My Marina in Delray Beach FL is closing for renovations on May 1st. so I will be cruising my 1977 53 Hatteras MY north to NJ. The trip down from NJ was an ICW sight seeing tour that took 10 days. Awesome. This time is more business. I was planning to stay outside towards SC for the first 48 hours. Then decide to go in or out based on the weather and logistics. Most likely in from NC to Norfolk. My goal is to get her home efficiently, not sight see the whole Eastern ICW again.
Question 1: I am learning that ocean currents are not favorable for Northbound cruising until spring. How much of a difference does it make? is it better to stay inside this time of year?
Question 2: When do they change? I was planning on leaving April 1st. Would it be advantageous to wait until the last minute: leaving April 30th? I have flexibility until 5/1.
Hoping those with experience or knowledge can help. The internet is full of conflicting and unclear information on this.
Sincerely,
Eric
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03-10-2019 07:24 PM #1Registered Member
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Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
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Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
Here is a link for the Gulf Stream forecast. I ve never paid much attention to the stream north of south Florida but I m not sure you have much to gain by going that far ashore to get an extra knot or 2
https://www.passageweather.com/maps/...as/mappage.htm
Click on Gulf Stream tabPascal
Miami, FL
1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
2007 Sandbarhopper 13
12' Westphal Cat boat
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03-11-2019 01:12 AM #3Senior Member
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Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
Eric,
I made that run probably 30 plus times over the years and my experience has been that for most of
my trips I have encountered unfavorable conditions at that time of the year. You really need to pay
close attention to the weather forecasts several times a day. I usually tried to run outside most of the
time as I had run the ICW many times before and was not very interested in site seeing. Some of my
worse conditions were encountered on the homeward stretch between the mouth of the Chesapeake
and NJ. My problems for most of the trips were caused by my being on a time schedule and not willing
to wait out conditions. Very bad practice for any boater but especially a pleasure boater that is not
out there trying to make a living. One year we were several miles off shore of the Delaware Bay and
were taking very heavy seas over the bow. One wave was so large that it actually broke out one of
the windshields of my then 43 DC. We actually did not think we would make a safe land fall.
These comments are not intended to discourage you in any way but to warn you of what can happen
if you give prudence a cold shoulder in your decision making. It's a great trip under good conditions
and the Hatteras' can surely take much more of a beating than the person running it.
Walt
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03-11-2019 11:51 AM #4Registered Member
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Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
Pascal and Walt, Very helpful. Thank you.
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03-11-2019 02:47 PM #5Senior Member
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Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
I usually find the weather for my trip North better than the trip South, may just be lucky. My trip the last two years has been leave from Port St Lucie and run to More Head, right around 48 hrs. I run at about 1,000 rpm's doing 9.5 to 10 kts. When I hit the Gulf speed increases to around 14Kts. Pull in at More Head and refuel and head right back out if I can, I can make the leg from More Head to Great Egg inlet in between 32 and 35 hrs. Last year I had to wait a day in More Head because of weather. Trip usually takes between 1,100 and 1,300 gallons of fuel depending on when I get antsy and speed up to cruise speed.
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03-11-2019 06:32 PM #6
Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
Have done this a few times also, that time of the year as long as you have southerly winds less than 20k you should be good. You do not want to be out there with a northerly blow. IMO, it is worth getting out there in the maximal GS current as you can pick up 4-6 K between the current and a southerly breeze. One time we went from FLL to Wynyah Bay SC and only used about 600 gallons in my old boat (61CMY) ......Last time I paid Jenifer Clark et al to plot our route.....Pat
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03-12-2019 10:13 AM #7Registered Member
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Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
Mike and Pat, Good stuff. I only have 550 gal of fuel, at a Gal/mi Wynyah Bay SC looks like a safe destination from Delray. I'm hoping I get a little help from the GS. Pat, do you usually stay outside the whole time like Mike? I know that the weather may override any of my plans, but I was hoping to go back out that morning running for another 18h towards Morehead, then going into the ICW at sunrise and choosing a marina in route that we can get to well before nightfall. I figured we would stay in through to Norfolk. The other option is just doing the remainder of the day from Wynyam finding a resting spot before night fall somewhere south of Morehead. Getting some RR, Then starting the inside cruise at sunrise the next morn. The Crew may not be up for another full 18hours overnight ocean run followed by a whole day inside, after the first nonstop 48h run. My endpoint is Brick NJ via the Barnegat inlet.
Any advice/opinions are appreciated.
Eric
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03-12-2019 11:26 AM #8
Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
that trip we did in two legs FLL to Pawley's Island, then PI to Annapolis all outside except for leaving the boat in PI for a week. Had I known the boat better I would have gone the entire distance stopping at Virginia Beach/Norfolk area for fuel. The last time I did it we did a combination of ICW/offshore due to weather and a stabilizer seal blowing that left us 70 miles offshore in the worst weather of the trip at 400am. I made the executive decision we had to fix the stabs before continuing the trip, as I like being married! Had we not lost the seal I was planning on running the entire trip offshore to the Chesbay. We also did an overnight up Pamlico/Albemarle sounds which I would not recommend unless you have 2-3 people to drive/navigate as the shrimpers don't use nav lights and it is very difficult to tell speed/ heading without AIS/nav lights............Pat
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Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
I'm slipped just inside barnegat light, stop over have a beer.
ENUFF. 1983 53MY.Hull #617 Barnegat Light Nj.
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Re: Cruising from FL to NJ this April, Ocean vs ICW.
Semper Siesta
Robert Clarkson
ASLAN, 1983 55C #343
Charleston, SC