Reasonable transit time for East Coast

[Icetug]

So I am asking for real life accounts of how long it takes to make a passage from Northern FL to Long Island Sound? I was figuring a VERY rough estimate of 1000 miles and taking a minimum of 20 days and more likely 30 days with stops and unplanned delays. This was based on no more than 8 hours of transit a day going inside where possible and an under power speed of 6-7 knots.

I am asking for people that have actually done this, as I know what the math says. I am not interested in sailing round the clock outside as I will be single handing a 37 foot sailboat and don't really want to go far enough offshore to avoid heavy commercial/fishing traffic while asleep. If you did go outside the whole way was it quicker South to North? Your experience and mileage would really help out, even if you didn't take exactly the same route or distance.

 

[seadaddler]

When

When are you thinking of making the trip,I need to look for my charts for the mileage.
Nick

 

[Roger Long]

I will be single handing a 37 foot sailboat and don't really want to go far enough offshore to avoid heavy commercial/fishing traffic while asleep.

Do you want to do that for the bragging rights and experience or is it because you just can't find crew? It would be a much pleasanter and safer trip with another watchstander, even if you plan to stop at night. Especially on that route, landfalls and harbor entrances are the most dangerous times and when you are most tired and prone to making mistakes.

Check this out:

http://www.pointseast.com/want_to_crew.php

 

[seadaddler]

Need Crew

I know some one who went from Florida to Long Island sound in 21 days with a crew of two and he said they needed more rest along the trip and he look like crap when I saw him the next day,it can be done with one one crew but you need to be a real good seamen and very experienced with the ICW.
Nick

 

[Ross]

The few folks I know who have made this passage make a pleasure trip out of it and take a month and a half to two months. We find that thirty to forty miles a day in the chesapeake bay is enough and often more than enough sailing for one day for Nancy and me.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I second what Ross said about 30-40 miles a day on the Bay. Besides, this is a good time to look around and see some new places. On your way through the bay be sure to stop by Tangier Island, Smith Island, Solomins Island, and Annapolis. Enjoy the trip.

 

[tommays]

http://blog.svpelican.com

This is going on right NOW and is a good read

 

[Buck420]

Welllll ...
You pretty much answered your own question. 6-7 kts ; 8 hrs /day = ~50mi/day / 1000miles = ~ 20days.
Having make the run from Norfolk to N. Fla MANY times , and then up the Ches Bay, Delaware Bay, Jersey Coast, thru NYC ... 20 days is reasonable inside.

 

[sailaway78]

Done it twice

I have done this trip twice, both times north to south. Single handed, and this time of year, it will be much easier to stay inside most of the time. Many inlets along the east coast are a little iffy, and recommended only with local knowledge. If you take it easy, see the sights along the way, and don't push yourself, plan on six weeks. There are places you will probably want to stop for a day or two, either to sight see, rest up, do laundry or whatever. Most marinas have loaner cars, or golf carts to get to the store or for boat needs. In Deltaville, the marina didn't have loaner cars, but the local grocery sent a car, and brought us back. Before anyone jumps on me, I know it can be done much quicker. The only longer offshore passage you have to make is from Cape May, up the New Jersey coast. You can duck in at Atlantic City if needed. I found Skipper Bobs to be an excellent guide. Rather than plan on so many miles per day, have a number in mind, and then find good anchorages in you range. Sometimes may be 50 miles, other times 30. The main thing is, that if you don't have time constraints then take it easy and enjoy the trip.

 

[seadaddler]

Outside

Out side is faster for sure and going north with the gulf stream is even better.
I left in Oct 20 on a monday after noon waiting for the weather to calm down,were headed south outside the gulf stream,went into Cape Hatteras early Friday morning,sailed down inside Saturday.stopped over night and went out side Moorehead city early Sunday morning way offshore until Cape Carnaveral,inside until Fort Pierce on Oct 29.

 

[Bill]

A guy from my marina did the trip and it took 12 days on the inside just to get to Beaufort SC leaving from the top of the Cheaspeake. On the 13th day we went outside and got into Jacksonville the following morning. That was pushing hard, seeing nothing. Kinda sucks the fun out of it. A lot of thin water in spots.

 

[sailingdog]

Of course, if you're going outside, with the Gulf Stream, just make sure you don't run into winds out of the north...

Going inside, while easier in some ways, is going to require long periods of motoring...

 

[Bill]

Another guy went from Punta Gorda (FL west coast) to Chesapeake Sasafrass River in 11 days, 24/7 outside. You need to keep in mind it is most likely a chunk longer by the time you get done winding around in the ICW and 50 mi is a long day and when the tide goes against you in the low country you will need a large turbo charged engine to average 6-7, it rips pretty good down there. Long and short, leave a buffer.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

I was following the blog for these guys, it was quite neat to follow... they made fast time I am thinking.

http://www.tripsailor.com/blogs/2263-connecticut-to-texas-or-bustO

This is the story of Bell'Avventura and her intrepid crew's offshore sail from Stamford, CT to Corpus Christi, TX via Key West, FL; a 2336 nautical mile high seas adventure in November 2008.
At a Glance

Captain/SkipperBellAvventura
Est. total length 2336nm
Duration 22 days
Boat Name Bell'Avventura
Boat Type Beneteau 423
Last reported positionN 29° 58' / W 80° 27'

 

[Icetug]

This pretty much agrees with what I thought. I never did plan to go outside 24/7 or duck in every night but thanks for the concerns. The 40 mile figure is totally for rough planning purposes not a deadline. When I do it I will be under no time constraints or hurry. As I said in the original post, I was called out somewhere else on it taking that long to travel that far. One even told me you could do it in 14 days without pushing hard. I almost spilled my coke on that one. Another tried to tell me that they almost always are able to sail their boat faster than they can motor. One individual claimed that he was going to be able to work a full time computer programming job over the internet while cruising south in winter and north in summer (he claimed that he doesn't need to be connected all the time so he should be able to use WI-FI when he needed to check in). I love it when people talk like that, just to see how far their delusions will take them.

 

[Chuckbear]

So I am asking for real life accounts of how long it takes to make a passage from Northern FL to Long Island Sound? I was figuring a VERY rough estimate of 1000 miles and taking a minimum of 20 days and more likely 30 days with stops and unplanned delays. This was based on no more than 8 hours of transit a day going inside where possible and an under power speed of 6-7 knots.

I am asking for people that have actually done this, as I know what the math says. I am not interested in sailing round the clock outside as I will be single handing a 37 foot sailboat and don't really want to go far enough offshore to avoid heavy commercial/fishing traffic while asleep. If you did go outside the whole way was it quicker South to North? Your experience and mileage would really help out, even if you didn't take exactly the same route or distance.

We have done the trip from the Chesapeake to the Florida Keys about ten times. The shortest trip was 2 months and the longest was 4 months for a total of about 1200 miles. We don't rush but don't linger in one place for a long time either. We recently came from Houston Texas to Beaufort, SC and took 4 1/2 months for a total of just over 2,000 miles. We did push a bit on that trip but not much. Much of all of these trips were inside most of the time with occasional outside stretches. Our trip from Houston to Beaufort is detailed on our Sea Trek site.

 

[Tom J]

We did the trip north from the Gulf Coast of Florida to Plymouth, Massachusetts, roughly 2000 miles , in six weeks. We left in April, and both had summer jobs waiting, so we kind of pushed ourselves a bit. There were times we were on the water when perhaps we shouldn't have been, because we felt we had time constraints. Coming south in October, we took 10 weeks for the return trip, and enjoyed it much more! We met some great people, and spent time in port when the weather wasn't right, and visited some of those great places you hear about.
You're time/distance projections are very realistic. Just remember to plan on alternate ports between your departure point and your destinatiion, in case conditions change during the day. Don't forget that the days are getting longer as you travel in tlhe spring, but then they are getting shorter in the fall, of course.
I agree that Skipper Bob's is the best guide for the ICW. That and the Waterway Guide covered all the bases for us.
I think our Canadian friends, Mac and Sandy, said it best when we met in the Great Dismal Swamp : "Our plans are firmly fixed in Jello!"
So relax, and enjoy the trip. Even single-handed, you'll do well.

 

[Ed Schenck]

So "Ice", have you settled on a plan? What we found on a recent trip from Oriental, NC, to north of Tampa Bay: there were places in the ICW where we had to wait up to two hours for enough water to transit, the shoaling near inlets is ridiculous and I draw 4.5 feet; once a bridge would not work, one near Jacksonville had a fire, more hours lost; currents in the ICW due to tidal changes can run as high as two knots; we had a storm in the Indian River that ripped a huge hole in the bimini, parts of the ICW are huge and can be impassable in bad weather; so bottom line is back to that forty mile average which is doable if staying inside.

There is absolutely no value in going outside only during daylight. Most inlets are a minimum of five miles out and five miles back in due to shallow water along the coast. Then you have to plan for the tides, in at slack or flood and vice versa.

The only way to do better is 24/7. We made the above mentioned trip of nearly 1600 miles in 15 days by spending four nights offshore, 180 mile days instead of 40.

 

[MoonSailer]

Motoring up the ditch seems very boring and slow. You need to consider crew and sailing up the coast at least to NC. Go in at Morehead City or there abouts. Dodging barges and fighting river currents is not much fun. Sailboats are meant for sailing!!!!!

 

[sailaway78]

I am in total agreement

I am in total agreement with most of the advice given. Other than being worn out, if single handing. With no time constraints, you can spend a day or two whenever needed, enjoy the sights and meet a lot of nice folks. Should be a lot of boats headed north this time of the year. Both times I have gone south was in the fall, and always had four or five boats going together. If it is your first time, there is nothing boring about the ICW. It takes some concentration, there are some tidal currents and bridges to deal with, but if not in a hurry there is lots to see, places to visit and people to meet. The object is to enjoy the trip, not see how fast you can get there.