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Fort Myers To Chicago On A 55C

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sparky1
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Sparky1

Sparky1

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  1. OWNER - I own a Hatteras Yacht
Hatteras Model
58' TRIPLE CABIN (1970 - 1976)
Looks like another boat trip is coming together and I'm looking for input. I'm going to help a fellow HOF'er move his recently purchased boat from the Fort Myers area to the Chicago area starting the middle of next week.

First, does anybody have any local knowledge of Cedar Key? I have never been there though I do have charts for it, both electronic and paper. Just wondering about depths, marinas, etc.

Given this boat has apparently had some previous cooling issues which are presently being corrected, I don't think it would be prudent to head from Ft Myers to Panama City as we originally discussed. I'm sure the boat will be properly repaired/prepared, but I'd like to get a few hours in to make sure everything is in order. Ft Myers to Cedar Key should give us enough run time to be comfortable crossing to Panama City.

I did this trip out of Clearwater on my 58 a couple of years ago but at half the speed we'll be doing it on this 55C, weather permitting, so I'm not real sure how things will work out in terms of destinations en route to Mobile. Once we're at Dog River, I'll know better what to expect in terms of predicting where we'll be after a day's cruising.

Meanwhile, I figure Baypoint Marina in Panama City will be our destination from Cedar Key. From there, I'm not sure how far we can run in one day, but there's little doubt we'll run outside. Would it be realistic to think we can make the run from Panama City to Dog River in one day?
 
You know what old Gator sez... SPOOL 'EM UP !!!!! Any prudent yacht operator will take off from a dock on a new boat and run the pants off of it to see what will break the first day out. Aint that the way it supposed to work??
Is that a series I or II? Better get DE-Goosed before ya take off so you can get a daybreak start !~! ;-)) ws
 
I wouldn't bother with Cedar Key, nothing there. Maybe run from FM to Clwtr then to PC. You should be able to make Mobile from there.
 
Would it be realistic to think we can make the run from Panama City to Dog River in one day?



Isnt that really only 125 miles? C'mon 'Bird! ws
 
Stop at Johns Pass and I will let you buy us a drink at Bubba Gumps!!
 
captddis said:
I wouldn't bother with Cedar Key, nothing there. Maybe run from FM to Clwtr then to PC. You should be able to make Mobile from there.
Click to expand...
The only reason I was thinking Cedar Key would be to get more run time before crossing. If we go from Ft Myers to Clearwater, I don't think we'll have enough daylight to make it to PC. Then again, nothing says we have to run in daylight. Been there, done that.
 
captddis said:
Stop at Johns Pass and I will let you buy us a drink at Bubba Gumps!!
Click to expand...
They put in a Bubba Gumps there? Cool.

I'll see what I can come up with.
 
yachtsmanbill said:
Would it be realistic to think we can make the run from Panama City to Dog River in one day?



Isnt that really only 125 miles? C'mon 'Bird! ws
Click to expand...
Hey, considering it took me 4 hours just to get to places I could see, I have a hard time thinking in terms of running 125 miles in one day. :D

Seriously, is it only 125 miles from Baypoint to Dog River? I don't think so.
 
yachtsmanbill said:
You know what old Gator sez... SPOOL 'EM UP !!!!! Any prudent yacht operator will take off from a dock on a new boat and run the pants off of it to see what will break the first day out. Aint that the way it supposed to work??
Is that a series I or II? Better get DE-Goosed before ya take off so you can get a daybreak start !~! ;-)) ws
Click to expand...
I forgot to ask which series it is, but I'll find out.

Yep, it ain't gonna break at the dock, but I'd like to see 5-6 hours on the clock before we end up out of AAA range.
 
Cedar key is a good stop on a cruise when you can plan it. On a delivery maybe not. You've got to watch the tide and there's not much in the way of supplies or services and the city dock is vulnerable to wind and current. I wouldn't plan on it for a delivery Clearwater as you know is good Tarpon Springs is OK also. Crystal river's not bad either.


Brian
 
Yeah, I've been into those areas, but it still doesn't give us that much more run time than we'd get going to Clearwater. Surely we'll know if we have issues with a run from Fort Myers to Clearwater. I guess we'll just figure on making that our first stop, assuming we need fuel. If not, we'll just shoot across from there.
 
Tarpon Springs is a nice place to spend the night and an easy run to the panhandle. It would give you some run time before crossing the Gulf. We ran from Tarpon to Carabelle at 8.5 kts. Running faster than that would give you the option of going on to PC, but if you had a problem could stop at Carabelle.

Deep water entry and a number of interesting restaurants at Tarpon Springs. The only problem we had, the channel markers are not lighted and we had a close call leaving before daylight.

Sound like a great trip.
Regards,
Vincent
Lilly Marie 43DC
 
We left NOLA for Mobile in Augst '06 and found out that Coffeville had just closed 3 days prior until December. Thats what held us up down there.
Mustve been the B.O.C of E (BO corps of engineers)... oh wait, he wasnt even elected then. Hmm... I'll just blame it on him anyway! ws
 
I crewed on a 53C a few years back. Left Panama City at 5am got to Fort Meyers Muni 9pm burned 1100 gallons of diesel. 12-71s at 2100 RPMs 20 knots, a long day.

Skooch
42 LRC
Worton Creek MD
 
Hey Bird FYI


http://www.publix.com/food/catalog/Deli/Home.do


Just my $.02 but I would run to Clearwater or Tarpon springs. Expect to stay the night and get everything checked over again before the long run. maiden Voyages can be a bit tough on the vessel and the crew. Taking an extra night for making sure seems a small price to pay. The run from Ft Myers to Clearwater is bound to have something show up. Even if it is a small thing that may not be noticeable without taking an hour to "preflight" again the next morning
 
Been to Cedar Key coming back from Tarpon Springs a few years ago. Coming into the south channel the cruise books will tell you to study the charts before entering. I thought I was pretty good at reading a chart or picking out markers. Found out why the cruise book told me to study the chart. You get to a point in the channel and can see the county dock just as the picture shows in the cruise book. You are also looking at other red markers which appear to line up with the red markers you are passing. You might not believe this but I had a Dolphin come out of the water in front of me going from startboard side to port. About that time I looked down at the depth finder and saw I was running out of water. A quick glance to port and I saw another red marker sitting about 220 degrees from the boat. Hard turn to port just did keep me in channel. So make sure you study the chart before entering if you come in the south channel. Nice little town. Restaraunts in walking distance.
captbuddy
 
yachtsmanbill said:
We left NOLA for Mobile in Augst '06 and found out that Coffeville had just closed 3 days prior until December. Thats what held us up down there.
Mustve been the B.O.C of E (BO corps of engineers)... oh wait, he wasnt even elected then. Hmm... I'll just blame it on him anyway! ws
Click to expand...
So that's why you stayed in Mobile for so long?

I didn't remember that. No doubt you have to check with the corps before planning any big river trips as they do shut down locks on occasion. I would hesitate to describe it as "luck", but had my starboard not gone south when it did, there's a pretty good chance I would have been SOL in terms of getting the 58 back to Tennessee as a barge knocked the door off Wilson lock in Alabama.

Luckily they had an auxilliary lock, but it was closed to everything except commercial traffic for months. Who knows where I would have had to take the ole' Birdboat to find a marina, let alone what it would have cost. When they finally did open the auxilliary to pleasure boats, you basically had to camp out below the dam and wait for a call. If you didn't make it in time, you lost your spot.
 
I don't see Anna as an issue, but we'll see. As for the link, looks like our tax dollars have been well spent to update that site. Only question is, why doesn't it show the Tennessee or Tenn-Tom?

No doubt I'll be doing my homework to make sure there are no surprises. I need to get all the lock numbers in my cell as well to keep track of commercial traffic that can mess up our day. No need in busting our way up to sit for three hours while a barge locks through.
 
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