Gulf Coast cruising...Need some advice

[skrap1r0n]

OK so I have a Catalina 25 swing keel. with an outboard. I currently have it in a lake in central Texas, but I would like to put it in the Gulf and hop the coast.

Now for several question all of which may be dumb, but I am going to ask anyway.

First, if one is considering coastal cruising, what is the general procedure for planning the trip. I am assuming we will be stopping during the night, catching some sleep and getting under way the next day. What is the best way to plan this? How far should one get in a day and how do you plan where your stops are?

Second, what are the differences between outfitting a boat for lake weekend trips and weekend trip and a couple of weeks on the Gulf coast from an equipment point of view?

Third, I understand that an inboard is a better option for this type of sailing, bu my boat just doesn't have one. How ignorant is it to hit the gulf with just an outboard?

And finally, experience... What experience level should one have before attempting this? Any specific ASA ratings you would recommend? I am new to sailing, however, I would like to try this trip in about a year or so.

[camaraderie]

Skrap...others can more readily advise you on the cruising conditions, but it sounds like what you will be doing is near-coastal day hops and probably a lot of ICW motoring. In terms of a C25 and extra equipment for such a trip I would suggest that a very stable dinghy with small motor that you can tow would be a good thing...doubling as a temporary life raft should something go wrong with the boat and also providing a second means of (slow) propulsion for your boat. A permanent and portable VHF should be standard and you will need a larger battery system and a way to charge it underway...pehaps a little Honda generator or solar or wind generator. An Epirb should be mandatory if you 're heading offshore.
You will be doing well if you can make 50 miles a day progress.
I don't think an ASA rating is needed at all but you have to be comfortable with handling your boat when it is blowing 25kts. and comfortable with navigation and safety procedures.
You'll obviouslyneed a GPS and the appropriate paper charts for the trip.

[skrap1r0n]

the dinghy is a good idea. I had only thought of them in terms of a tender and not a life raft. EPIRB and VHF are on the list.

Now about the ICW, why would I motor through there when I can sail the gulf? Is the ICW the only way to get to a safe mooring at night?

[camaraderie]

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (west)
Will give you some info. Again...I've never done this stretch of water but if you plan on coming in each night you need to have an inlet to do so...they generally are not spaced your convenience! So...while you may be able to do a good deal of near coastal hopping...weather and inlet availability would dictate that some considerable portion of your time will be spent inside the ICW. If PBeezer does not jump on this thread, you may want to PM him as he is more familiar with the territory.
Just as an example...on a day like tomorrow in a C25 you might rather be inside than outside:
THURSDAY
NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 7 FEET.

[doctom]

I have a 33 ft full keel boat and sail galveston on a weekly basis. On a pretty day I might not worry too much about exploring outside the jetties in a boat like yours. There are lots of great places on the bay side that would be very suited to your boat and the bay will probably be very exciting for you as well. But between Galveston and Surfside is a lot of water and a lee shore. Try leaving from Kemah and sail out for a stay at double bayou...it is a lot of fun and a lot of water to explore.


mike

[skrap1r0n]

Well, like I said, my boat is slipped on lake Travis here in central Texas. Since it is trailerable, I would like to put it in the gulf and maybe sail down to Padre or maybe over to Lake Pontchartrain.

[PBzeer]

Number one problem is oil rigs and other obstructions. Number two problem is commercial fishing boats and rig crew boats. Number three problem, particularly going east, there are few places to hide in bad weather. I have also been told, but can't verify, that shrimpers like to mess with anchored boats by netting their anchors.

[Boasun]

Beg to differ, but the ICW isn't always the safest place for mooring. Unless you are well lite and can have someone up all night long. But there are gunk holes along the ICW where you may be able to tuck away for the night.
But a friend who had a Catalina 25, when I lived in San Diego. We would go offshore and sail to various places of Southern Calif. And the Pacific Ocean is different in temperment than the Gulf. Wouldn't try it with a Catalina 22 but each to his own there and on how skilled you are.
Get your charts of the areas you want to visit and of the areas you will be transiting to get there. A Coast Pilot and a Light List. Figure the max time you want to be sailing each day and use that to determine the distances you may want to travel... figuring on the short side due to that a sailing vessel may sail 20 miles tacking, in order to go those ten/fifteen miles in a straight line. Have a VHF on board to have a way of saying "Here I am" to anyone around you that may not see you at first, by having a friendly chat with them. Make sure you have a Vessel station license for the VHF and a operator's license for yourself.
And all of the required safety equipage is up to date.
Oh! Have Fun building your and your family's experiences on this series of adventures.
And read anything that talks about offshore/coastal sailing. Other people experiences help in various ways.
Oh one other thing: Seas 5 to 7 feet in the Gulf is totally different from Seas in the Pacific. They are shorter and choppier vise the long rollers of the Pacific.

[sailingdog]

Skrap-

One advantage of having a swing keel is that you can anchor in water that is too shallow for most boats to get into. That gives you a lot more options in terms of where you can stop for the night.

[Sailormon6]

If I'm on a purely pleasure cruise in a smaller boat, I like to plan on about making about 20 miles per day. If the wind is light and/or on the nose, it might take awhile to get there. If the wind is more favorable, I'll go out in the Gulf, and I might go an extra 10-15 miles. If the wind and seas are rough, I prefer to stay in the ICW. Plan on about 3 places, at different distances, where you might stop for the night. Chart your progress during the day. Sometimes you'll make good progress until the afternoon, and then the wind might become unfavorable. If so, you might decide to start the motor and get to your next inlet instead of beating to windward at 45 deg. angles against choppy seas. In short, be flexible.

Twenty miles might not sound like much, but, if it takes about 4-5 miles to get from your anchorage or marina to the Gulf in the morning, and another 4-5 miles to get in from the Gulf to your next stop at the end of the day, you'll actually cover about 30 miles to make 20 miles of progress. Suppose you average 5 knots on a fairly good day. That means you'll sail for about 6 hours to cover the distance. If you start at about 9:00 a.m., you'll get in by about 3:00 p.m. That'll leave a little time to relax, freshen up, enjoy the area and have a nice dinner.

If you're taking the boat from Florida to the Chesapeake, you'll want to press harder and cover more distance each day, but on a pure pleasure cruise, it's nice to take some time to smell the roses.