Reaching out for help

[Jeff2saint]

Hello Everyone.

I have taken the plunge and bought a new to me 1973 C&C 30 Mark 1.
The boat seems to be in very good shape after cleaning her up a bit. I am in NYC and I plan on sailing her south to Hispaniola. I was wondering if anyone can provide any new experiences or important information about this journey. I am mostly interested in sailing for 8 to 12 hours daily with plans on spending the night at a safe anchorage/ marina every night. I am a new sailor (0 experience) and am in the process of learning the lines so to speak. I want to take it easy and not tax myself nor my boat so any suggestions, advice, comments would be appreciated. I am very happy to finally be a part of the sailing community. I plan on leaving some time between the last week of November and December 1st hoping to make the journey in one month. Does this seem feasable? I will not be going offshore.Thanks in advance to all who
reply. I would appreciate it if Someone can explain what route I can take to the ICW from NYC keeping in mind that I don't want to sail at night.

[boatpoker]

With a draft of 4' 6", the chances of you making it through the NJ intracoastal between Barnegat and Cape May without multiple groundings are slim. First thing to do is understand tides, and wind opposing tides at inlets and get TowBoatUS before leaving the dock.

If you do go inside you will not be sailing between Manasquan and Cape May so learn how to maintain and trouble shoot your engine.

A snowmobile suit would also be a good idea as it's going to be very cold and wet ... usually 8 -10 degrees colder on the water than land.

[ohdrinkboy]

This book will help for Bahama's and south:https://www.amazon.com/Gentlemans-Gu.../dp/0944428541

Waterways guide for the ICW and Bob423 tracks (Google it) will help on the ICW.

[stormalong]

Since you say you have zero experience lets start from zero.

Boats are not like cars, every one is different, especially after fifty years. Did you have a survey done to determine what it needs? Especially a rigging survey to determine if the rig will withstand offshore sailing. What condition are the sails in? Does the boat have a reliable autopilot or windvane steering system. If autopilot does the boat have the electrical power - batteries and charging capability to supply it?

Next, your skills. Coastal port hopping requires a lot of navigation skill. Are you prepared? Sailing off shore is both faster and safer. By your own words you have zero experience. Are you going alone?

To get to Hispaniola you will have to go offshore and by coastal hopping south you will have to go east into strong headwinds to get there. It is far easier and safer to go to Bermuda and then turn south. Either way you will have to provision and carry water for the trip.

From your initial post it sounds like you are more idealistic than realistic about making this journey.

You need more skills and help to make this trip. Has it been done? Yes but far more attempts have failed than succeeded.

[hpeer]

I have done much of this, as have many others here.

NO, it is bot remotely feasible.

You are vastly underestimating the difficulty, time and discomfort involved.

Not saying you should not do it, only you know you.

It CAN NOT be done in 2 months.

I would suggest that you segment your plan, not give up. You have given us vastly more to comment on than is reasonable.

Do this, cut your trip into a few sections. Let us say NYC to Norfolk. That is more manageable and something finite to get your head around.

So I suggest you start a new thread - NYC to Norfolk Novice Planning. See how that goes.

Good luck.

[Jim Cate]

I will not be going offshore

Perhaps as a Pacific ocean sailor I'm a bit confused, but how do you get to an offshore island without going offshore?

I hate to be negative, but you seem woefully ill prepared to consider this plan.

Jim

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by Jeff2saint

Hello Everyone.

I have taken the plunge and bought a new to me 1973 C&C 30 Mark 1.
The boat seems to be in very good shape after cleaning her up a bit. I am in NYC and I plan on sailing her south to Hispaniola. I was wondering if anyone can provide any new experiences or important information about this journey. I am mostly interested in sailing for 8 to 12 hours daily with plans on spending the night at a safe anchorage/ marina every night. I am a new sailor (0 experience) and am in the process of learning the lines so to speak. I want to take it easy and not tax myself nor my boat so any suggestions, advice, comments would be appreciated. I am very happy to finally be a part of the sailing community. I plan on leaving some time between the last week of November and December 1st hoping to make the journey in one month. Does this seem feasable? I will not be going offshore.Thanks in advance to all who
reply. I would appreciate it if Someone can explain what route I can take to the ICW from NYC keeping in mind that I don't want to sail at night.

Not remotely possible even for a very experienced sailor with a much faster boat. You are getting useful suggestions from people about taking your time to learn what you don't know - and then addressing how you learn that stuff.

You say you want to go to Hispaniola, we assume the DR rather than Haiti. Why this specific destination.

[Jeff2saint]

Thank you. I have been reading this book. I appreciate the help. I'll try and find someone to help me get her home.

[boatpoker]

This is a very (very) old article from my website but you may find a few useful tips ...
Primer For First Timers On The ICW

[TrentePieds]

Jeff:

Quite a few of our members are professional delivery skippers.

You may be well advised to engage one of them to skipper your boat on the passage. It won't be cheap, but you'll be safe, then, and you will learn enough on that passage to undertake less ambitious intra-island voyages on your own.

If you do that, and steel yourself NOT to try to "play at owners" and override the professional captain's decisions and orders, the probability is very high that you and your boat will arrive in Hispaniola in one piece.

My judgement, having read your opening post, is that if you do NOT do that, or something like it, the probability that you will arrive in Hispaniola to sail another day will be very much reduced!

All the best!

TrentePieds

[carstenb]

Ok - so first let me say I am in agreement with the rest of the posters here - you would be wise to consider getting some help for this.

1- Make your run to Florida via the ICW. To do this, you need to ensure your engine is in absolutely top notch condition. Get Towboats US towing insurance. For the NJ leg - with your draft there are some marinas you can get into - start at sandy hook and marina hop down to Cape May, go up the Delaware to the Delaware/Chesapeake canal. From there on there will be marinas all the way down to Florida

2- When you go off shore from Florida - you will be sailing against the Christmas winds. This is not fun, nor is it something for a novice to do - think 20-25 knots windsand 2-3 meter wave right on the nose.

3- Since you admittedly are a novice - have you figured out how you are going to singlehand the off-shore part of this?

4- While the ICW will be all engine - standing at the helm all day is more than tiring - are you ready for this? Do you know the US inland Colregs?

5- you write you will anchor - do you know how to do this? Many places on het ICW there are no places to anchor except in the middle of the channel (not allowed). Are you prepared to plan you voyage so you don't end up trying to sail the ICW at night (not advised).

6- you say 1 month. Perhaps an experienced skipper who has made this run before could do this. Not meaning to be a killjoy - but you can't. Figure 2 months - assuming you run into no difficulties.

[leecea]

You bought a 1973 boat and cleaned it up a bit.
You admit to having zero experience.
You think you and the boat are both ready for a long trip, including offshore.

This is foolhardy at best. Something bad it almost certain to happen.

Also, regarding a delivery skipper. I imagine a couple of things will happen if you attempt to hire a professional skipper.

1. They will not be willing to take the boat 'as is'. They will want some additional level of inspection and preparation so their life is not at risk.

2. The total cost of the prep and delivery will far exceed the cost of the boat.

[Swimmingbird]

Hey Jeff!
This is a serious passage and you and your vessel will be in serious peril. If you really want to do it and arrive intact then I very strongly recommend hiring a professional to train you under way. Otherwise take some training there in NY where you are based.

[HeinSdL]

I think it is almost a guaranteed way to really get freaked out by the whole sailing experience and to truly end up hating it. Which would be a shame because that would only be due to lack of experience and guidance.

So, get some help, learn to sail and then get ready for a lifelong journey filled with fun and adventure. As well as manageable misery from time to time...

[Reeve21]

Please learn how to sail, navigate, anchor and get very familar with your engine before attempting this, and do not even consider it until (earlier) next fall.

What you are suggesting would be extremely stressful and uncomfortable at best…..and it could be a lot worse.