ICW

[Darco1]

I am planning on cruising the ICW from upstate NY to the keys and up through the gulf to Mexico. I want a sailboat from 30-35 feet.Budget from 15000 to 40000 grand.I need opinons on boat and what electronics I will need.Will be with one other person. Do I need Diesel or gas?

[camaraderie]

You should definitely get diesel powered and make sure you get a thorough survey of the enginne as you will be using it 80% of the time on your planned excursion. You will have 2 offshore legs on your trip so the boat needs to be fitted out for coastal bluewater cruising with a liferaft and an EPIRB. For the ICW you''ll need a draft of under 6 ft....preferably closer to 5ft. and a mast of no more than 65 ft which will probably not be an issue in the size range you are looking at. Other key pieces of hardware are a VHF and a GPS and depthsounder. The Mexico part of your trip might call for an SSB radio but I''d suggest you hold off and do this in Florida when you''re sure you''re going to need it rather than invest $3k or more up front.
Since you''ll be living aboard and not plugged into docks a lot, you''ll need to assess your daily electrical needs and size a battery bank and charging system (alternator/generator/solar/wind gen) to meet your daily needs as well as weather you''ll need A/C power for appliances, air conditioner etc.
As to choosing the right boat...you have tons of options in "classic plastic" that will suit your needs. Suggest you spend time on line reading various boat reviews and getting a feel for the type of designs that appeal to you personnally...then ask specific questions about those boats. A good place to see what is available within your specifications is www.yachtworld.com where you can look at specs and pictures of boats for sale within your parameters.

[MarcellaRio]

We just listed our sailboat today on the message board (Endeavour 37 A for sale). Check it out, especially all the new electronics, EPIRB, life raft, etc. BTW, all lines and Halyards were replaced in 2003. Also the portlights were replaced in 2003. She cruised the ICW (with a great draft and bridge clearance) and didn''t have a problem with a single bridge. She also did great crossing the Gulf of Mexico from Pensacola Pass, Florida to Isla Mujeres, Mexico (direct shot across the Gulf in very rough conditions).
Fair winds,
Darrel and Christal