Suggestions for Newbies going from TX to FL?

[MoBear]

Hi everyone,



We are three newbies looking to sail to Manasota Key Florida by mid-May of 2023 (meeting some friends there). We have taken some sailing classes, but have very little experience. In the next month we will be buying a boat and becoming live aboards near Kemah, TX and trying to get as much experience possible with as many people as will train us :-)


Can anyone give suggestions on timeline we should allow for following the coast from Kemah to Florida? Marinas to stop in? Things to avoid? We have not done any night sailing and are hoping to sail weekends (we work remotely during the week). We also do not have radar on the boat, and are planning to use an iPad with Navionics for a chart plotter



Thanks in advance for any suggestions/recommendations. We are excited to kick off this adventure!

[BobHorn]

Straight across, about 7 days or check out our web page, www.svescapades.net, we've made the trip twice in that direction using the ICW, although that was 20 years ago.

[boatpoker]

As you have not bought the boat yet, this may help ...
Marine Survey 101, pre-survey inspection

[hlev00]

You seem to be biting off a lot for your first trip but to get some useful input here you need to provide at least roughly what type of sailboat you are planning on. A 35 foot monohull will travel much more slowly than a 50 foot monohull. Or are you looking at a catamaran? When you figure out what kind of boat, look into what sort of speed you might make. On our 42' Beneteau we plan around 6 knots. So if we weren't going to travel at night, we would be looking at 50 miles for a full day.

For marinas, look at Navionics or Aquamaps for Active Captain or Waterway Guide recommendations around the areas given you planned distances.

Trying to do it just on weekends really adds to the challenges given the likelihood of weather not cooperating for parts of your trip.

Harry

[MoBear]

Thanks all,



A bit more info:
The boat we are looking at is a 36' Bruce Roberts custom - monohull, steel boat. We expect to do about 5 knots generally, so moving pretty slow. We have thought about going straight across, but that would require a captain which would add up fast. We were hoping to meander our way over there and enjoy some sights along the way :-)


We have the survey tomorrow - thanks for the link - I had actually found that on another thread previously - it is a great rundown (this is our second boat to survey - hoping this one is a bit better)


I guess the thing I'm really trying to figure out is before getting all the charts and actually mapping it out (which I plan to do) - what do you use to get a rough idea of how far it is between places, I've been using google, but I know that isn't geared toward sailing. If we could do 40-50 miles per day, what marinas should we be trying to hit each day?



Thanks for the tip on the weekends - I didn't think about the weather. Currently, only one of us is working, so theoretically, the other two could sail while the one works, as long as we have internet (I'll have to check the power consumption - may be a motor sail)

[BobHorn]

Active Captain used to be the goto guide but I understand that since Garmin bought it, not so useful anymore. On the ICW marinas are few and far between. Morgan City and Houma had city docks, water and power but no marina facilities. More choices once you cross the Mississippi and get into the Mississippi Sound. Once you get to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, again, not much in the way of marinas.
I did one crossing on a Valiant 40, three of us, totally uneventful. My wife and I came straight across from Clearwater, again, no issues.
Internet along the way I think will be spotty at best.
Bob

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by MoBear

Thanks all,



A bit more info:
The boat we are looking at is a 36' Bruce Roberts custom - monohull, steel boat. We expect to do about 5 knots generally, so moving pretty slow. We have thought about going straight across, but that would require a captain which would add up fast. We were hoping to meander our way over there and enjoy some sights along the way :-)

Novices are in much more danger coastal hopping rather than crossing open water.
https://www.google.com/search?q=yach...&bih=657&dpr=1

[Brioche]

A few comments. Navionics is good -- you should install it on several cell phones as well and have independent battery chargers for cell phones so if you lose power you still can navigate. If you are all new to this, I suggest you have some shorter legs penciled in as well. If you get locked into a schedule and something unexpected happens it is best to have backup plans. Likewise, if you get a favorable wind it is not a bad idea to take advantage of it and get past your original waypoint. Finally, it may be a good idea to sail as much as possible (not motoring to maintain schedule) to get as much experience in on the boat as possible, early on. Again, you never know what will happen so getting familiar with the boat is important. On the positive side, a trip like this sounds like the perfect way to get to know about sailing very quickly and efficiently.

[Be Free]

Just doing a rough estimate you're going to be traveling 1000 miles, maybe a bit more staying close to the shore so you can move to a marina each night. I would not bet on finding a good anchorage/marina every time within 50 miles but lets assume it for planning purposes.

Just for grins lets assume you are going in and out 5 miles each day. It will likely be more given how shallow the coastal waters are but lets go with it anyway. Hlev00 has thrown out 50 miles a day as a good estimate so lets go with that. You only plan to move on weekends so that's 100 miles per week. 1000 miles / 100 miles per week = 10 weeks. 10 weeks means at least 10 trips in and out for another 100 miles so lets add one more week as "overhead".

Assuming that you have no problems, no delays, no weather issues, and everything else goes exactly according to plan then you can expect around 11 weeks from Kemah to Manasota Key.

Your best-case scenario looks like you have about 11 weeks to find a boat, equip it for three people to live on it for three months, plan your route, and move from "newbie" to "knows enough not to die". "Adventure" is one way to describe it.

You don't mention the size of the boat or whether you plan to anchor out or stay in marinas. I'm going to guess at least something in the low 30' range since there will be three of you. Given your plans to work remotely I'm going to assume marina. That eliminates problems associated with a power budget. It does, however, incur a $500 or so docking/power bill per week, assuming you can find an open slip with power within 50 miles of the last one. A bigger boat will be more comfortable but it will also increase the marina charges and may decrease your choices.

Coincidentally, last night I was planning a trip to a spot in that general area to be taken in mid-March. I'm in a boat that I know intimately and I have close-enough to 50 years sailing experience to not argue about the difference. It will be approximately 1/10th the distance and 1/20th the time on the water as the trip you are considering. Since I expect to be alone I also don't plan to travel after dark.

Before I leave I will have up to date charts on multiple purpose-built navigation devices (not cell phone or tablet) and up to the minute weather forecasts. I will have identified primary and secondary anchorages based on expected and worst-case sailing and motoring conditions. I will have approximately 50% more fuel on board than I expect to use and I will have identified where I can refuel if I get into my safety margin. All of this will be in an area that I am already familiar with in a boat that I know is prepared for the voyage.

Traveling the Gulf coast is not like driving it. You don't have rest areas every 40 miles or gas stations every 10. You can't just pull over to the shoulder and call a tow truck if something breaks. What you are proposing is not trivial. I'm not saying you should not do it but you should be making an informed decision to engage in a potentially life-threatening trip.

Personally, I don't think you have enough time to get a boat, get it in shape, get yourselves in shape, and plan the trip. Not my trip. Not my boat. Not my decision.

Are you likely to die? Not if you take reasonable precautions. There is no question that it will be memorable but remember that memories come in two varieties: good and bad.

Will it be and adventure? Sort of depends on your definition. According to my daughter, "It's not an adventure until somebody bleeds."

Regardless, I wish you the best in your endeavors and if you choose to do it after careful consideration of all that is involved I hope you make some very happy memories.

[boatpoker]

This !

[BobHorn]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Novices are in much more danger coastal hopping rather than crossing open water.
https://www.google.com/search?q=yach...&bih=657&dpr=1

Good point. Take the Fairway SE out of Galveston and then straight across. No shallow spots, nothing to hit, go into Clearwater, great marina or anchorage with access to stores. Recuperate and then head south to your final destination.

[boatpoker]

Another thought ... as complete novices, how are you getting insurance ?
Can you afford to lose the boat ?

[chubby]

personally, i'd want radar in that area... specifically, i see a halo/doppler unit as a good use of funds on a new-to-me sailboat there.
just gives you that an extra set of eyes on watch that won't get tired or want to take a nap at the wrong times.

lots oil rigs off shore of LA.. some will lit...many will not.
not a generally a problem..but again, i "watch" every potential threat on radar to keep things not being a problem.

i'd download opencpn on a laptop(and obtain a few gps doggles).. there are many maps you could pay for...and many other "grey" ones you could download from the obvious "pirate" places.
you can overlay google earth layers which is helpful in route planning.

..make redundancy part of the thinking.
know what will be your back-up if XX happens to fail.

if your ipad dies from the salty air, then what? (i'd want 2-3 spare tablets if that is all you will use...plus the same data on your phone too)

if there is autopilot..whats the plan when it breaks? will everyone be able hand-steer? ..will you invest in a backout autopilot?
make sure you stock up on extra fuel filters, impellers, etc.. and know how to change them while underway.

personally..
i'd do a few shakedown cruises in galveston bay..it is a good place to get proficient in anchoring (and you'll get a list of all the things that need replacing before your passage to florida)

i'd take a trip (inside route) down to corpus area. (and then coming back.. take the offshore route home)

that will also give you a much better idea on your cruising speeds and how much "time" you'll need to budget for your trip

imo, the kemah/clearlake area is a great place to be.. there is a wonderful cruiser community there.
just walk your dock and say the magic word (hi) ..you'll find all the pearls of wisdom you'll need right where you are.

imo, the trip to florida from texas should be straightforward in late spring (just pick a decent weather window..or pay a weather router to do it for you)

..imo the key is simply you knowing "your boat" and being competent in managing the various challenges that may want to pop up at lest than ideal times.

[BobHorn]

Our first trip from Kemah to Clearwater took 20 days using the ICW. That included a few days in NO and Pensacola.

[Bobby Lex]

MoBear. First, congrats on the new (to you) boat. Hope yesterday's survey went well.

Second, congrats on joining the sailing brotherhood. It's a lifestyle that is rewarding and satisfying beyond words!

Third, please take some of what I will call the "bolder" posts above with a huge grain of sea salt. You don't just jump on a new boat, as a new sailor, and make a 700nm crossing. Simply put: You don't know what you don't know.

I definitely recommend baby-steps for you. First, get to know your boat. The engine and fuel systems. The electrical system. The plumbing system. Your electronic devices. If you are 200 miles offshore and you run into problems with any of these vital systems you won't have internet to look up how to fix it. As the saying goes: "There are no plumbers (or electricians or mechanics or Geek Squad gurus) at sea". If going offshore, you have to be completely self-sufficient.

Second, take a basic navigation class (like the US Power Squadron course). Basic rules of the road, basic ATON recognition and interpretation, how to read a chart (is that "6" fathoms or feet?) etc. It's not rocket science. But there is a learning curve. You are at the bottom of that curve right now.

Third, do a night sail or two. It is totally different than day-sailing. Shore lights are easily confused with ATON lights or vessel lights. Often you can't see the horizon or any point of reference. It can be like sailing with a bag over your head. You need to get comfortable with this. Your test night sails don't need to be overnighters. Just a few hours in complete darkness to get you used to the experience -- before leaping into a 10-day 700 mile offshore passage with zero experience.

Fourth, start off following the ICW or along the coast. Do a 25 miler the first day. Then a 35 miler the second. Increase the distance and the challenges each day. Learn how your boat handles different conditions. Learn how YOU and your crew handle different conditions.

Fifth, at some point -- maybe after 3 days or after 13 days -- you might feel comfortable enough to make that "crossing". By then you'll be more confident that you, your crew, and your boat can handle the challenge. And your chances of an uneventful, successful trip will be greatly increased.

My suggestions are admittedly on the more conservative side. But I can't see the harm in being safe rather than sorry.

Best of luck, and let us know how your trip goes.

Bob