FL to VA, as much outside as possible?

[soopad00pa]

Currently cruising the keys in an old catalina 30, but in a few weeks I have to head north to Chesapeake Bay area. I'd like for Florida to be in the rear view by the first week of June.

One thing I've learned is that both my boat and I dislike the ICW. The old motor in this thing isn't up for motoring 8hrs+ a day and the traffic is annoying.

So, how bad/hard is it to spend most of my time outside? I've read Georgia's a mess and go in to avoid Cape Fear, but it seems difficult to find 'guides' that aren't ICW...

No real schedule or rush. I can wait for good weather, within reason.

Thanks 😎

[letsgetsailing3]

I'm guessing it's getting pretty warm in the Keys this time a year...

[Ded reckoner]

Last year, we sailed from FL to ME and back again. We did it in short offshore, overnight hops because there were so many places we wanted to experience. We were overnight a lot because we wanted to leave in the light and come in with the light. The only time we took the ICW was from the Cape Fear River to Wrightsville Beach because the ICW as almost straight, and going out and around Cape Fear added more than double the miles. As we expected, we got stuck, but only once. And, an observant motor boater saw our predicament and gunned it as he passed us; we timed going into reverse just as his wake hit and we were clear. I hear the GA ICW is beautiful, but it's a serpentine path that adds a lot of time to get from here to there.

If you're going to do short hops, you should find weather windows, without too much delay to your liking. If you want to go offshore, whether to catch the Gulf Stream or not, then it's more problematic to get a good and long weather window. And, it can get rough out there.

[LoudMusic]

I sailed outside from Key West to Portland Maine, with several trips back and forth between Fort Lauderdale and Norfolk area. Don't go when the weather is bad and you'll have a great time.

If you're comfortable sailing through the night I would try to make the whole thing in one passage so you don't spend so many hours going east and west when you're trying to go north.

Otherwise, yeah man, sailing on the ocean is the bee's knees. To heck with the ICW.

[pete33458]

Not sure where you're getting your information, but heading north there are no problems. Pick up the Gulf stream and follow the 100 fathom contour until you pass east of Cape Hatteras, then stay a few miles offshore until you reach the entrance to the Chesapeake. Heading south is much more challenging but the course you're asking about is simple. Weather permitting of course. Now is a very good time to go. I hope this helps. Pete

[leandroflaherty]

From the keys, I would overnight via the gulf stream (make sure its calm and no northerly wind) to Miami. Sleep, recheck weather. Then sail straight to Charleston a couple days riding the gulf most of the way. Sleep, recheck weather. Then sail riding the gulf to Beaufort, NC and if you can motor 3 days go inside. Otherwise, sleep, recheck weather and go outside a couple of days. That will minimize your chances of poor weather, give you a few days of sailing and a few days of rest mixed in. Miami, Charleston, Beaufort are all easy inlets for the most part and if you get stuck a while waiting for weather they are all fun places to stop and smell the roses.

[TBW]

have run east coast up and down 7 or 8 RT.
Hampton - Beaufort always inside. OK. check rr bridge #7.
Beaufort - charleston; short overnight.
Charleston - St. Augustine; pretty easy
St Augustine - Stuart.
It is all weather; sometimes in at Fernadina.
This year ran inside from charleston to Beaufort NC. Never again. Never. Wait, get beat up or wait.
Have gotten good weather a few times and run Beaufort to Ft lauderdale and Beaufort to Stuart a few times. Have made Chub cay to Beaufort a couple of times which is fun running with the gulf stream. have never been around cape hatteras but should be fine with good weather. i am usuall running in the Dec -march time frame. not ideal but you go when you can. Watch the weather and you will be fine. have fun.
TW

[JC Reefer]

Prior posts are accurate. I’ve done the run to Beaufort from miami a bunch. Good spot to rest and check the weather. Cape hatterus will suck. It pretty much always does. Going north is easier then coming south.

Offshore is better and less traffic then near coast.

Send pics!!

[soopad00pa]

Thanks, everyone. I haven't yet done an overnight and it's just me, so I'm likely to do short hops.

I do like the idea of a big stretch, tho. If I were to pick a stretch to make my first overnight on, where should I do it? What's gonna be the least congested bit?

Autopilot, yes. Wind vane, no. VHF, yes. AIS/radar, no.

[davil]

Hi soopad00pa

seldom give advice and not my intent now.

today will go over the boat with a crew person to navigate from home to Norfolk ICW, leaving Monday.

From Norfolk outside.

truly dislike the ICW single handling, but the weather has been so unpredictable this year, will not do the outside Cape Hatteras this time.

Two points

As a single hand sailor will not do coastal without AIS, will rather sacrifice a full year of Starbucks's lattes or cappuccinos.!! hey, even the radar!!

Also have different autopilot back up options.

Here is an interesting webinar from Chris Parker on weather this time of the year.

Good luck



Sail Pandora | A journal of our time aboard SV/Pandora an Aerodyne 47

[sailingunity]

Just curious, several have referred to this being OK to do if the weather is good. What constitutes "good weather" on a run like this? Winds out the south? East?

[sailingunity]

Or just no hurricanes / fronts!?

[Peterbreit]

Here is a write-up I did a few days ago for someone going south to Florida.
Just reverse everything and you should have some info ...

Trip from NJ to Key Biscayne

Here are my 2 cents on this trip, I have done it 7-8 times. Both ICW and offshore.
Once you get to Cape May you have an easy inlet to rest. If the weather is favorable stay offshore to Norfolk or Little Creek with several marinas. If not take the Delaware river to the C&D canal to the Chesapeake Bay. If you time the tides correctly you can make it in one day to Chesapeake city or even further. Then south to Annapolis, Solomon’s, Deltaville and Norfolk with the free overnight basin in Portsmouth. But you probably know this part.
I personally don't like to go around Cape Hatteras that late in the year. too rough for me but then I do most traveling single handed.
From Morehead City go offshore to Wrightsville Beach then ICW for about 3 hours to Southport. I have gone across the Frying Pan shoals motor-sailing in no wind and also in 30+ knots. You can cut easily across the shoals just follow the markers for the cut. Minimum depth is 15'. Now I prefer the shorter ICW trip.
From there it is 24-27h sail to Charleston. Georgetown is about 1.5h upriver but has a large inlet. All the other inlets I would not use, too shallow. Muriel inlet is ok but does not connect to the ICW. From Charleston I agree to bypass Georgia. But there are many river inlets to hide if the weather turns against you. With the exception of Po'boy inlet all the others are deep and wide. It also seems the whole ICW is recently dredged to about 15'. Except for a short part in SC.
I always stop in Fernandina Beach, great little town. Easy in and out. Large anchorages and a nice mooring field and a new marina. But it can have a nasty current! Watch out for submarines listen to the VHF.
From St. Augustine sailing to Ft. Pierce is about 24+ hours. If the weather turns against you Ponce de Leon inlet and Cape Canaveral inlet are ok to use. There are safe and pretty anchorages in Titusville and Eau Gallie!
Ft. Pierce to Riveria Beach, Lake Worth inlet as it is called. Easy offshore trip but stay within 5 nm or even closer. Then on definitively offshore Ft. Lauderdale to avoid 28 bridges. Again stay close to shore as possibly. Hillsboro inlet is doable but only at High Tide. It also gets very busy on weekends!
From Ft. Lauderdale you have to go offshore to Miami because of the last bridge which is fixed at 55'. I usually avoid Miami and go straight to No Name Harbor in Key Biscayne.
I hope this helps a bit. I usually allow a minimum of 10-14 days for Annapolis to Ft. Lauderdale. The return trip is much faster and easier. Longer days plus a Gulf Stream push.
Cheers and good sailing.

[Ded reckoner]

When we make short overnight hops, we'll be 3-5 miles offshore typically. But, it could be 10 or more depending on the shoreline concavity. This distance reduces the incidents of shoaling, buoys, and other obstacles. Generally, the further you go offshore, the less crowded it is. To catch the Gulfstream above FL, you'll be quite a bit offshore. But, this is fine for longer passages because of the advantage of the current.

Not all boats offshore have AIS. Radar can be problematic depending on the boat size and approach. A few boats will have neither AIS nor lights on at night. So, you need to be looking about very carefully at least every 10 minutes or so. To hail any working boat (e.g. freighter, fishing boat), try both Ch 16 and Ch 13. If you have any doubts, hail the vessel coming close to you to align how to pass. A few boats will never answer a hail, so you need to be prepared to take evasive action yourself.

The weather forecast needs to show favorable, steady winds. Winds that veer or back quickly cause lot of work with the sails. The winds need to be high enough for you to attain the SOG you want, but not so high as to present a hazard. Whatever forecast you use should indicate both the swells and wind waves, for heights and directions. Stern quartering waves can be much higher and still be much more comfortable than smaller waves on the beam (when there's more rolling action). Similarly, longer period waves are better than shorter ones.

[soopad00pa]

Thanks everyone, especially Peter and Ded. Thorough replies with tangible info!

I've still got some time to putter about in the clear water down here, but this helps a lot with my nerves and plans. Gracias!