53 MY for the Great Loop?

[shailey]

Hi,

Has anyone taken a 53 Motor Yacht around the Great Loop? Can anyone let me know the air draft of the 53 Motor Yacht assuming the radar arch, if so equipped, is hinged to fold down?

Steve

[captddis]

http://dougandkathysboatlog.blogspot.com/

[Seabrooke]

Doug and Kathy's Blog is a great read.

I've just printed the whole thing into a spiral bound Word doc for The Admiral to read.

358 pages with HUNDREDS of great photos!!!

Thanks Doug and Kathy.

[captddis]

Doug used to be a regular on here. His Blog is the best one I have seen. I go back to it from time to time.

[SKYCHENEY]

I was hooked on following their blog as they were making that trip. When Doug took a day off with no post, I was lost. It was really fun to see and read, especially in the winter when I was stuck in the snow up here. He ought to turn it into a book. The visits to the historical sites alone are worth reading.

[Nonchalant1]

That's our blog and the 53MY works great. We loved it. Since it's a blog, you have to read it from the bottom up because every day I added goes on top. The 53MY draft is close to 4.5 ft. fully loaded for the Great Loop. Our radar arch was hinged so we could get under the 19' 1" lowest fixed bridge on the route (Cal Sag Canal at mile 300 of the Illinois River near Chicago). I wouldn't change a thing. It's the cruise of a lifetime and we bought the 53MY for the trip and continued to enjoy it for years after that in Florida for the winters. Contact me at dshumanns@gmail.com if you want more info or suggestions. Have fun!

Doug

[tomrealest]

The previous owner took my 58 yacht fish on the loop. He had a picture of her going up the side of a hill sitting sideways on the lift. The lift rode on rails. Any idea where that is and what it's called?

[Steve Mannshardt]

Railway is likely Big Chute in the Trent Severn Waterway. Between Port Severn and Lake Simcoe.

[Nonchalant1]

The previous owner took my 58 yacht fish on the loop. He had a picture of her going up the side of a hill sitting sideways on the lift. The lift rode on rails. Any idea where that is and what it's called?

It's the Big Chute lift on the Trent Severn. Here are our pictures from that day.
http://www.dougandkathysboatlog.blogspot.com/2007/07/we-finished-trent-severn-waterway-today_21.html

[jim rosenthal]

Wow, Doug. What's the maximum weight that can go on that carriage and be lifted over?

[Dreamboat]

The Big Chute will accommodate boats up to 100' and 99 tons. Problem is, anything with much more than 5' draft may have issues going through the canal system in some spots.

[Nonchalant1]

Jim,

I don't know but they certainly had no problem with my 60,000 lbs and 2 more boats. It is actually a railroad type cart, built railroad strong, called a "Hepburn cart" which uses separate rail beds of continuously varying height for the front and separate rear wheels to keep the cart level on varying steep slopes. It had double redundancy braking (2 sets of backup brakes) which they said they tested regularly but never have had to use. These locks were originally built for commercial barge transport so motor yachts are no big deal.

The Peterborough lift lock was also very cool (see below). It's 2 huge pans of water (over 1 million pounds each) that just go up and down when they add a little extra weight to the higher pan.
http://www.dougandkathysboatlog.blogspot.com/2007/07/were-in-buckhorn-on-docked-on-lock-wall.html

Doug