If you had the winter off?

R

Ron on Meander

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C Dory Year
2005
C Dory Model
25 Cruiser
Vessel Name
Meander
So..... if you had from December to March off.... where would you tow your C-Dory to if you could? Of course you can't leave behind your dogs and possibly the cat as well. No kids to consider. I'll even toss in about 4-5K per month in spending money to pay for this excursion (hypothetically anyway). Where to? And what makes it a good choice for winter cruising?
 
Well, we are about four years from facing this delightful quandry for real! Not just cruising, but getting away from the depressing perpetual gray cold damp days. Yuma on the Colorado River, not for cruising but for winter sun. Cruising you say? Florida Keys?



Ron on Meander":1ffkvd58 said:
So..... if you had from December to March off.... where would you tow your C-Dory to if you could? Of course you can't leave behind your dogs and possibly the cat as well. No kids to consider. I'll even toss in about 4-5K per month in spending money to pay for this excursion (hypothetically anyway). Where to? And what makes it a good choice for winter cruising?
Click to expand...
 
I'd probably opt for FL. I lived on the Gulf Coast for 4 yrs in Hudson, FL. You can actually navigate through Okeechobee, bust out to the Atlantic, and head to Bimini. Of course, you could also follow the Gulf Coast and navigate through the old Louisiana swamp areas and visit an extraordinary number of very old island camps - quite charming and beautiful in the winter. Small little islands you can't get to by car only boat. Then there's always the possibility of meandering down the Gulf side of FL to the Keys and out to the Dry Tortugas - that's a nice trip! And, if you're feeling adventurous Fidel and his brother offer up some fine cooking.
 
Ron on Meander":2v3h3ykd said:
So..... if you had from December to March off.... where would you tow your C-Dory to if you could? Of course you can't leave behind your dogs and possibly the cat as well. No kids to consider. I'll even toss in about 4-5K per month in spending money to pay for this excursion (hypothetically anyway). Where to? And what makes it a good choice for winter cruising?
Click to expand...

We are taking the boat down to the Gulf Coast for Jan-Feb-Mar. Going to start near where Jim & Joan live and end up near Bob Austin. We will probably hopscotch with the trailer around the petrochemical areas of eastern Texas and Louisiana, and because New Orleans is still pretty devastated the marinas there are not back to full service, so we will skip them as well. So probably a month in the Rockport, TX area and a month in the FL panhandle and a month "elsewhere". We have made arrangements for my mother (90 years old) to stay at a independent living facility in Corpus Christi while we are boating. We would appreciate any specific tips on places to go in that area. Would love for any Brats so inclined to join us -- Southern Texas in January and Florida in March seem pretty definite at this point.

We are already making plans for another southeast winter cruise. Jim & Joan and Brent & Dixie put their boats in the water at Fort Myers, FL, boated through the keys and back up to a canal/river leading to/from Lake Okeechobee which takes us back to Ft. Myers. We would like to do the same.

We also hope to be able to go to the Bahamas another winter (one reason why I got the yacht insurance from Markel that I did.)

Warren
 
Hi Ron,

We were fortunate that we had winters off for about 15 years before we retired. We ran everywhere along the Sunbelt (California to Florida) and into Baja Mexico. Here's an opinion based on experience: there isn't one great place where the weather is ideal in the Continental US in the winter. Now by comparison to the Frozen Northland, anywhere south of the freezing line is better. But you will soon find if you judge a day by the weather, you may be disappointed... there can be cold weather in deep south Texas or the Florida Keys in January and February. Get yourself down to latitude 22º and you have a better chance of "ideal" weather during the winter months... note I said "chance." So, that would be the southern part of Baja or the Caribbean. Hawaii is mighty nice, but there's that little problem of how do you get your boat there and where do you go once it is... and there is that situation of quarantine with your animals in Hawaii.

You didn't say the weather had to be ideal, that was my input... maybe based on those years of running from the cold. 8) Going where you can be comfortable on the boat makes the cruising easier. Having said that, I'd go SOUTH... and as far south as you can go and stay in this country is: south Florida, south Texas, San Diego. Of those three, the most interesting cruising (just an opinion) is south Florida - islands, bays, cities, the Everglades, the back country of the Keys, and the prospect of heading to the Bahamas if the weather and timing work.

We had plenty of wind and cold when we were in the Keys two winters ago. That wouldn't stop me from going back there. We had winter coats on when we walked to the Overseas Bar to watch the Superbowl; a few days later we were in swimsuits at Bahia Honda (just a few miles away from Marathon). After a couple months, we barely scratched the surface... you could easily while away 4 months cruising south Florida. And then go back again the next 10 winters to see the rest.

With dogs onboard, you will need to be somewhere you can easily get them to shore. Several times daily. Slips in south Florida are pricey (by comparison to other places). So, if you anchor out a lot, you'll spend a lot of your time getting the pooches to and from.

So, plenty to consider. Cruising isn't always easy or convenient, but it is always interesting. Pat has good input when he talks of Yuma (by RV). You could run with Warren all along the Gulf coast... but the northern Gulf coast in the winter can be real iffy in terms of weather.

Part of the fun is the planning... then tossing that all out when Mother Nature throws you a curve. We have always enjoyed our "winters out"... hope you can make this happen.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
JamesTXSD":15tevh2g said:
You didn't say the weather had to be ideal, that was my input... maybe based on those years of running from the cold. 8) Going where you can be comfortable on the boat makes the cruising easier. Having said that, I'd go SOUTH... and as far south as you can go and stay in this country is: south Florida, south Texas, San Diego. Of those three, the most interesting cruising (just an opinion) is south Florida - islands, bays, cities, the Everglades, the back country of the Keys, and the prospect of heading to the Bahamas if the weather and timing work.
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One reason we decided to start in your neck of the woods and work toward Bob was the average temperatures seem to follow us from January in Texas to March in the FL panhandle.

As I said in my first post, we do hope to get to south FL but we want to see TX and the panhandle also, and this seemed to be the best time of year to do that.

Warren
 
Jim,

Wow. 15 years of no work winters! And then you retire! Many of us would consider not having to work through the winter as being semi retired any way. :lol: Thanks for the ideas. At this stage it is just a what if... sort of thing. For us folks from the Northnorthwest, any temps above 65 is summer cruising anyway. I just hear of so many people, some over a 1000 miles south of where we are putting their boats away for the winter, which made me wonder if winter cruising anywhere outside of Florida and south Texas was done much at all. Thanks again for your thoughts and suggestions. If this ever comes true for us we'll be sure to track you and Joan down and buy you an ice cream. :P

Warren,
I'll be following your postings to see how the trip is going. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Pat,
When the time comes for you and Patty to travel without time constrains, I'm sure you'll do it with the same enthusiasm and passion you bring to your current 1-2 week trips. We all look forward to those reports!

Cheers
Ron
 
Thanks for this discussion...Sue and I are facing our first fully retired as a couple winter..... I always found time to escape...but she is finally retired and we are trying to make that decision as to "What to Do?"...

Joel
SEA3PO
 
I retired early, which in my case means much less income until I get old enough not to outlive my savings. So I am looking at the winters for making a little extra money. The family still wants us to stay around for the holidays, the weather is not as good, so I might as well do a little work.

Okay! I will be envious reading the posts of great times boating/rving in the south. When you guys get it all figured out then we will be ready for winter travels.

Steve
 
The waters in Destin Florida are beautiful and maybe the priettiest waters in the northwest Florida panhandle. Temps can and do get to freezing in the winter months, but not everyday.

Warren,

If you get as far as Bob Austin's...you have to go a few more miles east and check out Destin.

Any c-brat that gets our way, feel free to give us a shout.
 
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