heard you and others talk about the possibility of doing the 6000 mile Loop some day. Here is a web site about a guy who did it in a (two pointy ends) Kayak.

www.portagetoportage.com
clarencio

Thanks Clarence. I enjoyed the blog.
A few days ago, I came across an article about this x-marine in the mid-west, I think, that did the great loop in about 8 weeks on a party barge with 2 large O/B motors.

About 20 years ago when I lived in Gulfport, Ms. I came across this guy in the marina. He was doing the great loop in a sailing canoe. I met him on he dock and invited him over to my 25' MacGregor sailboat for coffee and donuts. Interesting guy. I think he was an X-NY City cop or fireman - can't remember which.

Maybe in a few years you will be reading about these two old folks that did it in a pointy ended houseboat.

Tony B

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Never wrecked a boat while awake or sober

Kemah, Tx. - Galveston Bay

That's on my bucket list for sure... but Our Hero isn't so sure he's up for it. Having just survived a 36-hours-in-two-weeks bumpy (but glorious) coast-to-coast teeny airplane ride, I'm sure a serene year on a nice roomy houseboat at 6 knots sounds much more attractive. You brave souls will have to post lots of attractive-sounding stories. No hair-raising, barely-cheated-death tales, please.

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Amelia
Edenton, NC

If you are interested in do the Great Loop you should look at this The Great Loop Assoc.

Keep in mind, that at least two sections of the Great Loop are in the open ocean, one in the Gulf and the other off New Jersey. So if you plan to do this in a houseboat, it requires some serious planning, and watching the weather.

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Ike
"Don't tell me I can't. Tell me how I can!"
New Boat Builders Home Page
My Boating Safety Blog
My Boat Building News Blog

Great advice. I work in the Gulf and it never ceases to amaze how the Nat'l Weather Service can be so consistantly wrong about Gulf weather forecasts.

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Never wrecked a boat while awake or sober

Kemah, Tx. - Galveston Bay

Having lived on the Gulf, and now on the fearsome Albemarle Sound, I'm impressed at how utterly calm both bodies can be, and how quickly both can whip up into seas that would scare a schooner skipper. Both times we've cut the corner across the gulf from Mobile to Sarasota in a little airplane, it's been like a duck pond, would be boring, even in a kayak. That's not to say I haven't seen 8-foot waves breaking on Pensacola Beach. As for the crew of the Lotus Eater, we may never graduate from flat-calm to the light breeze category of nautical daring at our present rate of progress. Yet... the dream continues.

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Amelia
Edenton, NC

Amelia your quote "it's been like a duck pond" cutting across Mobile to Sarasota. With all the military aircraft in that area and you in your Mooney you must feel like the duck LOL LOL

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45 Blue Water
Houma, Louisiana
Mile Post 60 ICW

Not just for planes. I have seen the ocean go from flat calm to whole gale and force 6 seas in a matter of a few hours. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Beaufort Scale of seas states see Beaufort Scale
This is especially true of places like the GUlf and Atlantic Coast.

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Ike
"Don't tell me I can't. Tell me how I can!"
New Boat Builders Home Page
My Boating Safety Blog
My Boat Building News Blog

Has anyone used the small canals that connect the bays on the fl coast to avoid open water? I don't have a house boat yet but when I do I want to travel from east Tennessee to savannah Georgia. Any advice on this would be great.

I have travelled the ICW from Mobile Bay to South Florida and partly up the east coast.
Your first hurdle will be Mobile Bay itself. Get the weather report and use your instincts. Mobile Bay has a well earned bad reputation. It can go from zero to $hit in under 15 minutes. Once you get to the lower part of Mobile Bay and duck into Bon Secour all is good. Very pretty ride and well protected. Just have to be careful once you hit the bays. They can get rough. Most of the really bad weather is during the winter months. For that matter, it's rough everywhere during the winter.
Great little out-of-the-way bayous to anchor all by your self all along the way.
Your trip will probably end at Appalachacola, Fl. From there you will be unprotected from southern winds and seas in the Gulf. I personally would not even think about it in a houseboat at least not my own,LOL, but I'm sure it has been done before. Most sailboats and trawlers usually jump across about 150 miles to Tampa Bay and duck in there. I guess you can wait out a week or two or three and then decide to make the jump at high speed when all looks flat and calm. It does happen and quite often, but it is always a gamble in a houseboat.
Good Luck and have a ball and I don't mean that sarcastically.

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Never wrecked a boat while awake or sober

Kemah, Tx. - Galveston Bay

Edited: 07/21/2012 at 12:55:32 PM by TonyB

I can see after lake wimico a way north to ga but no way to savannah. Yeah I herd about mobile bay on another forum that got me looking at the bluewater coastal cruiser instead of a houseboat but a houseboat is so much more accessible for my wheelchair.

Edited: 07/21/2012 at 11:18:01 PM by capnmorgan

You are talking about the Intracoastal waterway, which will get you a large part of the way to Ga. safely. But I digress. The only really dangerous part is from
Carabelle, Fl across the Gulf to Cedar keys. I say this because you are exposed to open water for many hours. It is often called the Graveyard of Houseboats.
I waited in Carabelle for 9 days in my houseboat, waiting for the weather to clear. It looked good one day for the planned 9 hour trip. Halfway there it turned to (what Tony so nicely put it) shit. Eight to 10 foot waves and the trip took 19 hours.

Having said all that, give it a well planned out go. Lots of houseboats have made the crossing under ideal conditions.
clarence

I've been to Cedar Keys with a small boat and that place is so d--- shallow and exposed I'd be reluctant to try to take my houseboat in there. Seems to me that Steinhatchee and the Suwanee would be much better stops, and they're both closer to Carabelle than Cedar.

I haven't tried to enter either of them, though.

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Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

Edited: 07/22/2012 at 06:18:04 AM by stmbtwle

I strongly advise you to get a houseboat, just not for that trip.
Tony B

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Never wrecked a boat while awake or sober

Kemah, Tx. - Galveston Bay

My Brother ran a 37' Holiday Mansion from Tampa to Pensacola. Jumped off at New Port Richie, and then ran along the big bend, jumping in out and out as needed, Crystal River, Swannee, Steinhatchie to Carrabelle, and the the ICW.

Weather watching is an hourly task to do so.

Some run from Carrabelle to New Port Richie, but fuel capacity and weather window is a huge factor.

He ran the Big Bend (Arm Pit) due to fuel capacity.

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Banana Tom

Edited: 07/23/2012 at 09:22:35 AM by BananaTom