Add A Candidate So Others Can Vote On... - Page 3

markpierce · 07-10-2018, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltexflanc

...

When we lived out west, I actively disliked San Pablo Bay, but it is the only way from SF Bay to get to a bunch of places we really like. ...

When the waters are calm, SPB is a nice transit.

DC36Monk · 07-11-2018, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MurrayM

Hasn’t happened yet...too many mountains, islands, islets, inlets, canals, channels and bays to look at

Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.

Northern Spy · 07-11-2018, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC36Monk

Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.

The slog up the Malispina on the East side of Texada Island can be a bit of a bore. Maybe not of the ICW Dismal Swamp level, but a bit of a jaunt.

AusCan · 07-11-2018, 02:55 AM

I've had weather I wouldn't want to revisit, and sea conditions that I'm not looking forward to repeating, but I've never had a cruise that I disliked. At times I've been s#!t scared and I've asked myself wtf am I doing here, but in the end I've never had a bad day.
Perhaps never travelling in congested areas with other boat traffic makes it easier to just enjoy the moment.

caltexflanc · 07-11-2018, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markpierce

When the waters are calm, SPB is a nice transit.

Boring though!

Delaware Bay, I can understand the prior poster's point, though we always had fun exploring it. And it can be a nice boy as well if you choose your weather and tidal stage.

caltexflanc · 07-11-2018, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC36Monk

Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.

We've done a fair amount of cruising in the PNW, and you will note I didn't list any spots up there. Thing is, you can use some part of the AICW and adjoining waters, rivers and islands in beautiful weather 12 months a year.

Having had tri-coastal cruising experience, we were living in Texas when we decided to take a few years off and go cruising full time, and it took less than a minute to decide where we were going to do it.

We've enjoyed all our cruising, but as mentioned in a previous post of mine, some cruises are not on our list of desired repeats if at all possible, regardless of weather.

O C Diver · 07-11-2018, 09:42 AM

While there hasn't been any waterway I wouldn't cruise again, going from Lake Michigan through Chicago, down the Des Plaines river, and the Illinois river to Grafton, IL, wasn't remotely enjoyable. Start with the stretch through Chicago that has almost no redeeming value. Then there is the heavily industrial Des Plaines river that can be choked with barges and reaks of petroleum based industries. This is followed by long stretches of the Illinois river that can be best described as a tug and barge canal through a very desolate area with few stopping points. Factor in numerous locks undergoing bandaid repairs to delay you. Overall it's just not a pleasant experience.

As a side note: The tug captains are incredibly professional and courteous making every effort to share the waterway with you. Through this section, all the way to Mobile, AL, I never encountered a tug captain who wasn't safe courteous and professional. The lock operators were also extremely accommodating considering what they have to work with (decrepid infrastructure and paltry maintenance budgets).

Ted

BandB · 07-11-2018, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC36Monk

Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.

Wifey B: I agree but then I don't find anywhere I've been boring or ugly.

BandB · 07-11-2018, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O C Diver

While there hasn't been any waterway I wouldn't cruise again, going from Lake Michigan through Chicago, down the Des Plaines river, and the Illinois river to Grafton, IL, wasn't remotely enjoyable. Start with the stretch through Chicago that has almost no redeeming value. Then there is the heavily industrial Des Plaines river that can be choked with barges and reaks of petroleum based industries. This is followed by long stretches of the Illinois river that can be best described as a tug and barge canal through a very desolate area with few stopping points. Factor in numerous locks undergoing bandaid repairs to delay you. Overall it's just not a pleasant experience.

As a side note: The tug captains are incredibly professional and courteous making every effort to share the waterway with you. Through this section, all the way to Mobile, AL, I never encountered a tug captain who wasn't safe courteous and professional. The lock operators were also extremely accommodating considering what they have to work with (decrepid infrastructure and paltry maintenance budgets).

Ted

Wifey: You left out the electric carp barrier in your Chicago to Grafton paragraph.

Tow captains, lock operators, bridge tenders all respond as you described as long as you are courteous and respectful to them. I've often heard them remain amazingly professional with boaters who didn't merit it. Sometimes I just want to yell at the offender, but I don't generally. I have though a couple of times had the offender go to another channel so I could nicely tell them the error of their ways which was mainly to learn what they're doing and prepare.

O C Diver · 07-11-2018, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BandB

Wifey: You left out the electric carp barrier in your Chicago to Grafton paragraph.

Tow captains, lock operators, bridge tenders all respond as you described as long as you are courteous and respectful to them. I've often heard them remain amazingly professional with boaters who didn't merit it. Sometimes I just want to yell at the offender, but I don't generally. I have though a couple of times had the offender go to another channel so I could nicely tell them the error of their ways which was mainly to learn what they're doing and prepare.

One lock operator told me of a large pleasure craft transiting the area the previous year. He said the female captain was only wearing a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Know anything about that?

Ted

cardude01 · 07-11-2018, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Group9

Kemah, Texas to New Orleans via the ICW. No, just no, never again.

This.

I vowed I would never do that run again. Will go outside next time.

BandB · 07-11-2018, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O C Diver

One lock operator told me of a large pleasure craft transiting the area the previous year. He said the female captain was only wearing a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Know anything about that?

Ted

Wifey B: No, but I applaud them. We might have female captains wearing skimpy bikinis but no naked captains on inland rivers. Generally shaded too so no hat. Now, of course, he might have just had the illusion of nudity because someone's bikini was "nude" color and very skimpy.

As a matter of information, since we have researched these things, topless would be legal in almost all areas but nudity would be illegal in many depending on the state, city and county.

Jeff F · 07-11-2018, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O C Diver

While there hasn't been any waterway I wouldn't cruise again, going from Lake Michigan through Chicago, down the Des Plaines river, and the Illinois river to Grafton, IL, wasn't remotely enjoyable. Start with the stretch through Chicago that has almost no redeeming value. Then there is the heavily industrial Des Plaines river that can be choked with barges and reaks of petroleum based industries. This is followed by long stretches of the Illinois river that can be best described as a tug and barge canal through a very desolate area with few stopping points. Factor in numerous locks undergoing bandaid repairs to delay you. Overall it's just not a pleasant experience.

As a side note: The tug captains are incredibly professional and courteous making every effort to share the waterway with you. Through this section, all the way to Mobile, AL, I never encountered a tug captain who wasn't safe courteous and professional. The lock operators were also extremely accommodating considering what they have to work with (decrepid infrastructure and paltry maintenance budgets).

Ted

My wife would agree with your description. We delivered a sailboat with a 6' draft from Chicago to St Louis in October 1991. Quimbys showed several good overnight/fuel stops but they were all closed or inaccessible due to shallow water. We ended up spending a couple of nights anchored just off the channel listening to the tows roar by. When we hailed a towboat near the end of the Illinois River to ask about where to find fuel they invited us to come alongside and gave us 20 gallons of fuel and a tour. Captain said with a smile that they wouldn't miss the fuel :-) Very friendly folks, they were working 28 day shifts and were happy to stop and chat.

I'm planning to be fully self-sufficient when I do that stretch again this year. The industry and commercial traffic interests me, so I'm actually looking forward to it. Would rather deal with that than the endless swarm of recreational boaters on parts of the AICW and Trent Severn.

Sailor of Fortune · 07-11-2018, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigsfish

It is called Dismal for a reason, some make like dismal others the Bahamas.

Jack (Steve) where have you been? We drank some of your Budweiser in the Bahamas. It was good.

Whaaat! How about the PBR's! let em fly irv!