Recently I purchased my first crusing sailboat, a Vision 32, which was and is in Florida. My intent to to sail it home this spring after sailing about Ft Lauderdale a few times this winter. I want to be prepared as possible for the trek home, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it in one trip or several smaller trips depending on work rearing it's ugly head ( it tends to be a bit uncertain). I have read quite a bit and have seen a multitude of things that may or may not be useful , often with conflicting opinions frequently proffered by those who either market such items or rely on those who do for their income.I am hesitant to take their advise at face value. I am hoping that there are some amoungst this group who have done this trip and have advise on what to pick up for reference materials or general advice. I don't plan to do it all on the inside. Perhaps some bits are better on the inside than the outside or vise-versa? Good places to leave a boat for a week or two should I have to return to work? Places Not to leave a boat? Chart advise? I am planning to get a chart plotter, perhaps plotter/radar combo unit. Any thoughts on chart plotter vs. laptop PC? Thanks again for advise in advance, I'm sure after a few years I'll be able to give good advice as well as asking questions <G> Season's Best , Matt Cream Ridge, nj
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Herb Tripp
South Florida-Jersey thoughts
I've done this trip several times, in boats ranging from 27 to 56 feet. If possible, do the Ft Lauderdale to Jacksonville leg outside. The Gulf stream will give you a tremendous boost; you can make the better part of a hundred miles a day just drifting! Be as certain as possible that the weather is setteled; a nor'easter can make life uncomfortable. Both Jacksonville and Fernandina are good all weather entrances. If weather permits, continuing outside to Savannah or even Charleston will save you lots of time since you won't have to deal with the considerable tides and associated current in the waterway.From Charleston to Wrightsville Beach, the intercoastal is mostly quite senic, and if you have the time, worth proceeding leisurely. Masonboro inlet is a good place to go back outside, weather permitting, to Morehead City. From there, stay inside; Cape Hattaras is not to be trifled with. From Norfolk on, I don't really know; all my passages took me up the Chesapeake. As far as equipment goes, fancy electronics are rather far down the list, neat tho they may be. after you've got all the basic offshore stuff like GOOD foul weather gear, safety harnesses,jacklines, flares,etc., the most important piece of gear is a reliable autopilot. Get one that is oversized for your boat, and don't worry too much about interfacing it to whatever electronics you have. That, a good GPS, the Maptech Chartbook for Norfolk to Jacksonville, and a Florida East Coast chart will get you to Norfolk. An ICW cruising guide, such as the Norfolk to Miami Handbook (West Marine 489021) is useful.
I've done this trip several times, in boats ranging from 27 to 56 feet. If possible, do the Ft Lauderdale to Jacksonville leg outside. The Gulf stream will give you a tremendous boost; you can make the better part of a hundred miles a day just drifting! Be as certain as possible that the weather is setteled; a nor'easter can make life uncomfortable. Both Jacksonville and Fernandina are good all weather entrances. If weather permits, continuing outside to Savannah or even Charleston will save you lots of time since you won't have to deal with the considerable tides and associated current in the waterway.From Charleston to Wrightsville Beach, the intercoastal is mostly quite senic, and if you have the time, worth proceeding leisurely. Masonboro inlet is a good place to go back outside, weather permitting, to Morehead City. From there, stay inside; Cape Hattaras is not to be trifled with. From Norfolk on, I don't really know; all my passages took me up the Chesapeake. As far as equipment goes, fancy electronics are rather far down the list, neat tho they may be. after you've got all the basic offshore stuff like GOOD foul weather gear, safety harnesses,jacklines, flares,etc., the most important piece of gear is a reliable autopilot. Get one that is oversized for your boat, and don't worry too much about interfacing it to whatever electronics you have. That, a good GPS, the Maptech Chartbook for Norfolk to Jacksonville, and a Florida East Coast chart will get you to Norfolk. An ICW cruising guide, such as the Norfolk to Miami Handbook (West Marine 489021) is useful.
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Jim A
Hire a Caption
I hired a caption to help me bring my boat down to NJ from Mystic CT. We did it in 2 days. You'll feel safe with a caption. You can get your boat home in a week if you sail 24-7!
I hired a caption to help me bring my boat down to NJ from Mystic CT. We did it in 2 days. You'll feel safe with a caption. You can get your boat home in a week if you sail 24-7!
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Tom
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Andy Howard
Spring Cruise
Congradulations on the new boat and your upcomming trip. Herb's advice sounded right on. As far as chartplotter/laptop/radar goes, there has been many discussions on this board about the relative merits, my thought is that whatever you go with, mount it on the binnicle. If you can't access the information at the wheel, when the wind is howling, the fog is thickening and the keel is bumping the bottom, you might as well have left it at home. My experience is very limited to a 200 mile section of the ICW in NC so I can only recommend a couple of layover marinas but the Morehead City Yacht Basin near Atlantic Beach, NC and Dowry Creek Marina near Belhaven, NC are standouts on the midway point of your trip if you need to leave your boat for a "work break". Their weekly/monthly rates are reasonable and they have dockmasters that I have seen walk the docks when the wind changes direction. The link below has a section called trip planning that you might find useful.
Congradulations on the new boat and your upcomming trip. Herb's advice sounded right on. As far as chartplotter/laptop/radar goes, there has been many discussions on this board about the relative merits, my thought is that whatever you go with, mount it on the binnicle. If you can't access the information at the wheel, when the wind is howling, the fog is thickening and the keel is bumping the bottom, you might as well have left it at home. My experience is very limited to a 200 mile section of the ICW in NC so I can only recommend a couple of layover marinas but the Morehead City Yacht Basin near Atlantic Beach, NC and Dowry Creek Marina near Belhaven, NC are standouts on the midway point of your trip if you need to leave your boat for a "work break". Their weekly/monthly rates are reasonable and they have dockmasters that I have seen walk the docks when the wind changes direction. The link below has a section called trip planning that you might find useful.
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Jim Anzalone
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mark stevens
Kettlewells ICW cruising guide
I have not made this trip myself ,but intend to nxt year-Maine to Keys. I bought a copy of Kettlewelss ICW chart guide from WEST Marine-$54.95. Lots of info regarding bridge hieghts,opening times,frequencies and charts for reference along with the authors input along the way. It does not go on much beyond VA. Be careful in NJ. I used ti live there and sail Barnagat bay. -Very shallow- Channels not always the depth you think. Barnagat Inlet dangerous to the uninitiated. Hope this helps Mark
I have not made this trip myself ,but intend to nxt year-Maine to Keys. I bought a copy of Kettlewelss ICW chart guide from WEST Marine-$54.95. Lots of info regarding bridge hieghts,opening times,frequencies and charts for reference along with the authors input along the way. It does not go on much beyond VA. Be careful in NJ. I used ti live there and sail Barnagat bay. -Very shallow- Channels not always the depth you think. Barnagat Inlet dangerous to the uninitiated. Hope this helps Mark
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Randy
NJ portion of trip
If you sail up the Chesapeake, you'll need to pass through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, then head south down the Delaware Bay to the Cape May Canal. Though this route is "inside" the southbound passage in the Delaware Bay can be rotten depending on the weather. Once you get to Cape May, NJ, your ICW options become limited due to bridge clearances (some are fixed at 35 feet). Outside hops are preferable to most larger sailboats. Cape May has a good harbor and inlet, and so does Atlantic City, about 40 miles north. In between the two, choices are limited: Hereford Inlet is unmarked--don't use it unless you have local knowledge. Townsends Inlet is marked, and could provide a place to duck in to escape bad weather. Corsons Inlet is shallow, and avoided by those who don't know it. Ocean City inlet is used by some sizable boats, and may be an option if you needed it. Good luck in making the trip--I went south this past fall, from S.C. to Florida--it's great fun. Randy
If you sail up the Chesapeake, you'll need to pass through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, then head south down the Delaware Bay to the Cape May Canal. Though this route is "inside" the southbound passage in the Delaware Bay can be rotten depending on the weather. Once you get to Cape May, NJ, your ICW options become limited due to bridge clearances (some are fixed at 35 feet). Outside hops are preferable to most larger sailboats. Cape May has a good harbor and inlet, and so does Atlantic City, about 40 miles north. In between the two, choices are limited: Hereford Inlet is unmarked--don't use it unless you have local knowledge. Townsends Inlet is marked, and could provide a place to duck in to escape bad weather. Corsons Inlet is shallow, and avoided by those who don't know it. Ocean City inlet is used by some sizable boats, and may be an option if you needed it. Good luck in making the trip--I went south this past fall, from S.C. to Florida--it's great fun. Randy
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Howard Zwicker
Florida to NJ Cruise
Regarding your inquiry about cruising from Fort Lauderedale, Fla., to NJ: I'm considering doing the same trip the other way around with a Cat 27 that I bought in NJ in September. In 1989, I did the same trip both ways with a 40-foot motorboat, and here's what I learned from that experience that would seem to apply to the same voyage with a sailboat. 1. Much of the ICW would be difficult to navigate under sail (too narrow, too many bridges, too many bends, too many other boats, both pleasure craft and commercial vessels). 2. Consequently, you'll need to figure out ahead of time where you'd do those parts of the trip either offshore under sail or in the ICW itself under engine power. 3. When my turn comes, I plan to go offshore wherever and whenever possible because it would be cheaper and faster and it will save wear and tear on my engine. 4. When I did the trip in 1989, I ran during the day inside from NJ to Jacksonville, then offshore day and night, from there to Ft. Lauderdale. 5. As I recall, the trip took 2 weeks each way. Average speed in the ICW was 8-10 knots, average distance traveled per day, 70-90 miles,depending on conditions. The offshore run from Jacksonville to Ft. Lauderdale took about 24 hours. 6. If you are interested, I might be able to dig up the log notes I recorded during the trip. They might be helpful in planning where to run inside, where offshore. My email address is emailhhz@aol.com
Regarding your inquiry about cruising from Fort Lauderedale, Fla., to NJ: I'm considering doing the same trip the other way around with a Cat 27 that I bought in NJ in September. In 1989, I did the same trip both ways with a 40-foot motorboat, and here's what I learned from that experience that would seem to apply to the same voyage with a sailboat. 1. Much of the ICW would be difficult to navigate under sail (too narrow, too many bridges, too many bends, too many other boats, both pleasure craft and commercial vessels). 2. Consequently, you'll need to figure out ahead of time where you'd do those parts of the trip either offshore under sail or in the ICW itself under engine power. 3. When my turn comes, I plan to go offshore wherever and whenever possible because it would be cheaper and faster and it will save wear and tear on my engine. 4. When I did the trip in 1989, I ran during the day inside from NJ to Jacksonville, then offshore day and night, from there to Ft. Lauderdale. 5. As I recall, the trip took 2 weeks each way. Average speed in the ICW was 8-10 knots, average distance traveled per day, 70-90 miles,depending on conditions. The offshore run from Jacksonville to Ft. Lauderdale took about 24 hours. 6. If you are interested, I might be able to dig up the log notes I recorded during the trip. They might be helpful in planning where to run inside, where offshore. My email address is emailhhz@aol.com
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