What is the longest run you have done in one day on your searay?

In this boat, I ran from Greenport, LI to Brick (Metedeconk River) in around 12 hours with 2 fuel stops. The stops were sort of "get it when you can" b/c this was the spring after Sandy and a lot of fuel docks were not up and running. First stop was Orient Point, second was Norwalk. We were going to run from Shinnecock to Manasquan straight line but the weather did not cooperate. Instead we went down the Sound and the East River and glad we did. Really nice ride.

I had rented a 4 man life raft and an EPIRB b/c of the original plan to run outside. If you do what you are planning, I'd suggest you do the same. But more strongly, I'd suggest that if you have the time, take the ride up the East Side!

 

I've done 12+ hour days. Assuming your systems are in good condition, the heat isn't cumulative. Your engines should be happier after an 8 hour run than they would be with 8 cold starts and running 1 hour each.

I'd be more worried about the skipper than the engines. Do you have auto-pilot? That helps for sure, but a few hours in, the best of us can start to lose focus.

 

I used to take a 30ft Sea Ray from Bayonne out to Jones Beach and back for the day. Usually the morning ride was nice and smooth, but the return was almost always nasty. Unable to get on plane, burning fuel and being punished. Martha's Vineyard is a long stretch of open water. Sea conditions will severely impact how your trip goes. This time of year is sketchy with hurricanes and tropical storms off shore. You could probably do it, but you will be exhausted and likely regret it 1/2 way into the trip. I would suggest a closer destination as a test run.

 

We have the same boat and we did a run to MV form the CT coast a few weeks ago however we broke it up with a few overnight stops in Mystic CT and Newport RI. Would have loved to maximize our time in MV but we decided to keep the travel to under 2-3 hours per leg because we have young kids. I've also run from Zach's Bay to the Housatonic River in CT which wasn't too bad but we stopped mid way for a few hours and it made a world of difference. Total time was about 8 hours. I don't know about you but unless its complete glass i tend to sit on the bolsters or stand for most of the ride watching out for floating debris or fishing gear in the water. That wears on you after a few hours so I would plan to coordinate your fuel stops with a stop for lunch or a 1-2 hour break.. Also in our boat though we cruise at 23-24 knts during perfect conditions i'd say the average is closer to 19-22 knots with swells and chop. Not sure how it is running on the outside but in the sound wind and water conditions could change within hours. I'm just estimating but generally if my Nav says 8 hours i'd add another 3-4 for good measure.

 

I feel anything more than 100 miles in 1 sitting tends to get a little long

 

Ran my old 300 Sundancer for about 6 hours straight from the South Shore of Long Island (Lindenhurst) up to Kingston NY via the scenic route up through the East and Harlem Rivers with one fuel stop in Alpine NJ. Did the East and Harlem Rivers at 5 MPH to enjoy the sights. Weather and conditions were fantastic, but fatigue started setting in when I tied up in Kingston.
I ran this boat home from Westbrook Ct. to the South Shore of Long Island this past April with no stops. Took the LI Sound through NYC and then the ocean back to Jones Inlet. Conditions were decent in the Sound, Hell Gate, East River, and NY Harbor. ocean was a bit of a mess for the 20 miles from Breezey Point to the Jones Inlet. Whole trip took a little more than 6 hours dock to dock.
Adrenaline was high because I was excited about my new boat, and my brother was along for the ride so he took the wheel a couple of times for me, but when I got back to my home dock I was pretty glad to be there. First because it was good to get my new boat home, and second because it was a long day.
Based on my past experience, I would plan trips with a max of 6 hours per day of running time. Four hours a day would be ideal, but 6 is my personal preferred max.

 

Ran from Sanibel Island to Clearwater in 6 hours @ 20 knots, pounding through some heavy swells and my old gassers made it without a hiccup. I'd say if the motors are in good shape a good long run shouldn't hurt them at all, I'd like to say the same about the skipper but I was shot after that run and vowed to never take such a long run in those type seas again.

 

6 hours straight standing at the helm @ 22-24 kts just about does me in... With all of the debris in the water, you are on high alert constantly.

 

What your looking to do sounds like torture to me. I've done 4.5 hr run and was ready for a break. You are going to have stop for fuel around Montauk. Might as well stay the night. Gone Fishing Marina had the best gas price when I was out there last year.

 

The boat would make it, but as others have said, it's a long trip and your ability to stay focused is just as important as the engine maintenance. Break up the trip, there are plenty of nice places to stay even if it's only one night. I recently took a boat from ocean city Maryland to south shore of Long Island with a licensed captain, the trip was around 190 miles, a little over 11.5 hours total, one stop for gas and some food in Atlantic City. It was grueling, it was physically and mentally exhausting.

 

I have a 06- 320 - 377's inboards. My run from Northport to Block is around 85 miles, I can make it comfortably in 4.5 dock to dock or if I run higher Rpms i can do it in 3.5. Neither is very exhausting, most of it is within protected waters of the l.i. sound and gardiners bay, but past montauk, in open ocean, it is always more stressful. Your entire trip is basically open ocean. Lay over in montauk, west lake is a cheap option. Or take the journey up the east river and head for eastern points of the Ct coast. And leave for the vineyard in the morning. Beware of the block island fog, you should have an epirb and I would think you have radar. Know your radar, if that fog creeps in block island sound it can become uncomfortable very quickly.

 

From Palm Beach FL, across the Okeechobee Waterway to Ft Myers, then up to Boca Grande. We watched the sun rise over the Atlantic and set over the Gulf of Mexico. It was a taxing 17 hour day considering that we had to deal with a fuel stop and several lock and bridge openings along the way. My boat is pretty well equipped with 2 plotters,s 2 VHF's, Radar, etc. but I could never have made that long a day without an auto pilot interfaced to the GPS & plotter.

I'd do it again, on my boat, if I needed to, but I really think the practical limit due to fatigue and wantering attention span is more like 12 hours.

 

I find rare days when conditions are ideal from one end to the other on the Long Island Sound. One change in the wind or there are flood tides, and the conditions quickly change for the worse. There are some great porst and anchorages along the way if you plan your route right. Good luck if you do the trip!

 

Hmmm... From memory -

At cruise speed (16-17kts) non stop -
Green Turtle Cay Bahamas to Stuart, FL
Boca Grande, FL to Key West, FL

At a mixture of speed during the day -
Pensacola, FL to Carabelle, FL
Sanibel Island, FL to Tarpon Springs, FL - two weeks ago

 

Left Cape Coral at dawn, got to Clearwater at 1237, fueled, departed at 1300, arrived at Panama City Beach at 2130 - 320 NM. Exhausted. Thanks to FrankW for helping us get fueled and in our slip at Treasure Island for the night. Too tired to eat. Had to make it in one day due to the bad Gulf weather forecast for the next week. Survived due to the autopilot and MANs that could cruise at 25 KTs - and Frank and Fran's help when we got there!

 

I used to single hand from Harbor Springs to Spring Lake every year until retiring 7 years ago. That is a 250 mile run taking about 12 hours depending on weather. Did it in a 300 WeekEnder and 370 Express. Only done it once in the Tiara as the time pressure to return to work is gone. Do routinely make the run from Frankfort to SL which is about 140 miles. Just did that a week ago. New technology reduces the workload to watching screens, pushing buttons, updating the paper log, and looking for traffic out the windows.

 

When our boat was on the east coast of FL, we would routinely run down to the keys - usually a 6-7 hour run each way to or from Marathon.

6 hours is fine, when it gets over that I can feel the fatigue.

We have crossed the big lake in FL a few times. Have done it both in 1 day trips and 2 day. For one day trips typically Sunset marina on the Stuart end to City Marina on the Ft Meyers end. Leaving either one early enough to have the nav lights on, pulling in at 5 or so in the afternoon on the other end. Long day. You get to where you look forward to the locks to get up move around and do something different for a few minutes.

Longest/worst trip... We were on the West coast of FL, had to get back due to family issue. Weather was not good going down through the Keys - went back over the lake. Got to Stuart, Sea's too rough to go outside, turned down the ICW. Got to Palm Beach and spent the night.

Next morning left on the ICW headed south. 10 hours +, most at no wake speed. Huge amount of time waiting for bridges to open - I forget how many but it was in the teens. Passed Ft Lauderdale, final 10 miles down to our marina. Saw the storm building - 15 minutes from our Marina the clouds opened up pouring rain. We were not going to linger to wait it out, pulled in and tied up in pouring rain. Slept well that night.

Mark

 

In May we ran 305nm from Georgetown, SC to Coinjock, NC in 14 hours - just before dawn til after dark. Fuel stop in Morehead, SC. This was the longest of 5 straight days as we made our FL to CT run in 5 days.

Of course I can be walking around standing in the galley, making an omelette while driving, which makes it more bearable. Carter is still my hero.