Offshore Beaufort, NC to St. Augustine 27' C&C

[sjon1308]

I am a newbie with keel boat certification. Just acquired a 27' C&C with newer sails: roller furling, pro furl genoa, and main sail. Has a Moyer Marine rebuilt Universal Atomic Four 30 HP inboard with 50 hours. My plan is to bring her to St. Augustine in April via ICW to Beaufort, then outside to Florida, weather permitting. It has a Garmin GPSmap 541S, linked to a NMEA 2000 Garmin VHF 200 w/DSC, and NMEA 0183 Raytheon 4000+ autopilot. Most of the experienced sailors from my sailing club suggest staying in the ditch all the way. I don't understand that. Is there a legitimate argument for staying off the ocean? I thought this was about SAILING. Excuse my naiveté. Curb my enthusiasm, but with logic, not fear. Thanks everybody.

[JK n Smitty]

You're going to die! You have a bolt on fin keel and a spade rudder!

You're asking the right questions. Curious to see what you get for answers. Just remember, "because that's how we have always done it" or unsupported opinions or opinions supported only by anecdote are not legit answers.

[Paul L]

If you aren't familiar with the St Augustine entrance, make sure you go to the Port of St Augustine website and get the lat/longs of the current channel markers. Stick them in your chartploter. The marks are small and hard to see with any chop/swell. They get moved around based on the bar conditions. If conditions are rough, I'd enter further north.

Watch the weather and you should be fine.

[Vasco]

With a new boat I'd run south a bit more, maybe to Wrightsville Beach before heading out. This way you clear Frying Pan Shoal. Then it's all clear sailing. Of course with an Atomic4 you'll be burning a lot of gas so you might want to wait for a front and ride her down. Still get fronts in April.

[svJuggernaut]

I sailed my 27' Balboa, Lyle Hess design, with a 2.5' draft & swing keel, from The Chesapeake to Key West. I was outside from Wilmington, NC to Charleston, SC. Then inside until FL. I hopped back out in Ft Lauderdale and stayed out until Key West. The boat only weighed 4,600lbs-ish, but handled amazingly on the ocean. If you know what you're doing, don't be afraid to get out there on a little boat.

And it's a transom hung rudder w/ 8hp Honda outboard.

[forsailbyowner]

Ive travelled the inside and outside from little river south several times. I jump out in front of a cold front and ride it as far as it takes me. Ive found its a mistake to wait till the front passes and the winds die down a bit to leave. Seems every time i do that i end up with the worst possible conditions. Big chop and not enough wind to keep the sails from flopping back and forth. I much prefer going reefed at hull speed than that.