Hello from Maryland

[Jamiedhu]

Hello all,

I just found this site yesterday. Over the past twenty-five years I have sailed on the Chesapeake, made probably 15 trips to the Virgins and Bermuda, as well as the Bahamas, crewing for others. Before rthat it was small power boats. Five years ago I single handed from the Bay to West Palm Beach and crossed over to West End in the Bahamas. The trip was delayed when I broke my hand in a bike accident and could not get the cast wet.

After I returned I traveled south to Chubb Key in the Berry's. Originally I had planned on going to the Exumas but I had promised my wife a date certain returrn date. I turned around and came back.

After pricing rerigging the boat for single handing I decided it was too expensive and sold the West Indies 36. That was a mistake. After two years without a boat I started looking again. Late last fall I bought 1993 Gemini on Lake Champlain. It is unusual in that it has two 27 HP Yanmar engines for auxiliaries.

I could not get out of Lake Champain until 7 May this year. One of my sons went with me and we brought the boat back to the Bay. Good thing we had the larger engines, the wind was in our teeth for the entire trip except the two days of dead calm..

As usual with a new boat I am struggling with fixing all the problems the surveyor missed. Hope to get some cruising in this fall.

Jim Owens
aka Jamiedhu

[pogo]

Welcome Jim.

I plan to visit my brother in WPB FL this year. Recall how long it took you to get down there from MD? Did you take the outside or inland?

Pogo

[Jamiedhu]

Pogo,

I took the ICW going down but was not in a hurry so I stopped in Charleston for about ten days. I also was in Myrtle Beach four or five days. I think the actual run time was about 25 days. Running at night is not a good idea since there are many more day mark than lights. Also I was alone and wanted to be anchored before dark to get dinner and clean up for an early morning start the next day.

I did enjoy the trip.

Jim O.

[Bella Sera]

Pogo - I've done the trip in anywhere from 3 days (down the coast) to 6 weeks (mostly ICW with stops in several places up to 4 days and a few overnight offshore jogs). I'm thinking there is no "right" answer.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Jim,
Welcome aboard! Its good to have someone with your experience here to help folks on the ICW. The forum gets quite a few questions each year.
Kind regards,
JohnL