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Katie B a Great Harbour GH 47 trawler
As the idea of going on a great loop adventure began to gel, the obvious first question was what kind of boat to look for. The America's great Lake cruisers association has a great website with wealth information about the loop, its challenges in the equipment, necessary and helpful to safely and comfortably accomplish, this journey. The most important considerations were the height of the boat, which had to be an able to pass under a 19'6" bridge near Calumet Illinois, a shallow draft to accommodate harbors in the southeast and some of the canals in Canada, sufficient fuel storage to prevent at least a 500 mile journey between refilling stops and reasonable creature comfort for a one to two year journey. I made a list of these requirements as well as desired options and begin to study forms, online marketplaces, and discussions with other people planning or who had accomplished the loop. In this process, I discovered Great Harbour trawlers, boats built in Gainesville, Florida, which checked all the boxes.
Katie B.'s specifications:
Size:
Nominal length: 47 feet
Length overall: 50 feet
Beam: 15' 10"
Draft: 3' 6"
Height: 22.25' radar arch up
17' radar arch down
Displacement: 73,000 lbs.
Katie B's size allows common marina accommodations in terms of length and width. Importantly, the boat is also able to fit under the lowest fixed obstacle on the Great Loop which is a bridge near Chicago at 19'6" height. Her 3 foot draft is somewhat surprising in a boat this, but allows easy access to the Trent Severn Canal system in Canada, as well as reduced anxiety in the shoal waters of the southeastern United States.
