Can a northern boat be moved now?

[tms]

Can a boat from moved from Maine or New York this time of year down south to Florida?

Is a delivery feasible or has the weather window passed?

[Island Time O25]

Just put winter tires on that trailer and you should be all right.

[valhalla360]

Sure, depending on the boat, it might be a miserable trip (ie: exposed helm station) and you might have to wait for weather windows.


I assume the boat has a heating system?
The biggest issue will be closed marinas. That means few plays to stop for the night and refueling might mean jugs hauled by hand from a local gas station.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Sure, depending on the boat, it might be a miserable trip (ie: exposed helm station) and you might have to wait for weather windows.


I assume the boat has a heating system?
The biggest issue will be closed marinas. That means few plays to stop for the night and refueling might mean jugs hauled by hand from a local gas station.

What he said. You won't find water easily, either. The few marinas that cater to livaboards will be your salvation. Any reason you can't truck it, or wait till spring?

[boatman61]

Sure.. no reason why not.. just have the legs planned for the weather windows.. but down the ICW the shorter days and cold should be the only down side.

[RKO]

I just completed a mini trip compared to yours. I went from Lake Barkley in western Kentucky through the Cumberland river and then east on the Ohio river to Louisville. A little over 360 miles.
Since my boat has a Bimini and dodger we draped plastic over the cockpit and warmed it with a small propane heater. Because there were ZERO open fuel stops, we secured 95 gallons of fuel to the foredeck. Add the 20 gallons in the tank and we made it home in 6 days (with about 10 hours daylight everyday) with 30 gallons of fuel left over.
It can be done if you prepare. Asto the weather situation from Maine, that is somebody else's call.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by tms

Can a boat from moved from Maine or New York this time of year down south to Florida?

Is a delivery feasible or has the weather window passed?

As others have said, its possible, but a bad idea. Best to hunker down for the winter and wait for spring like everyone else. Or move by truck.

One of the things I like about sailing is having other boats out there. Pulling into an anchorage or marina, a friendly race (any 2 sailboats going in the same direction is a race), or just the pleasantness of being around other sailboats is a big part of the fun for me. If you run into trouble, there are lots of other people and boats to help out, or just to talk to for advice. So being out there very much alone can be a bit daunting, or even scary. I've often been out there all alone, not another boat in sight...and personally, I prefer to have some company. When you are on your own, you are truly on your own.

[laika]

I'll tag on here and say it's possible. We did the trip from NYC down to FL in Jan a couple years back. Short days on the ICW as was mentioned, and some little jaunts outside. It was cold, but doable, and it will help to have extra hands for when yours get frozen. Just watch out for northers wxwise.

[Capt_Flrp]

We came down the rivers from the Great Lakes in the fall. We had a small bit of difficulty with things being closed as we came down, but we were much earlier than this. It still got very cold with ice on the decks in the occasional morning. We enjoyed being the only boat most times, but having new found friends along the way also made things much better. Especially immediately after passing a large tow and suddenly having the engine alarm go off, the temperature gauge point for a white flag, and the crew looking for a place to run and somewhere to place the pandemonium and panic that followed. I immediately called the tow to let him know of my intention to cut straight across to the side of the river, tie to some beached barges, and evaluate the situation. The tow captain was VERY understanding, VERY courteous, and VERY much appreciated. We had been traveling with two other boats and the captain of the one we had just shared an anchorage with the night before, swung his boat around, pulled along side with fenders and dock lines in place. We discussed what was happening, came up with a plan, got back under way (back behind the tow) and slowly made our way to the next anchorage. Having that friend along side was a real blessing.

[CarlF]

Assuming the mast will fit under ICW bridges, Norfolk to Florida is easy (if not necessarily comfortable) anytime of year.

New York to Norfolk is just a matter of finding a 24 hour weather window between New York and Cape May.

Maine to New York is much tougher but fishermen and lobstermen are out year round. To protect against overfishing and insure the best prices, lobster season on Maine's Monhegan Island used to be January 1 to May 1. They moved it back to October 1 but still fish right through the winter.

Fuel and water will be available anywhere that serves commercial fishermen. You will need a source of heat on the boat.

[accomplice]

If you're taking the offshore route, in my experience, unless the wind is out of the north you'll have warmer air temps once you get into/across the gulf-stream. Depending on where you leave from, that may only be 24-36 hours in.

For example, the air temp in Newport, RI is around 28 degrees today. Rather chilly for my tastes. If you were sailing from Newport to Bermuda now, by the time you cover 4 degrees of latitude (not quite halfway), the air temp is in the 60s. And that is with a stiff north wind blowing at the moment -- I bet it'd be warmer sooner with a southwest wind. By comparison, that same latitude along the coast puts you at the Chesapeake where the air temp is in the 30s'.

If I had to do the trip now, I'd wait for slightly warmer weather and head offshore. The first day or two will be cold, but after that much better.

[Capt_Flrp]

Be VERY careful when traveling in cold weather. Even the "safe" radiant heaters can use up the oxygen in the cabin, generators can deposit carbon monoxide into the cabin. Met a couple moving ahead of us down the rivers in a very nice trawler. We saw the boat several days of travel further down where the sheriff had towed it. The couple were found in the cabin with the generator running and, it appeared, the overboard exhaust had flowed into the cabin. Someone on shore noticed the boat anchored and not moving for several days. They had anchored fore and aft with no swing.

[tms]

There was a nice boat in Maine that I was thinking about, but with all the closed Marinas, I think this is a non-starter for me.

[redsky49]

We left the Chesapeake one year in December. We left from North Carolina after New Years several years ago.

Winter passages are different than mild weather passages, and require a bit different mindset. The days are shorter, limiting transit times and distances. Northers can be an issue, making inside passages sometimes necessary. No hurricanes to worry about though.

There are fewer people around. This has always appealed to us as anchorages are less crowded, many of the rookie boaters are doing something away from the water, and marinas are typically less crowded if that is something you want to make use of. Most marinas from the Chesapeake and south are open, so no worries there. Hours may be shorter, however.

The cold is an issue. You need a plan. Ice on the decks can be a hazard. Make some hot soup before heading out and store in a thermos. Feet get especially cold standing still outside. Don't get wet! Foulies as needed.

And then... You start to take the layers off. Georgia is usually the spot where the weather really starts to warm up. Florida will be light jacket at first, then simply shirtsleeves.

I would go outside to Cape May (I am no expert this far north, however), then up the C&D to the Chesapeake. Good hiding places the full length of the Chesapeake if weather turns bad.

I would take the ICW south at Norfolk (avoiding the offshore long exposed leg past Cape Hatteras), making decisions along the way if weather allows you to jump outside for 24-48 hours. The first decision point would be Morehead City/Beaufort, NC. Inside or out? Decide at that point.

Several similar short hops would then be possible, or, if the weather favors, you could continue heading south offshore until forecasts send you back in.

A bit challenging perhaps. Easier if you have a cockpit enclosure or inside steering station. There will be a quiet solitude this time of the year that I find compelling. YMMV.

Good luck!

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Capt_Flrp

The couple were found in the cabin with the generator running and, it appeared, the overboard exhaust had flowed into the cabin.

Did you mean to say "found DEAD in the cabin"?
Either way, an alarming turn of events.