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Old 25-09-2023, 09:50   #1
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South Florida Trip

I have read a few posts on my journey. But I think I’ll need a little more help then what I’ve read. Ok, so my FAIRLINE 65 squadron is in Fort Luderdale. I will be driving it to Naples on west coast. Just wondering how this trip is, best places to stop overnight. How many days this should take. Will I be able to make the hole trip on one tank of fuel (1100) gallons. I would like to go the shortest route/safest! Thank you all who help me out with this.
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Old 25-09-2023, 12:21   #2
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Re: South Florida Trip

I have read a few posts on my journey. But I think I’ll need a little more help then what I’ve read. Ok, so my FAIRLINE 65 squadron is in Fort Luderdale. I will be driving it to Naples on west coast. Just wondering how this trip is, best places to stop overnight. How many days this should take. Will I be able to make the hole trip on one tank of fuel (1100) gallons. I would like to go the shortest route/safest! Thank you all who help me out with this.
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Old 25-09-2023, 14:21   #3
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Re: South Florida Trip

Welcome to the forum!

Not to be rude, but you should learn enough about your boat's performance from experience and know your boat's systems well enough to answer most of the questions you've asked before leaving on such a trip. Or, if this is a learning trip, then be prepared to start with short legs, whatever that means, calculate fuel use based on the speeds you traveled, figure how far your remaining fuel will take you, determine the accuracy of the fuel gauge(s), etc., etc. Even other owners of the same boat may not provide performance estimates that are accurate for your boat and the way you drive it. There are a lot of variables involved.

Where you stop along the way can be found in cruising guides or you may get some good suggestions from those here who've traveled the same path.

Take the trip and learn as much about your boat as you can from it! Good luck and keep us posted.

Greg.
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Old 25-09-2023, 18:15   #4
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Re: South Florida Trip

Thank you sir. And yes I will be learning the boat as I go. I’m just going to take my time and try to enjoy the trip as much as possible without being too stressed out. Lol
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Old 25-09-2023, 18:57   #5
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Re: South Florida Trip

Here's one source. I make it anywhere from 200 to 300 miles depending on what route you take. Using 300 miles, at 10 knots that's 300 gallons of fuel required. At 25 knots you'll need the full tank and will be coming in dry.



(range values based on ~850 gallons fuel tankage)
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Old 25-09-2023, 19:05   #6
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Re: South Florida Trip

Thank you sir. I’m thinking I’ll be cruising at around 10 knots. Lol. You have any idea how many days it will take me? And what the best way to go with a boat this size?
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Old 25-09-2023, 19:18   #7
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Re: South Florida Trip

Call it 3 easy days at 10 knots if you take a shorter route, 4 if you go around Key West. With a 5' draft you could probably take the inside, but lots of careful navigation required, and if you're asking the questions you're asking here that may not be the right path. You could take Hawk Channel, still lots of navigation, but less intricate. Or you could go outside. All comes down to what you want to make of the trip. I could spend half a winter making that trip, or a couple of long days just to get it done.
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Old 26-09-2023, 06:35   #8
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Re: South Florida Trip

Quote:
Originally Posted by CowboyClint View Post
I have read a few posts on my journey. But I think I’ll need a little more help then what I’ve read. Ok, so my FAIRLINE 65 squadron is in Fort Luderdale. I will be driving it to Naples on west coast. Just wondering how this trip is, best places to stop overnight. How many days this should take. Will I be able to make the hole trip on one tank of fuel (1100) gallons. I would like to go the shortest route/safest! Thank you all who help me out with this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CowboyClint View Post
Thank you sir. I’m thinking I’ll be cruising at around 10 knots. Lol. You have any idea how many days it will take me? And what the best way to go with a boat this size?

Were it me... with a new-to-me boat like that and with enough time to do it leisurely...

I think I'd first think about:
- FLL to Stuart (two or three legs? unless you go outside for this segment),
- Stuart to Ft. Myers via Okeechobee Waterway (probably broken into two or even three legs),
- then Ft. Myers to Naples.

Start with the Waterway Guide to research potential leg distances, stopover points, hazards, bridges and locks (opening times)... and then refine for yourself a triptych that lays out your plan... and your Plans B, C, D, etc.

Line up crew, and/or a teaching captain if you need that... especially since you'll probably need someone to handle lines. (My guess is you can't do it yourself all that easily on a Fairline 65.) Smell the roses along the way.

Rough guess on fuel, as long as you keep speeds below about 10 kts (maybe ~9 kts even better), you might be able to do the whole trip on 1-1½ tank or less. Make it 2½ tanks if you do FLL to Stuart outside.

-Chris
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Old 01-10-2023, 11:07   #9
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Re: South Florida Trip

Welcome to CruisersForum!

I would suggest updating your profile with your general location and your boat make & model or “Looking” in the "Boat" category. This info shows up under your UserName in every post in the web view. Many questions are boat and/or location dependent and having these tidbits under your UserName saves answering those questions repeatedly. If you need help setting up your profile then click on this link: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3308797

I would happily help more if the link above is not enough.

Regarding FtLaud-Naples

North to Stuart, thru the Okeechobee waterway, then south from Ft Meyers is going to be the shortest and safest.
But you will need to research whether you can fit under all the bridges [likely] and won't run aground at any point [hard to say, depends on your draft]

The other option is to go south, along the keys until you can get thru to the west side. This is longer and involves running in open ocean.

If you don't try to plane the boat, 1100gal should be more than enough for even the longer route.
If you proceed at 7-8kt you should get at least 1nm/gal.
If you plane the boat, you will use 2-3gal/nm
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