Help and advise. Kemah TX to Tampa Fl late Oct 2020

[Drmanso]

I need help gathering info and advise.
The boat is a 35 ft Gemini Legacy catamaran 2013 vintage.Draws 3ft, 46 ft mast. Two Yanmar diesels 700 hrs approximately.
Estimated departure late Oct to mid Nov.
Skipper is airline pilot in his 40s.Owns a 37ft Benetau and has recently gotten his 50 tons licence but has little blue water experience .
Crew is a 40 yr old handyman good with repairs,
Just back from a Hawaii to California sail in a 60 ft Lagoon. his first sailing experience.
Myself 78 y.o who has
li
ved aboard and coastal cruised a 40 ft Tartan 20 yrs ago.
Need words of advice on routing, navigation, provisioning etc etc. I've read most of the stuff in this forum and found it helpful.
I'm considering installing a radar and need advise.Have a Raymarine plotter and ADIS.
APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK.
Thanks !!!

[Phantom Jim]

The draft of the keel and the less than 50 foot mast clearance enable this boat to travel the ICW all the way to Apalachicola, Florida. The only offshore would be crossing from Apalachicola to St. Pete, about 24 or so hours.

This may be practical with the spate of unsettled weather we have had this year.

Expected time would be about 3 weeks, assuming you move pretty much every day. A lot of this is in pretty scenic areas.

[SailngInTX]

Found this post searching "Gemini Legacy" because it's a boat I may be interested in purchasing next year.

I've crewed for a Nassau/Annapolis (all offshore) and Atlantic crossing (Boston to Portugal). I'm ASA certified through 106, I've dozens of sails in Galveston bay acting as skipper and participated in 5 offshore regattas. I'm also a Licensed EMT in Texas.

If you find yourself short crew, for the trip, reach out. Two weeks is easy, three would be doable. I can find my own way back from Tampa, I lived in the area for 11 years.

If your short crew in Kemah, for a day sail, I live in Katy and would love to learn more about the Gemini Legacy 35.

My advice for the trip, it depends on the route, if you're going to be tied up most nights or offshore for days. Once you have an idea on a route, provisioning is some spreadsheet work (days x meals x mouths)

Rough idea of a route a friend took:
Galveston Teacup
Port Arthur
Lake Charles
Intracoastal City
Delcambre
Morgan City
Grand Isle
Mobile
Carrabelle
Pensacola
Carrabelle
Clearwater
Tampa Bay

If your skipper doesn't work out, I know a few delivery captains.

[Eventide]

The advice about going inland as much as possible is spot on. Here is the kicker: when you get to Carrabelle, Florida, go see Kim at C Quarters marina. She and her husband have been in the area a long time and they have advised boaters crossing over to St. Pete more times than you can imagine.
They are really good people.


Tell Kim that Janice on Seaweed says hello.

[Group9]

You can even cheat going across the big bend by going Carrabelle to Steinhatchie, Steinhatchie to Crystal River, and Crystal River to Clearwater, my favorite way to do it. No overnight passages unless you have the slowest boat ever.

[janice142]

Greetings DrManso... Yes, as Evenside says ("hello Cap'n") Carrabelle is worth a stop. I found all the folks there fine, but most especially Cap'n Kim. She's a gem. All these years later I still keep in touch with her, mostly via text messages and the occasional email.

Anyway, Kim knows Gulf of Mexico weather and that's something I still haven't figured out! I left with ten days of great weather making my way around the bend by hugging the shoreline. Then again, I've got a coastal cruiser.

The Gemini's are great boats. Have a fun trip. Inside is beautiful, at least from Pensacola east bound. Just east of P'cola, between there and Panama City but closer to Pensacola I was anchored off the channel on the south side. My boat and I were surrounded by a LARGE pod of dolphins, jumping, chittering, and playing all around my boat. It was one of those magical moments that I treasure.

If you do decide to go inside, after Pensacola you'll be in a large bay/lagoon. Look off to the south. There are twin condos, about 10 stories high. I was anchored west of them. That chart kit is put away or I would give you more specifics, however when I came through it was the only pair of high-rise condominiums in that stretch.

The next day further east I left the open waters so to speak and was in a narrow channel. It was beautiful. Watch out for eagles.

Oh, and have fun. (If you do chose to visit Carrabelle, please tell Kim I said hello, and thanks!)

[acem]

Why not just cross gulf?

[Group9]

I meant Cedar Key, not Crystal River. Huge difference. Huge!

[Phantom Jim]

It depends on what experience you want, time available, experience of captain and crew and whether the boat is prepared for offshore work.

Have fun