Crew Wanted: Engineless sailboat Tampa to Ft Myers March 6th

[sanibel sailor]

I have an old aluminum 44 foot sloop I just purchased. I am planning on sailing her from Ruskin FL (SE part of Tampa Bay) to Ft Myers Beach. With the weather permitting, the plan is to leave FMB at around 7AM on Weds March 6th, ride together to Ruskin in my truck, and be underway about 10 AM from there, sail overnight in the Gulf to FMB arriving hopefully Thurs AM.

What will make it a bit of an adventure is that the boat's engine is shot and the boat is new and unfamiliar to me and has been sitting for several years. Draft is 5.7 which is rather deep for this area. Due to lack of engine and my limited knowledge of the boat, to be blunt, there will be an increased risk of injury or death associated with this trip. Please do not respond if you are not willing to accept the risks, known and unknown, that go along with this venture. The boat has not yet been surveyed, so I have not been able to get insurance, nor do I know what problems may arise while underway. Therefore, I will ask you to sign a waiver of liability.

Now that we have got the lawyers off my ass, I do not intend to have a problem. I will require safety harnesses on deck as picking up a man overboard would be difficult. I am an experienced sailor. Solo roundtrip to Bermuda in a 26 footer, doublehanded transAtlantic in a 28 footer, several other bluewater passages. I went over the boat as much as possible this past weekend and checked the rig and ground tackle which seem in order, sails are good, one reef rigged and a second able to be made if needed, VHF works, depth sounder does not, but I think that will be a quick fix. GPS seems not to work, I will bring a handheld. All new batteries and the running lights work. There is an autopilot that I was not able to test, assume it will be hand steering. Hull appears sound and bottom will be scraped so she will sail reasonably well. I do not know about the head, so plan on using a bucket. Did not check the stove, we'll plan on packed meals and a cooler. We will bring extra food in case of calms. I do not allow drinking or drugs on board. I have tentatively arranged for a tow out of the marina to open water and have talked to locals about getting out of Tampa Bay. I will be bringing an inflatable dinghy and motor and plan to tow her to the slip at Siesta Isles (Hurricane Pass). Proposed schedule should make tides and currents favorable out of Tampa. Total trip is about 112 miles. If we get in early, we will anchor til daylight.

I have one of my race crew signed up, I would like at least one more person, no more than three more or driving gets logistically challenging, not to mention bunk space.

[Mark1977]

Wish I was in the area, sounds like my kind of sail.

[sanibel sailor]

Thanks for all the responses, positions filled