Cruise C25 to Belize

[andymay27]

Greetings,

I don't own a C25. Yet. I retire in a couple years and THEN...!

I plan on trailering (or cruising the ICW) up and down the east coast visiting family in Port St. Lucie Florida (Stuart) and DC (Occoquan or Potomac), then trailering to Erie, PA with home port on Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia (land locked but beautiful and near the homestead). Clearly this will be a boat that'll be on and off the trailer a lot! All that I get.

My question is this: Has anyone cruised the Lake Okeechobee Waterway across Florida to Ft, Meyers, down the west coast to the Keys, to Dry Tortugas, cross the Gulf to Isla Mujeres, then down the coast to Belize?

Thanks,

Andy

[williwaw]

Welcome Andy. I admire your moxy and can't wait to read the replies!

[hardee]

Hi Andy.

Welcome aboard and good luck on the retirement...... and the trip.

I doubt it has been done in a CD 25, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be, or a 22 maybe. With the change in the status of Cuba, and by the time you are retired, it might be a possibility.

Belize has always been on my radar for a visit, and what a way to get there. I will be watching along on this one and maybe we could cook up a pretty cool CBGT cruise The timing should be about right.

Best on your plans,

Harvey
SleepyC

[20dauntless]

That looks like a distance of about 275nm. I don't think the 25 has enough range to cover that distance at planing speeds, at least with much of a fuel reserve. And I don't think any CD is the right boat for a 48 hour non-stop, open water passage at 6 knots.

If Cuba opens up to cruising that could change the calculus, although I assume infrastructure for recreational boats doesn't exist there yet and won't for some time.

[JamesTXSD]

At displacement speed, the range of a 25 should be 400+ nautical miles. As Steve said, you are looking at 48 hours +/- continuous running. Could be done. I am not aware of anyone who has done it. I am a believer in the right tool for the job, and this would be beyond my comfort zone for a 25.

Keep us posted.

[Will-C]

I don't know about Belize but do know of high powered fishing boats traveling from the Florida keys to Isla Mujeres for sailfish season. I think for a C-Dory this might be a bit of a stretch. The Bahamas are nice and think they would be no problem given the right weather conditions. No wind with the word north in it when crossing so they say.
D.D.

[thataway]

I have done this trip both ways in 46 and 62 foot motorsailors, with ranges in excess of 2000 miles under power. You will be bucking the Gulf stream of 2 to 3 knots most of the way to Isla Mujeres. I have spent months in this part of the Western Caribbean, and it is great: Belize, Rio Dulce and Roatan are especially nice.

The sport fishers often have bladder tanks, they run slow until they can make the rest of the trip on a plane. We have been in Mexico for a number or tournaments. Boats like the larger deep V CC have the range under power to do it form the Keys directly. Remember there are no supplies in the DT. The distance form Key West to Isla Mujeres is just over 320 N M.

Even if Cuba opens up, there are issues with the ports. You have to check in first at Havana (Hemmingway Marina). The issues at the smaller ports are that you must check in each port before 5 PM, and often they don't open until after 9 to 10 AM (plus Siesta). This makes way along the coast difficult. There are many reefs close to shore. there are several good cruising guides for Cuba, as well as good Cuban Charts. If you are daring, first go to Cuba and see how it is at Hemmingway Marinaa.

The seas can be very rough if you get a Norther. You don't want to be in that area in a C Dory 25.

So my report is not do try this. Go to the Bahamas to start with. Go down Islands, and you will find lots of areas other boats cannot get into because of your draft.

Have a good time!

[journey on]

Bob gives some good advice about open waters in a C-Dory 25 and the Bahamas. You might try those island first and see how that works. Just avoid any Northers coming through. They made an impression on this West Coast sailor. But once you're there, that would be an ideal cruise.

Judy and I have been down the west coast of Mexico in both trailerable and bigger sailboats. Going down, you get the Pacific Ocean, and you don't want to be out in it in a 25' anything, sail or power. Of course there are days when it's just flat and a rowboat would do. But there's the other kind of days too and you need to be able to handle that. Trailering down to Baja and the mainland was work but fun.

Here's my suggestion. If you really want to go to Mexico in a C-Dory, trailer it. That's what they're made for and Mexico has decent roads with gas stations and services. You can camp in the boat, make the journey in a couple of days from Texas and have transportation once you get there. That's great for sightseeing. One way we do long distance trips by boat (ICW, for example,) is to launch the boat, park the truck/trailer in a storage yard, get to a break point (Texas?), take the bus back to the truck and go to where the boat is. Riding the bus, for those of you who haven't done it, is fun and interesting and buses are newer now. You meet some interesting people. This takes some planning, but that's part of the fun. And when you're coming home, the trip by truck is really, really fast and easy. As opposed by repeating the trip by boat.

BTW, the trip from Brownsville to Beliz City, Beliz is only 1300 miles, 25 hrs of driving.

Boris

[hardee]

Boris said:

[bob-kir]

Currently traveling in Mexico and loving it, but with a 5th wheel not our C-Dory 22. A more realistic travel time from border to Belize is 36+ hours of actual driving time plus the toll roads are very expensive as is fuel.
Bob

[Catch 22]

I have spent a lot of time in Belize and if you get there it will be well worth the trip! Anna and I plan on shipping the boat down there one day and island hopping inside the reef. There are literally countless adventures to be had down there in a shallow draft boat.