Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

We currently live on a small lake (725 acres).
We currently run an 18 foot Searay bowrider.
We are interested in occasional trips to Lake Michigan.
We would be interested in a daytime trip and probably wouldn't venture
more than 3/4 of a mile from shore.
We would be interested mainly in tubing.
I would like to buy about a 24' to 26', but am unsure if that would be
a bow rider or cuddy.
Please advise

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:11:04 -0700, crystalguy
wrote:

We currently live on a small lake (725 acres).

Very nice.

We currently run an 18 foot Searay bowrider.

Ok.

We are interested in occasional trips to Lake Michigan.

Lived on my Uncle's farm during the summer in the UP when I was a lad.

We would be interested in a daytime trip and probably wouldn't venture
more than 3/4 of a mile from shore.

Seems ok. Just take care, watch the weather and buy a marine VHF
radio - handheld would be fine.

You may also want to get a chart of the area you will be boating in
and possibly a mapping GPS.

We would be interested mainly in tubing.

Cool.

I would like to buy about a 24' to 26', but am unsure if that would be
a bow rider or cuddy.

Well, there are advantages to each.

Please advise

As to purchase or the advisiablity of going out on Lake Michigan in an
18 foot bow rider tubing 3/4 mile off shore?

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:11:04 -0700, crystalguy
wrote:

We currently live on a small lake (725 acres).
We currently run an 18 foot Searay bowrider.
We are interested in occasional trips to Lake Michigan.
We would be interested in a daytime trip and probably wouldn't venture
more than 3/4 of a mile from shore.
We would be interested mainly in tubing.
I would like to buy about a 24' to 26', but am unsure if that would be
a bow rider or cuddy.

My brother-in-law had a 17 ft bow rider on Lake Michigan for a couple
of years and he gave it up because it was too small. It all comes
down to how much time you have available, how often you want to use
the boat and what percentage of down time for weather you are willing
to accept. There are some days when Lake M is like glass,
particularly early in the morning. I have run at 20 kts in a 12 foot
inflatable in those conditions. Later that same day you may have 3 to
4 footers in the afternoon as the sea breeze kicks in. A 17 footer is
too small for anything more than a very light chop. A 26 footer is OK
up to about 1 to 2 footers but it will be difficult to run on plane
above that without getting smacked around.

The question of bow rider vs cuddy comes down to how you want to use
the boat. A cuddy is somewhat more seaworthy in rough weather, gives
you a cabin for the occasional overnighter, an enclosed head, and a
locked weather proof compartment for gear storage. A bow rider of the
same size will carry more people, be somewhat lighter/faster, and
probably less expensive than a cuddy all other things being equal. I
have a Searay 270 Sundeck in Florida which is an overgrown bow rider
and it offers many of the same benefits as a cuddy with a fully
enclosed head and a minimalist sleeping/storage cabin. It also rides
fairly well in a chop.

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

My brother-in-law had a 17 ft bow rider on Lake Michigan for a couple
of years and he gave it up because it was too small. It all comes
down to how much time you have available, how often you want to use
the boat and what percentage of down time for weather you are willing
to accept. There are some days when Lake M is like glass,
particularly early in the morning. I have run at 20 kts in a 12 foot
inflatable in those conditions. Later that same day you may have 3 to
4 footers in the afternoon as the sea breeze kicks in. A 17 footer is
too small for anything more than a very light chop. A 26 footer is OK
up to about 1 to 2 footers but it will be difficult to run on plane
above that without getting smacked around.


We are in the early stages of negotiations for the sale of the Navigator.
It has been shown twice in the last four days. The first guy was a complete
jerk and was quickly discarded as a potential. Yesterday, shortly after
re-splashing the boat following a maintenance schedule, a group showed up
with the broker for a viewing. Very nice people. They are looking for a
boat to use in Vermont on Lake Champlain as a summer live-aboard and they
quickly determined that the Navigator would be perfect. The guy told me
that they had considered a condo but the prices for one on the lake were in
the 700K and up range, so the concept of having a large boat instead was
proposed by one of his friends.

He asked me if I would deliver it. I am studying the charts and considering
it. I've been told it is a really nice trip.

Eisboch

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 05:46:34 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

He asked me if I would deliver it. I am studying the charts and considering
it. I've been told it is a really nice trip.

It is a really nice trip. If you have never cruised up the Hudson
River, that alone is worth the price of admission. It's a long trip
however, especially for you, and you have to have an air draft less
than 16 feet to get under the bridge at Ft Edwards. I'm told they can
increase clearance to 17 feet by lowering the water level but that
requires advance notice.

On the other hand, do you really want the legal liability of
delivering the boat? When would they take official ownership?

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

Eisboch wrote:
"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
My brother-in-law had a 17 ft bow rider on Lake Michigan for a couple
of years and he gave it up because it was too small. It all comes
down to how much time you have available, how often you want to use
the boat and what percentage of down time for weather you are willing
to accept. There are some days when Lake M is like glass,
particularly early in the morning. I have run at 20 kts in a 12 foot
inflatable in those conditions. Later that same day you may have 3 to
4 footers in the afternoon as the sea breeze kicks in. A 17 footer is
too small for anything more than a very light chop. A 26 footer is OK
up to about 1 to 2 footers but it will be difficult to run on plane
above that without getting smacked around.


We are in the early stages of negotiations for the sale of the Navigator.
It has been shown twice in the last four days. The first guy was a complete
jerk and was quickly discarded as a potential. Yesterday, shortly after
re-splashing the boat following a maintenance schedule, a group showed up
with the broker for a viewing. Very nice people. They are looking for a
boat to use in Vermont on Lake Champlain as a summer live-aboard and they
quickly determined that the Navigator would be perfect. The guy told me
that they had considered a condo but the prices for one on the lake were in
the 700K and up range, so the concept of having a large boat instead was
proposed by one of his friends.

He asked me if I would deliver it. I am studying the charts and considering
it. I've been told it is a really nice trip.

Eisboch



Make sure they buy and close on the damned boat first, and then hire a
professional captain to deliver it. You can go along as crew. Less
liability for you.

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 05:46:34 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

He asked me if I would deliver it. I am studying the charts and
considering
it. I've been told it is a really nice trip.

It is a really nice trip. If you have never cruised up the Hudson
River, that alone is worth the price of admission. It's a long trip
however, especially for you, and you have to have an air draft less
than 16 feet to get under the bridge at Ft Edwards. I'm told they can
increase clearance to 17 feet by lowering the water level but that
requires advance notice.

On the other hand, do you really want the legal liability of
delivering the boat? When would they take official ownership?


St. Lawrence Sea Way? The Navigator needs 19.5 feet as configured.
Removing the arch would be a serious undertaking that I wouldn't even
consider doing myself.

Good point regarding the liability issue.

Eisboch

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 05:46:34 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

He asked me if I would deliver it. I am studying the charts and
considering
it. I've been told it is a really nice trip.

It is a really nice trip. If you have never cruised up the Hudson
River, that alone is worth the price of admission. It's a long trip
however, especially for you, and you have to have an air draft less
than 16 feet to get under the bridge at Ft Edwards. I'm told they can
increase clearance to 17 feet by lowering the water level but that
requires advance notice.

On the other hand, do you really want the legal liability of
delivering the boat? When would they take official ownership?


St. Lawrence Sea Way? The Navigator needs 19.5 feet as configured.
Removing the arch would be a serious undertaking that I wouldn't even
consider doing myself.

Good point regarding the liability issue.

You might want to look at Doug King's blog on his trip up the Hudson.

http://dnkcruising.blogspot.com/

It seems to me the Seaway is your only choice if your arch is 20 foot.

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

St. Lawrence Sea Way? The Navigator needs 19.5 feet as configured.
Removing the arch would be a serious undertaking that I wouldn't even
consider doing myself.

That should work. Canadian Park Service claims 29 ft clearance on the
Chambly and St Ours canals. You'd be OK getting to Lake Ontario on
the NYS canals. We did that route 7 years ago on our old Bertram 33
and it was a tight fit in a couple of places but no problems.

It's a *very* long trip that way, probably close to 900 miles coming
from the Cape Cod area.

Bow Rider or not on the Great Lakes
 

On Thu, 02 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400, Eisboch wrote:


St. Lawrence Sea Way? The Navigator needs 19.5 feet as configured.
Removing the arch would be a serious undertaking that I wouldn't even
consider doing myself.

20' according to this:

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/ben002.html


Good point regarding the liability issue.

Eisboch