Heading to the Florida Keys from Galveston

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We are planning to head to the Florida Keys from Galveston in a couple of weeks (mid-November -depending on weather window). We expect the trip to take about 8 days.

Questions:

1. Is anyone else headed that way around the same time?
2. If so, would you like to join up? So far there is one other boat headed with us. (2 boats total so far).
3. We have decided to avoid the ICW altogether and just make a strait run for Key West. This will be our longest blue-water passage thus far. Any suggestions or words of wisdom?


Thanks in advance for your comments/suggestions.

BTW: My boat is a Block Island 40 and the other boat is a Lancer 38. I will have one other person on board. The Lancer will be single handing. - Just in case anyone was curiouse.

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Sounds like a fun trip. I would recommend taking a look at Atlantic RTOFS Nowcasts/Forecasts which is the predictions of sea currents in the Gulf from NOAA. Nothing worse than bucking a strong current all the way across the gulf, when sailing 50 miles south would have gotten you out of it.

There seems to be a good west to east current you could hop a ride with, and likely gain more than a knot. Then jump to the south flow on the east side of the loop and take the same speed bump southward.

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Good information. Thanks. I didn't even consider that. I appreciate the input.