Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:55 pm
Well, its time to get this subject out in the open.
The issue is that there seems to be an "attitude" or "Belief" amongst some otherwise good folks that unless you have a Full Displacement Passagemaker, you're best suited to the ICW, or even worse tied up at a dock while the "real" boats go blue water cruising.
I don't know if this misconception is promoted by folks with FD boats, or folks that are unsure about their boat, or folks that just don't know, but its time to set the record straight.
I would argue that almost any of our boats could safely, and comfortably travel the full coastline of north America, much of central America, and almost all of the carribbean.
Here's why...
Looking at the charts I find that there are safe harbors no more than 300NM apart, in pretty much this entire area. 300NM at 8 knots is 37 hours of cruising.
Weather forecasting is really good for two days in advance. That means that there is nowhere an 8 knot boat could not safely travel to in good weather.
The reality is that most of this area has safe places 100NM or less apart. That makes it even easier.
Provided you do not push the weather, and have time to spend in port. But then again isn't that what cruising is all about?
__________________
The issue is that there seems to be an "attitude" or "Belief" amongst some otherwise good folks that unless you have a Full Displacement Passagemaker, you're best suited to the ICW, or even worse tied up at a dock while the "real" boats go blue water cruising.
I don't know if this misconception is promoted by folks with FD boats, or folks that are unsure about their boat, or folks that just don't know, but its time to set the record straight.
I would argue that almost any of our boats could safely, and comfortably travel the full coastline of north America, much of central America, and almost all of the carribbean.
Here's why...
Looking at the charts I find that there are safe harbors no more than 300NM apart, in pretty much this entire area. 300NM at 8 knots is 37 hours of cruising.
Weather forecasting is really good for two days in advance. That means that there is nowhere an 8 knot boat could not safely travel to in good weather.
The reality is that most of this area has safe places 100NM or less apart. That makes it even easier.
Provided you do not push the weather, and have time to spend in port. But then again isn't that what cruising is all about?
__________________