I wonder if you fine folks could help me here. I'm possibly bringing a boat down from Chicago to South Florida the first week of September. My burning question is how do I get out of Chicago with a 19' Fixed Bridge VS a 19ft hardtop and radar arch plus attachments? Is there a convenient way around it? OR...Is there a reliable company up there that can drop the top and reassemble past that bridge if necessary? How do you folks handle it up there in order to go South?

Also, what other fixed bridges and potential trouble spots (aside from locks) after that one? Is it possible to run for only 6-8 hours a day and find nice marinas along the way via the Rivers to Ten Tom Waterway and down? Owner is not in a hurry. Prefers nice marinas. Any guess on the number of days getting from Chicago to the ICW? Any and all advice is welcome! Best suggested route?