Brazen Article is on the move south, on the Chesapeake at Deltaville right now. Norfolk the Elizabeth City in the next few days. Anyone else on this forum heading that way?
It might be interesting to meet other 36 owners heading to Florida or the Bahamas and I guess I've always been a bit envious of the cult of the Island Packet where they apparently have secret handshakes to go along with all the IP hats, shirts, facebook groups and other swag. (just kidding, no disrespect to IP or to cults)
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Denis
Brazen Article #1925
2001 Catalina 36 MKII
No responses so far Denis, when do you plan on heading out and where from? This is my plan for next year.
Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina
Hello Ed - I left the top of the Chesapeake on October 16 and have been cranking out miles almost every day. Tonight Im anchored in the Ashepoo River about 20 miles above Beaufort SC. Most days are about 50 miles of motoring or with luck a motor sailwith the jib helping.
The ICW is an interesting trip, especially if you stay ahead of the real cold weather. This year I added a full enclosure which is nice and warm and also seems to have doubled the living space onboard.
I made this trip a few times on my Catalina 28, this is my second season doing it on the 36. Brazen Article is a wing keel, I haven't had any issues but there are spots that would take special care with a fin keel version.
Aquamap is great for this trip since it has the Army Corps survey data installed. Many users on the ICW contribute to Active Captain and the Waterway Guide which are part of the program. I also have Navionics but really only use it for a big picture view of whats ahead.
Most nights I anchor out, every 5-6 days stop at a marina for fuel, water, pump out and some supplies (3 five gallon jugs of diesel augment the installed tank).
The weather has been great, if it holds I'll be in Fernandina Florida by next weekend, then a more leisurely trip to Vero Beach for a week or two on the way to the Keys or the Bahamas.
Denis
Brazen Article #1925
2001 Catalina 36 MKII
I am already in the keys, that's where I am based. But I am planning on making the crossing to the Bahamas in January for a month or two of cruising. Originally I was going to head to Bimini from No Name harbor. Recently a guy with a Catalina 42 who grew up in the Bahamas recommended avoiding Bimini and doing West End in the Bahamas. Apparently customs in Bimini has been having some issues recently. So I am examining a more northern crossing as an option.
Army Sailor - hope you didn't get beat up by Raphael as it passed the lower keys. Brazen Article is making good time, now on a mooring at Fernandina Beach and most likely out of here in the morning. Might change and hang around for breakfast or lunch, other than the paper mills this is a nice town.
My plan is to touch base with friends at St Augustine and then get to Vero quick as I can. Titusville has always been a nice stop but "more souther is more better". Vero Beach marina is great, oddly the only place I know that puts multiple boats on single moorings. I've been alone, rafted with one or rafted with two depending on the demand. It is a sight to look aft and see three catamarans - 60 of beam - on a big old mooring ball.
The team there knows what they are doing, everything from mooring to fuel dock to laundry and local bus link works well.
Once there I'll take a few days to consider a north transit from Ft Pierce or Lake Worth or starting further south to get to the Bahamas. No hardship going to No Name or even down to Rodriguez if the weather works better.
Denis
Brazen Article #1925
2001 Catalina 36 MKII
Brazen, thanks for providing the detail. I assume you are heading for the keys.
Ed Dewsnap
Marion, MA
1984 Catalina
Thanks for the update. I will be leaving right after new years for the bahamas myself. I have done two winters in the keys and want to broaden my horizons.
I'll probably spend a bit of time on a mooring in Vero, maybe head home (up north) for a couple days over the holidays.
Over the next month or so I'll plan for some time in the Bahamas.
Last season I was in the northern Florida Keys waiting for good weather, it seemed almost every week or 10 days there were 3-4 days of high winds. To me that meant constant searching for the next good anchorage or sitting someplace waiting for the wind to subside.
ArmySailor, any Keys suggestions you have will be appreciated. I've been in Key West and Marathon, found both overcrowded. The Key Largo area is nice but land access is almost impossible without taking a slip.
Denis
Brazen Article #1925
2001 Catalina 36 MKII
Just west of Marathon is Bahia Honda park. Between the new and old bridges is a nice spot to anchor right off the park beach. A section of the old bridge has collapsed so it is easy to get between the bridges from the south. Not a bad place to anchor. Indian key park has free moorings as well. When sailing up and down the keys I prefer to stay on the south side and usually use Hawk's channel. Another place to anchor is in Biscayne bay just south of Miami. Its a pretty protected bay and has several channels to get between there and Hawk's channel. Its about a day sail from Fort Lauderdale. I haven't been there but No name key has an anchorage that looks nice, and there is a marina right there as well, although I haven't been there myself.
I keep the boat at the navy base at Boca Chica near Key West, so its very cheap for me. However, there is an anchorage across the bay from me where there are a bunch of boats, some abandoned. But it is fairly protected and there is a boat ramp and dock area on right next to it where you can dinghy in to. Its on the west side of stock island, south of the bridge.
If you haven't been to the dry tortugas and visited Fort Jefferson, its worth going there. Its 70 miles west of key west. It's a neat old civil war era fort that basically encompasses the entire island it sits on. I usually take two days to get there and spend the night anchored by the marquesas going each direction. Then I anchor for a night or two by the Fort. A neat trip to the fort with some swimming and snorkeling.