Our haul was preceded by 5 years of > 100 hour
work weeks, (between my wife and I), and regular 75 mile trips along the
route, chopping limbs and such. Between the trees/growth and "development", the
route to a series of lakes & rivers was closing around me. (I even looked into a helicopter lift!) $$$
This led to our launching several years before completion, and required finishing up at the coast, 150 miles from our house/boatyard in the countryside of central SC.
After enough begging at the DOT... (and since it's 21+ ' was too wide, getting them to "call it a house"), followed by acquiring permits from 3 counties, hiring a crane, truck, escort
service, etc... we finally made it to the SHALLOW "bass boats only" lake full of stumps & trees, (hit a submerged tree at speed), then locked down 78' to the
Cooper River headwaters, for the final 75 miles to the sea.
It was definitely a "sphincter factor of 10".
Mark