Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

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Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

Hi all. New to the forum.
Wife and I are leaving Snead Island on Sept 1st and headed south to near Key West, but taking the 5 Channel shortcut, then up Hawks to Miami and duck in Gov Cut to ICW...
I am absolutely new to our Cat 350 with roller furling and furling main. Windy.com shows weather good on the way down but on the 5th near Miami near 15 knts..
I just don't have the skills with this boat yet only been aboard 1 hr under sail. With wind 15knts do I need to be sure to reef both head and main or just run with headsail... waves show 4ft at 5 sec
Cheers Hull #380
jbd3
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:44 pm

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by jbd3 »

Consider a rope clutch for the headsail furling line to greatly ease the process of reefing the jib and let the weather helm be your guide. Esperance is wanting a reef about 18 or so but obviously your point of sail matters. We keep Windstar in Cape Coral and would happily tag along if we were local.
wolfe10
Posts: 587
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:58 pm
Location: Ft Myers Florida

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by wolfe10 »

Several times we have done the same trip-- FL west coast (actually from Texas) to Miami or Ft Lauderdale to jump off to the Bahamas.

We stay in the ICW from Matecumbe north. Lots of anchorages-- far more than in Hawk channel.

Whether to reef in 15 knots depends on wind direction. If a reach-- keep it all out and cruise along at 7 knots. If right on the nose find a place to wait it out unless on a schedule.

If questions, shoot me a private message (contact) and we can visit.

Sadly, "Billy the boat tipper" is no longer in business (or at least was not last winter) or you could take the Okeechobee across.

If interest in doing the Okeechobee waterway instead, might check with Indian Town Marina to see if anyone is tipping boats to get under the Mayaka RR bridge. That will save you a LOT of miles and is also an interesting trip.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

thx .... i understand your reply... if the boat is heeled over 15 degrees then reef... regardless..
at least for me..

I did call Billy Owen the 'boat tipper' and yes retired, just a full message box... Indian Town Marina said no one has picked up the tipping service.
Cheers Hull #380
Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

to jbd3
I surely would love the company of Windstar and advice on systems, sails, ICE, (we are buying a Yeti Sunday morning at WestMarine). Now were to put it.
Active Captain should have shopping carts for groceries, and an ice cube for Ice. Maybe a wrench for West Marine stores!

Tools? I got a socket set. 1 gigantic ancient screw driver and needle nose. 1 crescent. trip to Harbor freight Bradenton at 9am tomorrow.
I need to be able to adjust/change the fan belt at very minimum...

After this thing with the State of Florida 180 day thing is all past we will come back down on visits or join a Bahama flotilla. We have to leave, get registered and pay sales tax in SC. Anyway, got to be there to Brunswick GA by Jan 17

Just checked Windy.com thru Oct5 and it is looking good, like mostly motor sailing.
Cheers Hull #380
jbd3
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:44 pm

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by jbd3 »

First of all, OH NO to the demise of Billy the boat tipper. That's how Windstar got to the west coast of Florida 2 owners ago. So his technique worked great on a Mk I 350 but now I'm not sure what the workaround will be. Any shared info on the angulation required would be great. We purchased Windstar 2 years ago specifically to have a live-aboard option in FL and to be able to cruise the Bahamas but a lightning strike last year turned our cruising season into a repair season. Long story short, we bought a canal house in Cape Coral that truly makes it a lot more comfortable than the 6 months we actually lived aboard and we have our own "marina" now so the boat will add to the livability of the house and hopefully still get to the Bahamas one of these years. Having owned Esperance for 10 years on Lake Michigan, we were very happy with the C350 on some extended North Channel cruises and weekend adventures. The northern boat lacks AC and a Panda genset but has a lot more storage room. We bought a separate ice maker that is about the size of a toaster and works via generator or inverter as it requires 120 VAC. Worked well in Canada but remains to be seen how it fares in the heat of Florida/Bahamas. We have a Yeti large cooler that we keep under the main salon table but NB that melted ice water dissolves bottle label glue to produce a really stinky effluent that requires prompt disposal, most conveniently into the bilge to be pumped overboard. For tools get a fairly complete kit even with a hammer, Allen wrenches, etc. You can't really go overboard here, Spare parts and hoses, wire, duct tape, etc. We keep a lot of that stuff in the port main salon settee seat. I have a very economical harbor freight solar array on the davits which at the least reduces the need for an engine charging cycle up north but with a genset is less essential. AIS highly recommended to cross the freighter traffic jam on the gulf stream but less essential once in the Bahamas. Happy to offer any other perspective as I really inhaled the C350 KoolAid.
wolfe10
Posts: 587
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:58 pm
Location: Ft Myers Florida

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by wolfe10 »

BTW, for those interested in the Okeechobee Waterway across Florida, the Corp of Engineers publishes, on a daily basis, both the charted depth (look at route 1-- that is the cross lake route) as well as the clearance on the RR bridge:

http://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/reports/r-oke.html

As of this posting, depth is 7.60' (just fine) and bridge clearance is 50.07 (not so fine)'. So bridge clearance on the one RR bridge is about 3' too little for a 350!
Brett Wolfe
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
jbd3
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:44 pm

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by jbd3 »

Regarding the low bridge east of the lake:

Trying to recall 50 year-ago trig but if a 350 is listed to 23 degrees, the cosine of that angle is is 0.92. A 53 foot mast would then require a vertical clearance of 48.76 feet to get through. Any collective thoughts on how much weight suspended on a perpendicular boom coupled with deck weighting and cargo redistribution might be needed to achieve this? IOW anyone think that this could be managed without dependency on outside help?
wolfe10
Posts: 587
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:58 pm
Location: Ft Myers Florida

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by wolfe10 »

Don't know that I would want to stress the gooseneck with that kind of load.

I know Billy lines up 4-5 plastic 55 gallon drums on the rail, ties them to mast, handrail, etc then has a high-volume pump that fills them with water.

Rough math 5 times 55 gallons times 8.3 pounds/gal= 2,283 pounds.

A NEW COTTAGE INDUSTRY ANYONE?????
Last edited by wolfe10 on Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Brett Wolfe
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
jbd3
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:44 pm

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by jbd3 »

Thanks!
Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

We went aground Big Pass. Sarasota. Should not have been there. Meant to take longboat pass but. could not see on chart plotter. I had wrong one as master. No data at helm. Bent rudder while being pulled off.

New rudder fabricated at Sailboat Rudders in Williston FL. Bushings from Catalina Direct. Should be back in water Tuesday/Wed. Got original slip at Snead. We will attempt again in a month or two Steep learning curve. I have pics and will try to post
Cheers Hull #380
Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

Boat is back in the water and in slip at Snead, Palmetto.
whew... back home in Idaho... re-grouping, and looking at mistakes we made. Maybe we will try in mid Nov...
we have purchased a Yeti also... and a dehumidifier. we have been looking at the overall plan and may choose to go to bahamas earlier...
sailing up to south carolina area in january might be too cold.

I am wanting to replace the raw water strainer with a new unit as ours has bronze wingnut model not the clear plastic hand removable strainer.
It is sure inconvenient to check and such, as it is under the rear mattress... is there a better solution?
Cheers Hull #380
wolfe10
Posts: 587
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:58 pm
Location: Ft Myers Florida

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by wolfe10 »

An excellent teaching tool is to use one of the chart programs such as:

https://cruisersnet.net/category/west-f ... n-florida/

Go to "chart view". In the upper right is "toggle full screen view".

Carefully run through the next day's route. Become familiar with the marks, turns, bridges, etc. Figure out where you want to stop the next night. Make reservations if a marina.

This materially lessens the "drama" of learning to navigate.
Brett Wolfe
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

i visited recommended site... wonderful.. i have now saved as bookmark.
Cheers Hull #380
Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

looks like the next attempt will be on Dec 26 or 27, thru Jan 5th.
hope to get from tampa area to Ft Lauderdale.
Cheers Hull #380
wolfe10
Posts: 587
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:58 pm
Location: Ft Myers Florida

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by wolfe10 »

My initial take from having covered that territory several times in our 350 is: marginally doable.

1. You are NOT going to have 10 consecutive good weather days that time of year.

2. You are new to the boat and may be new to navigating. You want to take it easy and enjoy getting experience with both boat handling and navigating. Said another way, though we have done thousands of miles of "sun up to sun down" most if it from Galveston Bay to the Bahamas, that is not how to start your sailing/cruising experience.

3. Only way I see to do that is to both have an extraordinarily good weather window and an overnight sail down the west coast. Again, not something I would recommend assuming/doing for a first trip.

Remember the adage: Cruising on a set/tight schedule is an Oxymoron.

A good start is to lay out distances and "next place to anchor/dock" for the trip. Make a post on this thread with distances and night stops 1-10 and those of us with experience in that area can give more specific advice. DO assume you will have several lay days for weather-- that will be decided on the fly as you see the weather forecasts for the next couple of days. Being "weathered in" at a secure marina sure beats 25 knot winds with 8' seas.

The "routing" icon here is a great place to start laying out the trip: https://cruisersnet.net/category/west-f ... n-florida/
Brett Wolfe
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
Aussie Mate
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:35 pm

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Aussie Mate »

There are so many posts I am not sure what the original was. I have C350 #387, 2005 model. Have done the Brunswick, GA to Pensacola, FL via the Keys, St Pete and Appalachicola as a delivery in a C375 (C350 on mild dose of steroids). We completed that in July. I would definitely go down the Drake Channel, unless there is a possibility of bad weather. There are very few refuges.

However, the C350 can navigate the ICW from the Keys through to Biscayne Bay with minimal issues. There are some shallows just south of Key Largo, but if taken slowly, no problems.

Let me know if you need a hand

Bruce
Bruce Whyte
s/v Aussie Mate
C350 #357
Fiftybucks
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Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
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Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

I will look carefully for Drake Channel. Is there another feature that Drake Channel is near? On the cruisersnet.net viewer, it is not shown or referenced.
Cheers Hull #380
wolfe10
Posts: 587
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:58 pm
Location: Ft Myers Florida

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by wolfe10 »

I suspect he is referring to HAWK CHANNEL which is on the east side of the keys.

VERY few places to stop and at least as many navigation challenges.

ICW is more protected and lots more places to stop.

Yes, going by way of the Drake Channel would be very scenic, as it is in the Virgin Islands. Would wear out a lot of charts using that as a way point.
Brett Wolfe
C350 #180
"Vindaloo"
Ft Myers FL
Fiftybucks
Posts: 84
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 2:10 pm
Location: Idaho, and Cheers New Bern

Re: Newbie Embarking from Tampa to Titusville

Post by Fiftybucks »

yes on Hawk Channel..
I understand, the ICW is quite narrow and Active Captain quotes dangerous depths, or lack of on much of that route. maybe i could make better time out in Hawks with the sail up etc.
Cheers Hull #380
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