ICW, December south to North

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,370
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
Good luck Dave... second times the charm...
From your lips to gods ears! I'm hoping. Still waiting on the seller to sign the contract. Looks like a great boat. I'll still have a fair amount of work to do to get it ready for off shore sailing, but if I've done my home work right and there are no surprises, I should be pretty close to budget when all is said and done. That's another crap shoot... But I've been at this for some years now so if there are no unpleasant surprises, I should be just about at my limit. It would sure help to get the rest of my "fleat" sold....

dj
 

DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
@dLj let us know about the boat when the deal goes through. It does sound like a fun adventure.
I have done the Erie canal to Oswego with the mast on deck. It certainly can be done but I would recommend looking at your options for shipping the mast by truck. We had very sturdy plywood and 2x4 struts holding the mast but it still got sketchy crossing Oneida Lake in a Westerly blow. The bow got buried in a few waves and the mast started shifting. I managed to secure it with a bit of winching on halyards. You won't have any water as open as that but you never know when some big trawler will come by plowing the river.
Oh, and there are always surprises with new boats - but you already know that ;)
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,370
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
@dLj let us know about the boat when the deal goes through. It does sound like a fun adventure.
I have done the Erie canal to Oswego with the mast on deck. It certainly can be done but I would recommend looking at your options for shipping the mast by truck. We had very sturdy plywood and 2x4 struts holding the mast but it still got sketchy crossing Oneida Lake in a Westerly blow. The bow got buried in a few waves and the mast started shifting. I managed to secure it with a bit of winching on halyards. You won't have any water as open as that but you never know when some big trawler will come by plowing the river.
Oh, and there are always surprises with new boats - but you already know that ;)
First leg, if I buy the boat, will be Key West to the Chesapeake. I have a marina all set up there to winter over until spring to make the next leg into Champlain. That marina is close enough to drive down there from my house to work on the boat over this winter. And to hang out on it and get it organized.

Going up the Hudson will be done with the mast up until reaching Albany. Then the mast has to come down to go up the canal and river into Champlain. Once I pop into Champlain I'll put the mast back up as it will live there until I retire - currently planned for 2022. Then I'll likely head North to the St. Lawrence repeating the mast stepping. I do now have a signed contract!

One of my projects will be to make a decent mast cradle. One of my future plans is crossing the French canals. It's easier to have the mast on the boat for that trip so I might as well get set up for that as well as the trip into Champlain...

I will keep you posted.

dj
 
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DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
You are missing one important piece of information - what kind of boat?!?
That sounds like a great trip. I would ask if you need crew but the border is shut and looks like it will be for several months.
 
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dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,370
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
You are missing one important piece of information - what kind of boat?!?
That sounds like a great trip. I would ask if you need crew but the border is shut and looks like it will be for several months.
Ah, right. It's a Brewer 12.8. Too bad about the border. It could be fun!

dj
 
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DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
I've never heard of a Brewer 12.8 so I had to look it up. Sounds like it is the successor to the Whitby 42 which is a great boat. You are going to have a lot of fun :D
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,370
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
I've never heard of a Brewer 12.8 so I had to look it up. Sounds like it is the successor to the Whitby 42 which is a great boat. You are going to have a lot of fun :D
Not surprising, I believe only 10 were built. Yes, it was designed based off the Whitby 42 with improved sailing characteristics. The Whitby 42 is a full keel boat, the 12.8 under the water looks more like a Bristol 41.1.

dj
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
First leg, if I buy the boat, will be Key West to the Chesapeake. I have a marina all set up there to winter over until spring to make the next leg into Champlain. That marina is close enough to drive down there from my house to work on the boat over this winter. And to hang out on it and get it organized.

Going up the Hudson will be done with the mast up until reaching Albany. Then the mast has to come down to go up the canal and river into Champlain. Once I pop into Champlain I'll put the mast back up as it will live there until I retire - currently planned for 2022. Then I'll likely head North to the St. Lawrence repeating the mast stepping. I do now have a signed contract!

One of my projects will be to make a decent mast cradle. One of my future plans is crossing the French canals. It's easier to have the mast on the boat for that trip so I might as well get set up for that as well as the trip into Champlain...

I will keep you posted.

dj
I was going to suggest wintering in Burmuda, where you can keep her in a mooring, but if you need to get to the boat from NY, that is a tough row with a tender.

It will be an awesome trip. I love all the different things to see along the ICW and outside.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Likes: dLj
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
This sounds like "Essential Travel" A job...unpaid... to deliver a navigational vessel into the Lakes of New York... There were battles fought over such ideas.
 
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dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,370
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
This sounds like "Essential Travel" A job...unpaid... to deliver a navigational vessel into the Lakes of New York... There were battles fought over such ideas.
I think this is clearly essential travel! Covid be damned! LOL

And Champlain is home to mighty sailboat battles in history for sure. But we'll hopefully not need cannon on this one...

dj
 
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dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,370
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
Cell phones will also work in the NC outerbanks and the Chessy.

I have used Claiborne Young's cruising guide for North Carolina. It is very well organized with the info I wanted and a great resource. I know he has also written others but I don't have first hand knowledge of those.
@rgranger So I picked up a copy of a Skipper Bob's book and a copy of Claiborne Young's Cruising guide - the Claiborne Young book looks really good! Seems very well organized as you say and appears to have the info I'm going to need. I'll certainly get stuff out of the Skipper Bob's but the Claiborne book appears to be much easier to use and more comprehensive. I'll have to get the rest of his books coming up to the Chesapeake - I've only picked up the one for the Keys at this point. Off to buy more books... Much appreciated input!

dj
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
@rgranger So I picked up a copy of a Skipper Bob's book and a copy of Claiborne Young's Cruising guide - the Claiborne Young book looks really good! Seems very well organized as you say and appears to have the info I'm going to need. I'll certainly get stuff out of the Skipper Bob's but the Claiborne book appears to be much easier to use and more comprehensive. I'll have to get the rest of his books coming up to the Chesapeake - I've only picked up the one for the Keys at this point. Off to buy more books... Much appreciated input!

dj
Glad you liked it. I typically print of the booklet versions of the NOAA charts for the region and then write the CG station numbers in the margins ...Young's book has those numbers.... and then write the phone numbers of things like Taxi service etc next to the Marina I plan to stop over.... (also in Young's book) I also double check with Active Captain and circle a few of the favorite marinas that would make a good stop over and an emergency stop over if something goes sideways during a transit... then look those marinas up in Young's book. Then I go back to Young's book and read about all of the entrance notes etc. and transfer those directly to the booklet chart. Then I have all of my info in the booklet chart and that is what I cruise with.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Annapolis in the winter in the water is doable. Give me a shout if you get up here.