How long should it take

[Kita]

Hello everyone, I have a question for the people that may have made this trip,I am looking at a Gemini 105mc 2010 model & it's in Delaware, 6 knots cruising speed he created and I need to relocate the boat to the Florida Keys and I would most likely be making this trip by myself and I'm curious as to how long I should really allow to make that trip solo. Mind you I will not be doing a lot of stopping and looking. I've never made that trip before and being by myself with a boat that I'm not very accustomed to I may be relatively slow so how long do you think it take to get there? I've done the math and I know how much fuel and that sort of thing but I am thinking of convenience like how much time per day am I going to be traveling maybe fifty miles a day occasionally I think I could do much better but in general I'm not in a big hurry

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by Kita

Hello everyone, I have a question for the people that may have made this trip,I am looking at a Gemini 105mc 2010 model & it's in Delaware, 6 knots cruising speed he created and I need to relocate the boat to the Florida Keys and I would most likely be making this trip by myself and I'm curious as to how long I should really allow to make that trip solo. Mind you I will not be doing a lot of stopping and looking. I've never made that trip before and being by myself with a boat that I'm not very accustomed to I may be relatively slow so how long do you think it take to get there? I've done the math and I know how much fuel and that sort of thing but I am thinking of convenience like how much time per day am I going to be traveling maybe fifty miles a day occasionally I think I could do much better but in general I'm not in a big hurry

===

For planning purposes I'd allow about 3 to 4 weeks.

[Kita]

Thanks,I made a joke with my buddy & said it would take me a month to get home! Turns out I was right! Haha......Goin to try to get a helper to go with & probably will. Was just thinking I could pickup my new boat & just head south for a while & try not to bump into anything who cares I get there when I get there...was kinda thinking how much food to bring or a better tacklebox & poles! .........as a single guy I find it hard to buy groceries for anything over a week or ten days, but for 2 months maybe to stock a new liveabord, my brain just does not want to go there

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Kita

Thanks,I made a joke with my buddy & said it would take me a month to get home! Turns out I was right! Haha......Goin to try to get a helper to go with & probably will. Was just thinking I could pickup my new boat & just head south for a while & try not to bump into anything who cares I get there when I get there...was kinda thinking how much food to bring or a better tacklebox & poles! .........as a single guy I find it hard to buy groceries for anything over a week or ten days, but for 2 months maybe to stock a new liveabord, my brain just does not want to go there

Believe it or not, you could probably buy food during the trip. Might have to be grits as you get further south, though.

[valhalla360]

Are you planning to run the ICW or outside?

With overnight runs you can make a lot more miles.

Also, running the ICW alone, 12-16hrs at the helm, will be tough. Many narrow channel and a lot of boat traffic. Running at night isn't recommended as there can be a lot of debris in the water. That makes 50 miles per day a pretty good rule of thumb (if you are pushing).

[chuckr]

When we ran inside we tried to make 50nm a day. A lot depended on where the next anchorage was so sometimes we did a bit more sometimes a bit less.
If you want some outside stuff you can go off at say port royal and down and go into some of the sounds at night and get some rest before heading on down. At sea we plan on 5k and yea that seems slow but for us it works as we generally do a bit more but we also practice early out - I mean before sun rise, and early in so we can get settled and a good meal -

Good luck and have fun - I did the trip single handed and had a blast and hooked up with some others headed south - learned a lot from them -

OH the biggest problem with hours at the helm on the icw is going to the head -

[Kita]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Are you planning to run the ICW or outside?

With overnight runs you can make a lot more miles.

Also, running the ICW alone, 12-16hrs at the helm, will be tough. Many narrow channel and a lot of boat traffic. Running at night isn't recommended as there can be a lot of debris in the water. That makes 50 miles per day a pretty good rule of thumb (if you are pushing).

I was thinking a little of both the Intercoastal Waterway and outside. And I know I can obviously stop and get food if needed haha. If the weather is good I will be on the outside sailing if the weather is not so great and still ok to travel I'll be on the icw was really just trying to get an idea about how long comfortably solo that way I'm not trying to kill myself trying to make time. I made a joke with my buddy about sailing they should have called it snail-ing because it's so slow

[FSMike]

Averaging 50 statute miles per day for the whole trip is good.

Acquaint yourself with ActiveCaptain.com., buy the appropriate charts, Skipper Bob's Anchorage Guide, and the Waterway Guide.

Traveling from the ICW out an inlet to the sea, and from the sea back through an inlet to the ICW can easily add another 10 miles to your day's travel.


Take as much time as you can and enjoy the trip. The ICW can be a lot of fun. Finding a crew member to come with you will make it MUCH easier.

Got good ground tackle?

[Kita]

Originally Posted by FSMike

Averaging 50 statute miles per day for the whole trip is good.

Acquaint yourself with ActiveCaptain.com., buy the appropriate charts, Skipper Bob's Anchorage Guide, and the Waterway Guide.

Traveling from the ICW out an inlet to the sea, and from the sea back through an inlet to the ICW can easily add another 10 miles to your day's travel.


Take as much time as you can and enjoy the trip. The ICW can be a lot of fun. Finding a crew member to come with you will make it MUCH easier.

Got good ground tackle?

Thanks, anchorage guide & such is a great idea! Yeah I dig good ground tackle. ....a must! One could only hope for a great weather window heading south about the right time & if I got that I would be on the outside loving life