C-22 on the Great Loop

[hamburking]

I think your plan is sound. You'll have a great time.

I live on Lake Ontario, so can only speak about the great lakes portion. You'll want to be sure you are on the great lakes during the summer, as the water is brutally cold otherwise. The 1000 islands region is worthy of a layover, with lots of welcoming anchorages, other boaters, cheap canadian provisions, etc. If you plan on August on lake ontario, you'll be well setup for heading south in september, timing it to avoid getting too far south during the hurricane season, yet not freezing your fingers while you wait.

When you get to Kingston Ontario, visit me at Confederation Basin Marina, Dock G6..."Compromise". My name is Dave.

[secrabtree]

Hey youngster. Go for it! I'm 80 and there are often times that I wish I still had my C22 as my present Cal39 (1971 model owned since 1978) is getting to be more than I can handle short tacking single handed in the Sacramento-San Juaqin Delta. I raced and cruised the C22 from 1973 thru 1985 and now my 56 year old son has her near Fresno CA. The C22 is easily capable and you are still a young man.

[lsearite]

You will hear hundreds of stories about different folks that have done it so I just want to ask a question.......Gosh what are you waiting for?!?!?

Louise
aboard SATIN DOLL II

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by jmczzz

I moved this thread to here from the meets and greets.
Here is my intro from there:
"I'm an older guy 72, and missed out on a lot of things I wanted to do in life but have not given up. On my bucket list I have a long cruise on a sail boat. However, time and trials of life have taken their toll. Last year I purchased a 1972 Catalina 22 swing keel and have been sailing it and fixing it up on a long winding reservoir in North AR.
My question is am I being realistic to think at 72 I can make the Great Loop cruise on this boat?
I’m in pretty good shape and don’t have health problems. I live and work daily on my retirement small farm, work on the boat, fish and sail her for extended periods of days. I am a retired teacher and have a livable pension income with enough money left over to add essential equipment and boat upgrades as I make the cruise. What I don’t have is time to wait until the boat and equipment are perfect.
I have some boating experience, worked on a MS river push boat as a young man just out of the Army, and shipped on freighters (before containers) as an ordinary seaman. I lived on a 23 footer while going to the U of New Orleans. In the 80s I had a wealthy wife for a while that bought us a 30' Hunter we lived on and cruised the northern Gulf Coast for a couple of years. I Took a home study course from FL Maritime logged my time and got a 50 ton license (no longer current) I have owned and sailed an O'day 23 on the Gulf
Coast and salvaged, lake sailed a holed brand X 23' swing keel for a while.
The current boat, a C22 is an old model with no frills. She is not a pop top. She has had some upgrades to strengthen the rigging and rudder. I just finish refurbishing and reinstalled the keel, and painted the bottom. She has a new keel wench, cable, and lights. I just bought her a VHF. I know generally what other equipment I need to add (she has some), and plan on some new off shore class sails. I have a 2008 Tohatsu 4 stroke,6 hp long shaft and a self refurbished Johnson 6 hp 2 stroke for a back up.
I have some reservations about the FL big bend to the Okeechobee crossing leg and the Great Lakes leg from the Erie Canal to Chicago. Reservations are mostly because I don’t have any navigation electronics but I can plot, use charts and have a hand held gps. I used a loran C based chart plotter on the Hunter 30, but know C is no longer in operation.
I am not trying to impress anyone, don’t want to write a book, or make history. I just don’t want to sit here like a bump on a stump until the end. I really want to make a trip but don’t want to commit suicide although I am willing to go down swinging. I would appreciate constructive advice and guidance, but if all you can offer is school boy smart a** sarcasm then keep it, I already got that.
Thank you for your indulgence. If you think I don’t belong on this forum just politely say so, I’ll go.
Peace and Love, James"

Now the cruise will begin. Thanks for looking in; I will appreciate any and all comments, advice, info, or just hellos.
Peace and Love, James

If you feel that you are physically fit enough, go for it. I'm 72 and am not. Find a fitter about 60 year old to go. Of a fit old friend. have at it, life it to damn short.

[Scout 30]

My only concern is you're leaving kind of late in the season. If you've got the time hug the Florida coast all the way to the Keys & then just spend the winter there. Cutting straight across you'd normally head for Tarpon Springs but if you hug the coast north of that there are some great places to see. Cedar Key, Crystal River & the Homosassa river are just a few cool places to visit. This will be an amazing journey so don't get in a hurry. 1 year might be rushing it.

[Scout 30]

The problem with cruising a boat this small is not how seaworthy she is, it's how much stuff can she carry. You'll need to carry a lot of fuel, water & food. You'll also need a good bimini & screens for your hatches. I'd take either a sculling oar or sweeps long enough to row with. Plus you need a way to post updates to us so we can follow your journey.

[aliddell]

I think you have a great plan. My advice would be to google and join AGLCA for a wealth of information and to join a community that will provide you with many friends along the way. Go for it!

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

The problem with cruising a boat this small is not how seaworthy she is, it's how much stuff can she carry. You'll need to carry a lot of fuel, water & food. You'll also need a good bimini & screens for your hatches. I'd take either a sculling oar or sweeps long enough to row with. Plus you need a way to post updates to us so we can follow your journey.

Sort of disagree. He will never be more than a day or two away from "civilization" so large stores of supplies are not needed. Agree on a good bimini and screens for those pesky buggy areas. At my age I would rather call SeaTow then try rowing a C22. He will nearly always be in range of a cell tower so a cellphone plan with a data package, or just plain old free wifi at McDonalds, should cover the update problem.

[softgoodsint]

Originally Posted by kelbylinn

As for no chart plotter, etc., you may want to consider picking up an IPAD with Cellular and Built-in GPS. Add a nav app such as Garmin Blue Chart Mobile...

Yes, I completely agree with Kelbylinn: you will certainly benefit from at least a reasonable iPad (about $300 for an older one), be sure it has cell capability (even if you never active cell service on it), as that means the GPS will be more accurate (let's skip why now). So then either the "Garmin Blue Chart", or "Coastal Explorer", or "iNavX" applications installed, along with their compatible charts, you've solved that one nicely. I have experience with Coastal Explorer on a laptop, got us through tight spots in Central America just fine.

Seems like you've worked through about everything else. You seem a thoughtful planner, as a skipper should be, and while I wouldn't suggest anything reckless, but far less capable sailors have embarked on more ambitious passages. You sound to me more than ready to go forward and plenty capable of managing whatever issues might appear.

And far be it from me to intrude on that special relationship with Grace (& I completely understand), but I would be one (reasonably) capable sailor who would volunteer to join for a portion of the journey (would pitch in for provisions etc.) if you ever felt you'd like someone else to talk to or take a turn on watch while you wrote your memoirs or sent tweets or whatever. I'm particularly keen about the boat, as I"m about to buy my own swing keel, an MK26' in my case. I'd not sailed on a boat smaller than a 36' before (except a windsurfer), nor one with a swing keel, so I'd have a learning experience, and likely follow this path myself in my MK26 in due course.

Well all the best as your launch plans take shape.
Best Regards

[sartorst]

GO fore it! a c22 push comes to shove raise the center board head for shore step off when you hit the shore ha ha

[softgoodsint]

Originally Posted by sartorst

GO fore it! a c22 push comes to shove raise the center board head for shore step off when you hit the shore ha ha

OK, "Sartorst", let's see, that would be when the hull speed indicator read "0 KPH" and the depth read "0 FT"? Is there any sound, like a "clunk" or a "crunch" sound at about the same time?

[FamilyVan]

There seems to be a bit of a misconception about cell phone coverage on the great lakes. Cell coverage on the lakes tends to range from poor to non existent. A mile or two south of Toronto (4th biggest city in north America and biggest in Canada) there is no cell coverage. This is true of most of the lakes, get a couple of miles offshore and your into sat phone or VHF territory.

If he takes the Trent-Severn route (and I hope he does) he can forget about cell phone coverage away from towns on Georgian Bay and through the much of the North Channel.

Cell coverage in the state's is decent, but telecommunications in Canada sucks.

If you try to hug the coast in order to maintain cell coverage, you won't get anywhere. My policy with lake Ontario and lake Erie is right down the middle. Which is 15-20 miles off shore, no cell coverage there.

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Sort of disagree. He will never be more than a day or two away from "civilization" so large stores of supplies are not needed. Agree on a good bimini and screens for those pesky buggy areas. At my age I would rather call SeaTow then try rowing a C22. He will nearly always be in range of a cell tower so a cellphone plan with a data package, or just plain old free wifi at McDonalds, should cover the update problem.

I guess it depends on how often you want to have to replenish your supplies & how much reserves you feel comfortable with. Bottom line, you can only carry what you can carry so you just have to plan around that. I think a tiller pilot would also be a good idea. This will be a great trip!

[onestepcsy37]

Yes, should have mentioned tiller pilot. Steering a boat sounds like fun at first but gets old after a few weeks. Guess thats why they call it "the tyranny of the tiller".

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

Cell coverage in the state's is decent, but telecommunications in Canada sucks.

If you try to hug the coast in order to maintain cell coverage, you won't get anywhere. My policy with lake Ontario and lake Erie is right down the middle. Which is 15-20 miles off shore, no cell coverage there.

You are correct. Sparse cell coverage on lake ontario where I cruise. I purposely go to Main Duck Island to enjoy a few days out of phone range. Although then I spend most of my time wandering around the island trying to get a couple bars to call the wife...not much to do there.

A cell phone is no substitute for a vhf radio.

I've cruised in a small boat, a C&C25. A handheld vhf, handheld gps, and tillerpilot, and you are good to go. And yes, get stuck, get out and push. Not a big deal.

A chartplotter would be nice, to ease navigation, but also makes you lazy. Also, a good origo one burner stove is high on my priority list...being able to cook a hot meal is the difference between camping and cruising.