Second Attempt

[S/V Adeline]

In August of last year we tried to bring our boat down the east coast and didn't make it very far.
I managed to get a month off work, but half that was burned replacing the engine and we just had too many setbacks during the trip.
Rust in fuel burned a day, threw the prop shaft pulling up to the fuel dock after getting rust cleaned out. Spent a day fixing that.
High pressure fuel line ruptured at the nut, spent a day having one custom made. (It's flexible and can replace any line, so will be a good item to have)
Broken oil pipe going to pressure gauge.
Last straw was gearbox burned up.
She is on the hard in the outer banks, new engine pulled and sitting in the salon, new gearbox ready to slide on. I have 4 new high pressure lines to install and then we are going to try this again.

We plan to go up just after mid-December, slip the engine back into place and head south.
We still need to make the trip as fast as possible and would like any suggestions or advice.
In a perfect world we want to leave the ditch at Moorehead and sail to Mobile, probably cutting through Florida at the lake for time.
Given the Gulf Stream and typical winds for that time of year how would you plan that route?

[Tillsbury]

Sounds like you had bad luck, but you need to use that experience to realise that cruising (indeed any kind of sailing) shouldn't be done on a schedule. If you need to get somewhere that's called a delivery trip and they're very different and not much fun if things go wrong.

Can you change your plan such that you have a certain amount of time and a preferred direction? That would make for an infinitely more enjoyable sail...

[S/V Adeline]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Sounds like you had bad luck, but you need to use that experience to realise that cruising (indeed any kind of sailing) shouldn't be done on a schedule. If you need to get somewhere that's called a delivery trip and they're very different and not much fun if things go wrong.

Can you change your plan such that you have a certain amount of time and a preferred direction? That would make for an infinitely more enjoyable sail...

This is by no means cruising, as I stated I have to take time off work and would lose my job if I don't show back up on time. (Unpaid time) Make no mistake wherever the boat gets to this time will be our new address if it doesn't make it all the way.

[Island Time O25]

If the month you took off work was unpaid perhaps it would've been cheaper to go to work and just haul the boat overland. Especially considering that on top of being out of that month's income you're still far away from where you need to be.

[Dockhead]

To have had so many failures, I'm guessing the boat has not been used in a while?


Best advice I can give you is to go through all the systems thoroughly, and sail the boat a good bit on weekends, before you undertake a long trip. The boat needs to not only be fixed, but be well shaken down, before doing a trip like that, especially in that season.

[S/V Adeline]

Island Time, Dockhead, Anyone,
Have you came down the east coast around that time of year? Any routing advice given the prevailing winds and currents?
I understand the stream fluctuates during the year, as do the counter currents. Research suggests wind should be typically out of NNE.

[a64pilot]

I would recommend if possible leaving earlier, but then I’m a wimp and can’t deal with cold temps, and it’s cold often mid Dec.
Then not trying to be mean, but it sounds like either you didn’t get a survey, or your surveyor should be shot.
I think you need to leave the boat and have it delivered either overland or by a pro, and work to pay for that.

I’d at least get a good surveyor to go over the boat, it seems that your discovering things one at a time that a good survey may have found.
A good mechanic should have found your engine problems for instance, or found some of them anyway.

[Sailor 99]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’d at least get a good surveyor to go over the boat, it seems that your discovering things one at a time that a good survey may have found.
A good mechanic should have found your engine problems for instance, or found some of them anyway.

Good help is hard to find in the marine industry.



Good surveyors are very difficult to find and you don't know if he is any good till he gets there.


Good mechanics are not easily available to come to your boat.


The good fiberglass guys I know have a 1-2 yr wait list to come to your boat.



Far as I can see, when you own a boat, you better be handy.

[Sailor 99]

It's an old boat. To have found all of these problems at one go means she has not been used much or kept up. Maybe your troubles are over and maybe they are not.



I would go down and get the engine and transmission securely in place and then get it moved via truck.



Without more details I would surmise the you bought the boat with the intention of delivering it to your home. Having been on a delivery of a newly purchased old boat I would not do it again.



Regardless you are doing a deliver and this is not free. You will have fuel charges, marina charges , breakage, etc. You also have lost wages.





Truck it home, sail it for a few yrs and work out the bugs.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by S/V Adeline

In August of last year we tried to bring our boat down the east coast and didn't make it very far.

SNIP

Given the Gulf Stream and typical winds for that time of year how would you plan that route?

Hard to suggest anything without knowing what kinda boat you have. Things like speed and how capable a boat is of off shore passages or the draft determine routing.

[S/V Adeline]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Hard to suggest anything without knowing what kinda boat you have. Things like speed and how capable a boat is of off shore passages or the draft determine routing.

Allied Princess 36 MKII, 5'1" draft. Ketch rigged. 46ft +/- bridge clearance. Standing rigging in good condition, running rigging for main, headsail, and mizzen replaced in August last year (inspected 3 weeks ago)
I will replace the jiffy reefing lines before departure. The spinnaker halyard probably needs replacement, and the hank on headsail halyard as well. I have never used a whisker pole, or whatever that huge thing is called, but I would feel more comfortable replacing those lines before trying it.
Running a 16gal aux tank with two 27gal barrels and currently 6-5gal diesel jugs, so figure bare minimum of 100gal fuel on board. (Headwinds in Dec/Jan should not match the miserable, dead on the nose conditions Aug gave us)
Engine has approx 100hrs and gearbox is new.
Motoring at 5 knots with no current or weather inside a computer simulation it's 15 days 4 hours.
Any route suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Overland ($10k) is not an option. Paying someone to deliver is not an option.

Thanks for the replies

[Sparx]

To directly address your question...in mid December the season can offer a few consecutive wonderful sailing days alternating with horrible rough winter storms. You may get a lucky coincidence of the weather and your timing allowing the option to go outside in the ocean. Given your stated destination there is no reason to get in or across the gulf stream. By staying close to the coast you will have the option of ducking in for repairs or shelter. In all probability the weather will keep you in the ICW at least part of the trip.

[S/V Adeline]

Originally Posted by Sparx

To directly address your question...in mid December the season can offer a few consecutive wonderful sailing days alternating with horrible rough winter storms. You may get a lucky coincidence of the weather and your timing allowing the option to go outside in the ocean. Given your stated destination there is no reason to get in or across the gulf stream. By staying close to the coast you will have the option of ducking in for repairs or shelter. In all probability the weather will keep you in the ICW at least part of the trip.

We will definitely be watching the weather predictions. If a suitably attractive window is present at the beginning of Dec might just drag up and take it. I highly doubt I can qualify for any more time off.
What are your thoughts for 'close to shore'? 5mi?, 20mi?
If we are forced to stay in the ditch any hope of keeping my current employment is gone. Many say they would love to make the trip but none can afford to take time off work (all my friends are working class)

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by S/V Adeline

We plan to go up just after mid-December, slip the engine back into place and head south.
We still need to make the trip as fast as possible and would like any suggestions or advice.

Well I read the whole thread but went back to this. I think you need to get real and make a more likely backup plan that gets you part way. You have a boat with issues and are expecting to get some mysterious perfect condition and events togo south aganist the normal winds.

I will say the coldest I've been the past 3 years was in December going from Miami to Marathon. It was in the 30s during the night, but was in 70s by 10am when we got there. It was doable but it sure was cold to us.

[S/V Adeline]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well I read the whole thread but went back to this. I think you need to get real and make a more likely backup plan that gets you part way. You have a boat with issues and are expecting to get some mysterious perfect condition and events togo south aganist the normal winds.

I will say the coldest I've been the past 3 years was in December going from Miami to Marathon. It was in the 30s during the night, but was in 70s by 10am when we got there. It was doable but it sure was cold to us.

The research I have done leads me to understand that "normal" prevailing winds along the east coast NC southward are out of the NNE.

Is this incorrect?