1200 Miles Down and Back on the ICW in a 290DA

Sadler

Member
Nov 29, 2006
907
Live in Western NC, boat in Charleston, SC
Boat Info
2005 Nordic Tugs 37 FB
Mercury RIB dinghy with Honda 2 hp 4 stroke,
sold: 1997 290DA,
Engines
Cummins QSB 380
Some of the CSR members, in a different thread, helped me in a search for a truck and trailer for my 290 in anticipation of some friends and I trailering it down to Florida to jump off for the Bahamas.

After much back and forth, the decision has been made: the truck and trailer will have to wait because I'm going to take my 290DA, Hey Babe, down the ICW from Charleston to Florida, and head over to the Bahamas if the weather cooperates, or to the Keys if the weather won't let us safely do the Bahamas crossing. It'll be a two to three week trip, and we'll have three experienced boaters, my boat, and a 21' Parker together on the trip. It'll be nice to have backup in boats and people. I've just been through some of the posts on spare parts and tools to keep on board, and I'll definitely need to improve on my spares and tools before we leave. Because of the distances involved, I'll likely dry stack Hey Babe in Florida for awhile, and do the return voyage at a later date. That way, we'll have more time to explore the Bahamas or the Keys.

I've started a blog of the trip at http://21daysonthewater.blogspot.com/
if anyone's interested. Not much there yet, but once underway, I plan to post photos and a description of the trip. Small boats, long trip. Could be interesting.

And to add nutty to crazy, before we finalized the trip, I had listed my boat for sale on iboats.com (it just hit me that I should put it on the CSR classifieds), and have been looking for the next boat, so it's possible, but very unlikely, we'll be taking Hey Babe II on the trip instead of Hey Babe. I'm headed to Florida this weekend to check out a couple of used boats that look promising. Both are diesels, one a 380 and one a 410. I may need some help from the diesel experts here before long.

But, one way or the other, we're off for the Bahamas on March 21.

Sadler
 
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Livin' the dream ! That sounds awesome...I will watch your blog.....have fun...Quint4.
 
Sounds like an adventure! And that your allowing enough time to pick and choose your travel days. If your on the inside initially stop and fuel at shelter cove marina. Its a nice stopover.It may take you up to 6 hrs to get there.
 
You may want to go to BoatUS message boards when the time gets a little closer and check out the East Coast Alerts thread, people that travel the ICW and report what they find along the way. There are several areas in Ga that will need watching and maybe time for half or better tide.
 
Charleston to SE FL is a great run. Have fun. Your weather windows for a GS crossing that time of year will be few and far between. Don't push the weather on the crossing. If there is ANY component of the wind out of the North no matter how slight, don't go. Find the right weather and it's great.
 
Sadler, I wish I could run accross with you. My trip will be later this summer, late June early July time frame. Heed the weather advise closely. Storms jump up quickly in the spring and fall. Peanut Island, at the mouth of Lake Worth Inlet is a great hold over, weather window waiting anchorage. It also is a good launch point to make for Grand Bahamas, West End. It's a 60 mile run across from there. I'll help if I can, message me if you like. I make the trip about every year. Enjoy and go slow there is so much to see.
 
Livin' the dream ! That sounds awesome...I will watch your blog.....have fun...Quint4.

Thanks Quint. Keep your fingers crossed my ten year old 290 gets us there!

edit: ten year old 290? I meant 11 year old 290! Yikes.
 
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Sounds like an adventure! And that your allowing enough time to pick and choose your travel days. If your on the inside initially stop and fuel at shelter cove marina. Its a nice stopover.It may take you up to 6 hrs to get there.

Will do Dave. Thanks for the tip!
 
Sadler,
Got your blog page marked, looking forward to following along on your trip. Sure sounds like its is going to be fun.
 
You may want to go to BoatUS message boards when the time gets a little closer and check out the East Coast Alerts thread, people that travel the ICW and report what they find along the way. There are several areas in Ga that will need watching and maybe time for half or better tide.

Great suggestion. Will do.
 
Charleston to SE FL is a great run. Have fun. Your weather windows for a GS crossing that time of year will be few and far between. Don't push the weather on the crossing. If there is ANY component of the wind out of the North no matter how slight, don't go. Find the right weather and it's great.

Excellent suggestion Pirate.

Fortunately the friend who is going with me in my boat has done the crossing several times in a sailboat, and once in a 16' outboard cuddy cabin, so with the help from you and the other folks here who are giving super help, we may just make this thing work.
 
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Thanks Quint. Keep your fingers crossed my ten year old 290 gets us there!

We did a 540 mile trip in our 22 year old 250 last summer so you should have no problems at all. :thumbsup:

Good luck and have a great trip! I have already bookmarked your blog so post lots of photos.


Frank
 
Sadler, I wish I could run accross with you. My trip will be later this summer, late June early July time frame. Heed the weather advise closely. Storms jump up quickly in the spring and fall. Peanut Island, at the mouth of Lake Worth Inlet is a great hold over, weather window waiting anchorage. It also is a good launch point to make for Grand Bahamas, West End. It's a 60 mile run across from there. I'll help if I can, message me if you like. I make the trip about every year. Enjoy and go slow there is so much to see.

Thanks so much Mike. You are a big reason I'm doing this! Our discussions at the anchorage last year at the Charleston Rendezvous definitely planted the seed for this trip. I was so fascinated with the trips you described to the Bahamas, that I said to myself I was going to have to do it one day very soon.

Maybe I'll still have HB down there in the June-July timeframe, and we can all go back over together. Now that would be awesome.

Sadler
 
Good luck sir. I can't wait to see your blog

Hey Paul. You were the ringleader of the gang who said take the ICW rather than trailer it. If we break down, and I need a part. I'm callin you buster! :lol:

Actually, thanks so much for that suggestion! :thumbsup:
 
Sadler,
Got your blog page marked, looking forward to following along on your trip. Sure sounds like its is going to be fun.

Thanks Chuck. I'll have internet via the EVDO card probably most of the trip, so I should be able to post regularly. The only place I'm a little doubtful is the Bahamas, but as I understand it, Verizon is available there, but it's a per minute charge. I should be able to do all my getting ready off line, log on and paste things in quick and get off and not break the bank. We'll see.

Oh, and one more thing: my ten year old daughter who is a blog expert told me I had my blog set so only Google registered visitors could post a comment. She fixed it for me so anyone can comment now. I'm feeling old.
 
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sadler,

Just took a look at your blog. You must be so pumped getting ready to go. Good luck, I will be reading your blog. This just fascinates me, I wish I could do this. However we are land locked in MO. But maybe one day.. for now I will have to just be content reading about your adventure.
 
Yes, I have to say I'm probably more excited about this than anything in recent memory. Pretty nice looking 310 you're considering. Good luck on that.
 
Sadler,

I live in Jacksonville. I have 1999 270 Sundancer that I recently purchased through a broker.

Fortunately; I knew the owner and was able to negotiate direct with her.

Next boat you find in Jacksonville, if you do, I'll be glad to check it out and also would be happy to refer you to the broker I dealt with.

Sounds like a real nice trip you are planning. Toot the horn when you come through Jax!

Mitchell
 

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