Need Some Sailing Advice For A Cruise

[landluber]

Hello All,

I am a retired school teacher from Missouri, male, 65 years old, fairly good shape for my age.....and I am interested in cruising from Chicago down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico to Florida waters in a 30 ft sailboat equipped with a reliable Yanmar engine.

I would like to know the specific route...leaving from a mooring near Chicago on Lake Michigan and getting into the river system to the Mississippi then on down to New Orleans, and out into the Gulf of Mexico.

I do not have a whole lot of sailing experience, and would have to rely upon getting a small crew of experienced sailor to teach me along the way but that should not be too great a problem as long as I provided, the transportation, and perhaps the food and grog along the way.....that way by the time we got to the Gulf I would perhaps be fairly well versed on how to run this sailboat.

And the boat is an up to date 1980's single masted Hunter with a fixed keel - model sleeping 4 or 5 with a good reliable Yanmar diesel engine.

Any information would be greatly appreceiated.

Thanks, Steve in Missouri

[MARC2012]

There are several posts here & cruisers forum on sailing/transiting ms river.Most of us find it somewhere between foolish & suicidal.Keep in mind the oil spill in the gulf just s of nola.marc

[landluber]

Mark,

Thanks for the advice. I hope I can get input for this proposed trip from others who have made this trip......Great Lakes to Gulf of Mexico.

My object is that I would be purchasing the 30 ft sailboat in Chicago, and would want to transport it by water to South Florida.

It might indeed be a 'ill gotten plan' - and perhaps not worth the effort and expense...but I just wanted to get some input on doing such a thing from others who have perhaps done it.

I do not think the oil spill in the Gulf would be that much of a factor.....as one could more than likely sail around that once you got into any of it....and anyway...likely it would not hurt the sailboat that much except for getting it dirty and oily....which could pretty much be powerwashed off when one got to dockage.

Again - thanks for your input....maybe you have some specific advice you could give to me on this......like why you consider it a bad plan.
Steve

[CaptainForce]

What about a lake transit to the Hudson River and down the East Coast? 'some more miles, but a far more pleasant ride. I don't see much joy in riding the log plume down the big river. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[landluber]

Hello Capitain,

Wish I could call myself that....but I just don't have the time on the water sailing that ---that would require.

I do however have perhaps 50 years experience with motor boating all over the place...but not the same as crewing a 30 ft schooner in the ocean or Gulf.

Anyway I had seen that going into the Great Lakes, then hitting the Erie Canal, and then the Atlantic to go down the inter coastal waterway would be an alternative route....and as you say perhaps a more colorful and a more productive way to go......but just thought that the ole Mississippi would be a closer way....and on smaller waters too....so I perhaps could not get into as much trouble as being on the larger bodies of water.

If I do indeed purchase the sailboat....and I don't own it as of yet and do try this....I will of course investigate all possible ways to do it before setting off.

Thanks for the input....... Landluber

[FSMike]

I think it's probably safer to cross the Atlantic than go down the Mississippi. Since I've never done either, you can take my opinion for what it's worth.

[MARC2012]

Ck the tenntom waterway.marc

[KindOfBlue]

Why not buy a boat that's already in FL? A 30 foot hunter is not the type of boat that you bring with you when relocating. At least that's how I see it.

[PBzeer]

You're best to use the TennTom Waterway to reach the Gulf rather than the Mississippi. You would transit Illinois (mast down) to the Mississippi (raise mast), then to the Ohio River. Lock through on the Tennessee RIver at Kentucky Lake down to the TennTom, which will bring you to the Gulf at Mobile, AL.