Over 900 miles…. and counting..... An adventure.....The making of a Captain.....

Boat Guy

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2013
2,289
Who knows? Could be Cali, Oahu, Florida, Annapolis
Boat Info
400 DA
Engines
CAT 3116s
Well, as some of you know, I purchased my Sundancer back in August. I spent the majority of August just doing deferred maintenance and getting things right.....Just when September rolled in.

September is a great time to boat up in Annapolis, but with a hint of cool weather, I knew my season was going to be short. I went from thinking about boating, to researching putting her on the hard for the winter……

….Then I said… "F' that…let's have an adventure!"

So, while it probably would have been more prudent to get a season under my belt, I started to think about taking her down to the Keys. Sure, I could have used another season to fix the little things and get helm time experience, but life always can throw curve balls and I've learned........ "You can't let life get in the way of life……"

So, in early November…. Three months after the purchase, I set out from the Chesapeake to points south.

Of course, just as I've got the engines running and friends pulling dock lines to help me leave, I get a call from a a CSR member. He tells me he's made it down to Coinjock NC through the ICW, but warns me to stay in Annapolis. Apparently the Great Bridge Lock has failed and they don't know when it will be operational. So I'm thinking, "Great, reason 42 not to head down" .... But, of course I say, "f'it"….I pull the lines and go!

I've got to say, it has been one hell of an adventure. I could add so much more to the story. But, the point for now, I'll just to say I'm over 900 miles from Annapolis sitting near Cape Canaveral….In warmth….. Which was the secondary goal.

As I'm sure many of you know, Merritt Island is right here. Not only did I get a chance to see the SpaceX rocket last night, but I got a nice tour of Sea Ray from a guy that some of you might have heard of before, by the name of Capt. Rusty Higgins!

I can't say enough about Rusty. He is honestly the reason I made it to Florida. His invaluable assistance before I left…. But, most importantly, all the assistance and calls during my trip…early morning "check-ins" to verify weather reports and conditions. He is the reason I felt comfortable running on the outside out of Cape Fear. He is a treasure and Sea Ray is really lucky to have him. I'm honored to call him a friend.

I have so much more to add to this story. But I will leave you with this, down here, Sea Ray has something exciting that will be at the Miami boat show. Something very big and very cool…. You really want to be there if you can.

Thanks Rusty!

(Here are a few shots from the launch.)


Spacex launch 1.jpg
Spacex launch 2.jpg
Spacex launch 3.jpg
Spacex launch 4.jpg
Spacex launch 5.jpg
 
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What... No pics of the trip south?
 
We don't want pics of Rusty, we want pics of the trip.
 
Damn it, I forgot all about the launch. I lived in Melbourne for a few years and remember watching and hearing the space shuttle launches. Really cool.
 
Thanks guys....

I didn't mention before that I've been on my own. I've single handed her the whole way through some adverse situations. Single handing a 44' boat......that's your first..... that you've only owned for a few months..... is a bit of an undertaking. Stories will follow.

I will say I've met a few CSR'ers on the way down and even ran with one for part of the journey. It's been great.

Today I'm just enjoying Florida and giving respect to Rusty.....
 
BG, good job in single handling your boat all the way down there. It's not easy and requires 100% of your attention 100% of the time. Many things can go wrong and you were the only thing keeping Murphy at arm's length during your trip.

I admire your "True Grit".
 
I'm totally jealous!
If I had the freedom to do what your doing....I'd be floating right next to you.
Rock on,

Mark.
 
I was in Melbourne last night and saw that launch too. I wasn't expecting it, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Congrats on your trip, sounds great!

And yes, Rusty is The Man.

How far are you going?
 
Hey, got off your ass and get down to to the Keys! We are now on the west side of Lake Okeechobee. It's MUCH warmer here.

Keith and Jo
"Dream Weaver"

PS There was a point when you were not single handing!
 
Damn it, I forgot all about the launch. I lived in Melbourne for a few years and remember watching and hearing the space shuttle launches. Really cool.

The Falcon 9 rocket is a really spectacular shot to watch. I've seen hundreds of rockets from here and that one was impressive.
 
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Is there a trip back? Or is this one way? We're going to need a daily report with pictures for the trip back. Well give you a mulligan for waiting so long to tell us about the trip down.
 
Boat Guy,
Glad you made it down to Florida safely! May you continue to have smooth waters and many adventures!
I know many of us can't wait to hear "The rest of the story" regarding the trip.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

There will be a trip north probably sometime in May / June.....

I apologize for the delay in posting, but I'm usually a pretty quiet / private on the internet about what I do. So, I'm more likely to post where I've been than where I am.

KT - The weather here is great. I'm getting some work done and waiting for some Ray Marine stuff to arrive. I'll prob. be here for a little while. I'm in no hurry but will continue my trek down to the Keys. I'm also getting the seals done on both engines. If you knew what I was paying you would know why I'm doing both engines. A little preventive maintenance..... I also have a new battery charger and I got new AGM 31M batteries. I thought it was time to stop using the "Emergency Start" switch...haha

So yes, I've got a lot more miles ahead of me.

The thought is (I have no plan as I follow two sayings : 1. "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" 2. "No Plans" - Plans get in the way of adventure and adversity) to head to KWF and then an excursion down to the Dry Tortugas. Then back up to the Keys and further up the coast to find a good area to cross to the Bahamas. Then hang there for a month or so.

As I tell me story, I'll fill you in on what KT is talking about.

Thanks Chris... Sorry I didn't catch up with you again before I rolled out.

GFC - Thanks, I think you understand a bit of what the experience is like. When others are asking about picts, I really had little time to be shooting. Mostly, I would decompress after being tied to the dock after a run and shoot a picture then. The ICW is riddled with small boats, no wake zones, and sailboats. "slow passes" and monitoring shoaling inside the narrow channel takes a great deal of attention while moving at 20 kts. Outside is different... In fact in a lot of ways more relaxing. But, without auto pilot if I looked away for more than 15 seconds I could be off course by 50 degrees. I have run down the ICW at 7 kts a couple of days and that's far easier. It's also a lot better on fuel burn.

For Thanksgiving, I was with KTCanuck and we were in St. Augustine. A bunch of sailors got together in the club house marina to share Thanksgiving. There was a couple there that had been on their boat, if memory serves me, for about four years. They are traveling across the world starting from Australia. They ran the Indian Ocean and have now found their way to the East Coast of the US and the ICW. The wife's eyes widen when she talks about the ICW as being some of the most challenging water they've experienced. It's just not forgiving if you miss a channel marker or even if you don't and a shoal has found it's way into the channel.

Here is a pict for you pict guys....

pirates-sm.jpg
 
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No autopilot? I think you should move that up on your todo list. It'll give you lots of time to take pictures if you don't have to steer.
 

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