NY to Houston: Time and Timing

[Hard Alee]

Ahoy -

My first post - Thanks to all the knowledgeable and helpful sailors around here!

I'm looking at a sweet boat on the East coast and I live on the West, so I was thinking to maybe sail her from NY to Houston and then have the boat trucked the rest of the way. Is this reasonable? How long might I plan for, (assuming no long detours in the Bahamas, etc)? I will probably be singlehanding.

What weather seasons should I watch out for - when to finish safely?

I was avoiding the canal due to other posts warning against this route... but still open to the possibility.

Also need to get smart about how to hire a truck, trailer, etc for the Houston-to-LA leg. Any experience you care to share on boat moving would be helpful.

My sailing experience is minimal - a few classes only, so this passage will be OJT for me. (I can hear the groans already...)

Hopefully this is in the right forum for this issue...

Thanks again,
David

[skipmac]

How big is the boat? Depending on the size, especially beam, that can make a HUGE difference in the trucking cost.

NY to Houston.

Timing. Well obviously don't go in January, it's a bit cold. Hurricane season roughly July to November. Can do it then but would need to keep a very close eye on the forecasts.

Time. Depends on how hard you push it. With crew, sailing day and night with occasional stops you could do it in a few weeks. Solo, day sailing and stopping, 2-3 months.

[model 10]

Great plan. If you don't know much about sailing you could stick to the ditch. It's pretty safe. You would need a fairly shallow draft boat maybe under 6' and less than around 52'(?) high. Even though it's protected I wouldn't do it deep into hurricane season nor during the strong northers. So yeah, that gives you about 3 months some spring. If it doesn't break down you should be good.

[Hard Alee]

[QUOTE=skipmac;1861801]How big is the boat? Depending on the size, especially beam, that can make a HUGE difference in the trucking cost.


I'm looking at a Cape dory 28 - 4.33 ft draft, I=35+ft...
And ~9ft beam,so into the expensive width for highway use??

Thanks for the replies.

[Cap Erict3]

You would be much better off buying a boat on the west coast.


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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Hard Alee

I'm looking at a Cape dory 28 - 4.33 ft draft, I=35+ft...
And ~9ft beam,so into the expensive width for highway use??

Max width limit in most states is 8.5 ft. You can go wider but to do so legally requires special permits but if only 9 ft that isn't so wide that you will also need a chase car. So only slightly expensive.

Have not moved a boat this size but I arrange delivery of stuff to customers around the US. Rough guess the TX to CA leg would cost you at least $4,000 for the trucking. Add at least $1000-2000 for boat yard costs to haul the boat and mast in TX and then put it back in the water when you get to CA.

Unless this is a super deal on a super boat it would be a lot cheaper and easier to buy a boat in CA.

[winjamerk]

It sounds like you could have a wonderful adventure and learn-by-doing experience. And the intended vessel is sturdy, if you've already purchased it. However, if you have not yet purchased a vessel, once you've looked at the transport costs, assuming no breakdowns, why not add the additional costs for transport to your budget price for purchase and buy on the west coast.....That's your new budget for local purchase. Another thought - there is an outfit that makes trailers that allows slight tilt in the mount which would bring your width to the highway regulation width.........rent or borrow a beefy pickup and see the countryside........

[Tingum]

You will be fine, ignore all the nay sayers, you are sailing, they are playing with their computers!

[TacomaSailor]

I'm sure you've thought about the decision to go to the East to get a wonderful boat - would you care to explain that decision?

I've spent a lot of time sailing a Cape Dory 30 and think it one of the nicest smaller sail boats I've experienced in the last 40-years. I've spent up to a week at a time sailing it around the San Juan Islands. If the CD 28 is anything like it I can totally understand why you want to buy the Cape Dory 30.

A couple questions:

What is it about the CD 28 that would make you buy it out East and spend up to 50% of it's purchase price to get it home?

I see 17 CD 28s for sale on Sailboat Listings and 6 on Yachtworld. They range in price from $24k down to $8k and most are in the $15k to $19k range.

Just a quick look at West Coast sailboats in the $11k - $16k range finds hundreds of very nice 27' to 30' sailboats. I have sailed on many of those boats in my old racing days and would have no concern about sailing them anywhere I sailed the Cape Dory 30.

1983 Catalina 30 $11,000 - this boat is on my dock and is in great shape
1977 Gampian 30 $11,000 - another very stout character boat
1982 Newport 30 $14,000 - very well built and good sailor
1975 Yankee 30 $12,000 - I raced one of these for years - fast and strong
1972 Ranger 29 $15,000 - I raced and lived on this boat. We took it offshore several times and it worked great
1986 Newport 30 $15,900

[tdoster]

From a prior Yankee and current Cape Dory owner, the Yankee 30 is an awesome boat and getting harder to find. Cape Dory is a great boat, but not worth moving across country unless you are looking for an opportunity to cruise.

I would probably sail the boat from New York to the Great Lakes through the Erie in the summer, then down the Mississippi Tenn/Tom and trailer from Demopolis the rest of the way if doing it just for the experience. You could get by with a trailer I-20 / I-10 and have a good chance of not being measured being a couple inches over 8' 6".

[Hard Alee]

[QUOTE=TacomaSailor;1862162]I'm sure you've thought about the decision to go to the East to get a wonderful boat - would you care to explain that decision?

I've spent a lot of time sailing a Cape Dory 30 and think it one of the nicest smaller sail boats I've experienced in the last 40-years... If the CD 28 is anything like it I can totally understand why you want to buy the Cape Dory 28.


What you said is the same thing I see in all the reviews. This boat seems to be the best mix of seaworthiness, sail-ability, right size for soloing, good looks, reputation and quality workmanship. Seems like all the work has been done, and it won't take me years to rebuild/re-rig. It has the headroom I need, and everything else on my list of must-haves, even most off my wants.

I want something I won't grow out of anytime soon, and it's in my budget.

The rest of the reasons are intangible - it's the vibes, it's like falling in love. I saw the boat and something said, Wow!This is it! Surely that can happen with other boats too, it just hasn't happened yet. There is a regular member here, can't locate him right now, and he has a quote that talks about love, and about the danger of going to sea in a boat you don't love. That makes sense to me.


A couple questions:

What is it about the CD 28 that would make you buy it out East and spend up to 50% of it's purchase price to get it home? I see 17 CD 28s for sale on Sailboat Listings and 6 on Yachtworld. [/QUOTE]

None of them are on the west coast... There is one 25, with 5' headroom...

Thanks for the tip on the Yankee 30! I will add this to my list of possibilities.

[kellyp08]

Unfamiliar boat and you're going to have to ship it overland anyway from Houston? In my opinion, you'd be better off simply loading her onto a truck in New York and shipping her to the west coast. You don't want to find out about structural, rigging or mechanical problems while bucking the Gulf Stream along the Eastern Seaboard or while crossing the Gulf.

[TacomaSailor]

"The rest of the reasons are intangible - it's the vibes, it's like falling in love. I saw the boat and something said, Wow!This is it! Surely that can happen with other boats too, it just hasn't happened yet. There is a regular member here, can't locate him right now, and he has a quote that talks about love, and about the danger of going to sea in a boat you don't love. That makes sense to me."

I do understand what you say. The same thing happened when my current wife wrapped her arms around me, just hours after I had met her and offered her a ride on my motorcycle. She whispered in my ear "let's go have some fun". That was more than 40-years ago and we have.

And, it happened when I drove a friends Porsche 911 - I had been a hot rodder and drag racer for 20-years at that point. A year later I owned two 911s and was totally crazy in love with them.

OTH

I first visited our current boat in September at a "boats afloat" show and was NOT impressed. At that point I had been sailing for more than 20-years and had managed several high performance race boats. I thought I really knew sailboats and absolutely knew what I wanted. And, my wife wanted none of it. She wanted Mirador, the boat we visited in September. Finally, in February I agreed to buy the boat.

That was 20-years and 20,000 miles ago. It is hard to imagine sailing and cruising on any other boat. I have grown to love Mirador and trust her in any conditions. I know she will take care of us and will do any sailing job we ask of her.

SO - you can fall in love and be happy and sometimes you can learn to love and be happy.

Happy 4th of July!

[Cap Erict3]

Hard not to love a Caliber. Great boat.


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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[Paul Annapolis]

GROAN.......yes you were right you can hear the groans already. Brand new sailor on West Coast finds a specific boat on East coast he might buy..yes might buy. Everyone jumps onboard to be helpful and offer advice yet look at this trip...a slow trip on a small, heavy slow boat as OJT. Really? On the job training? And then spending many thousands to truck a boat that is probably worth what, under $25k?? So here is my advice. Get lessons. Take your time. Buy the right boat on the west coast. The CD is a great boat, but heavy, slow, small inside and how is it that you have your eye on a specific make and model when you are so new to sailing??? You are going down the waterway so do you need a full keel boat, assuming you know the difference between that and a fin keel or modified keel...You asked for advice as a new sailor? Anyone who is planning to do what you are doing is either real gutsy and bold and really self reliant and self assured or just lain old inexperienced and careless. I will get a lot of grief from people here but this is another one of those now common and stereotypical posts from woefully inexperienced folks who are not even really sure what question to ask but want to take on a serious challenge in which they really have no business doing and so many jump in offering all kinds of advice and then pooh pooh anyone who says WAIT..NOT A GOOD IDEA by saying we are naysayers, timid or too cautious. Slow down. Get lessons, Try different boats, take your time and buy one where you will be sailing. Go ahead and pursue your dream but your castle in the air needs to grow a foundation down to the earth. Anything else is foolhardy and asking for trouble...AND SINGLEHANDING TOO????????? Remember that only a fool learns from experience...the wise learn from the experience of others and therefore this forum is only one way to learn from the experience of others but this has its limitations and all we can offer really are opinions and mine are offered to keep you from running into serious trouble on what I can assure you is not a well conceived plan. And I can hear the groans already too....