Longest trip in 270

Stodge

The docks we tied up to in all the Canadian ports we've been to are floating and just above the water line.  I kept seeing boats around the marina dragging fenders in the water, then understood when I went to dock.

Nothing wrong with asking for a dock hand to help.  

luvinlife

 I’ve gotten to know the dock hands and the guys at the fuel dock at my home marina.  I call them by their name if I know it and I always tip generously. They do a great job and are always there if I need anything. 

Willhound

Stodge said:

The docks we tied up to in all the Canadian ports we've been to are floating and just above the water line.  I kept seeing boats around the marina dragging fenders in the water, then understood when I went to dock.

Nothing wrong with asking for a dock hand to help.  

Yep. Very common on Huron, Georgian Bay etc. Our dock on Simcoe is fixed and early in the year you step up 6 inches and late in the season you step down 18 inches to get on the swim platform. Hence a lot of floating moorage.

Michael T

Yes, our condo has floating docks as do most local marinas. This really helps with fluctuating water levels. Most are about 16" to 18" off the water. Fixed docks are quite a problem. Some years they are underwater in the Spring for months and 3 feet above water in the Fall.

Stodge

We had floating docks at my marina before we moved, but they where almost 3 feet tall so you were well above the water.

luvinlife

luvinlife

Floating docks at my marina too, probably a foot off the water. 

Cableguy Greg

We have floating docks in Pittsburgh as well. Our docks are secured to steel pilings. There is one marina in Pittsburgh that has stationary docks and they took a beating this winter with the high water this last month and a half. My marina had some damage, but not as much as the one with stationary docks.

Stodge

A local marina with fixed docks had some damage caused by some of the renters leaving their ladders on the docks.  The ice pushed up on them and twisted the dock. 

nhsd

Greg, I did a trip from Morgantown to Marietta in my last boat, a 19 foot cuddy. There were 4 of us on the trip. Boat was small enough to trailer to Morgantown and trailer back to Pittsburgh when done. Family lives and has river property near Marietta (that is now where I keep my boat). Trip was 3 days and two nights and was a great time.

Cableguy Greg

nhsd said:

Greg, I did a trip from Morgantown to Marietta in my last boat, a 19 foot cuddy. There were 4 of us on the trip. Boat was small enough to trailer to Morgantown and trailer back to Pittsburgh when done. Family lives and has river property near Marietta (that is now where I keep my boat). Trip was 3 days and two nights and was a great time.

That was a heck of a run for 3 days. I was thinking we could do Marietta in 3 days. I figure 1 day down, 1 day to hang out and see the town and 1 day back. I have heard that Morgantown is 2 days down and 2 days back provided you aren't running hard.

luvinlife

Big trip in a 19 footer. Awesome. 

nhsd

I dropped in at Morgantown and on day one made it down to just above the Braddock lock & dam. Stopped at a marina up there and spent the night on the boat. Next day went down to Station Square and walked family around (they hadn't been there before) and had breakfast. Cruised a bit around the Point checking out the Three Rivers area and then on down the Ohio. Made it to around Moundsville and stopped at a river front restaurant on the Ohio side where they let us tie up for the night after dinner. Spent the 2nd night on the boat there.  Rest of the way the 3rd day. As I said, we pulled the boat near Marietta and trailered back to Pittsburgh the next day after visiting family. Obviously, this required the help of a driver (my son) to drive the truck and trailer from Morgantown to Marietta. He was going down to visit his Grandmother anyway!!

While we didn't fool around too much, we weren't in any hurry (couldn't be in much of a hurry with 4 people and that little 4 banger 3.0 Mercruiser  anyway). We did pretty well with the locks too. I have been from Pittsburgh to near Marietta 4 times. It is an easy 2 day, 1 night trip. You might do it OK in one day with an early start and no lock delays. However, once we spent about 6 hours at the New Martinsville (Hannibil) Lock and Dam as they had some issue and closed the big locks and had a major commercial backlog. 

nhsd

Just for a point of reference as you plan any trip, Greg, Morgantown is at mile 102 on the Mon and there are six locks to go through. Marietta is at mile 172 on the Ohio and there are 7 locks to go through (all distances from the confluence at Pittsburgh).

JonnyM

Sounds like an awesome trip @nhsd.  I need to get out of the Dashields pool more often and explore. It looks like they will be doing a lot of work on the locks this year so that may put a damper on things.

Cableguy Greg

JonnyM said:

Sounds like an awesome trip @nhsd.  I need to get out of the Dashields pool more often and explore. It looks like they will be doing a lot of work on the locks this year so that may put a damper on things.

They are supposed to be done with both locks by the 8th of June. Plenty of time to get out of that pool! LOL. If the water is nice, we are planning on going to the Beaver County Boom on June 23rd. I would like to do the run to Marietta sometime in the not to distant future.

luvinlife

Thanks to all that commented on their adventures on their 270.  Can’t wait for splash day, early May! 

luvinlife

Here is a very late update on my long trips last year. We actually only got one trip of any distance in.  Went from my marina in Portsmouth RI to Block Island. It was about 45-50 miles one way. We went with a buddy boat,  a very seaworthy Albin TE 28 footer.  We left about 6 am to beat the southwesterlies that kick up as the day progresses. The ride over was no issue.  Beautiful, relatively calm.  Squeezed us into a slip at Payne’s Dock and spent all day and one overnight. Great time. The ride back was 3-4s and we did fine. Actually my buddy had a tougher time with the following seas. Great first trip with others planned this summer. 

luvinlife

Ian

Nice. We are planning NYC again this year with a few others along in their boats. Last time left Colonie NY 2 miles west of the Waterford flight and through to Kingston then to NY the next day. Return was to Poughkeepsie then home only because last day was like glass and made excellent time up. 

This year we’ll do over a few days and dock at sister clubs the night down and back and then pay for a few nights at Liberty landing and head over to Manhattan. 

rasbury

My boating is just the opposite of that-very remote and not the visual of say a Manhattan skyline...very cool! 

diggin2day1

Have a Block Island trip planned for August... can’t wait!!

luvinlife

Diggin, do you anchor, moor or rent a slip at Block Island?  Seems they have everything you need brought to you on your mooring.  Water, ice, coffee, pump out, launch service. If I had a dinghy that is what I would do. 

diggin2day1

luvinlife said:

Diggin, do you anchor, moor or rent a slip at Block Island?  Seems they have everything you need brought to you on your mooring.  Water, ice, coffee, pump out, launch service. If I had a dinghy that is what I would do. 

I anchor right off Breezy Point for 4-5 days. Use the dink to go back/forth to shore for food, drink and entertainment. Yes, everything is available when you’re out on the hook... water, ice, pump out, Aldo’s Bakery boat in the morning(fresh muffins, pastries and hot coffee) and there’s even a few kids that scoot around on a dinghy to take bags of garbage off your boat for a few bucks... man I love Block Island!!

reneechris14

I moor if available, if not anchor usually between breeze point and dinghy beach. I sleep better on the mooring knowing I wake up in the same place. Block Island is 25.5 miles from my slip. Made it there 3 times last summer. Once to Montauk and Once to Shelter Island. 

Stodge

We are doing a Lake Erie trip this year. Maumee Bay, Put-In_Bay, Cedar Point and Pele Island.  I think it came out to about 300 miles total.  

luvinlife

Glad to see Rinker owners getting in some real adventures. Planing as many at my schedule allows thus season. Still pondering getting a dinghy. 

Stodge

luvinlife said:

Glad to see Rinker owners getting in some real adventures. Planing as many at my schedule allows thus season. Still pondering getting a dinghy. 

Our "adventure" was the 860 mile loop of Lake Huron.  My wallet still hurts from that one.

We have a dinghy so we can take the dog to shore to potty.  She won't do her business on the swim platform.  We love having it for poking around after we anchor.

Dream_Inn

luvinlife said:

Glad to see Rinker owners getting in some real adventures. Planing as many at my schedule allows thus season. Still pondering getting a dinghy. 

A dinghy will change your boating habits for the good!  It sure allows you to anchor out and yet get what you need from shore.  I'd recommend getting no larger than a 8'6" and a 3.3hp.  You can stay relatively inexpensive on the dinghy and a used outboard.  The outboard will always keep its value for resale, so overall not a huge expense to try it out.

Liberty44140

Stodge said:

We are doing a Lake Erie trip this year. Maumee Bay, Put-In_Bay, Cedar Point and Pele Island.  I think it came out to about 300 miles total.  

Sounds like a great trip! We did Pelee last year for the first time in decades and loved it. You will want to either take bike's, or rent them. We took them. There is a rental shop at Scudder. The winery is a great time.
On Cedar point, some of their docks require a 50 amp to 30 amp converter which they will rent you for $10. For boats under 40' they will put you at the far end of the marina which is fine, but a long walk. The 40' docks right by the restaurant/gas dock and park entrance are really nice and convenient. To me its worth it to pay for a 40' dock and be docked right in front of everything. Definitely need the 50a converter at the 40' docks though. The price during the week is not much more for a 40'. I have last years dockage info if you need it.