Texas to Maine Cruise

[Docs Holiday]

We have started to move the boat from Beaumont, Tx to Maine (Eastport to Calais Area) Currently the boat is located in New Orleans, the initial part of the trip being a very real hopefully sharp learning cure (google-"Docs Holiday Coming Home". Having followed this forum for a number of years I am hoping to meet fellow members on our journey. Any suggestions y'all might have about must see sights, must avoid sights, great stop overs would be much appreciated.
Thanks to all of the moderators and contributors the information you have provided on this site has allowed me to get in the position to be able to make this journey.

[captbuddy]

Wow, you have so many nice places to stop or hang out in the panhandle of Florida and down the west coast. Pensacola is a nice stop over. Nice anchorage in Little Subine on Pensacola Beach or Palafox Marnina is at downtown Pensacola. Nice places to hang out or eat close by at either place. If you like the white squeaky sandy beaches, then anywhere from Orange Beach to Cape San Blas or Port St. Joe. Also a little further east the white sands are still there. Tarpon Springs is a neat place to stop with all the Greek shops right on the water front. Sanibel Island was not what it is cracked up to be. Advertised as the shelling captial of the world. That's a joke. If you are in the intracoastal around St. Petersburg, there is a neat protected marina in Gulfport, Fla. It is City of Gulfport Marina. A lot of sidewalk cafe's or openair bars. We stayed there four days due to weather. Just so many to talk about. Just take your time and enjoy the trip. We are in Boot Key Harbor on a Mooring Ball for the winter. Plan on spending the summer back up in the panhandle for the summer. Get down in the Keys, give us a shout. We are Buddy & Fran on Beach Nut. 42' LRC
captbuddy

[Walter P]

Do you have any idea when you might be passing up the Jersey coast? We have a fair amount of HOFers out here and we could probably plan a get together. We are just inside of Sandy Hook, NJ which is across the bay from New York Harbor. A good place to spend a few days and play tourist in the Big Apple. Let us know so we can plan an appropriate welcome for you folks.....

Walt

[Docs Holiday]

Thanks capt buddy and walterP for the response. We currently are travelling a few weeks than flying back to work for a few weeks...not fully retired until end of may. Hope to be postioned at least in north florida or the Carolinas by the end of may to position ourselves for an arrival in northeastern maine by mid july. We are planning on being in fundy bay for whale breeding season (August and early September) than hitting spots we werent able to see on the way back down the coast. Maybe by then we will have enough experience to attempt the Bahamas, abaco thing.

I understand that the crossing from Carabelle, Fl to tarpon springs is generally done at night if travelling at trawler speed and I found a video on u tube of Pascal crossing during the day but wasnt sure what speed he was going. Anybody have any suggestions. We have mainly done icw cruising and are a little apprehensive about an open crossing.

[Boatsb]

What is the vessel you are running?

[captddis]

Thanks capt buddy and walterP for the response. We currently are travelling a few weeks than flying back to work for a few weeks...not fully retired until end of may. Hope to be postioned at least in north florida or the Carolinas by the end of may to position ourselves for an arrival in northeastern maine by mid july. We are planning on being in fundy bay for whale breeding season (August and early September) than hitting spots we werent able to see on the way back down the coast. Maybe by then we will have enough experience to attempt the Bahamas, abaco thing.

I understand that the crossing from Carabelle, Fl to tarpon springs is generally done at night if travelling at trawler speed and I found a video on u tube of Pascal crossing during the day but wasnt sure what speed he was going. Anybody have any suggestions. We have mainly done icw cruising and are a little apprehensive about an open crossing.

I would go from Appalachicola to Clearwater about 158nm. I have never seen the logic of doing the bend unless in a small boat.

[Docs Holiday]

I am somewhat reluctant to admit that my boat is not a hatteras. We have a 1989 Chris craft 501. She has twin 6 v92 TA detroits 550 hp. 50 ft long 15 ft wide. The information on this forum has been so useful in explaining the systems on this boat I am guessing this was Chris crafts attempt to emulate hatteras. You can view her at google "docs holiday coming home". Or www.cruisingwithdoc.blogspot.com .

We particularly wanted to visit Tarpon Springs, since we have heard it is an old Greek sponge fishing settlement and seems quite unique...it is the kind of different exposure we are looking for

I hope my being a non hat owner doesn't affect my being on the forum....if it does I guess I will just be a voyeur since I continue to learn so much from y'all.

[captbuddy]

We did the Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs crossing in April of last year. It took me 18 hours. We really left to early in the day and that caused us to reach Tarpon Springs about 5am in the dark. If I do it again, I'll leave I do it going north, I'll leave in the afternoon so I can arrive in the daylight. I cruise about 7 to 8 kts.
captbuddy

[captddis]

I am somewhat reluctant to admit that my boat is not a hatteras. We have a 1989 Chris craft 501. She has twin 6 v92 TA detroits 550 hp. 50 ft long 15 ft wide. The information on this forum has been so useful in explaining the systems on this boat I am guessing this was Chris crafts attempt to emulate hatteras. You can view her at google "docs holiday coming home". Or www.cruisingwithdoc.blogspot.com .

We particularly wanted to visit Tarpon Springs, since we have heard it is an old Greek sponge fishing settlement and seems quite unique...it is the kind of different exposure we are looking for

I hope my being a non hat owner doesn't affect my being on the forum....if it does I guess I will just be a voyeur since I continue to learn so much from y'all.

No one will look down on you! We are all bound by our love of boating. A lot of us had Chris crafts. I still keep a Commander in the fleet.

[Docs Holiday]

Thanks, we have been told some leave in the evening to arrive in the am at tarpon springs..thanks for the advice I have been reluctant to participate much on the forum because of not owning a hat..but honestly I have to say y,all are a great group and supportive of each other. I am looking forward to meeting some of you during our voyage..thanks for the invite and the info.