Moving a boat north

b_arrington

b_arrington

Well-Known Member
GOLD Sponsor
Feb 21, 2007
3,482
Setauket, NY
Boat Info
Back Cove 37
AB Ventus 9VL
Engines
Cummins QSC 8.3 600
Before the end of the year I might be moving a boat north from Charleston SC up to Long Island. I haven't done this type of trip before - I'd like some advice on routes to take from folks that have done it.

How long should I plan for the trip to take, figuring it can travel at 25-26 mph? Good routes - inside, outside? I'm already planning on using a weather routing service to help out.
 
SearayPaul said:
I would stay in Charleston, much warmer!
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Yeah, no kidding. It smells like snow outside right now.

Trouble is, its awfully hard to use a boat in SC when I live on Long Island! No direct flights to Charleston from LI, either.
 
b_arrington said:
Before the end of the year I might be moving a boat north from Charleston SC up to Long Island. I haven't done this type of trip before - I'd like some advice on routes to take from folks that have done it.

How long should I plan for the trip to take, figuring it can travel at 25-26 mph? Good routes - inside, outside? I'm already planning on using a weather routing service to help out.
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Hi Brad, we have done this trip a few times now and this time of year is tough to do with out local knowledge. You are working against daylight, offshore winds, higher seas. You will be constantly adjusting you float plan, dockage and fueling. I'm not sure of the size boat you will be travelling on as well. My recommendation would be to hire a captain that knows the ports because as you move north, you need to know who is open for dockage and fuel. An experienced Captain will get your boat to LI in 4 days from Charleston Running from Dawn to Dusk, cost would be about $ 500 per day, and you can be his mate and do it with him. Well worth the experience. Let me know if you need a recommendation.
 
Rocket said:
Hi Brad, we have done this trip a few times now and this time of year is tough to do with out local knowledge. You are working against daylight, offshore winds, higher seas. You will be constantly adjusting you float plan, dockage and fueling. I'm not sure of the size boat you will be travelling on as well. My recommendation would be to hire a captain that knows the ports because as you move north, you need to know who is open for dockage and fuel. An experienced Captain will get your boat to LI in 4 days from Charleston Running from Dawn to Dusk, cost would be about $ 500 per day, and you can be his mate and do it with him. Well worth the experience. Let me know if you need a recommendation.
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Good advice - I know that Capt Rusty has made this trip several times lately and knows the lay of the surf better than most
 
It’s probably better and cheaper to leave it in a slip in SC till spring unless your going ice fishing on LI ?
 
Havana Shamrock said:
It’s probably better and cheaper to leave it in a slip in SC till spring unless your going ice fishing on LI ?
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That was a strong contender until I learned I had to pay winter storage to keep my slip, regardless of whether I had a boat or not. I’d rather use what I’m paying for.
 
Rocket said:
Hi Brad, we have done this trip a few times now and this time of year is tough to do with out local knowledge. You are working against daylight, offshore winds, higher seas. You will be constantly adjusting you float plan, dockage and fueling. I'm not sure of the size boat you will be travelling on as well. My recommendation would be to hire a captain that knows the ports because as you move north, you need to know who is open for dockage and fuel. An experienced Captain will get your boat to LI in 4 days from Charleston Running from Dawn to Dusk, cost would be about $ 500 per day, and you can be his mate and do it with him. Well worth the experience. Let me know if you need a recommendation.
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This is very helpful, thank you! I did have Capt Rusty in mind if I needed a captain, but would certainly welcome some recommendations. The boat is a Back Cove 37.

Ideally I’d like to do this trip with my son, too. It would be a great experience for him.
 
b_arrington said:
This is very helpful, thank you! I did have Capt Rusty in mind if I needed a captain, but would certainly welcome some recommendations. The boat is a Back Cove 37.

Ideally I’d like to do this trip with my son, too. It would be a great experience for him.
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It would absolutely be a great trip up, as others have said you'll be dealing with some short days this time of year and probably reduced hours for fuel docks. Still doable but flexibility will be key.
 
b_arrington said:
This is very helpful, thank you! I did have Capt Rusty in mind if I needed a captain, but would certainly welcome some recommendations. The boat is a Back Cove 37.

Ideally I’d like to do this trip with my son, too. It would be a great experience for him.
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Whether you end up using Capt Rusy or not, give him a call. He's been busy this year going up and down the coast so calling him directly (rather than email or text) is you best bet. No nicer guy in the world and he'll walk you through the options and opinions based on his unmatched experience. I'd do it with you but am not yet near coastal rated. But if he needs a mate I'll come along. Reach out if you're coming by Annapolis!
 
I just went through this with a boat I as try to move from Florida to Long Island and the captains I talked to said the same thing weather and fuel was going to be the issue, He said we would stay inside until Georgia and then go outside just for Georgia.
My deal fell apart with a bad survey.
You should give this guy a call, He was very reasonable and willing to do it.
Matt ( Captain ) 603-315-8526
 
This time of year weather plays a bigger roll and you are limited to about 11 hours of daylight. Depending on your boat you may run out of fuel before running out of daylight.

Our normal itinerary would be Charleston to Beaufort, NC. Then to Norfolk, then Cape May it AC, then home.

If those offshore jumps are too long you could stop in Georgetown, Southport, or Wrightsville on the first day. On day 2 you could push past Beaufort to Oriental. If you can’t make Norfolk, Coinjock is an interesting stop. Then North of Norfolk you could stop in Ocean City, MD, or just go up the Chesapeake for even more choices.

If weather keeps you on the AICW then it might take an extra day or two, but there are good stops along the way.
 
We bought our present boat in November of 2005 and moved it to Vancouver Island in BC. The area is not as open as you but it got windy and rained. We had to spend a few nights in some ports while the weather cleared. We have also gone to Alaska in the spring. There were times we spent 3 nights in one area while weather improved. If you have time and are willing to spend a few days in some areas any trip is possible. Fog will probably be a problem for you. If you do not have radar or know how to use it you could find things difficult. We also do artic rivers and we find if we take the charts of the area and then look on Google Maps Satellite view we get a good feel for the area. We call all the communities in the area to find out what service they have and when they are open. You could do the same and call all the marinas you will pass plus alternative ones. We found a schedule in all cases does not work. We advise all guest not to get discount airline tickets as we can not guarantee when and if we will be at a specific area.
 
Stee6043 said:
If this thread doesn't turn into an epic picture post I'm going to be deeply disappointed! Sounds like a cool trip and a fantastic father/son experience.

Can't wait to see the photo-diary! :)
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The stakes just went up. Are you going to be disappointed that's it's not a Sea Ray?
 
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