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Old 11-01-2025, 20:00   #1
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Florida to Ri

We are looking at at a Catalina 445 in Florida and bringing her north in late April .I have done the trip about 10 times on powerboats but never on sailboat. Curious on what route people took going North . I know it’s very much weather dependent and it will be cold
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Old 11-01-2025, 20:36   #2
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Re: Florida to Ri

It depends on whether you are looking to cruise or make a speed run, as well as the height of your mast and the depth of the keel. I have gone from Port Canaveral to Beaufort NC offshore twice. I have a 6.5-7 knot boat and with the boost from the Gulf stream it takes about 3 days. This requires a bit of a weather window and you end up about 120 miles off shore at Charleston, so there's no quick bailout. If you hug the coast it's a bit longer, but you have a lot of bailout points. If you have a <65ft mast and less than 5.5 feet of draft you can always do the ICW but you'll do a lot of motoring. On the near shore route, do the ICW from Port Canaveral to Ponce inlet then hop off the beach to Fernandina(St. Mary's inlet), St. Mary's to Winyah Bay, SC, then Winyah Bay to Beaufort inlet. I go in Beaufort inlet and take the ICW to Norfolk. From Norfolk I have gone straight to block Island in about 54 hours. Weather has made that untenable a couple of times so I hugged the Jersey shore and gone inside at Sandyhook up the East river and through LI sound. That route is a bit more complicated because you have to time the tides in the East river and and at the Race at the east end of the sound, not to mention trying to navigate the busy NY harbor in a slow boat.
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Old 12-01-2025, 01:43   #3
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Re: Florida to Ri

Done it 3 times in same 46' sailboat. We started usually mid April or by the 20s. Each time went outside and watched/waited for the weather prior to starting. Surprisingly the owner later quipped that our crew had better luck as a few times he had a totally different crew they had weather issues each trip and had to get to port a few times on the way. My take on it was that our crew had more flexibility with our work schedules so that we could afford waiting for weather windows while the other crew had deadlines and planes to catch. Makes a huge difference IMO.
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Old 12-01-2025, 10:17   #4
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Re: Florida to Ri

I have done this trip a half dozen times. With the prevailing southerly winds at this time of year and long daylight it’s usually quite easy. If you have less than four crew to make extended offshore watches pleasant, I like to do West Palm to Charleston. Charleston to Beaufort. Beaufort to Norfolk. Norfolk to NYC then up the East River and down Long Island Sound. It only gets cold as you get to NJ so I don’t go overnight from there as it’s too cold in an open cockpit overnight.

Most of these jumps are 200-300 miles so can be done with only one night at sea so you don’t need a full watch schedule. The first one to Charleston is 350 miles but the Gulf Stream makes for great days runs. I tend to spend a few days at each stop to wait for weather and enjoy a break ashore. Most of the time weather determines the departure.

If your mast is less than 63’ you can use the ICW on bad weather days (which you will have) and to stay inside at Cape Hatteras. Waiting for good weather to get around Hatteras can require a week or more delay in Beaufort.
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Old 14-01-2025, 12:15   #5
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Re: Florida to Ri

Miami to Norfolk 5 days. Norfolk to Cape May or Sandy Hook/Block depending on final destination.
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Old 14-01-2025, 14:41   #6
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Re: Florida to Ri

What I have done, not necessarily what you should do.

I've done the trip 6 times (3 each direction) in a 36' sail boat (50' air draft, 6' water draft) with just myself and my wife. We are relatively inexperienced off shore sailors compared to many others here. We are not in a hurry. We tend to try for 24-48 hour offshore hops, then a couple days or longer hanging out.

Most of this is similar to Carlf and it will depend on your mast height.

Florida to Charleston. We anchor in the Ashley river upstream of the bridges and by the park with the free dinghy dock. You will likely not be able to get that far up as there is a 56' fixed bridge, but there are anchorages below that bridge. Read active captain/waterway guide reviews as there may be some debris on the bottom in those anchorages.

Charleston to Beaufort. Anchor across from the town marina. Or you can anchor up Taylor creek, but it's tight. Or, just go into the bight.

ICW from Beaufort to Norfolk. We find this ICW stretch generally pleasant and there is some sailing to be done in the Neuse River and while crossing the sounds or Alligator river. Empty, quiet anchorages along the way. We usually stop at the free docks (free is at the high end of my price range, in case you couldn't tell) at the locks.

Norfolk to Cape May, sometimes leaving from the locks, other times staging closer to the mouth of the Chesapeake depending on weather windows.

Cape May to someplace near NYC depending on if we are going up LIS or staying offshore of LI. Depends on the weather and seas and if we want to go overnight. Sometimes we go straight through the city and stop in Port Washington. We have also anchored in Coney Island Creek, but it's pretty sketchy in terms of junk on the bottom and toxic sludge that comes up on your anchor. Well protected though.

NOTE: You need to consider the currents going through the East River.

NYC-ish to Narragansett Bay. If we are lazy we will take a couple days going down LIS. Watch the currents at The Race. If weather cooperates will will just follow the south shore of LI then head for the Bay.

Hope that helps.
Another Roe Dylander
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Old 25-01-2025, 17:39   #7
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Re: Florida to Ri

Thanks all for the advice. We are bringing our new to us Catalina 445 from Jax to RI. 5ft draft and mast height 64ft. We are doing the first leg with our 2 young daughters and plan on doing Jacksonville to Charleston SC on the inside Any places we should avoid or should stop. We may anchor some nights
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Old 25-01-2025, 19:36   #8
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Re: Florida to Ri

You should definitely stop at Cumberland Island. Many people anchor in the channel up near the Island, where it's pretty deep. I prefer to anchor on the shelf just a bit to the west. If you look at the NOAA there is an M on the chart just north of the Cumberland Island wreck day beacon. This very solid mud and I have never drug anchor there even though the current rushes through there pretty fast. It's a 1 mile dinghy run to the National park dock. Just give the wreck a hundred and fifty feet of clearance when entering and leaving.The charts are pretty accurate The ICW in Georgia is mostly on natural river channels so lots of twists and turns, but it is beautiful. It's something you should do ONCE. Also remember that tides in Georgia can be up to 13ft and currents in the ICW can get pretty strong especially near the major inlets.
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