Sailing Tampa, FL to Kemah, TX

[SailingAnasazi]

Two young sailors here planning on crossing the Gulf sometime in the next few weeks on our 37ft hunter. We have never made a passage this large before so we are looking for any advice or knowledge on this route. We would also be very open to having an extra crew member or two that would like to make the crossing as well. It's been quite difficult finding any info on this trek. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

[Sailmonkey]

Watch the cold fronts and utilize the edges of the safety fairways to avoid the plethora of platforms off the LA and TX coastlines.

Ideally wait for the prevailing south easterlies to flow across the gulf.

Getting to Galveston is easy, leaving sucks.

[Group9]

If you don't know what you are doing (and, I'm guessing you don't or you wouldn't be here asking) I think you are going to be better off making short hops and hugging the shore all the way there.

If you know what you are doing, it's an easy downwind run most of the time.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Watch the cold fronts and utilize the edges of the safety fairways to avoid the plethora of platforms off the LA and TX coastlines.

Ideally wait for the prevailing south easterlies to flow across the gulf.

Getting to Galveston is easy, leaving sucks.

This. I've never done a Gulf crossing, but I've been pounded on offshore fishing trips this time of year.

[capn_billl]

What is your mast height? You may be able to do most of it in ICW.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

What is your mast height? You may be able to do most of it in ICW.

Even with 63 or 64 feet, you're good until you hit Navarre Beach, FL. Then you get a bunch of 50 foot bridges in the way. But, you can go out an Pensacola, and then duck in at Destin (but don't try to go under the bridge!) then in at Panama City, then in at Port St. Joe. Then cross the Big Bend, and there you're good all the way down.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Group9

Even with 63 or 64 feet, you're good until you hit Navarre Beach, FL. Then you get a bunch of 50 foot bridges in the way. But, you can go out an Pensacola, and then duck in at Destin (but don't try to go under the bridge!) then in at Panama City, then in at Port St. Joe. Then cross the Big Bend, and there you're good all the way down.

Also keep in mind for this route is the ellender bridge in Louisiana. It’s a 50’ closed lift bridge. With 4 hours notice it can open to 233’.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Also keep in mind for this route is the ellender bridge in Louisiana. It’s a 50’ closed lift bridge. With 4 hours notice it can open to 233’.

Yep, good catch. I missed that one!

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by SailingAnasazi

Two young sailors here planning on crossing the Gulf sometime in the next few weeks on our 37ft hunter. We have never made a passage this large before so we are looking for any advice or knowledge on this route. We would also be very open to having an extra crew member or two that would like to make the crossing as well. It's been quite difficult finding any info on this trek. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

This trip is about 650 miles, should be sailable in 10 days or less on a Hunter 37, often an easy downwind sail. I think there is less difficulty in doing a 10 day, open water, voyage than a series of short hops where you are constantly going into and out of ports and channels and shallow water, oil rigs, etc.

The problem is that weather forecasting is not good for more than about 4 days, meaning you will get weather systems on the second half of the trip that were not in your forecast. A solution to that is to plan one or two stops along the way so that your hops can be completed within a 4 day window.

You need to learn how to get and read weather information. I'd suggest windy, https://www.windy.com/?2020-03-17-12,21.392,-92.944,5 for example, which you can get before you leave.

You also need to become familiar with reducing sail and preparing for heavy weather, and you need to have some confidence in your crew's ability. Also susceptibility to seasickness.

[BobHorn]

Have done that trip three times. First time straight across from Clearwater to the start of the Fairway into Galveston, about seven days. Next time, again from Clearwater, we hugged the coast, went into Pensacola Bay, ICW from there to Mobile Bay and then the Fairways to Galveston, about four days from Mobile Bay to Galveston. Last time, started from Dunedin, hugged the coast, went into Pensacola Bay and planned to go out at Mobile Bay like the previous time, but due to really lousy weather, this was in December, we went ICW to Lake Pontchartrain and put into a marina in Slidell. From there we then did the Fairways to Galveston.
Alternative would be the ICW all the way. There are bridges east of Pensacola we could not clear so we always stayed outside until we went in at Pensacola. Going west from Pensacola you have the Mississippi locks to contend with and the Ellender bridge, which requires advance notice to open. Interesting trip, but requires anchoring every night somewhere. I have talked to one boat that did the ICW from Galveston to Lake Pontchartrain running day and night, not something I would even consider.

[captmikem]

Originally Posted by Group9

If you don't know what you are doing (and, I'm guessing you don't or you wouldn't be here asking) I think you are going to be better off making short hops and hugging the shore all the way there.

If you know what you are doing, it's an easy downwind run most of the time.

I would rhink just the opposite. Streight shot, follow the line on the gps. Rigs are easy to see and avoid.
Not much can happen to you offshore.

Hugging the coast
Shallow coast. More traffic, have to figure various courses. Currents effect you. Danger lies near the coast.

M

[SailingAnasazi]

[QUOTE=BobHorn;3090389]Have done that trip three times. First time straight across from Clearwater to the start of the Fairway into Galveston, about seven days.


This is the route we are planning on taking. Our mast is 52f which is not ideal for some of the bridges and we have done part of the ICW along the east coast and prefer open water. We are pairing the pilot charts with winds and weather for the next few weeks to see if there is a good weather window. We bought the boat to sail as much as possible and would really like to make this passage, safely of course.

[SailingAnasazi]

Thanks for this reply! That is pretty much where are brains are at at the moment. Not saying off shore doesn't have it's obstacles but this is our preferred route. Working on getting a four person crew to really get the most out of the passage.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by captmikem

I would rhink just the opposite. Streight shot, follow the line on the gps. Rigs are easy to see and avoid.
Not much can happen to you offshore.

Hugging the coast
Shallow coast. More traffic, have to figure various courses. Currents effect you. Danger lies near the coast.

M

Well, you might not die, but you can certainly have a passage across the Gulf of Mexico that might leave you not wanting to boat any more. At this point in my life, the roughest seas I was ever in, was on a trip across the Gulf of Mexico to Grand Cayman, on a 90 foot work boat in 10- 12 foot steep seas, for most of the passage..

At no point did I think I was going to die, but there were a whole lot of time where I wished I was somewhere else!

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

The Gulf can get nasty quick. The prevailing is in your favor but it is important to know that forecasts are only good for 3 or 4 days. I’d aim for Panama City and of weather holds keep going to Destin then Pensacola. I’d not mess with Mobile and leave Pensacola and go around the delta. I stay way out to avoid rigs and traffic although one time going other way I passed the SW channel about 2 miles off around 02:00 and traffic was not bad. If you need to keep going and weather goes south, take GICW west of Pensacola.