FL to NY with my power boat - pure ocean trip (no ICW)

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Sounds like a plan. I use Windy and the NWS coastal marine forecasts by zone, and don't trust any forecast more than 2 days out.

On top of not trusting forecasts too far out, I also tend to watch them at each update for the marine forecasts for a day or 2 before departure. The more steady the forecast, the more I trust it. When it's different (or bouncing back and forth) at every update, I expect real conditions to be further off from the forecast.

[malbert73]

Predict wind app also can be helpful in route planning

[malbert73]

And please mind the weather and plan to hunker down Sat-Sun. With that breeze the ICW will be shallow and offshore will be choppy even right off the beach…

[malbert73]

How’s it going?

[Overdue]

I just saw this thread. I hope he can check-in and provide trip report. I think a 3rd person onboard would be safer, so, maybe solve 2 problems, invite the boss to go along?

[benurit7]

Hi All
First, I would like to thank you all again for all your valuable feedback you gave me before this amazing journey.
I just got home last night after parking "Bulldog" in a marina in Charleston SC.
All I can say is that it was just the most amazing adventure of my life so far.
I have attached the route as we did it in the ocean.
We left Fort Lauderdale Thursday at 1pm and got out of New River in about 1.5 hours which was awesome!
Sea was calm so we decided to continue to Palm beach and anchor for the night, had an issue with the anchor the first night so put it on manual, and anchored for the night.
Woke up 5am on Friday, prepared Bulldog and set sail towards Cape Canaveral with the Cyclone notice in our mind and made it in nice sea until CC.
Anchored for the night after the Canaveral lock and in the morning took a slot in a marina to be tied up during the storm.
Storm was super bad sat-sun, we passed it good in the Marina and stayed there until Sunday 3pm when the winds shifted down.
We decided to proceed North at 3pm, want a pleasant ride, we got 9ft waves of the CC bay, we had to maneuver until the closest inlet which was Daytona beach , we got to Daytona beach after 3 hours in 9ft waves , but Bulldog is a bad ass boat and she passed it with distinction, no damages what so ever.

Woke up early to drain the primary fuel filter that was fuel of sand after the waves, and replaced the secondary fuel filter and head out north towards Jacksonville FL.

We arrived at Jacksonville at 3pm, fueled up and stayed in a marina until 7am Tuesday when we proceeded north towards St. Augustin.
We saw a very calm sea as far as wind and waves so hit the gas to 25kn and made it to Charleston SC by 6pm when the sun was going down.
Found a nice Marina and parked there until next month when I will be back to proceed north towards the infamous capes of NC.

I understand now that schedule and sea doesn’t go hand in hand, it’s all about the weather and waves.
ICW was an option to continue but I wanted to have some rest with my kids before going back to the office on Monday, so we decided to head back yesterday (Wednesday) and got home in the evening.
It was a pure adventure and I learned soooo much from it, specially to get to know my Bulldog and its limits and weaknesses.
After all of that I love my boat and I love spending time on the water.

I am still considering if it will worth a while to bring the boat to NY by truck, I was quoted $9000 from SC to NY, not sure if this is a reasonable price.

[donradcliffe]

Good on ya! You learned a lot and had a good time. Another adventure beckons.

[SuW]

Fantastic trip report, benurit7! Thanks for that.
Excellent idea to ride out the bad weather at a marina.
Good luck in your future endeavors! Your boat sounds awesome...
"...hit the gas to 25kn..."

[Jamme]

Good! Thanks for the report, till the next adventure!
Fair winds.

[Nani Kai]

Congratulations benerit7! Well done captain. May your adventures upon the ocean continue to be safe, exciting and fun.

[malbert73]

Nicely done! That seems expensive for trucking which may also be due to fuel prices. I would have thought 5K.

But, fuel prices will also make your trip on the water more expensive and I will assume you get 1-2mpg. So that’s 400-800 gallons of fuel to take your boat to NY via water- which is somewhere in $1800-4000 range depending on your fuel burn rate. So from my eye truck shipping for 6-7K would be a deal

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Nicely done! That seems expensive for trucking which may also be due to fuel prices. I would have thought 5K.

But, fuel prices will also make your trip on the water more expensive and I will assume you get 1-2mpg. So that’s 400-800 gallons of fuel to take your boat to NY via water- which is somewhere in $1800-4000 range depending on your fuel burn rate. So from my eye truck shipping for 6-7K would be a deal

I think the killer for trucking cost is beam. That boat is 14'6" wide, so it's over-size enough that the permits, etc. start to get pretty expensive. Someone I know bought one of the same boat down in Florida last fall and was looking at getting it trucked home (Lake Ontario). The trucking quotes pushed him to keep the boat down there for the winter and last I talked to him, the plan is to bring it up by water this spring.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by benurit7

We decided to proceed North at 3pm, want a pleasant ride, we got 9ft waves of the CC bay, we had to maneuver until the closest inlet which was Daytona beach , we got to Daytona beach after 3 hours in 9ft waves , but Bulldog is a bad ass boat and she passed it with distinction, no damages what so ever.

Woke up early to drain the primary fuel filter that was fuel of sand after the waves, and replaced the secondary fuel filter and head out north towards Jacksonville FL.

We arrived at Jacksonville at 3pm, fueled up and stayed in a marina until 7am Tuesday when we proceeded north towards St. Augustin.
We saw a very calm sea as far as wind and waves so hit the gas to 25kn and made it to Charleston SC by 6pm when the sun was going down.

Good to hear you made it, and enjoyed it.

Daytona Beach north to Jacksonsville, then back south to St. Augustine?

You'll have noted waver PERIOD is as or sometimes more important than wave height.

-Chris

[OneBoatman]

Sounds like a fun trip. Oh yeah I agree with the other poster, not sure I would have headed back South to St Augustine having already made it to Jacksonville. X gallons of diesel = Y nights at the dock. But then again finding the right marina to button her up until you get back to her is very important. I would think the rates around Jacksonville are a bit cheaper than in St Augustine.

[benurit7]

Hi All
Once again wanted to thank all of you for taking the time to comment and participate in my journey

Just to make it clear , I didn't went back to St. Augustin from Jacksonville , it was my mistake at the post , we were heading to Georgia , and figured since the ocean is flat we will hit the gas until Charleston SC , and we did

I am currently closing on bringing the Yacht via trailer , would cost around $9K , but my time restrains aren't allowing me to go there again for another leg , plus the cost of fuel will bring the expense to be the same as the trailer.

Hopefully I will have my boat here in NY with me by Mid-April , fingers crossed

I will keep all posted once it here with pictures