Planning trip to up the east coast

[ArtM]

My goal is to reach Manhattan area in time for Graduation season. I'm currently in Tampa.

I don't have any experience planning or executing a cruise of this type, so I'm clueless as to resources other than your basic charts and navigation stuff.

I might have to make the trip in smallish legs of 2 or 3 days each.

Is there somewhere I could go to see some kind of pre-made trip plan for something like this? Possibly containing such details as good places to put up for a few days at a time, what hazards to avoid or plan for, possibly even good port-of-call recommendations where a person can easily park a boat, obtain supplies, and maybe have a dinner out?

I'd bet a lot of people have already blogged or journalled trips like this, and there are probably even a few books published, but Google didn't turn anything up for me - perhaps it's my Google skills...

P.S. My first choice boat for this trip is in Fort Lauderdale, so that might be my starting point instead of Tampa.

[Paul L]

Manhasset on Long Island is a great place to pick up a mooring to be able to easily visit Manhattan using the LIRR.
Check ActiveCaptain.com for info on all the anchorages and marinas on the way.

[CarlF]

Well. Where to begin..

Buy a few cruising guides to the East Coast and get an Active Captain account. You will likely use Active Captain every day along the way to learn about hazards, marinas and anchorages.

Don't assume you can schedule this closely. Bad weather and boat problems will get in the way. In the ICW a good estimate is 50 miles a day. Offshore 150 miles a day going all night (but you need a crew that enjoys this). You can easily wait three to four days for a weather window to go offshore.

Doing the trip in 2-3 day jumps is almost impossible. I allow a full day to travel to the boat and provision. Another full day at the back end to shut her down and get home. For this reason, I don't schedule trips that are less than seven days. 10 is better. Most people do it without a break.

You need a boat with a mast height less than 65' to use the ICW. Depending on weather and tide, it is common to see 64' or a little less bridge clearance. In looking at boats, be sure you know the mast height including any instruments and radio antenna (although most masthead vhf antennas will bend under bridges making a heart stopping "twang, twang, twang.....")

Since you have limited experience, do not go outside of Cape Hatteras. Dangerous storms are common and can come out of nowhere. Use the ICW for this stretch - which means a mast that can fit under ICW bridges.

If your schedule is tight, consider hiring a captain to do part of the trip without you. They can make a lot of miles very quickly - you pay for it but sometimes it's the only way to make a schedule work.

Buying a boat and getting it ready for a trip like this takes time. You need to do this in the next few months to have a reasonable chance of your schedule.