St Louis to Key West

rblevens

rblevens

.
Sep 7, 2011
279
Hunter 1980 37c Illinois
Happy Easter everyone. As you know I've been restoring my Hunter 37C Drifter. I was curious if anyone has ever taking the trip down the Mississippi to the Gulf from St Louis and then on over to Key West. How long would this take motoring hugging the coast!?
Rick
 
Bill1565

Bill1565

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Jan 22, 2008
1,483
Hunter 37 C sloop Punta Gorda FL
We came down from Chicago in1995/6. Took us 6 months. But we stopped at midway marina inMississippi for a couple of months as I recall it is a thousand miles or so from St Louis to Mobile. Another 6 to 800 from Mobile to Mmarathon orKW.
 
B

Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,174
CC 30 South Florida
Figure on an average of 40 nm a day in the river and then once in the Gulf it may depend on how many overnight passages you may want to make. You can average 100 nm a day per 24 hour period or around 50 nm stopping for the night. Once you reach Apalachicola you may want to make a passage straight for Tampa Bay as the area of the Bend is quite shallow. There are some good sailing grounds and interesting ports of call but navigating the waters is best left for when you have some time and not as convenient stops on a trip. Using those figures can give you a rough estimate but always reserve some down time for foul weather. Remember the old maxim, "sail the weather, not the schedule".
 
David in Sandusky

David in Sandusky

.
Nov 8, 2007
1,593
Hunter 27_75-84 Sandusky Harbor Marina, Ohio
Ohio-Tennessee-TennTom

According to the Great Lakes Cruising Club, most boaters on that trip go down the Mississippi then up the Ohio to the Tennessee. From there they go up the Tennessee through Kentucky Lake to the Tenn-Tom waterway which ends in Mobile. It's shorter, but, equally important, there are fewer barge/tug systems to dodge, a real issue on the Mighty Miss.

Consider it anyway. Google "Great Loop" for more info.
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
rblevens said:
I guess the mast would have to be stepped for this trip!?
Click to expand
when you say stepped do you mean down or up ...if up you can't do it..... i don't think ( bridges) but i could be wrong

there was a couple from St Louis that brought down a 37 ft gulfstar and they had the mast shipped to Mobile...cant remember their last names but there first names were Debbie and Scott ...both were 6 pack captains.....this has been about 7 years ago now as i recall
 
Picflight

Picflight

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Jul 21, 2013
333
Searching for 1st sailing boat 27-28, 34-36 Channel Islands, Marina Del Rey
David in Sandusky said:
According to the Great Lakes Cruising Club, most boaters on that trip go down the Mississippi then up the Ohio to the Tennessee. From there they go up the Tennessee through Kentucky Lake to the Tenn-Tom waterway which ends in Mobile. It's shorter, but, equally important, there are fewer barge/tug systems to dodge, a real issue on the Mighty Miss.

Consider it anyway. Google "Great Loop" for more info.
Click to expand
Interesting read.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Loop
 
crosswind

crosswind

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Sep 3, 2012
48
79 Hunter 30 Carlyle lake Il.
rblevens said:
Mast down that is what figured...
Click to expand
Please keep me informed of your travel. I too in STL planning that trip in a cpl years.

Need to upgrade my H30 to a coastal cruiser before I do tho.

Always savoring any info from ppl taking this trip.
 
B

Blaise

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Jan 22, 2008
359
Hunter 37-cutter Bradenton
I think you would be huge money ahead just trucking the boat to the gulf.
 
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