Cruising East Coast U.S. North to South or South to North?

[jreiter190]

I think Jon Eisbergs gets what I'm after. Of course I'm aware of the century I'm living in, I just wanted to see who chimed in with what because you never know what someone else will think of to get your imagination going in another direction. I didn't mean to cause exasperation to anyone. I'm a perfectly qualified navigator. I just like bouncing ideas oft other heads. There must be old logs in libraries. I'll try to run some down on the Internet. Thanks to anyone who posted.

[Waterway Guide]

Just for clarification: The Waterway Guide editions include complete navigation information on most inlets and some information on outside routes. The ICW and Southern editions each have an inlet section, including recommendations on which are or are not suitable for typical cruising boats, navigation and hazard info, nearby facilities, and historical notes.

[jreiter190]

FWIW, I've always liked tourists. They are on vacations and are generally in a good mood. If a guy and his family from the middle of Kansas pays for a deep sea fishing adventure, give them a fishing adventure. In a tourist destination, you seek out the places that locals frequent and pay the price they pay. Maybe dockage is higher in tourist destinations bit you already have brought your accommodations with you. I've been a tourist, you've been a tourist. Tourists are just people, the places that do biz in tourist areas pay higher rent, have slow seasons, etc and are just people trying to make a living. I was a successfull charter boat captain not because I was a good fisherman, I wasn't, I worked hard to give people what they paid for; a vacation memory.

[Captain Bill]

During the summer months the winds along the east coast are predominantly from the south-southwest with only occasional fronts coming off shore. During the fall winter and early spring fronts tend to come off shore on a three to five day cycle. The wind starts off strong from the northwest and gets lighter as it clocks through north to northeast. It gets lighter and usually dies completely for a while as it goes through east and starts picking up again from the southeast as it clocks back to southwest before the next front comes off. I have done Florida to Maine 4 times. I ride the sw winds north quickly in the summer and come back down slowly in the fall arriving back in Florida in December. I go from port Canaveral to Beaufort, do the ICW to Norfolk, only because we have family in NC and stop for a visit. From Norfolk we go outside directly Naraganset Bay in Rhode Island. From there we go up Buzzards bay , through the Cape Cod Canal then directly to Maine. We've gone into Casco Bay twice, Booth Bay Harbor once and Penobscot bay once. This year we actually hugged the coast and went through NYC and Long Island Sound because of lows coming off of Cape Hatteras almost continiously and creating 15-20 foot seas along the direct route to Rhode island. The El Nino has wierd effects on weather patterns. It typically takes us 3 days and change to get from Cape Canaveral to Beaufort, about 2.5 days from Norfolk to Rhode Island, and about a day and a half to get from Rhode Island to Maine in a six knot boat.

Is this the type of information you are looking for?

[dpddj]

Originally Posted by jreiter190

Irregardless

Argghh! That is not a word! Sorry, grammar nazi here.

[Tingum]

I think you would do well to get a pilot chart and study it for the different months you are planning. Going in and out of the harbours will take you almost as long as your offshore cruising time. Having done that trip many times in both directions let me tell you that there is absolutely nothing out there of interest! Much more fun to do the ICW and short coastal day hops. There are a lot of interesting town and anchorages to easily take up a full year in your size boat.

[jreiter190]

Capt. Bill, that's exactly the kind of information I am seeking. Thanks. Dpddj,is too a word; Dpddj isn't. Tingum,always surprised to hear someone say there's nothing out there. I love being offshore, always have, and time is nothing to me. Like I said, I've got the rest of my life to do it.

[Tingum]

After many miles of water sailing">blue water sailing I enjoy the sights of brown water sailing more. However for deliveries it is much more work!