NH to Fla

[NEDBETTY]

Has anyone taken the ride from the Northeast all the way to Fla. Jax. area?
If so how long a trip with average stops for rest and fuel?

Have a 2014 Cb 31

Thanks!!

 

[fmstuart]

What is your fuel burn rate?


Forrest Stuart
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brian B]

You should’t have a schedule for that trip. Your biggest obstacle is weather, Hurricane season and winds before you can get into the ICW. The further South you get storms this time of year are more likely. FL T-storms are not to be taken lightly.

 

[ohioan55]

What Brian said. You will be crossing some open bodies of water on the trip down and getting caught in the open in a storm is not fun. Nor'easters and T storms spawning water spouts are to be avoided. I'll post a picture I took while heading into Hampton some years ago. Notice the guy in the fore ground is heading out. This storm spawned at least 12 spouts. Moral of the story, don't be in a hurry and plan each leg of the trip and watch the weather. There are tons of worthy stops (and seafood) along the way. I'd plan at least a month and find a flotilla to group with.

 

[BattleBorn]

Not sure if you're still looking to take this trip or not but this website has helped me determine where I can go in any given day on the water. You can use it on your cell phone too so you can calculate on the go. Hope this helps, good luck!

https://www.boatbookings.com/yachting_c ... tances.php

 

[Dshell]

A possible Cutwater owner here, been a lurker for a while now. Last month I bought a Regal 28 Express sight unseen from St Simons Island GA just above Jacksonville. We rented a car and drove the boat back to Northeast MD on the ICW. It took 10 days stopping at marinas on the way up,we averaged 100 miles a day. Coming out of Norfolk the Chesapeake Bay was so rough we ended up leaving the boat in a Marina in Virginia and coming home for a week. When we returned the weather conditions were forcasted as perfect but we still hit rough patches in the Chesapeake.The trip was fantastic, without covid or a schedule it would have been even better, do it.

 

[NEDBETTY]

Burn rate was 12. gallons at 15 knots (Think that is correct its from memory as notes are in boat)
I was thinking a month and not to go until mid- October. May have to wait until mid-April 2021

I am good with the electronics have 72 series Garmin which came with boat also Ipad with cell / gps using Navtronics and Active Captain. Am fair with mechanics too and getting better.

I am just so so with charts so I am intimidated to make such a trip, should I be? Keep thinking I need to be qualified captain or similar and I just do not have that time yet. I am careful, I don't take risks and would stay in port or go early if weather looked remotely bad. We would go out of our way to stay inside as much as possible.

This month we will go to Cape Cod from Portsmouth NH that will be our longest trip so far. Have New (2015) G2 map cards so we also have auto pilot on the 7215 (two of them) works great.

Thanks

 

[NEDBETTY]

BattleBorn,
Have you tried Active Captain?

 

[Dshell]

Check out the vid of the three guys who went from RI to Jacksonville in a Monterey 35.

Google- RI to Jacksonville by boat

 

[Capt’nKarl]

If you want some encouragement about making the trip check out the YouTube channel of 9to5less. A couple with no boating experience come down the ICW from Virginia to Florida on a catamaran with a 15 HP Mercury engine. If they can do it I think anyone can.