- Nov 26, 2006
- 7,628
- Boat Info
- 2008 44 Sedan Bridge
- Engines
- Cummins QSC-500's
Straight Drives
We're here!!!!!!!
I had soooooo many constraints place on me that I can't believe we did it!!!. My parents wanted me to visit in Tampa. My wife only gave me 4 days away from her job, but she wouldn't let my Dad take her place. The originating Marina needed their slip. Mother Nature sends a cold front every four days. I had the props pulled and tuned, the canvas rejuvenated, the entire boat detailed, and only six days away from the job.
I flew two legs late Wed night and then slept on the boat, in dry storage, unannounced - nobody noticed (1 AM - 8 AM). I scrubbed the bottom, shampooed everything inside, stocked the boat, inspected the boat, launched, test-ran, and docked the boat. My wife caught a different flight and rented a car Thursday night. We met and the airport and returned rentals - after midnight.
We slept on the boat, then did some extra shopping - butter, Pam, impellers, and finally launched in Palm Beach Fri late morning.
We stayed in IWW due to winds, took the channel, the locks, Lake Okochobee, another lock, and over-nighted on the canal in Moore Haven - nice city docks with power, water, and facilites for $1/foot.
Locks are no issue - anyone can do them the first time. Up early Sat, on to La Belle for Gas. Old Joe doesn't like working Saturdays! The sign says "OPEN" but Joe won't come pump gas. On to the next Marina, "Sorry, fuel truck's emty!" On to the next one, at idle for two hours to extend range - "Sure, I've got 200 gallons." But, I pump 30, switch tanks, pump 30 - He's OUT!!!!!!!!!
So, we take our 60 gallons (Thank God in different tanks!) and proceed to Fort Myers. Excellent Marina Down Town. We arrive showing 21 gallons on board, and fill up with 185 gallons - Where do the other 20 gallons go? (225 total).
On across to the West Coast, turn North, run low on daylight, and pull over in Palm Island Marina - $1.55/foot. Plug in the cable TV and watch the Indy game, go to the hot tub, swim in the pool, dress for dinner, and off to an Historic Seafood Restaurant on the water - all at the Marina - CLASS ACT!!!!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!! - Cape Haze, Fl.
Dust off a hangover, back up the intra-coastal to Venice. Out we go into the Gulf at the most beautiful place we had seen on our cruise! Spectacular homes, canals, beaches... Two cayak-ers rode our wake out the canal to the Gulf. We slowly pushed it up. They went from paddling to keep up, to back-paddling to steer. The last guy fell off at 20 knots as he spun out. WOW!!!!!!
On North - out of gas - into Tarpon Springs, idling the last couple of miles for range.
Back out to the Gulf, North to Hudson, 10 miles in to Mike's Dockside Bar - Lunch with the parents. Wish we could have stayed over night, but......... Back out 10 miles to the Gulf, North to Cedar Keys. Arrived 1 hour after sunset and made camp a mile outside the channel in 5 feet of water behind a Key. No gas to be had in Cedar Keys.
On West - Suwannee River's too shallow for cruisers - On to Steinhachee - Beautiful little town - awesome marinas. Back out to the Gulf, pointing West to 10 miles South of Apalachicola for sufficient water. Further West to Cape San Blas, then NW to Panama City. Calculations showed us running out before PC.
Enroute - Herd of HUGE Turtles - they let us slow down and vist. A couple of Marlin dancing on top of the water. We first saw them at a mile or two, so we turned and went to their spot. We watched one walk on water several times for a span of about 30 seconds, then a second one launched out of our wake from the other side. I was screaming like a school girl with delight - Absolutely spectacular. They obviously knew that I had my Sail - Fish proven reel, but no rod on board - Darn them! On around Apalach toward Cape San Blas.
The gauges showed 70 gallons and 40 miles. That should be plenty, but this is how the gas goes: 1st hour's free. Then, the 113 gallons/side starts ticking down at up to 38 gallons/hour until the gauges read empty, then you have some reserve.
We ran at 3500 RPM, 25 knots in 5 foot following seas. The gas usage indicated almost 2 gallons/ mile, and after we would hit the PC pass, we would have 4 gallons left. We coordinated to get gas in Mexico Beach on Martin Luther King Day, a highly celebrated holiday in these here parts. Then we called back and said we were going all the way - he could go home and enjoy the day off.
We hit the pass as expected - 4 gallons left on the gauges, and 8 miles to go. It was now time for me to use that missing 20 gallons. I left her at 3500/side, and was making 26 knots SOG in smooth water. We hit the dock with EE and 0/0. We put 'er up wet.
4 Days, 3 nights, almost 700 miles - Palm Beach to PC Beach.
Now that the money's spent, I wish we could go back and enjoy the damn trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank God, and Sea Ray, we're here.
I had soooooo many constraints place on me that I can't believe we did it!!!. My parents wanted me to visit in Tampa. My wife only gave me 4 days away from her job, but she wouldn't let my Dad take her place. The originating Marina needed their slip. Mother Nature sends a cold front every four days. I had the props pulled and tuned, the canvas rejuvenated, the entire boat detailed, and only six days away from the job.
I flew two legs late Wed night and then slept on the boat, in dry storage, unannounced - nobody noticed (1 AM - 8 AM). I scrubbed the bottom, shampooed everything inside, stocked the boat, inspected the boat, launched, test-ran, and docked the boat. My wife caught a different flight and rented a car Thursday night. We met and the airport and returned rentals - after midnight.
We slept on the boat, then did some extra shopping - butter, Pam, impellers, and finally launched in Palm Beach Fri late morning.
We stayed in IWW due to winds, took the channel, the locks, Lake Okochobee, another lock, and over-nighted on the canal in Moore Haven - nice city docks with power, water, and facilites for $1/foot.
Locks are no issue - anyone can do them the first time. Up early Sat, on to La Belle for Gas. Old Joe doesn't like working Saturdays! The sign says "OPEN" but Joe won't come pump gas. On to the next Marina, "Sorry, fuel truck's emty!" On to the next one, at idle for two hours to extend range - "Sure, I've got 200 gallons." But, I pump 30, switch tanks, pump 30 - He's OUT!!!!!!!!!
So, we take our 60 gallons (Thank God in different tanks!) and proceed to Fort Myers. Excellent Marina Down Town. We arrive showing 21 gallons on board, and fill up with 185 gallons - Where do the other 20 gallons go? (225 total).
On across to the West Coast, turn North, run low on daylight, and pull over in Palm Island Marina - $1.55/foot. Plug in the cable TV and watch the Indy game, go to the hot tub, swim in the pool, dress for dinner, and off to an Historic Seafood Restaurant on the water - all at the Marina - CLASS ACT!!!!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!! - Cape Haze, Fl.
Dust off a hangover, back up the intra-coastal to Venice. Out we go into the Gulf at the most beautiful place we had seen on our cruise! Spectacular homes, canals, beaches... Two cayak-ers rode our wake out the canal to the Gulf. We slowly pushed it up. They went from paddling to keep up, to back-paddling to steer. The last guy fell off at 20 knots as he spun out. WOW!!!!!!
On North - out of gas - into Tarpon Springs, idling the last couple of miles for range.
Back out to the Gulf, North to Hudson, 10 miles in to Mike's Dockside Bar - Lunch with the parents. Wish we could have stayed over night, but......... Back out 10 miles to the Gulf, North to Cedar Keys. Arrived 1 hour after sunset and made camp a mile outside the channel in 5 feet of water behind a Key. No gas to be had in Cedar Keys.
On West - Suwannee River's too shallow for cruisers - On to Steinhachee - Beautiful little town - awesome marinas. Back out to the Gulf, pointing West to 10 miles South of Apalachicola for sufficient water. Further West to Cape San Blas, then NW to Panama City. Calculations showed us running out before PC.
Enroute - Herd of HUGE Turtles - they let us slow down and vist. A couple of Marlin dancing on top of the water. We first saw them at a mile or two, so we turned and went to their spot. We watched one walk on water several times for a span of about 30 seconds, then a second one launched out of our wake from the other side. I was screaming like a school girl with delight - Absolutely spectacular. They obviously knew that I had my Sail - Fish proven reel, but no rod on board - Darn them! On around Apalach toward Cape San Blas.
The gauges showed 70 gallons and 40 miles. That should be plenty, but this is how the gas goes: 1st hour's free. Then, the 113 gallons/side starts ticking down at up to 38 gallons/hour until the gauges read empty, then you have some reserve.
We ran at 3500 RPM, 25 knots in 5 foot following seas. The gas usage indicated almost 2 gallons/ mile, and after we would hit the PC pass, we would have 4 gallons left. We coordinated to get gas in Mexico Beach on Martin Luther King Day, a highly celebrated holiday in these here parts. Then we called back and said we were going all the way - he could go home and enjoy the day off.
We hit the pass as expected - 4 gallons left on the gauges, and 8 miles to go. It was now time for me to use that missing 20 gallons. I left her at 3500/side, and was making 26 knots SOG in smooth water. We hit the dock with EE and 0/0. We put 'er up wet.
4 Days, 3 nights, almost 700 miles - Palm Beach to PC Beach.
Now that the money's spent, I wish we could go back and enjoy the damn trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank God, and Sea Ray, we're here.
