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Old 07-07-2019, 16:54   #1
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macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

I am not a sailor, but there was a discussion elsewhere on the internet regarding a sailing issue...and I thought i might post here to get some answers...there is a man...he is under indictment for a serious (alleged) sexual assault...I would estimate that he would be going to trial sometime next year..and given his history and age, and the circumstances, in my estimation, just from what I have read/heard, there is a very good chance he would be in prison for the rest of his life if convicted...he is in his 50s and being tried for a sexual assault that allegedly happened many years ago...he already has one sexual assault conviction from years ago...

anyway, the guy recently bought a macgregor 26x, and made a video about how he is going to fix it up and trailer it to south florida to sail it (he lives almost 1000 miles from south florida) ...

now, some commentators have put forth the idea that he may make a run for it from florida...it's an old macgregor 26x...and he is fixing it up...the video shows that that boat was really trashed..not maintained at all..but he has already cleaned it up a lot...
apparently the boat cost him very little...a pittance, he said...

is it possible that he could prepare for the trip starting now and be ready to sail it from the fl keys to, say, south america this winter?


I think it might be possible...he is out on bail awaiting trial and he would be on the run, so he would not want to pull into any marinas etc...but I think he could beach a flat bottomed boat like that....to ride out a storm, get water etc...


I speculated that perhaps if he could get to venezuela, he could cross over into brazil..the border crossings in south america are very lax compared to america...apparently only tourists stop at borders in south america...and once he gets into amazonia, they would likely never find him...

looking at the map, the passages from island to island in the caribbean are only about 100 miles of open water or so...


seems to me that he could do it--sail from the keys to the bahamas and then sail right on down the chain of islands all the way to venezuela...and only hit open water for no more than about 100 miles or so...


..this guy is in pretty good shape for his age...I think from what he has said that he has done some sailing before....but he would have a few months to learn more about sailing before a possible winter trip/escape...


by the way, this post is all just speculation on my part here...I have no idea whether he is really planning something like this...just speculating here...and I have no idea whether he actually committed any sexual assault..

anyway, I thought it was an interesting question....


and NO, this person is NOT me!
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Old 07-07-2019, 16:58   #2
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

People have sailed further in much lesser boats so yes, of course he could do it. The probability of him ending up alive mostly depends upon his seamanship, and a little bit more on luck than it would in a bigger boat.
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Old 08-07-2019, 06:10   #3
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

I've a hard time imagining this thread staying pleasant and productive.

The boat is great for international travel - on a trailer.

At sea, there are other motorboats better suited, but anything is possible in short calm weather runs.

He will be attracting a lot of authorities' attention to himself either way,
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Old 08-07-2019, 07:00   #4
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

Pretty sure that the relevant bit of the post should be:

"Would it be feasible that someone could, with a few months to get some practice, sail a Mac 26x from FL to South America?"

The rest of it isn't really part of the question, but rather just speculation as the OP admitted, and inviting negative discussion. So as was said, yes, it could be done. However, does the person making the trip with limited sailing experience know enough about weather and such to make informed decisions about doing so? Survival of even lesser boat passages increases as a result of knowledge and experience.
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Old 08-07-2019, 07:01   #5
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

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Originally Posted by john61ct View Post
I've a hard time imagining this thread staying pleasant and productive.

The boat is great for international travel - on a trailer.

At sea, there are other motorboats better suited, but anything is possible in short calm weather runs.

He will be attracting a lot of authorities' attention to himself either way,



well, I guess...but he is apparently not on parole and out on bail...I don't know if they have a gps monitor on him...actually, this guy is being accused of an alleged sexual assault on a minor from years ago...also, this guy is an anti-police activist who has a youtube channel with over 100k subscribers...so the police know him well and hate him...


and maybe if someone were in his position, that person might believe that running is a better option than prison...given the nature of the alleged crime and his stance on police...



if he did run for it and went beyond the USA territory boundaries, I don't think the local authorities would be able to go get him...the only authority that would be able to go get him would be the military, I guess....maybe the bondsman...


but anyway, if he is running he would not have a sailing permit for those caribbean island nations, so he would have to lay low...that would mean pulling into the beach instead pulling into marinas and docks etc...so he would need the flat bottom...he could just beach it and walk to shore to get gas, food, water etc...


and since he would need to get the boat to the keys, he will have to trailer it...he lives near houston...


so, he would need a flat bottom and a trailerable boat...this macgregor is just what he needs...I just wonder whether such a trip is doable...a lot of obstacles...


anyway, just idle speculation...i have no idea if he actually plans to do this...and i have no idea if he committed the crime in question...
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Old 08-07-2019, 07:05   #6
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

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Originally Posted by CharlzO View Post
Pretty sure that the relevant bit of the post should be:

"Would it be feasible that someone could, with a few months to get some practice, sail a Mac 26x from FL to South America?"

The rest of it isn't really part of the question, but rather just speculation as the OP admitted, and inviting negative discussion. So as was said, yes, it could be done. However, does the person making the trip with limited sailing experience know enough about weather and such to make informed decisions about doing so? Survival of even lesser boat passages increases as a result of knowledge and experience.

yeah, that is another question--how do you find out what weather is coming? He could not use his phone--gps tracker? Bail bondsmen? He recently made a video about a wind charger (with little propeller blades) that he can use to charge his phone...but would a marine band radio be a better choice in this situation? if he uses his phone, wouldn't they be able to track him?



Anyway, just speculation...I have no idea if he actually plans to do this...some youtube comments did speculate that he was going to use the boat to run, and I am just exploring whether that would actually be possible
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Old 08-07-2019, 07:14   #7
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

also, some youtube commentators speculated that he might run to mexico..well, he said he was trailering the boat to the florida keys so that he could challenge and videotape the coast guard searches there...


if he were going to run from the keys (just speculation), then he aint going to mexico...beside, the mexico gulf coast is exposed..and there are not that many sailboats there...and people get extradited from mexico all the time...


on the other hand, the bahamas and caribbean islands are swarming with sailboats in the fall and winter...he could easily get lost in that swarm and all thos little islands...




and if he can get to south america, no bail bondsman is gonna find him in amazonia...


again, just speculation on my part...just wondering..I have no idea if he actually plans to do this...
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Old 08-07-2019, 07:21   #8
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

what I am trying to get at here is this: how would you expert sailors try to pull this sort of thing off?
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Old 08-07-2019, 07:41   #9
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pirate Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

Well seeing as he has chosen the 26x I would imagine he's after the potential 20+kts in calm water more than the sailability..
But, could it be done.??
Yes it could, the 2 tough bits are BVI's to Anguilla/St Martin then from there to Antigua via St Barths, after that its downhill pretty much..
But fleeing to Amazonia..???
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Old 08-07-2019, 08:05   #10
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

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Well seeing as he has chosen the 26x I would imagine he's after the potential 20+kts in calm water more than the sailability..
But, could it be done.??
Yes it could, the 2 tough bits are BVI's to Anguilla/St Martin then from there to Antigua via St Barths, after that its downhill pretty much..
But fleeing to Amazonia..???



well, all the nations of the western hemisphere have extradition treaties with america, and if the bail bondsman finds you, you will be extradited... so he would need to go somewhere where he could not be found...amazonia fits that definition...I dunno, maybe he could slum around Rio, but that might be more expensive...in amazonia, he could live off life savings and rice and beans and catch fish...


as for sailing vs motoring, I see your point...but how does he refill his gas tanks? Would he need to pull into a marina or dock for that? Would they ask for his sailing permit or other documents?


Again, just speculation on my part..I have no idea if he actually plans to do any of this, but the idea is an intriguing thing to think about...
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Old 08-07-2019, 08:07   #11
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

I highly recommend he hang out in the trade routes between Trinidad and Tobago and Sucre, Venezuela, can shelter right up the Manzanares River.

Lovely area, especially Güiria, the locals are very friendly. But bring lots of cash, ATMs are rare outside the big towns.

Edit: just joking
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Old 08-07-2019, 08:11   #12
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

“is it possible that he could prepare for the trip starting now and be ready to sail it from the fl keys to, say, south america this winter?“

Yes
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Old 08-07-2019, 09:34   #13
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

My take on this maybe possible if it happens scenario is that wherever he goes, if anywhere, he will be doing time, just not behind bars. His neck will be sore from looking over his shoulder, and if the reason he is going incognito is true, it won't be long before he outs himself.
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Old 08-07-2019, 11:09   #14
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

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Originally Posted by rapping boomer View Post
what I am trying to get at here is this: how would you expert sailors try to pull this sort of thing off?
Wouldn’t.
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Old 08-07-2019, 11:36   #15
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Re: macgregor 26x from FL to South America?

Several years ago I read a book I think I downloaded from the " Mother of All Maritime Links" written around WWI by a guy I think was named Fenger, or something close to that. He had what he called a decked sailing kayak, or some other weird boat name that he had shipped to the bottom of the Eastern Caribbean. He sailed it back North for many months or maybe even a year having adventures and living with locals. I do not remember too much except he went whaling, he sat on top of the boat and and it had no rudder but was steered by altering the daggerboard and sail. And a 26X with a big outboard is pretty fast. Fast enough to win a Newport to Ensenada Race beating 100 foot multihulls with plenty o wind. Few sailboat races allow using the engine, and for all I know that race may have changed that rule since then. I wouldn't chance it, but I wouldn't chance going to prison either, so maybe I am a big wuss.
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