Route Advice Needed

[carolinacoast]

I went through this exercise 15 years ago. Looked at the boat in Manchester MA in mid october. Ended up negotiating a deal where the seller paid for the winter lay up, and I brought it down with friends in the spring to GA. We had engine issues, (dirty fuel), but were able to anchor and fix them with supplies onboard in pleasant weather.
As has been stated, unless its your boat and you have confidence in it, Spring trip or truck it. My$0.02.

[Boatsb]

If your going to truck it bring it home and have it 100% by your people before heading out on a long run. As nice as the trip could be from the mid Atlantic area it can also get miserable if something goes bad. Having the boat checked out with you around at home better prepares you for what may happen.

[bobk]

If your going to truck it bring it home and have it 100% by your people before heading out on a long run. As nice as the trip could be from the mid Atlantic area it can also get miserable if something goes bad. Having the boat checked out with you around at home better prepares you for what may happen.

OTH, at least there are many service yards south of Norfolk that will be open and have water and fuel. And Norfolk is past any big water. The sounds can get nasty, but usually for only a day or two before a reasonable window opens. Get Towboat US Gold and they can take you where you need to be if a problem comes up. That said, I would much prefer to stay warm and not get cold when I'm docking etc.

Have these boats been used regularly or were they dock queens or worse sitting on the hard waiting to sell? That answer will also need to be factored into your decisions.

Bobk

[Dan Mapes]

Generally speaking every change in color is a day on the water.

[saltshaker]

As long as the yard will haul or launch you’ll be fine with the survey. Keep in mind if you survey and don’t close most likely you’ll be paying to winterize the boat again. If you do move forward and close, time will be against you as the weather changes rapidly this time of year and once the boat is de- winterized you need to keep it from freezing. The worse part of the trip will be the first stretch until you make NYC. The water is much colder from mid Long Island up and that makes a big difference this time of year from a weather stand point. As mentioned earlier the stretch from NYC to Norfolk will be better but still a challenge with limited stops and limited inside options. Much depends on the weather and how fast you can run.