Florida to Chesapeake

[JonVonOrient]

Hello,

So within the next month or two I should be in the market or have acquired my own boat. One that I have had my eye on resides in Florida however I am in Virginia. The boat needs a lot of work and I am okay to work on it. My plan is to get the boat somewhat descent. And then take it up the ICW via motor to the Chesapeake Bay. My issues are these,

1.) With 7.5' draft what areas of the ICW am I going to have the most issues?

2.) I am not going to be able to take off a three weeks to do the sail all in one shot, so I would like to keep the boat at various stops until I can get the boat into Virginia waters. With a 61' mast height will I have issues getting into any marina's along the ICW due to my height?

3.) Lastly for those of you that have done the ICW for the first timer what advice would you give?

[polaris2.11]

3) Avoid the ICW and sail offshore as much as you can. Way less stressful (think shoals, currents, bridges, traffic) and you will make way better time... esp. on overnight hops. It is not generally practical to do day hops offshore except in a few spots.

[JonVonOrient]

The problem is I do not know how to sail, my only exprience has been with motoring outboard center consoles and that was quite a few years ago. I would love to do an off shore passage with a delivery skipper but since I won't have two grand to drop on a skipper as well as afford the fuel, marina stops in an emergency or foul weather. I am going to have to do it alone. My plan is to get it workable and then practice with an ASA captain in the Chesapeake Bay while working on various systems every weekend that I can until I can get comfortable with the boat to single hand it.

[motion30]

parts of North Florida and. Most of Georgia will be especially problematic with that much draft

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by JonVonOrient

The problem is I do not know how to sail, my only exprience has been with motoring outboard center consoles and that was quite a few years ago. I would love to do an off shore passage with a delivery skipper but since I won't have two grand to drop on a skipper as well as afford the fuel, marina stops in an emergency or foul weather. I am going to have to do it alone. My plan is to get it workable and then practice with an ASA captain in the Chesapeake Bay while working on various systems every weekend that I can until I can get comfortable with the boat to single hand it.

I see trouble ahead for you.

You say you are about to buy a boat with 7'6" draft (and 61ft mast) . So not a small boat.

You say that you cannot afford a delivery skipper ($2000 ??) or fuel or marina costs.

It sounds like a boat you can barely afford to buy but cannot afford to operate or maintain. That is going to be un-sustainable. Don't do it.

Then you propose to embark on a long trip with a newly purchased boat through a waterway which you know little about (do you know what a wonderful resource the Internet is? Do some research). And you know nothing about sailing and presumably little about sailboat maintenance?

So this too is a program for disaster. Don't do it.

Buy a project boat locally, one which leaves some funds for fixing it up, and learn how to operate it and maintain it before heading off on a long trip.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by wingssail

I see trouble ahead for you.

You say you are about to buy a boat with 7'6" draft (and 61ft mast) . So not a small boat.

You say that you cannot afford a delivery skipper ($2000 ??) or fuel or marina costs.

It sounds like a boat you can barely afford to buy but cannot afford to operate or maintain. That is going to be un-sustainable. Don't do it.

Then you propose to embark on a long trip with a newly purchased boat through a waterway which you know little about (do you know what a wonderful resource the Internet is? Do some research). And you know nothing about sailing and presumably little about sailboat maintenance?

So this too is a program for disaster. Don't do it.

Buy a project boat locally, one which leaves some funds for fixing it up, and learn how to operate it and maintain it before heading off on a long trip.

wingsail, I know you probably won't listen to this but you should.

[kipwrite]

Agreed.

[thomm225]

Why not find another boat here in Virginia or Maryland.

Your plan isn't a good one.

What type boat would you be interested in?

I bought my boat for $2,000 so they are out there. Mine was on the Eastern Shore of VA and it was maybe my 12th boat but first monohull

I was 75 miles away when I bought it but grew up within 3 miles of the boat's location

I moved it down here after a year of shakedown cruises and engine replacements. That was in 2011, and I'm still sailing the boat

[Boatguy30]

You're not going to get it delivered for 2k! Atleast by someone knowledgeable.

I'm hoping you decide against this plan for the sake of all stake holders.

[flyingfin]

Buy the boat and keep it in a DIY yard near West Palm or Orlando Airport. Fly down for long weekends and your vacation to work on it, airfares are real cheap 21 days out. Make sure you have a reliable vessel before taking her offshore. Or pull the mast and stick her on a transport

[letsgetsailing3]

There are plenty of boats in the Chesapeake Bay already for you to choose from.

[JonVonOrient]

Originally Posted by wingssail

I see trouble ahead for you.

You say you are about to buy a boat with 7'6" draft (and 61ft mast) . So not a small boat.

You say that you cannot afford a delivery skipper ($2000 ??) or fuel or marina costs.

It sounds like a boat you can barely afford to buy but cannot afford to operate or maintain. That is going to be un-sustainable. Don't do it.

Then you propose to embark on a long trip with a newly purchased boat through a waterway which you know little about (do you know what a wonderful resource the Internet is? Do some research). And you know nothing about sailing and presumably little about sailboat maintenance?

So this too is a program for disaster. Don't do it.

Buy a project boat locally, one which leaves some funds for fixing it up, and learn how to operate it and maintain it before heading off on a long trip.

The problem is, it looks like my dream boat plus and minus one or two things. I can afford to fill it up and motor it but then I have the problem of time, or rather lack of it. Trust me I looked around the Chesapeake and Annapolis area but a boat like this does not necessarily come around often in my area if at all whenever I am financially able to look.

[JonVonOrient]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Why not find another boat here in Virginia or Maryland.

Your plan isn't a good one.

What type boat would you be interested in?

I bought my boat for $2,000 so they are out there. Mine was on the Eastern Shore of VA and it was maybe my 12th boat but first monohull

I was 75 miles away when I bought it but grew up within 3 miles of the boat's location

I moved it down here after a year of shakedown cruises and engine replacements. That was in 2011, and I'm still sailing the boat

The boat I am interested is a Ketch rigged monohull capable of blue water crusing. Made of Fiberglass with a draft of 6-7.5' I feel anything deeper would limit me in exploring my future destination of South East Asia. Oh, and no teak on the deck, and with a captain's cabin in the aft. That is my dream boat.

[JonVonOrient]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

Buy the boat and keep it in a DIY yard near West Palm or Orlando Airport. Fly down for long weekends and your vacation to work on it, airfares are real cheap 21 days out. Make sure you have a reliable vessel before taking her offshore. Or pull the mast and stick her on a transport

Honestly I am considering this too. I don't care about getting the boat perfect. I just need it to handle the ICW at least, my issue is my lack of knowledge of that waterway and with the earlier comment that 2000 for a delivery would not be enough I seem to stuck on doing it myself if I pull the trigger on this purchase.

Sure wish this boat was in Virginia and just an hour away, oh well.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by JonVonOrient

And then take it up the ICW via motor to the Chesapeake Bay. My issues are these,

1.) With 7.5' draft what areas of the ICW am I going to have the most issues?

2.) I am not going to be able to take off a three weeks to do the sail all in one shot, so I would like to keep the boat at various stops until I can get the boat into Virginia waters. With a 61' mast height will I have issues getting into any marina's along the ICW due to my height?

3.) Lastly for those of you that have done the ICW for the first timer what advice would you give?

The ICW shouldn't be all that scary. Get charts and/or charting apps, a couple guide books (Waterway Guide), use Active Captain, Cruiser's Net, etc. and work out a plan, build Plan B (C, D, E, etc.) bail-outs into the basic plan...

North FL (a bit) and Georgia are shallow, but I think not un-doable. Mid-tide rising will get you through most places, high tide if necessary through anything that looks trickier...

Shallotte Inlet and Lockwood Folly Inlet were said to be dicey a couple years ago, but we saw 10'+ all the way through those while heading south, and Lockwood was being dredged on our way back north. The areas near Isle of Palms and especially McClellanville were both a bit shallow, but mid-tide rising solved that...

About that Plan thing: good to have, but OTOH schedules can hurt you. Make your planning as schedule-independent as possible.

Originally Posted by flyingfin

Buy the boat and keep it in a DIY yard near West Palm or Orlando Airport. Fly down for long weekends and your vacation to work on it, airfares are real cheap 21 days out. Make sure you have a reliable vessel before taking her offshore.

Originally Posted by JonVonOrient

Honestly I am considering this too. I don't care about getting the boat perfect. I just need it to handle the ICW at least, my issue is my lack of knowledge of that waterway and with the earlier comment that 2000 for a delivery would not be enough I seem to stuck on doing it myself if I pull the trigger on this purchase.

Review airline routes for cheap flight possibilities in advance (JAX is likely another cheap destination, maybe Charleston, Wilmington, etc.), pick your drop-off points based on that and inexpensive docking...

And then maybe just take your time on each leg, smell the coffee along the way. Got buds? Take some with you, make each segment a vacation...

-Chris