Port Query

[Wildernesstech]

Fellow Cruisers,

Breaking one of my own rules I am trying to get somewhere fast by boat. I need to truck the Tartan to an East coast port, have the mast restepped, do a shakedown cruise, and then head for St. Thomas. Speed is important, but obviously not as much as safety! Finances figure in also. I need to truck from Missouri to South Carolina or further South unless I chance getting a 6'3" draft through the Okeechobee Waterway. My vertical clearance is 50'. Trying to get there ahead of hurricane season, and in one piece of course. I just got back from there working as Capt. on a 43' 1956 S&S Yawl, and a Cheoy Lee 42' Offshore and want to take the job on a permanent basis. If money were no issue I would truck to Ft. Lauderdale, but with the current fuel prices I can hardly afford SC or Mobile, AL. I am open to any and all suggestions from the wonderful group here... Need to pick the best route south for my draft also... Considering offshore North of the Bahamas and then skirt the islands staying to the North until I can drop South to St. Thomas (watching the weather of course). Plan to watch the African coast for lows to try to get a good long-range window, but this time of year 5 days is likely al I will ge at a time.

Fair winds,

David

[JeanneP]

Friends of ours did the Chesapeake to Bermuda, then Bermuda straight shot to Guadeloupe - in June/July when Tropical Wave after Tropical Depression after Tropical ..... dogged them. Pearson 36. Took them 2 weeks Bermuda to Guadeloupe - nasty trip - you won't have to go so far, and it won't be so bad in May or even early June. Can't be much more than 7 days to Bermuda, is it?

Getting it cross country, another thing. Would it be better/cheaper to get it to the Erie Canal, then restep the mast in Troy, NY and you're only a couple days from the Atlantic and off to Bermuda or whatever from there.

Erie Canal charts can be downloaded from NOAA.

You're right to watch the lows rolling off Africa, but 5-day forecasts are only reasonable for the first 3 days. Got a computer you can download GRIB or weather fax the whole way? Can you use a Verizon aircard and just buy minutes? (I've got one you can have if you have a PCMCIA port).

another option, anyway.

Good luck! Fair winds! Congratulations! Don't forget us!

J

[redbopeep]

I was thinking Missouri...motor/sail Mississippi River down to the Gulf...then onwards. Of course, that's time consuming. However, if you can do it what a wonderful thing.

I have a friend who looked into getting his boat onto a barge/ship from Chicago down the Mississippi River and then ultimately to Panama. His was quite a large vessel and it wasn't as costly as one might think. His choices beyond the Mississippi were to Puerto Rico or Panama, that much I recall.

It does seem that the trip itself for you would be quite an adventure. If you can't take the time yourself, can you have some friends do it for you where you can enjoy part of the trip? As I recall you had cruiser connections there in Missouri.

Oh, best of luck to you. I'm excited that you're doing something that looks nice

[JeanneP]

The Great Loop can get one to the Gulf, but only a very short stretch is on the Mississippi due to the mass of barge traffic, shoals, etc. Ohio River to the Tennessee River, to the Tenn-Tom waterway. Lots of locks along the way. One can get the charts from the various US Army Corps of Engineers websites. Slow going, though. Certainly not measured in weeks, more like months.

If you want to pay for more information, go the the America's Great Loop Cruising Association. I joined, but I didn't find the information provided particularly helpful. Good cruising guides, though.

The other inconvenience is that you start off for the Carib. 'way too far west. Not fun.

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by JeanneP

The Great Loop can get one to the Gulf, but only a very short stretch is on the Mississippi due to the mass of barge traffic, shoals, etc. Ohio River to the Tennessee River, to the Tenn-Tom waterway. Lots of locks along the way. One can get the charts from the various US Army Corps of Engineers websites. Slow going, though. Certainly not measured in weeks, more like months.

If you want to pay for more information, go the the America's Great Loop Cruising Association. I joined, but I didn't find the information provided particularly helpful. Good cruising guides, though.

The other inconvenience is that you start off for the Carib. 'way too far west. Not fun.

You took the romance right out of that one!

I did think it would take many weeks but I didn't know that so much of it was actually not on the Mississippi. The slog to windward isn't my idea of fun either. I just emailed my friend who got the barge quotes for his boat. I'll pass them along (company name that is) when I get them. Of course, it seemed that Puerto Rico was the only Carib option to go to with that company.

[Wildernesstech]

Looked up the levels on the Okeechobee Waterway... No way will my draft go through there this time of year! Lin pardey sent me a route that they had done on 4 different deliveries to Puerto Rico that may work. Working on the land transport schedule and hoping all else falls into place.

David