Need Advice - Jacksonville > Port St Lucie

[crishaz]

Helping a friend deliver a Tartan 27 from Jacksonville to Port St Lucie in mid-January.

I've got some offshore / coastal experience in Florida, most notably doing a similar trip in reverse (Fort Lauderdale > Jacksonville) in April 2010.

My rough plan from Jax is to head SSE, clear the red can off Cape Canaveral and then head back toward the St. Lucie inlet.

Any weather advice on taking the offshore route? Avoid north-easterlies, especially near the Gulf Stream - what else? Anyone sail this in favorable conditions? Happy to motor it too, if it means I can avoid the ICW.

If weather is bad, I'll take the ditch.

Thanks in advance.

[Snore]

I hate the ICW and try to avoid it whenever possible.

But a delivering a T-27- southbound? I would stay inside.

Somethings to ponder. Look at the charts, look how far out you need to get clear of the GS. Then consider the idea that your are no going south and crossing the GS at St Lucie, but instead bucking it by heading SSE.

The next option is to be inside until the Cape and then duck in and out of inlets. The risk there is you are taking a smaller boat, with an engine you don't know in and out inlets. Not prudent.

The conservative approach is to drive up there and do some basic engine maintenance. Change the oil and trans fluid. Assuming it is a gas engine do the plugs, wires (if suspect at all) points, etc. Bring a radio or speaker for your phone and listen to tunes as you motor south.

[crishaz]

Thank you much, all good points.

Luckily the boat just got re-powerred with a 20hp Yanmar, so no Atomic 4 to worry about. It's been broken in for about 50 hours.

Looking at Gulf Steam maps, it looks like it veers off NNE at the Cape, so was hoping I could run east of it to Cape Canaveral and then hug the coast after that.

Running inlet to inlet might be a good option. Maybe go inside and avoid going around the Cape, then pop back out and head down close to the coast, weather permitting.

I'll probably just do the ICW and play it safe unless conditions look optimal.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by crishaz

Looking at Gulf Steam maps, it looks like it veers off NNE at the Cape, so was hoping I could run east of it to Cape Canaveral and then hug the coast after that.

Running inlet to inlet might be a good option. Maybe go inside and avoid going around the Cape, then pop back out and head down close to the coast, weather permitting.

I'll probably just do the ICW and play it safe unless conditions look optimal.

Are you really going to run south from Jacksonville to St. Lucie Inlet EAST of the gulf stream? Most folks heading south on the FL coast hug the shore hoping to get a counter current. If you go east of the stream you'll have to cross it twice. Just hug the shore and nip in if the weather doesn't cooperate.

[s/v Moondancer]

Vasco has it right...I have done the trip several times and I stay close to the beach in the counter current... preferably in nice weather.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

Vasco has it right...I have done the trip several times and I stay close to the beach in the counter current... preferably in nice weather.

Could you explain where there is a counter current off Cape Canaveral? When I was there swimming the current was laterally on the beach.

I always stay inside for the cape.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Snore

Could you explain where there is a counter current off Cape Canaveral? When I was there swimming the current was laterally on the beach.

I always stay inside for the cape.

The counter current varies. Sometimes you get it most times you don't. I know the stream is close in at many points such as Lake Worth. Staying close in is preferable to slogging south in the stream. You will note that my post said "hoping to get a counter current".

[Snore]

Originally Posted by Vasco

The counter current varies. Sometimes you get it most times you don't. I know the stream is close in at many points such as Lake Worth. Staying close in is preferable to slogging south in the stream. You will note that my post said "hoping to get a counter current".

Thanks. Thought I missed something. I'll keep going inside till south of The Cape.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by crishaz

-----Looking at Gulf Steam maps, it looks like it veers off NNE at the Cape, so was hoping I could run east of it to Cape Canaveral and then hug the coast after that.-----

One of the more pleasant sails I've had was St. Augustine to Marathon using that route. As long as conditions are favorable all you need is some crew to let you get some sleep.
Have fun.

[SailingFan]

Also, I don't know if the shoaling of Matthew and the damage to jetties has all been repaired or updated on electronic charts (and surely not on paper yet), so be careful about grounding potential if you have to get into the ICW or are negotiating shallower areas, of course... I made the ICW trip Daytona to Jacksonville, and I have to say, there were some shoals near St. Augustine that were not supposed to be there, and that was during the spring, before Matthew...

[Whitebread117]

If the weather isnt awesome for outside, that section of the ditch is really rather pleasant. Mostly wide and deep until Banana River/mosquito lagoon, and then the channel is shallow but completely uniform.

The major exception is the Matanzas Inlet curve just south of St Augustine. It is very shoal. Hug the western bank tight, and if you're over 6' draft time it for high tide.

Iirc all if the bridges on that stretch are open on demand (with some rush hour restrictions) except for the Bridge of Lions in St Augustine. The whole Canaveral area is non tidal due to the lock. Unlike some other parts of the icw, it's very easy to make good time from Jax to Stuart.

[SailingFan]

Originally Posted by Whitebread117

If the weather isnt awesome for outside, that section of the ditch is really rather pleasant. Mostly wide and deep until Banana River/mosquito lagoon, and then the channel is shallow but completely uniform.

The major exception is the Matanzas Inlet curve just south of St Augustine. It is very shoal. Hug the western bank tight, and if you're over 6' draft time it for high tide.

Iirc all if the bridges on that stretch are open on demand (with some rush hour restrictions) except for the Bridge of Lions in St Augustine. The whole Canaveral area is non tidal due to the lock. Unlike some other parts of the icw, it's very easy to make good time from Jax to Stuart.

The Matanzas area is indeed where we had our primary problems, it was shoaled all over, and the light was fading so we gave up for the night after some close scrapes with bottom (shoal draft Hunter 27... 3.5 feet I think, and no depth finder at the time), primarily mud or sand, missed most of the harder shell mounds. Once clear of the Matanzas section, it was indeed clear sailing (well, motoring anyway) and we went the rest of the way without negative incidents.

[tdh1849]

Have made the trip twice. It is easy to do, bottom line we stayed about a mile out and motor sailed. Watch the fishing boats at night, they will have nets out so be careful.

Smooth sailing.

[crishaz]

Thanks for the advice everyone - great stuff.

And yea, mis-typed - staying WEST of Gulf Stream. I wrote that before my first cup of coffee, and I should have know better than to do anything at that point.

[Dave22q]

Unless you have a strong desire to avoid motoring, going offshore makes little sense. Particularly true if you plan on not anchoring en route. If you do go offshore I join those who say stay close in, there are no major hazards and you can avoid crossing the stream.