Hiring a skipper

[The_Sailing_Pelican]

Well, looks like I need to contemplate other options since it seems the average price to move my Pearson 303 on the back of a tractor trailer is insane regarding price($9900.00 average) ...
So perhaps after repairing or replacing the engine, hiring a skipper and 1 other sailor(besides me) would be the answer.
Pls feel free to elaborate

 

[FastOlson]

Where are you bound? Do you have insurance for the trip & route?

 

[Phil Herring]

Yes, from where to where?

 

[The_Sailing_Pelican]

Darned, I didn't include that... The boat will be insured, from So Portland ME to Florida's east coast (don't have a marina to land on yet. This problem just came up a few hours ago)

 

[capta]

Depending on when you want to go, my wife and I might be free. PM me please.

 

[dlochner]

Hiring a captain and crew will be more expensive than trucking. Captains will get $350 a day or more. Between the travel expenses and crew expenses you will quickly exceed $10K.

Why hire a captain? With the exception of the trip down the Jersey coast all of the trip can be done in protected water.

 

[kloudie1]

Curious what the engine problem is? The Yanmar 2GMF is known to be very reliable.

 

[rgranger]

I am certain that once you are sorted out and ready to go, you can post here and get experienced people to join in for the trip, (or even legs of the trip). If you anchor each night, you don't need more than two crew ... even one would be okay if they are experienced.

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

You certainly can do it with your wife. I went from Montreal to Florida and the Bahamas by myself except for the canal sections from Montreal to Albany. Even the Jersey shore can be done solo during daytime hours, with a stop at Sandy Hook, then you can stop in Barnegat, Atlantic City and Cape May. From there, up the Delaware to the C & D canal into Chesapeake Bay. A beautiful trip indeed.

 

[FastOlson]

Not having a Captain's license, my experience is only several decades of crewing on deliveries. I have known several delivery skippers, tho.
While I do know of one total idiot, the others have been really good boat handlers, repairers, and teachers. Hiring one might be worth considering when a boat is: unfamiliar to you, you face an extended trip requiring confidence in the drive train and the rig, and might value the help of a real-world "Macgyver"....

And, yeah, I used to go on a few stupid deliveries just for the experience. Nobody got hurt, but looking back, there was more 'luck' involved than there should have been! I learned to evaluate the skipper more than the vessel.... !!

 

[dlochner]

The trip you are contemplating is about 1600 miles, a daunting number. This is not the way to think of the trip. The trip is really a series of day trips of about 40 miles each. Each leg is easily managed.

The are some good resources to help along the way. The online version of Waterway Guide and their free newsletters are indispensable and very affordable.

Bob423 has a Facebook group that specifically deals with the ICW. It is a good source of information from people who have or are doing the trip you are considering.

Many of the bigger towns and cities have Cruisers Net Facebook groups to support those who are passing through as well as residents.

Aquamaps is a charting program that runs on IOS and Android. In addition to charts it integrates Waterway. Guide info and the latest survey data from the Corps of Engineers.

As i write this we are motoring up the Hudson River on our 320th day of a trip down and back on the ICW. Lots of boring days many interesting days, and no scary days.

If you have the time it will be a very satisfying adventure.

 

[Stu Jackson]

The trip you are contemplating is about 1600 miles, a daunting number. This is not the way to think of the trip. The trip is really a series of day trips of about 40 miles each. Each leg is easily managed.

Dave's right. Although I had owned my boat for 18 years, I sailed from San Francisco to British Columbia with my 30s-something son in 2016. It was 1650 nm, all day trips, albeit with some potentially hairy bar crossings that turned out OK because of good planning.

 

[dmdiehl64]

We recently hired a captain for a delivery from south western Michigan to the middle eastern part of the state, around 400nm, in mid-May. My wife and I were new owners of the boat, and could have honestly managed 5 of the 6 days without issue. However on 1 day we had about 4 hours of 45+ kt sustained and gusts nearing 60 in a 32 ft Beneteau. Glad we had an experienced captain!
We priced out trucking (3hr drive) and it was roughly the same price. For the experience, sailing was the much better option. Anyways hope this helps! If you’re even slightly uncomfortable with the boat, having the assurance of the captain when weather gets rowdy is very welcomed.

 

[jssailem]

On a trip like you are considering, you need to think about the "perceived need" go out in conditions as identified:

4 hours of 45+ kt sustained and gusts nearing 60 in a 32 ft Beneteau.

Or staying in harbor and waiting for the weather conditions to improve.

If you choose to "keep going" when the weather says "you know a day in harbor should be considered" you may find having a skipper anxious to get the trip over is more a liability.

In addition to preparing the new to you boat, begin doing a daily weather brief for difficult portions of the route you plan to take.

Remember you do not have to prove anything by taking your boat out into a storm.

 

[SEMPERAVANTI41]

I hired a captain 2 years ago to move my boat from Long Island to Tampa Bay. Should have taken 2 weeks, but a storm forced the boat to be docked for a week. I was paying $450.00 a day plus food, docking, airplane tickets, rental car, etc. One thing to keep in mind the trucking is a fixed price, where the price sailing is weather and equipment dependent.

 

[Marmalade]

the average price to move my Pearson 303 on the back of a tractor trailer is insane regarding price($9900.00 average) ...

How did you get these quotes? If by chance you posted on UShip, try contacting some places directly. You might even Google the companies that gave you a price on UShip, and find that dealing directly they can offer you 10/20/30% better pricing.

Also, talk to them about being flexible, let several carriers know you could be a return load if they need one, and see if you can find a better deal that way.

Just some thoughts. Good luck!

 

[dlochner]

On a trip like you are considering, you need to think about the "perceived need" go out in conditions as identified:

Or staying in harbor and waiting for the weather conditions to improve.

If you choose to "keep going" when the weather says "you know a day in harbor should be considered" you may find having a skipper anxious to get the trip over is more a liability.

In addition to preparing the new to you boat, begin doing a daily weather brief for difficult portions of the route you plan to take.

Remember you do not have to prove anything by taking your boat out into a storm.

Weather forecasts are pretty accurate out 72 hours and not bad for 5 days out. This provides plenty of time to plan your route and find places to hole up until bad weather passes.

Time and schedules are not your friends when trying to move a boat and avoid bad weather. Over the past year I can only recall three days where the weather was not to my liking while motoring or sailing, once in an all day rain, once with strong (~20K wind) on the nose and once with 20-30k behind us. In each of those cases we had a schedule to keep. The all day rain was on the Erie Canal, well protected but we were very concerned about canal water levels and a possible canal closure. The windy day was a weak forecast, the wind was stronger than predicted. And the last was in the Bahamas when we had to get to departure point in order to catch a weather window across the Gulf Stream.

The @Maramalades suggestions about locating trucking companies are good. You might also contact a few local new boat dealers near the boat and ask for trucking referrals. They are frequently involved in moving boats.

Essentially you have three options, hire a captain to take you some or all of the way, sail home by yourself, or truck the boat. Hiring a captain will be the most expensive option and you will constantly be trying to balance paying him to stay in port during bad weather or going in bad weather. If you have time and can travel with out a schedule sailing the boat home will be the least expensive, the most satisfying, and a great learning experience. Trucking will be the fastest, easiest, and only a little more expensive than sailing home on your own.

 

[The_Sailing_Pelican]

Ok... Its been decided to travel over land instead. Less risks, also found a good price for the move.
Thx to all

 

[jssailem]

Good for you. Get the boat into warm water, then take it out into the ocean.

Here are a few boat owners taking their boat out for the day down South.
Haulover Inlet

Or Boca Inlet...

 

[jssailem]

There is a need for towing insurance in them there waters.