2,700 in november in a 27' buccaneer
last year, when the hoses froze and the boats on lake champlain, vt, were hauled out, three people in the clutches of sail envy, and economic decline, headed south.
these three, myself, Bubbles Mcgillicutty, my wife, Lady Mcgillicutty, brother Twisty Mcgillicutty, and Onyx the dog spent and endured a life changing journey from Vt. to Fla. vai a 1975 bayliner buccaneer. leaving a week before Halloween, it was 18 degrees blowing hard out of the north. Don't forget the snow and freezing rain. with 30 years sailing experience between us, we bobbed, shivered, smiled, laughed and bested the worst weather i have ever seen.
running with a goal of sailing to florida on 30 gallons of gas and a 9.9 Yamaha took all the knowledge of the sea, sailing and safety we had combined.
despite the hardships of beating into and running with "big" seas (6'-13'), and sometime steady winds in the 40's, only once did i think we were going to lose her, and it wasn't entirely the weather.
we lost a lower rudder pintle, and started taking on water, a lot of water 25 miles off the northern coast of fla. had it not been for a shaol draft boat we wouldn't have made Ponce de Leon inlet in 13' breakers out of the NW.
The boat was sound, the rigging with less than 2 years strain on her. she was tender, we put the toe rail under on a reach often enough, she leaked in every portlight, but damn, really? $3,500, 2 mains, 2 jibs, 180 jenneau, my spinnaker, and pole, and set of storm sails we did just fine.
it can be done, not in style, or very fast, but it can be done
we loved our petunais, but we had to upgrade for this year.
happy sailing