Crew Wanted: ICW from Annapolis to Florida and Bahamas

[maxsvredux]

I am leaving Saturday from Annapolis for a trip down the ICW to Florida, then across to Bahamas, etc. Yeah...I know...I'm a little late. It's cold, it's going to be a cold start, I will have a kerosene heater cranking (vented of course).

I am a new sailboat owner (1983 Hunter 30) with not a lot of experience with sailboats, but plenty with powerboats. The ICW is mainly a motoring trip anyway. I'm well equipped with chartplotter, iPad Nav, solar, dodger/bimini, dingy/davits, autopilot, fridge, etc. I'm told it's around a 3 week trip, but I am in no hurry. You can get on/off when you want. You don't have to pay fuel/boat expenses...just your own food/drinks. Hell, if it works out, I may even chip in towards your transportation home at the end.

Anyone interested? You need not be super experienced...just have common sense and we should get along fine.

[rockDAWG]

Please do not take it a wrong way.

On board food and drinks (soda and water) are so cheap, I would throw that in for good measures to get someone motivated to come and help. A good crew is worth it. If the trip turns out to be rough and hard, reward the crew in a marina for a nite with hot shower and a hot good meal is quite justifiable. Indeed it is a common etiquette for the Captain/Owner. In all my years of captaining and crewing, nothing is worse than working for a cheap boat owner.

Of course, if you had a 2013 50' Hunter with all fancy amenities, you may even charge them to step on your boat.

[maxsvredux]

I hear you. I meant more along the lines of food/drinks at restaurants when we stop for the night. It's not going to be a hard journey...maybe just a little cold at first. I am far from cheap though. I'm hoping someone would like to take the trip to experience it all, rather than someone doing it just to help me out. I've wanted to transit this section of the ICW for a long time...I'm so excited that time is now. It's not like it's a great sailing opportunity...it's more of a boating road trip.

[Mark2772]

Hey Max!

I know you are on a tight time budget but I'd love to get in contact with you about this trip. I have experience, the time and it seems like we'd get along great. Call/text anytime - 289-442-0365 or email mostapiak@gmail.com

Look forward to speaking soon.

Sincerely,
Mark

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by maxsvredux

I hear you. I meant more along the lines of food/drinks at restaurants when we stop for the night.

Yay, that is cool. No one expects the owner or Captain pay for the personal shore expense.

We have a crazy winter this year, so plan on be cold a lot more longer.

Have a great trip, Captain.

[btrayfors]

Originally Posted by maxsvredux

I hear you. I meant more along the lines of food/drinks at restaurants when we stop for the night. It's not going to be a hard journey...maybe just a little cold at first. I am far from cheap though. I'm hoping someone would like to take the trip to experience it all, rather than someone doing it just to help me out. I've wanted to transit this section of the ICW for a long time...I'm so excited that time is now. It's not like it's a great sailing opportunity...it's more of a boating road trip.

I hope you have a good and safe trip. Just a few thoughts, based on my experiences and those of colleagues running up and down the ICW.

1. It may well take a lot longer than you think.

2. The cold weather may well extend all the way to Florida and halfway down the coast. My absolute worst day taking my boat south one year was south of St. Augustine, FL: 26 degrees, blowing a full gale, and an ice storm which iced up the decks, froze the anchor and chain, etc, etc.
Don't count on better weather until you get to mid-Florida.

3. Right now the entire East Coast is experiencing what the National Weather Service calls potentially "catastrophic" conditions. I'm in the Chesapeake area and we're looking to get hit tonite. It's much worse south of here, right down to Georgia. This is a crazy year...be prepared for cold weather much longer than you should have to.

4. There's plenty of sailing to be done on the ICW trip. It's not all motoring in narrow creeks and canals. Even in some of those there can be good sailing.

5. You can't just stop anywhere and anchor for the night in many parts of the ICW, and you sure can't run at night. You'll need to plan your days very carefully according to the weather (listen to the VHF NOAA broadcasts carefully) and be modest in your planned days run.

Have fun!

Bill

[rockDAWG]

If someone asks me, I would say delay until warmer weather.

Sailing at 34 degree from Liberty landing marina to Cape May in the middle of the night with 15 kn wind was not fun. I was cold even I was wearing my snow boarding suit with foul weather gear. The wind was coming from behind, so the dodger didn't help at all .

I did it because I couldn't say no to my best buddy.

[TDC]

I am planning the same trip, a week behind you. Great to have a personal icebreaker ahead of me. Thanks

[malbert73]

Just drove across severn river bridge this weekend- lots of ice still upriver. I imagine you can get south on open bay, but I wonder if the creeks/rivers will be passable. Bend a prop blade on a ice chunk and you will be SOL quickly.

[Nicholson58]

Good advice here from the others.

If you have internet, follow yourself on Google Earth and check ahead for restaurants and onshore attractions. Also useful to suggest side trips and check out other people's photos.

Be sure to see the great Dismal Swamp.

My favorite big town is Charleston SC. Check out the old Battery and colonial tours. Eat crabs & shrimp!

[lostsoul]

the trip took me 4 weeks. I left Annapolis on 12/1, a while ago. I pushed as hard as i could. Even stopped for the night in places where I was aground. Not the best idea, I know. You can only stop in certain places along the way. there are some long runs where you have no place to stop. So you either make it the whole way. or stop before.

good thing is that there will be no other boats.

I found minimal sailing along the way. Sure i unrolled the jib, but it was little help. Chug chug chug all the way.

good luck. It is a fun trip, especially if you can stop along the way.

[CptLawrence]

I may be able to help out, the cold does not bother me as long as it is not ice storming. I need to learn that part of the icw. lawrencekendrick at juno dot com

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

... and you sure can't run at night. ...

Is there a reason you can't run at night on the ICW?

[malbert73]

Leave today and you can sail the whole way south with a 30 knot tailwind....

[lostsoul]

Far as i know, people dont run the ICW at night. Mostly.

I was anchored on a bar, one night, and leaned over. (on purpose) I see this big light shinning in. I look out the companionway and see a boat moving, with a huge spot light. He was spotting the markers.

We chatted on the VHF for a bit. He told me that the owners wanted to wake up in the city that was a few hours run south. So he had to run at night. He was in a power yacht, and moving slow.

The day marks are not lighted. So unless you already know the route, it is not a good idea to run at night.