Need Advice on Shortest Way from Florida to Great Lakes

[Krawdad]

Hello all, do any of you folks have "first hand" experience on the Great Loop / ICW. I am bringing a trawler from Gulf side of Florida to Lake St Clair, can anyone advise which route is shorter, the gulf side up to Lake Michigan or the Atlantic side up into Lake Ontario or Erie. They appear to be similar in actual mileage but I suspect the Atlantic side is more direct because your not following a twisting winding river all the way. Is there any reason one might favour one route over another? This is to be a delivery style trip, not a sight seeing holiday so the most important criteria is time and cost.

Any comments, advice greatly appreciated.

[capngeo]

If she's plastic go B-I-G T-R-U-C-K!

I delivered an 8 knot boat from Sarasota to Toronto. She was wood, so the owner didn't want to go by truck... It took 3 months, 1000 gallons of diesel, food for 3 months, a crap pile of marina nights, $2500 in repairs after a storm. I went up the eastern seaboard

ETA, I forgot the biggest expense: ME @ $300/day plus expenses

[Krawdad]

Truck is out of the question, its a VERY big trawler.

[capngeo]

Well then, I'd go up the east coast..... fighting the current up the river effectively adds 2-3 NM every HOUR you travel.... do the math for your best economical speed, and add the mileage... there is no contest

[Kettlewell]

If it's a "VERY big trawler" keep in mind the height restrictions on the Erie Canal. Don't know what they are on the other route. If you can clear the heights in the canal you can run a lot faster up the East Coast because of no locks until Norfolk and then only one, and you can go outside and run 24 hours a day when the weather is good--that can cut off a huge amount of distance and save a ton of time.

What are the height restrictions for navigating on the Canal System?
The clearances for navigating under bridges over the Canal System are:

Erie Canal
Waterford to Three Rivers Junction 21.0 feet
Three Rivers Junction to Tonawanda 15.5 feet
Oswego Canal 21.0 feet
Champlain Canal 17.0 feet
Cayuga-Seneca Canal 16.5 feet
View our Bridge Height Tables for more information.

[Krawdad]

Thanks for advice guys, never even thought about time lost at locks, very good point. I'm barely good for height with mast down, three rivers might be out at 15.5. Anyone know the actual mileage of either route. Other advice & comments welcomed

[Krawdad]

John, suddenly realized who you are. Read your blog some time ago. Cant get a much greater authority on the Atlantic side ICW then the one who wrote the bible. Is there a particular time of year when you get the best weather windows for running on the outside? Know anywhere where one can get a decent chartbook

[Kettlewell]

The best time to head north is usually the spring leaving Florida around mid to the end of May. June is good too. If your boat is comfortable offshore just hook up with the Gulf Stream and pick up 2 or 3 knots all the way up to Cape Hatteras, watching your weather of course. Winds and currents are still favorable generally all the way up to New York. Just be ready and willing to duck back out of the Stream if a norther is coming across the country, but they get fewer and fewer the later you wait in the spring. Of course I recommend my chartbooks for the east and west coasts of Florida up to Norfolk. From there to New York the Chart Kits are probably the way to go. There is a Richardson's chartbook for the Hudson River, and NYS sells a good chartbook for the canal system.

[feelsgood]

Let the train take the strain more direct and quicker.