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Houston to Freeport, Bahamas

3K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  PBzeer 
#1 ·
Greetings, all.
I am somewhat new to Sailnet. I have been reading and learning a lot, but this is my first post. Maybe you can help me with a problem.

I have recently moved to the Bahamas (not as exotic as it seems, but still very fun) and in the process of getting rid of an old car I had in the States, was offered a Catalina 27 in trade. It seems like a nice boat, but it doesn't have a trailer, and it is in Houston, TX.

My sailing experience is quite limited. I took some lessons and sailed a Catalina 22 for a couple of summers on an inland lake. So, I am not qualified to sail it here myself. I thought about pulling it to Fla and sailing over, but I don't have a trailer. I would love the experience of sailing it here from Houston, but don't know whether that should be attempted in such a small boat. Do some captains who deliver boats take the owner along as crew?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great! Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I had a Catalina 27. And I am now completing the first leg of what you're talking about - going from Houston to St. Petersburg thus far. We'll stop for this season in Ft. Meyers. The Keys and Bahamas are for next summer. But I'm doing it all in a Hunter 40 - not the C27.

Bottom line is that I wouldn't do this trip in a C27. I do think it's doable from a technical perspective, if the boat was absolutely tip-top shape...but no freakin' way would I do it.
 
#3 ·
Take the intercoastal from Texas to the East coast of Florida. Sit at Miami [ no name harbor ] and WAIT for a good forecast.

Not a trip to do on a schedule.

Lots have done it on something like a Catalina 27. I would still do it with an OB a good inboard diesel would be better.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Do you realize how much fuel you'd have to carry to do this ICW run with an OB? LA alone has some very long stretches of nothing. Like I said, I agree with you that it's technically doable. But I would think your best option would be to do it outside sailing - at the best possible time of year, with the blessing of great weather. And the C27 is pretty lightly built - it's a weekender, not an offshore boat. So tankage and everything else is pretty sparse for a full week-plus at sea. No thanks.
 
#5 ·
Okay - I stand somewhat corrected on the fuel issue I suppose. This is from Yamaha's website for their portable size outboards (which you'd need for a C27):

Boat Motor, Portable Outboard | Yamaha Outboards

Fuel Efficiency
The smaller the motor, the less fuel it consumes, true. However, one of Yamaha's portables actually made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most miles traveled on one gallon of gas, going 67.27 continuous statute miles.
Still doesn't change my mind having just done this exact trip.
 
#6 ·
(The following assumes crew) Go outside at Galveston up to the Calcesieu R (overnight), stop before the first set of locks. next day follow a barge through the locks and stay with them through the night to Morgan City. After that, you're out of the "desolate" areas. (We made it through to the east side of the Mississippi from Houma, but you can get hung up getting through the locks.) Took the Canal, rather than up to the Lake, then to Pensecola. Short hop to Destin (actually went to Shalimar), then 3 full days to Tampa Bay. Follow the coast down and either stay inside, or cross the Keys to the Hawk Channel and up to Miami. Can pretty much do it all under sail (if there's any wind) except for LA.
 
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