We (myself, my wife, and our 75 lb yellow lab) just returned from a 5 week journey from Pasadena MD to Jacksonville FL on a 1982 Catalina 25 with a 1982 7.5 horse Mercury O/B for power. If you've ever considered it, it not only can be done, but it's a great deal of fun. Our boat was in good condition when we left, and is if anything in better shape now. In "the ditch" size does'nt make that much difference; by leaving a little earlier in the morning, and being the last to arrive in the evening, we kept company wiht 3 other boats, ranging in size from 34 to 37 feet. You can sail on a lot of the waterway; the smaller the boat, the more you can sail. In the interest of getting as far South as possible before the Holidays, we mostly motorsailed or motored. We carried two 6 gallon fuel tanks, and never had a fuel problem. Consumption averaged .8 gal/hr. We will be rejoining the boat in January, heading for the Okeechobee waterway, the west coast and the Keys. If you travel with a dog, plan on spending most if not all your nights in marinas; tha anchorages are to a large extent bordered by marsh, which is not conducive to walking the dog.