Slow enough to enjoy the sites and fuel efficiency, but fast enough to meet your timelines. Small enough to be economical but large enough to live on for extended periods.The best type of Loop boat is based on your timeframe for the trip, your budget and most importantly your personal preferences. Boats that can travel on a trailer are usually smaller but can include pocket trawlers, cuddy cabins, and even larger bowriders with a small cabin and head below.Įxplore Trailerable Boats Finding the Best Great Loop Boat for You With a trailerable boat, you can tow it to a launch ramp, do a leg, and then arrange for the trailer to meet you elsewhere. Best Great Loop Boat Typesīoats that can be trailered offer maximum flexibility, especially for people who will do the Loop in small segments that may be spaced apart in time so they can return home in between to work or spend time with family. In some parts, the distances between fuel docks can be significant so a boat that has a range of at least a couple of hundred miles on one tank would be ideal. Displacement vessels will usually be propelled by a single economic diesel while planing hulls may have multiple higher revving, gas engines that deliver more speed but also cost more to run per mile. The number and type of engines on a Great Loop boat can include one to multiple motors, inboards, stern drives and outboards, and motors that run on diesel or gasoline. Some people prefer to have luxurious accommodations and conveniences like an onboard washer/dryer so they travel with a portable “home,” while others opt for hotel or motel room stays and laundromats. Some like to be near amenities every evening while others won’t set foot in a restaurant, preferring to save money by cooking aboard. Some like to anchor out while others go strictly dock-to-dock. Sailboats find the Loop challenging due to their deeper draft (usually over five feet) and the height of their mast, which must be un-stepped and carried horizontally on deck.ĭifferent people cruise the Loop differently. Although the vast majority of Loop craft are powerboats, about 10 percent of people have completed the journey on sailboats. Most boats that complete the Loop measure 35-45 feet length, but the journey has even been done on a personal watercraft (PWC). Also, although depths vary, vessels drawing more than five feet may find themselves roadblocked by skinny waters. To determine air draft, powerboats with flybridges should be measured from the waterline to the top of their hard structures as well as their radio and navigation antennas. People do this trek on a variety of boats and although there is no “best” boat, there are some that are more suited to the task than others due to some of the route’s restrictions.įor example, the lowest bridge in Illinois is just over 19 feet so your boat’s air draft is a consideration. The fastest journey was a promotional event that was done in three months but some Loopers will split up the trip into multiple seasons, preferring to cruise slowly and getting to know the points of interest and the people along the way.Įxplore Overnight Cruising Boats & Activities What is the Great Loop?
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