Hi all.Im bringing a (new to me) 44 ft IG 44ft motorcruiser from Melbourne fla to Carrabelle fla. I know its bad timing but I have no choice. I do have trepidation. We'll be headed by way of the Ocachobe canal up through the west side Icw not sure what we'll find for good Anchorage reasonable fuel and good marinas we probably cross the gulf at Tarpon springs or crystal river.any advice would be appreciated other than don't go.lol
Maiden voyage
- Thread starter treetops
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Blissboat
Guru
Floating debris in the ICW and around passes like Redfish, Boca Grande, Stump, etc. on up past the Tampa Bay entrance would be my big concern. That's going to be a hazard for weeks to come. If possible, take on all the fuel and supplies you'll need for the trip before leaving Melbourne, or at Stuart. Then once you get across the state to Ft. Myers, I would navigate cautiously out into the Gulf and try to stay outside / offshore as much as possible the rest of the way to Carrabelle.
If you have to put in somewhere between Ft. Myers and your destination, Tarpon Springs may be the least disturbed by the two recent hurricanes. South of there the Pinellas beach towns are still beat up from Helene's flooding, and everything from Anna Maria on south toward Ft. Myers south is beaten up from Milton. The further north you go from the Anclote River, the greater the damage from Helene. At least Carrabelle had the good luck to be on the favored side of Helene's eyewall.
Wherever you go, just keep a wary eye out for stuff in the water or just beneath the surface that you don't want to hit with your hull or props.
Congrats on your new-to-you IG!
If you have to put in somewhere between Ft. Myers and your destination, Tarpon Springs may be the least disturbed by the two recent hurricanes. South of there the Pinellas beach towns are still beat up from Helene's flooding, and everything from Anna Maria on south toward Ft. Myers south is beaten up from Milton. The further north you go from the Anclote River, the greater the damage from Helene. At least Carrabelle had the good luck to be on the favored side of Helene's eyewall.
Wherever you go, just keep a wary eye out for stuff in the water or just beneath the surface that you don't want to hit with your hull or props.
Congrats on your new-to-you IG!
Comodave
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Congratulations on your new boat.
Blissboat
Guru
Aids to navigation are another consideration. The stream of USCG official notices about damaged or missing markers has been like an avalanche -. every day they report more hazards all up and down the west coat of Florida. As for floating aids, forget about it. Even the Tampa Bay Pilots have dialed back to reduced / daytime operations only, because no one has confidence in the aids. Clearing the backlog is going to take the Coast Guard's ANT a while, to say the least.
Bottom line, for weeks or maybe months to come in those waters, you cannot trust anything a marker (if it even still exists) seems to be telling you about your position. I acknowledge that you have already heard the "don't go" advice, and you're saying you have no choice. At the end of the day though, every trip is a choice. If you can figure out a way to sit this one out for a while, I think you and your new-to-you boat would both enjoy the trip a lot more.
lwarden
Guru
Also might be a good idea to call around and find out what towing service (Seatow, BoatUS) is more active/operating in that area and get a policy before you leave. If you have a strike and need a tow it would be good to know who is available. I'm guessing they are pretty busy refloating boats at the moment.
Thanks for the advice.i think we'll have to travel on the outside as much as we can.only day light hours
GB36_OuttaHere
Member
Looks like a great trip.. Very exciting. The Melbourne to Fort Myers ICW section will give you a few days to get comfortable and confident before the Fort Myers to Carrabelle run. I took a week and singlehanded my GB 36 from Savanah to Belhaven NC last fall.. One of my fav trips, but a second body on board would have been nice. For peace of mind, I closed all the seacocks except the 2 main ones for the Lehmans. Verified both bilge pumps were operating correctly and verified my towboat US policy was in effect.
Raymarine plotter at the helm, and Navionics on my Ipad and phone made it easy to see up close and zoomed out a bit, what was coming. about 4:00 PM, I'd start scanning for a spot to anchor or tie up.
I'd def make the 250 NM Ft Myer to Carabelle section in one 25-30 hour overnight run... Pick your weather window and make sure your Autopilot is on point. Good luck!!
Raymarine plotter at the helm, and Navionics on my Ipad and phone made it easy to see up close and zoomed out a bit, what was coming. about 4:00 PM, I'd start scanning for a spot to anchor or tie up.
I'd def make the 250 NM Ft Myer to Carabelle section in one 25-30 hour overnight run... Pick your weather window and make sure your Autopilot is on point. Good luck!!
