Suggestions for Newbies going from TX to FL?

[Wooden]

You remind me of a group I just met in Harborwalk marina. They are from Corpus as well and planning a trip to Florida. Coincidence?

I am leaving Galveston at the end of February to start the Great Loop. I will use the ICW and I am in no hurry. You can find my initial itinerary at

https://gnarlyspoopdeck.elementor.cloud/galveston/

You can also private message me and I will be glad to help in any way I can

[gertonw]

we have done it about 7 years ago. Here you find the story:
https://natamus40.wordpress.com/travel-logs/
https://natamus40.wordpress.com/2016...ew-orleans-la/
https://natamus40.wordpress.com/2016...-with-natamus/

Wes

[chubby]

Originally Posted by gertonw

we have done it about 7 years ago. Here you find the story:
https://natamus40.wordpress.com/travel-logs/
https://natamus40.wordpress.com/2016...ew-orleans-la/
https://natamus40.wordpress.com/2016...-with-natamus/

Wes

well.


i'll say thank you for making me aware of noforeignland.com..




interesting website. (never heard of it before)

[RedneckRedcoat]

Originally Posted by hlev00

A 35 foot monohull will travel much more slowly than a 50 foot monohull. Or are you looking at a catamaran? When you figure out what kind of boat, look into what sort of speed you might make. On our 42' Beneteau we plan around 6 knots.
Harry

I’m sorry you just can’t make statements like that, our 27 foot Cal227 regularly did 8 knots and our current jeanneau 40 Ds has out sailed 43 and 50 foot boats with us regularly sailing 7-9 knots

It’s all down to sail plan , trim and a bunch of other variables. Including how comfortable you are healed over and the toe rail in the water.

Back to the original poster, I work remote as well but I found that waiting for the right weather window means you could be waiting 2-3 weeks for the right weekend.

iPads and phones are good for back ups of navionics but please install a chartplotters , wind and depth instruments.

Use the ICW where you can , you’ll be motoring most of it unless you go on the outside (which I personally find easier) but you’ll build your confidence up. The first 12 months of live aboard / Cruising are the steepest learning curve and just about anything and everything can go wrong. Including dragging, bad weather, poor forecast , engine failure and diesel bug. Just relax and enjoy it and be in no rush. The worst part of this life is setting timetables ( I have to be here by a certain time) that actually adds stress and makes you make decisions you wouldn’t normally make. Find a buddy boat to sail with, you can then talk to each other about route and weather , they may have a different take or forecast on it.

[jaysawyer]

Lots of great comments already.

I would add that going to a marina nightly is quite expensive (about the price of a hotel room each night) and if your boat is a long keel it will be quite difficult sometimes. For a new sailor or even experienced one, the marinas can be real tight and with a cross wind almost impossible! If you can work with cell coverage you will find that anchoring is much easier and free. Anchoring is all I do once I leave the marina.

There are plenty of cities along the Gulf coast of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida with protected anchorages with cell service. Many sailors go as far as Panama City or Apalachicola and then cross over to Clearwater.

I believe a proper timetable is to take a year locally and get all the repairs done and experience sailing before crossing to the Keys. If you really need to be there this spring then hiring a captain will be a hundred times better and a great learning experience. In May the wind will be consistantly turning to come from the south and you will have a tough time getting south.

I would strongly recommend a chartplotter with depth at the helm rather than put a radar in your budget. There are so many shallow areas and in the sideways rain, sun in your eyes, etc it is hard to use a phone or tablet. The helmsman has to make quick decisions staying in deep enough water often. Also don't leave shore without good Tow Boat insurance!!! It's not a matter of if you will need it but when. Towing out is very expensive!

[ccanupii]

Finished a 2000nm trek from Houston to Maryland. We are in a motor yacht and did the ICW route. From Houston to New Orlean it is heavy commercial traffic in the ICW. They are friendly and helpful, but large and not maneuverable. There are spots from TX to FL that were a little shallow even for a 4ft draft. Houma LA has a great free dock other than that, currents can be strong and anchoring out is your best option. Waterway Guide was indispensable for where to stay and fuel. Crossing the gulf outright will get a little tricky around Houston and New Orleans and if you get close to the rigs, there are partially submerged piped everywhere. For a sail boat the best bet once past New Orleans is to pick a destination, sail deeper water and then motor in to anchor. Beware any holiday travel once you hit Florida, it is messy to say the least. Feel free to PM me and will give what information I can. I will say investing in a radar and AIS will make a big difference.

[TxCoastSailor]

We made this trip in the spring of 2019 and chose make ‘short’ hops along the coast.

Kemah
Galveston
Sabine Pass
Cameron
Vermillion Bay
Port Fourchon
Gulfport
Pensacola
Panama City
Port St. Joe
Apalachicola
Carrabelle
Clear Water

It is a lot easier to find short weather windows (24 to 48 hours) than to find long ones that span 5 days or so to cross the Gulf non-stop.

We can give you more details if you like.

Cheers,
TCS

[Cynara]

Why would going straight across require a captain?
Also you may have to anchor practice anchoring not all marinas will have open slips.

[SSgtPitt]

The great thing about CF is you get so many opinions and you can sort through them and take what works for you.
We did this trip from CCTX a few years ago as Newbies in a Cape Dory 36 with a 5’5” draft.
It took 4 days to get to LA. We then went up the MS River and over to Pensacola than worked our way to the Dry Tortugas and then up the East Coast and over to the Bahamas.
Knowing your boat is HUGE. Radar is awesome at night. An Auto pilot is helpful in crappy weather.
Navionics is ok, Aquamaps is hands down WAY better and can be run on iPads, iPhones and your chartplotter.
Trying to do this trip on the weekends only?? That’ll take months. Take a week or three off and go for it.
We route planned for over a year then screwed up the weather planning.
Never cross the Gulf in November :-)

[MoBear]

Thank you everyone for the great advice, we officially bought the boat and have been working on getting it up to speed! Our next step is to motor it down the ditch to Corpus Christi - do some electrical work on it (we have an apartment here so I can tear it apart), as well as install radar, and then start getting some more sailing experience. From there, back up to Galveston via offshore (we might hire a captain for this part - first overnight sailing experience, first offshore experience), and then determine what we want to do next. Everyone's input is very helpful and much appreciated

[MoBear]

Originally Posted by Wooden

You remind me of a group I just met in Harborwalk marina. They are from Corpus as well and planning a trip to Florida. Coincidence?

I am leaving Galveston at the end of February to start the Great Loop. I will use the ICW and I am in no hurry. You can find my initial itinerary at

https://gnarlyspoopdeck.elementor.cloud/galveston/

You can also private message me and I will be glad to help in any way I can

Not coincidence, that is us :-)

Looking forward to getting the boat ready and seeing what we can do, I will definitely follow your adventures though, and hopefully learn a few more tips!

[Scubaseas]

What Bobby Lex said.

Welcome to being a liveaboard in Kemah. I'm pretty sure you can get medication for that nowadays. My boat's in Seabrook Marina the last 4 years.

There's not many decent places to stop if you're doing the GICW from Galveston to the Mississippi. After that you can coastal day sail the rest of the way. Mind the low bridges in Floriduh. There are two bridges on the West side you will need to go outside and the bridge in Venice is currently stuck. There is also not a lot of info about "cruising" the ICW in Texas. Skipper Bob for Texas and the Waterway Guides for the rest are pretty good. Some people go in the Gulf to Sabine River then take the GICW to the Mississippi, then day sail the coast. Most people say they wouldn't do it again. But then some people say they wouldn't do the Gulf again. If you go the Gulf figure 6 to 7 days depending on weather and your speed. Maybe more if stuff happens. If doing the ditch and day sailing figure 14 to 18 days. depends on if you want to sleep in a day or two or stop and tourist around.

Look at using AquaMaps in Texas and or the GICW. Up to date info from the ACE on depths.

Radar is a very nice thing to have for where and when you are going. Especially at night for unlighted oil rigs in the Gulf. Or in morning fog. Not essential but really nice to have.

Do NOT just get in the boat and go. Hang out in Galveston, say Offat's Bayou or a marina and do a lot of Gulf sailing. The waves can be short, steep and close as in very short period. You will slow down to a crawl in some 3' seas in some conditions. Do a lot of sailing in Galveston Bay. Learn your boat, how it sails, how fast it goes or does not. Practice reefing. Have fun. No yelling. Ever. Practice anchoring too. Then forget about anchoring as Texas where you are is all black, stinky mud.

The worst thing you can do when cruising is sail to a schedule. You need to sail to the weather. The prevailing wind in the Gulf is from the SE. Or exactly where you're going. One plan is to wait for a cold front and ride it (very bumpy) or the back side of it (more comfortable but not as long fair winds) then motor a lot. Be mindful that two days of North winds can make for some really shallow depths in your marina and in the Bay. Leave yourself plenty of time to get there and back. The fronts in May are few and far between. The trip back is usually easier.

Will send PM with my contact info. Be happy to go out on a sail or three and pass on what little I know from living aboard 6 years on a mooring and cruising on and off for 30 years. I'm in Maine now but hope to get back to Kemah/Seabrook soon if I can.

[Rockinar]

I see this question pop up on occasion.

I did Tampa to Galveston last year solo, as a somewhat novice and no offshore experience.

I went from Tampa across to Carrabelle. Took the ICW from Carrabelle to Mobile Bay.. I wanted to go this route offshore but the weather was not cooperating (safety was my #1 this whole trip, not speed or time). This stretch of ICW is a smooth scenic river boat ride with lots of anchorages, lots of personal craft to help if you get in trouble, very little to no barge traffic and plenty of fuel stops available. Id recommend this if your boat will go under the bridges.

Got to Mobile and had to make a decision.1) ICW through LA/TX 2) Go offshore. I had lots of people tell me to take the ICW. I did lots of research and it just seemed really stressful. Locks, bridges, timetables and deadlines to meet, lots of commercial traffic, lack of anchorages and just not pleasure boat friendly at all.

I chose offshore. I did not really trust my engine, had been having issues with it and engine issues in that stretch of ICW would be total disaster.

I waited a couple weeks for the perfect weather when the skys would be clear and little to no wind and seas/wind would be following and moon would be out.

I darted out into the Gulf and went for it. I was motoring on night #1 and my raw water pump gave up the ghost. Im now enginless and no way to charge my house batteries. I have a Honda generator with 5 gallons of gas, 2 spare Ipads and my cell phone, Iridium Go. I can charge electronics but I need the house bank for my auto pilot. To conserve the house bank I shut off my radio and navigation gear. I would get a bearing with my Ipad and use my compass the rest of the way.

I had little to no wind for about 3 days and it was like a pond. Last three days winds kicked up 20+. I dont know what the wave height was but Id call them BIG. I had to do lots of hand steering cause the auto pilot could not do the quartering seas or the boat would spin sideways. It was exhausting. I had to heave-to at night the last 2 nights to get sleep. Limped into Galveston area with flat dead house batteries. I called Sea To to come get me up the Houston Ship Channel. I was tired, it went well though

I never saw all these massive fields of oil rigs. Yes, there were some, but not an issue. I never saw any of these "unlit" rigs people talk about. Maybe theres some unlit well heads closer to shore, but I was a good 100+ out. I never saw this "mosquito fleet" of ships everywhere I read about. I only saw maybe 3 or 4 large ships in the distance and 2 shrimp boats one night. So saw around 7 boats in 6 days.

Maybe closer to shore this is the case, but not in my experience. My plan was to go way out along the shipping lane even further around the oil patch. But due to engine failure costing me a lot of time, and the favorable winds that kicked up afterwards, I decided to cut inside it more..

Took me 6 days. With better winds and a working engine, probably would have taken around 4-5 days.

My opinion:

1) Respect the Gulf. It can get nasty with not much wind. Wait for perfect weather. Don't rush out there cause you're in a hurry or a timeline. WAIT. I think weather is your biggest obstacle, not ships or oil rigs.
2) Have LOTS of tools. All kinds of wrenches you can think of, and wire and connectors for electronics.
3) Have a backup generator and backup electronics for navigation, safety gear and a Garmin or Iridium Go communicator, PLB, EPIRB. You can buy used Ipads in Ebay for like $50. Load them all with your navigation apps.
4) Do not take that crappy TX/LA ICW.
5) You don't need a engine, but you do need a good boat in good working condition and good condition sails.
5) Enjoy! You will learn a lot and become a better sailor.

The pink line is the shipping lane I planned to take. I ended going along a good way inside it. I just was trying to avoid the oil patch.

[GreenWave]

I just helped a friend move his Beneteau 52 from Kemah to Bradenton. We had six on board total. Went straight out the jetties SE for about 10 miles then headed ESE all the way to the Egmont Key cut. We saw plenty of big rigs all well lit. None that were unlit though there are a few day marks, believe it or not, that are out there. Saw a few ships. Closest encounter was a shrimper that we had to deviate from or else get run over. We used radar most nights but really wasn’t necessary. Weather was ideal though. Did it in just under five days with about 50% sailing, 25% motor sailing and 25% full on motor. Saw a whale (right whale?) and had daily dolphin visits. Was surprised to get cell service whenever within a few miles of the very big active rigs. Makes sense when you stop to think about it.

[embibb]

For me starting from Corpus Christi, I tend to stay close to shore. Corpus to Galveston, Galveston to Grand Isle, Louisiana, then across to Tampa...