travel New Jersey to Florida to Puerto Rico

R

Rubencito Santiago

New Member
Apr 1, 2023
3
Boat Info
1994 Sea Ray 400 Cabin Cruiser
Engines
454 Mercruiser
I have a sea ray 400 two 454 I have it in New Jersey I would like to take it to Puerto Rico, it has a 300 gal gas tank has any one traveled that way. I can gas up on the way to Florida but what about gas from Florida To Puerto Rico.
 
That would be an adventure in that boat. Unfortunately......it will be really, really expensive just on fuel costs.

It is roughly 1,000 miles to Puerto Rico as the bird flies. To get there on your boat.....you would depart Miami and head to the Bahamas 100 miles. Once you get there you will fill up and head south following the island chains and filling up every 100-150 miles or so. The last fuel stop before PR will be the Dominican Republic. Just a guess but I would bet that you will need close to 9-10 fuel stops to get there or 3,000 gallons of gas.

Gas is alot more expensive in the islands so you can count on spending up to $8 a gallon for marine gas. So......$8 x 3,000 gallons equals $24,000.

And that does not include the distance between NJ and Miami which is another 1,300 miles or so.

We have another CSR member who is enroute to Florida from NJ as I write this. His boat which is six years older than yours has had to be pulled from the water twice because of bottom damage. His insurance has already paid out almost $40k in damage claims and he is only half way to Florida.

Just something to think about. Welcome to CSR.
 
PlayDate said:
It is roughly 1,000 miles to Puerto Rico as the bird flies. To get there on your boat.....you would depart Miami and head to the Bahamas 100 miles. Once you get there you will fill up and head south following the island chains and filling up every 100-150 miles or so. The last fuel stop before PR will be the Dominican Republic. Just a guess but I would bet that you will need close to 9-10 fuel stops to get there or 3,000 gallons of gas.
Click to expand...
Quickest derail ever?

But is there a good map of the Caribbean marinas and fuel stops that would be suitable for our cruisers? Would like to spend a month traveling around that area.
 
PlayDate said:
That would be an adventure in that boat. Unfortunately......it will be really, really expensive just on fuel costs.

It is roughly 1,000 miles to Puerto Rico as the bird flies. To get there on your boat.....you would depart Miami and head to the Bahamas 100 miles. Once you get there you will fill up and head south following the island chains and filling up every 100-150 miles or so. The last fuel stop before PR will be the Dominican Republic. Just a guess but I would bet that you will need close to 9-10 fuel stops to get there or 3,000 gallons of gas.

Gas is alot more expensive in the islands so you can count on spending up to $8 a gallon for marine gas. So......$8 x 3,000 gallons equals $24,000.

And that does not include the distance between NJ and Miami which is another 1,300 miles or so.

We have another CSR member who is enroute to Florida from NJ as I write this. His boat which is six years older than yours has had to be pulled from the water twice because of bottom damage. His insurance has already paid out almost $40k in damage claims and he is only half way to Florida.

Just something to think about. Welcome to CSR.
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Holy shat! That’s crazy.
One thing I notice about that kinda thing? I read a l lot of offshore mags, cause it fascinates me, people that go offshore. Cruising World, Bluewater, Passagemaker, there are 2 kinds of people that do that.
Super wealthy, far more wealthy than folks on here.
Or, Sailing bums who are day laborers and work their way around the oceans doing menial work to earn enough to get to the next port. A lot of these vanish.
A SR is not made for offshore passages. It can, but it is out of its element. Get a dedicated bluewater sailboat to go that far.
Or a Nordhaven, etc, and cash in your stocks to fill the fuel tanks.
 
If and thats a huge IF i was 50 years younger (this is where being super wealthy with daddy money) and i was going offshore THIS is the smallest i would attempt it in.
Cabo Rico 34. Built for bluewater, built like a brickhouse, made to circumnavigate. I certainly wouldn’t depend on something that had engines for propulsion.
1704738457014.jpeg
 
jmauld said:
Quickest derail ever?

But is there a good map of the Caribbean marinas and fuel stops that would be suitable for our cruisers? Would like to spend a month traveling around that area.
Click to expand...

Just about anything in print is out of date. Go to Activecaptain.com and type in Fuel for Search and zoom in on the Bahamas. All the fuel stops will be shown. There are not a lot of them and some of them have issues with their fuel which will be noted in the comments.
 
People do that all the time in sailboats and longer range trawlers like Nordhavins. My guess is your gas powered SeaRay just doesn't have the range to cover some the hops you will have between fuel. A Nordhavin OTH could make the entire trip without fuel - just what they are made to do.
Unless you can somehow go by way of Cuba or add significant fuel capacity, I don't think that trip is possible in your SeaRay.
Here is how you find out - need to figure what your range is first. I am guessing somewhere around 175-200mi.
You probably burn something like 15gal/hr at 10mph, usable fuel is say 275gal, so 275gal/15gph=18hrs runtime. At 10mph that is 180miles. You need to look into what the real numbers for your boat are, optimal cruise speed etc, to come up with your realistic range and then plot a course between fuel stops -- then you will know. A kind of fun little exercise to do, and helpful in your everyday cruising and fun to dream about a big trip like this. The reality is, I don't think you can do it in that boat.
 
BillK2632 said:
People do that all the time in sailboats and longer range trawlers like Nordhavins. My guess is your gas powered SeaRay just doesn't have the range to cover some the hops you will have between fuel. A Nordhavin OTH could make the entire trip without fuel - just what they are made to do.
Unless you can somehow go by way of Cuba or add significant fuel capacity, I don't think that trip is possible in your SeaRay.
Here is how you find out - need to figure what your range is first. I am guessing somewhere around 175-200mi.
You probably burn something like 15gal/hr at 10mph, usable fuel is say 275gal, so 275gal/15gph=18hrs runtime. At 10mph that is 180miles. You need to look into what the real numbers for your boat are, optimal cruise speed etc, to come up with your realistic range and then plot a course between fuel stops -- then you will know. A kind of fun little exercise to do, and helpful in your everyday cruising and fun to dream about a big trip like this. The reality is, I don't think you can do it in that boat.
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That was my thinking but I wanted to see if I was able to do it, I guess the best way would be to ship it there.
Thank You
 
Run it as far as you can - ie down the coast over to the Bahamas, then ship it the rest of the way. I don't know the logistics of shipping - ie where you can have it picked up/dopped off, but it's worth looking into.
I had a friend - a lot more $$ and time than me - he had a 45ft sailboat. For several years he would keep it in the Bahamas / Carribean in the winter, then ship it to Europe in the summer. I don't recall it being as expensive as I though, not cheap though.
 
A lot of really bad information here. Especially, from those who never leave the lake. Sheesh guys, where do you get your info?
The big issue you will have is finding enough gasoline. Diesel - no problem. Also weather is critical. You can island hop easily to the Turks and Caicos but it's a big hop to the Dominican Republic with big blue water between. Then another big water hop to Puertio Rico. I've taken the boat to Staniel Cae on our way to Great Guana but weather turned us around. Over the years I've had the boats to most of the Bahamas. @ocgrant might also chime in as he takes his boat quite a few times a year over there.

Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini
Bimini to Chub
Chub to Nassau
Nassau to Highbourne
Highbourne to Staniel
Staniel to Great Guana
Great Guana to George Town
George Town to the Turks

If this is to be your first trip greater than a week, I'd suggest the run down to Ft. Lauderdale and take a couple of weeks rest. Then consider the crossing and points further. Spare parts are not to be found throughout most of the Bahamas - especially south of Nassau so you need a school of hard knocks to prep for that. Provisioning is another talent gained from experience. For sure there is nothing worse than being in an adverse situation and not having a plan B.
 
I'm planning on dong the Great Loop in the next 5 years and considering using our 1991 SR 350 Sundancer with 8.1s but have some concerns about making a couple of the longer legs for fuel. May just have to putt along and save fuel to make it. Any thoughts?
 
Rubencito Santiago said:
I have a sea ray 400 two 454 I have it in New Jersey I would like to take it to Puerto Rico, it has a 300 gal gas tank has any one traveled that way. I can gas up on the way to Florida but what about gas from Florida To Puerto Rico.
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Have sailed Hylas 54 in Caribbean waters. Virgins are millpond even with 10’ swells compared to north side Puerto Rico in January. Sorry but I’d say crossings you consider would be for experienced sailors in blue water sailboats.
 
I’m one of those fresh water inshore boaters……I wouldn’t even consider that trip in an older gas powered SeaRay…fuel costs alone would be a non starter…and then, as others have indicated…that is a lot of open water with few places to hide once committed…

Man’s got to know his limitations.
 
Jacks-N-Rays said:
I'm planning on dong the Great Loop in the next 5 years and considering using our 1991 SR 350 Sundancer with 8.1s but have some concerns about making a couple of the longer legs for fuel. May just have to putt along and save fuel to make it. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
You don’t have to putt along anymore in a gasser if you don’t want to. The long stretch has been filled in by a marina in Paducah that sells gas.
I recommend putting along, it’s the great loop, not the great race. There are too many amazing places and people to hurry through it. It’s a bucket list trip that you should finish with more memories in your bucket than fuel receipts.
 
my3sons said:
You don’t have to putt along anymore in a gasser if you don’t want to. The long stretch has been filled in by a marina in Paducah that sells gas.
I recommend putting along, it’s the great loop, not the great race. There are too many amazing places and people to hurry through it. It’s a bucket list trip that you should finish with more memories in your bucket than fuel receipts.
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Agree! It's about the journey not the destination.
 
It almost sounds like the OP wants to purchase a US boat and get it home to PR. It'd be a great trip properly executed.
 
This lake boater was just pointing out that this trip is probably not possible in that boat. The Cuba comment was obviously a joke.
LKN is a big lake, but I do leave it every once in awhile.
 
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