Sailing East Coast to West Coast

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wiseguy

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exMember
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I have just sailed my 36 Hunter sailboat from Greenport,ny on Oct 20 and arrived at Fort Pierce,FL on Oct 30 with a crew of four,crew returned to NY.
I need to sail around to Punta Gorda for new homeport,I now live in Port Charlotte and new to
Florida.
I am now dry docked waiting for bottom paint and waiting to be sailed to west coast,any advice when is best time you would make this trip and best places to stopping and or anchoring,my draft is 5 ft.
 
You could travel thru the state on the Okeechobee waterway (OWW). You would go up the St. Lucie river in Stuart, thru Lake Ocheechobee, and down the Caloosahatchee river to Ft. Meyers. There is a lift bridge in Port Mayaca that is 49ft high when up. The controlling depth is 6 ft less than the lake level which is measured in height above sea level (currently at 14ft). More navigational information can be found here, http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Operations/Branches/Navigation/NavNotices_Bulletins.htm

If time is an issue AND you can get under the 49ft bridge, the OWW is the way to go. However, the other course is to go around south Florida. The south Florida route is VERY different than the OWW route.
 
Gosh if I had the time I would crew for you. The okee waterway was real low last time I checked. Do your home work if that is your plan
 
Many great stops along the way. The OWW may be shorter but along the keys to Key West then across to Naples etc will be more fun.
 
I gotta ask. About 1300 miles at average sail boat speed of tops 10 mph, would be 130 hours.
If you did 10 hours a day that would be 13 days.
You did it in 10?
Did you cruise a night?
Ocean?
ICW?
How much fuel you burn?
 
you could cross the OWW with a 5' draft, just, now that the water levels ahve gone back up. It's nice if you like rural scenery, can certainly be done single hand. You probably cna't do it in one day, so plan on stopping at the city docks on the west side of the lake...

If you have a few days, then go around and sail... you can stop in Miami, get in biscayne Bay, sail down the bay, then motorsail on the bay side and up the coast. It's a nice run esp. if you have the time to stop along the way. a week would be ideal.

you dont' have to go all the way to Key West, you can cut from Long Key or Marathon... anchor off Cape Sable beach for a night, it's an nice place to see... then marco island.

before that, after Miami, you can stop at eliott Key (in biscayne bay) to get a taste of boating in So Fl, then Islamorada and marathon.
 
The Okeecobee is a problem because my 55 mast is border line to do the heeling over at the 49 ft RxR bridge and the higher water level it is undoable.
Yes we did sail 24/7 out on the ocean at average 7 kts.
I really was hoping for advice for the best time to sail around the keys do to the best weather patterns.
 
there is much to worry about sailing around the keys except the leg from the keys to Punta Gorda. With winter coming, cold fronts bring some northerly winds which are less than ideal to sail up the west coast... It's still early but as we get into nov, dec, etc... they can be a little more frequent so you may have to time your trip right although waiting for weather in the keys isn't that bad :-)
 
Thanks everyone advice,so far the plan is to
leave some time after new years day with the best weather possible for going out side unless the weather is bad than use the ICW.
 
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