Catilina 30 Merrimack River Mass to B and O canal

Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,305
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
A delivery Captain will make this trip a lot shorter as he/her would probably make much longer days and fewer breaks. It is a great way to get some instant knowledge. I think it would be a good experience if you made the trip with a delivery captain. It probably would be quite a bit more expensive than trucking, though. There was a thread back in December, I think, a guy arranged to have a boat trucked from Scituate to Florida and it seemed to be a reasonable deal. You might find a lead there ....
 
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Bob J.

Bob J.

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Apr 14, 2009
775
Sabre 28 NH
Sounds like an great adventure!
Scott-T mentioned Buzzards Bay. Be watchfull of the tides & wind direction coming out of the cape cod canal. I've done this numerous times in a hefty sport fishing boat heading to the Vineyard or Montauk to fish tournaments. When the flags are starched out of the SSW & you have an ebbtide, it has your undivided attention. I remember passing the sailboats under power thinking to myself, that's the last place in the world I'd want to be today.

Pick your weather windows, bag the schedule if necessary. Play the tides & wind direction to your advantage, you'll have a blast. Enjoy!
 
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RoyS

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,742
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Trucking is the right choice here, IMHO. It seems that you are unfamiliar with this boat. I would recommend that you inspect her carefully for maintenance issues followed by several local day trips to expose any defects. This is too long a trip to rush into. After the truck delivers her to a marina of your choice you will have time to get to know her. Otherwise, expect disaster.
 
A

Art12050

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Jan 22, 2008
92
Hunter 30_88-94 Ipswich, Ma MA
You’ve made the correct decision to either trailer it or have it moved by a professional crew. Just getting out of the Merrimack can be difficult. It can be tide against current, best to do it at slack water or an outgoing tide. There’s also a lot of traffic in the narrow channel at the North breakwater, big fishing charter boats and whale watch boats. The Annisquam can be tricky also. There’s a choke point at the 133 bridge where the current rips so you can’t do it on an outgoing tide in a sailboat. Once you clear Eastern Point it straight forward to the Cape Cod Canal.
You may be hard pressed to find a slip for two months or so. You may be better off on a mooring, plus it’ll be much cheaper than a slip.
 
J

jbstuebner

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May 12, 2021
8
catilina Catilina 30 Sassafras MD
Update gonna put it in 6 month storage, learn to sail and plan a winter trip to Florida taking the ICW from Va south (maybe)..
not sure. But I found cheap storage . Gonna go over boat paint the bottom and work on planning an adventure
 
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Tom J

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
jbstuebner said:
Update gonna put it in 6 month storage, learn to sail and plan a winter trip to Florida taking the ICW from Va south (maybe)..
not sure. But I found cheap storage . Gonna go over boat paint the bottom and work on planning an adventure
Click to expand
Excellent! You have gotten a lot of good advice here, and you have listened. Get a good set of charts and go over them carefully. I have made the trip from Massachusetts to Florida several times by way of the ICW, and knowing where you are, and where you are going is very important.
There are guide books that list marinas and anchorages, making planning ahead doable. Many apps are available to keep you up to date on the conditions along the Ditch, such as water levels, shoaling, etc.
Try not to plan too tight a schedule. I did this on my first trip, and it was not fun. Leave yourself time to stay put in bad weather, or to enjoy the places you will see on your trip.
Good luck, and enjoy your new to you boat!
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,370
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Physical charts are nice for planning if you have a laptop or computer you can download “OpenCPN”. It is a free navigational chart program that you can load free NOAA charts and plan your trip in detail.

You can explore the route. Decided where to stop. Explore the weather along the way with Windy or GRIB charts. Then take all the work with you on the boat.

Did I mention - All Free professional like navigation software and charts.
 
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RoyS

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,742
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Make certain that your cheap storage place is near your home and that it is able to step your mast and launch your boat when you are ready next year. Otherwise, you will be paying another hauling fee to get to a marina for these last operations. Boat ownership requires deep pockets, as you are finding out.
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,370
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Ah gee Roy.:banghead: Deep pockets, shoot.:yikes:

“my boat a gift”:kick:
 
Tom J

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Marmalade said:
the most expensive boats are the free ones... ;)
Click to expand
:plus:My first sailboat was gifted to me and my Dad by my brother in law. It was an O'Day 23 that he was refurbishing, but golf took up most of his time. We spent two summers cleaning, sealing and installing the keel, then commissioned a new mast and rigging to replace the ones that had been stolen. It was a time consuming and expensive project, but well worth it. It set us on the path to a cruising sailboat and a new lifestyle.
 
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