Great Lakes to Florida Keys...

[Shipislandpirate]

Anyone out there who has sailed from the Great Lakes to Florida Keys...Looking for some guidance and suggestions regarding expectations of time, distance, expense and difficulty along the way...Planning on leaving near the end of summer or early fall...Hoping to arrive in the Keys in November...


Thanks,

John

[ebs001]

There have been a number of threads with a huge number of replies concerning this very trip and rather than go through it all again you will be able to get all the information you need using the search function above.

[Dick Pluta]

Where on the Great Lakes? This could lengthen or shorten the trip by 2 or 3 weeks.

Dick Pluta
AEGEA

[CaptainForce]

........or, here it is. We haven't all been part of an old thread and once said doesn't mean it's not a topic. I only have a piece of this trip, having often cruised from New York to the Keys. We like the slow hops and frequent stops at Atlantic Highlands, Manasquan, Atlantic City, Cape May, Annapolis, Solomons, Porthmouth, Elizabeth City, Oriental, Georgetown, Charleston, Hilton Head, Savannah, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona, Titusville, Vero Beach, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Elliott Key, Key Largo,.........We usually do this trip between two and three months and spend the same money as we do when we are not cruising. This is safe and easy when picking your weather and everyone with charts has the distance; however, you never need to travel past the length of daylight. Take care and joy,

[Shipislandpirate]

Dick, planning on starting around the Muskegon area...

Thanks,

John

[Shipislandpirate]

Captain Force, thank you so much...Most of the trip will be singlehanded..

John

[CaptainForce]

.....and is your goal speed? If so, I'll know to drop out,

[Shipislandpirate]

Captain Force... Speed is not an issue..Safety and enjoying the journey are my top priorities...I tried using the search function and there are around 500 posts with the words Great Lakes and Florida Keys in them..Appreciate your help very much...

Thanks,

John

[CaptainForce]

So John, Tell us more about the boat including draft and vertical clearance. These will determine some of your choices for passage. Also, what are your preferences regarding offshore distances or motoring within some inland passages? What is the nature of your rig that is to be lowered to make your way to the Hudson and then raised? I noticed that there is an active thread named "Sailing the Hudson River NY" that will cover some of your questions. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[PBzeer]

What are your plans after reaching the Keys? If this is a one-way trip, I would suggest, given your starting point, taking the western half of the Great Loop. Either direction will require dropping your mast.

Although going the western half will entail a lot of motoring, I view it as a one time opportunity (as you're basically going downstream). You would need to check on the possibility of storm damage through Alabama, but I don't recall any news that affected the Waterway.