NY to Florida

[pugtug613]

I will be making the trip from NY to Fl. in a couple of years. I was thinking of having the boat towed to the Chesapeake and spending a month tooling around and then having it towed to Punta Gorda. It's a Ranger 27 and I don't have a trailer and I don't want one. I'll be in a condo with a slip and no place to store a trailer. I have spent a week on the boat and enjoyed it. If I take it to Fl. from the Chesapeake, it would take me several months, I would take my time. Has anyone spent serious time on a 27 or a 25 and how comfortable was it? I'm coming from Long Island and to get to the ICW, I would have to be in the Ocean for 12 hours or so. I am really not up for that, nor is my wife. So, I was considering a "partial" trip. I have never been in the Chesapeake and know it's a great place and I have a company that would tow me for a reasonable price. The second part of towing me from say Norfolk to PGI is a little pricey, but so is taking the boat down myself. Between marinas and supplies and fuel, I guess about $4K - $5K per month. I guess with all the problems in the world, this is not a big one. All of my choices are good. Just looking for insight or opinion on the subject.

 

[knotflying]

We have lived on our R-27 for as long as 115 days and no problem for the two of us. We have cruised extensively on the east coast. Going from Long Island does not require being on the ocean for 12 hours. Where will you be leaving from on Long Island? We have done a trip circumnavigating Long island. If you are on the south shore you can stay inside all the way to Rockaway and then cross over to the Manasqan Inlet. If you are on the north shore you can go down the sound to NY harbor and then go out under the Verrazano Bridge to Manasquan. Yo just have to time your crossing with light winds.

 

[pugtug613]

How long does it take to get to Manasquan?

 

[Scuffy]

You can measure the distance on Active Captain. If you come down on the inside to the East River. When you get to the southern tip of Manhattan you can swing north a little and stay at the Liberty Landing marina in Jersey City. From there to Manasquan inlet is about 20 miles. Then you go up the Manasquan River a ways and you pick up the canal heading south The inter coastal down thru New Jersey try to travel at high tide as there are some places where the water is a little thin. From Manhattan to Cape May the tip of New Jersey is about 170 miles on the inter coastal. There are a couple bridges in and around Atlantic City. Take the canal in Cape May over to Delaware Bay and then north in the Delaware Bay to the C&D canal bust a left on the C&D canal then you will be on your way to the Chesapeake Bay. Near the end of the C&D is a little town called Chesapeake City. Nice little town decent marina. Tolchester Beach, Rock Hall, St. Michaels, Oxford, Baltimore, Annapolis are just some of the great stops on you way down the Chesapeake. It would be a great trip.

 

[Rodeo]

Having made this trip numerous times on my sailboat and power boats belonging to friends I urge you to consider doing the entire trip on your tug. It is an adventure that you will never forget. As others have said, the areas of "outside" exposure are really not that great and with todays technology it should be a piece of cake. I would usually leave Oxford on the Chesapeake right after the Waterfowl Festival in Easton (mid November) and head down the Bay. From then on you sort of follow fall as you head to Florida, the weather is usually perfect and you get to see the fall colors for hundreds of miles traveling at tug speed. Lots of wonderful little towns to explore and countless protected anchorages to enjoy. If you would like to talk about it in detail send me a PM and I will give you my cell number. You will never regret doing the entire trip on your tug.

 

[pugtug613]

I know I would love it. I just got used to a larger boat. I came from a 38 Sail Boat. I had a living room, 2 heads, (why you need 2 heads on a boat, I don't know.) a nice galley and so on. I guess I could get used to my 27 Tug. Thanks for the comments.