Thanks.
Is it one quart a person or boat? And what about open bottles? I was once told by a Canadian CBP office
Is it one quart a person or boat? And what about open bottles? I was once told by a Canadian CBP office
I read it as per person. Dunno about open containers, but assume they're part of the tally.
-Good weather reports, we use Chris Parker on SSB (we're a paying client but you can listen to his broadcasts for boats near you) plus other sources
-Bob 423 posts quite a bit on Active Captain about the ICW trouble spots ( he now has an App for the entire AICW with all the routes through the trouble spots)
-Eldridge Book for tides and currents so you know the best time to be traveling through the bays
-Make friends with folks along the way, there are many boats your size making the trip.
-Have fun but watch out for the old man in the S/V Dalmatian, he's a nut case. Takes his 7 foot draft boat with a 64 foot mast up and down the ICW every year. Usually with a few boats following him since he doesn't get stuck much.
All U Get
S/V Dalmatian
-Bob 423 posts quite a bit on Active Captain about the ICW trouble spots ( he now has an App for the entire AICW with all the routes through the trouble spots)
-Eldridge Book for tides and currents so you know the best time to be traveling through the bays
-Make friends with folks along the way, there are many boats your size making the trip.
-Have fun but watch out for the old man in the S/V Dalmatian, he's a nut case. Takes his 7 foot draft boat with a 64 foot mast up and down the ICW every year. Usually with a few boats following him since he doesn't get stuck much.
All U Get
S/V Dalmatian
Yes, while at anchor. Something that needs to be done where fuel is readily available- takes about 45 minutes for each run, and my cooker held five jars
An alternative to canned butter is ghee. Superior as a cooking oil, healthier and tastes better than regular butter, does not need refrigeration, even after opening. Most ghee comes packaged in glass jars. If that is a problem for you, look for ghee that in packed in plastic jars.
This would be in my top five things to have on an ICW trip: Preparation for a long, boring trip. You will be spending weeks sitting in a slow moving boat with a droning engine. And another few weeks or months waiting for a weather window for the crossing.
This is not top five, but I'll throw it out there. In the winter, even in Florida and the Bahamas, air and water temperatures can be low enough to be uncomfortable if you are expecting nothing but tropical paradise and warm water to swim in every day.
This is not top five, but I'll throw it out there. In the winter, even in Florida and the Bahamas, air and water temperatures can be low enough to be uncomfortable if you are expecting nothing but tropical paradise and warm water to swim in every day.
Thanks for this. This past winter, I checked the weather forecast for the gulf stream every couple of days. When the wind was anywhere from the north, there would be 6-10 ft seas - and with a period of 5-8 seconds! That would hurt. When the wind was from the south, seas would be 2-4 feet, with a period of 6-10 seconds. I plan to wait for the latter...
Just got back from the Abacos. This was our first crossing and trip over 43 days out and back. Anyway here is what worked for us...
1. Make sure that you have all your documentation ready for check in.
2. We vacuumed packed and froze meals and that worked great.
3. We tried taking eggs that had never been refrigerated or washed. Stored them under the sole plate. They worked well for about 30 days then went bad.
4. Take plenty of cash! Finding a bank or ATM is a real problem.
5. Highly recommend AIS for the crossings.
6. Be extra diligent about tides there.
7. Garmin Blue Charts and Active captain where the best resource for charts and information (way better than iSailor or Navionics)
8. Paper goods are very expensive there (almost $5 a mini roll). Bring as much TP and Paper towels as you can store.
9. Bring a set of extra long dock lines. If you plan on going into any Marina
10. Take an extra boat hook (you might lose one when grabbing a mooring)
11. We brought way to much food and clothing with us.
12. Be prepared to be in close quarters in mooring fields and some anchorages.
Good luck and have fun!
1. Make sure that you have all your documentation ready for check in.
2. We vacuumed packed and froze meals and that worked great.
3. We tried taking eggs that had never been refrigerated or washed. Stored them under the sole plate. They worked well for about 30 days then went bad.
4. Take plenty of cash! Finding a bank or ATM is a real problem.
5. Highly recommend AIS for the crossings.
6. Be extra diligent about tides there.
7. Garmin Blue Charts and Active captain where the best resource for charts and information (way better than iSailor or Navionics)
8. Paper goods are very expensive there (almost $5 a mini roll). Bring as much TP and Paper towels as you can store.
9. Bring a set of extra long dock lines. If you plan on going into any Marina
10. Take an extra boat hook (you might lose one when grabbing a mooring)
11. We brought way to much food and clothing with us.
12. Be prepared to be in close quarters in mooring fields and some anchorages.
Good luck and have fun!
That's pretty much the way it is everywhere. Unfortunately, unless you want to give up your bunk space to a few rolls of TP, then you will run out, in time. That's just the cost of cruising, like fuel and water from marinas.
However, we have a barrel or box sent to us once a year loaded with things from Good Seasons salad dressings to non-urgent boat parts. In these 'care' packages we use rolls of select-a-size paper towels and zip lock bags as packing instead of bubble wrap. That does help a bit with these super overpriced items.
Just a note. For the second year in a row, after years of being overcharged and run in circles by customs on some of the other islands, we had our 'care' package sent on Tropical (LCL cargo) to St Lucia. $167.00 from Riviera Beach to St Lucia! Absolutely no charges or hassles from customs. They didn't even care to go through the package, and it was huge, weighing around 150#. Only thing I had to pay was the agent fee of ec$150.00 to Kenneth of the Rodney Bay Marina to do the paperwork AND deliver it to the dinghy dock. I doubt I'd have been able to hire a bus or truck to get a similar package from the airport to the dinghy on most islands for twice that price.
having run the ICW from Texas to Annapolis round trip three times now, and from Jacksonville to Norfolk and return ( on a delivery) the number one thing I can say is have a very loose schedule. DO NOT try to be somewhere on the predicted time.
Remember- you'll be on a boat, which means you are already THERE!!
Relax,, and enjoy the whole experience
Remember- you'll be on a boat, which means you are already THERE!!
Relax,, and enjoy the whole experienceTHIS!!!! Most of act cap is junk or totally wrong. Bob423 is the very rare exception. I could not find the App, is it android? This will make ac unnecessary
Just a couple of things to be concerned about. Going thru the Norfolk area, realize this is for lack of terms a major military area and you will want to keep a clear heads up and make sure all documentation is on board to include safety gear. The Coast Guard is in high alert there. If transiting thru the dismal canal, heads up for snakes in the trees. Know your snakes and cotton mouths are territorial. Do not navigate the Alligator River portion at night in North Carolina. I do not think you will have a problem with bridge clearance with your C320 mast.