Where to go if you had a month……….

B

Bob&Alicia

New member
If you could take a month this year, probably July where would you take your C-Dory? The boat is in Destin FL and we live in Athens GA. We love the Keys and use to trailer a sailboat there. The Keys are at the top of our list but we want to think about other options. We could follow the panhandle down and take the Gulf hop to Crystal River and on down to Charlotte Harbor/Captiva/Ft Myers. That would be an adventure. We’ve never power boated offshore. The smallest boat either of us has had in “blue” water 40+ foot sailboat. I know the hop from St Marks to the Nature Coast isn’t blue water but it’s still open.

We could head west to New Orleans as well. Or we could tow long distance. I just bought a 2012 GMC 2500 HD diesel so towing long distance is now an option. The boat has a nice roller dual axle with surge brakes. We’ve never used it. It is in storage.

Alicia and I work together and we’re trying to build our schedule so that we have periods of the year where we just need a computer, phone and the internet. No face to face meetings. That way we can be anywhere we have a computer/www/phone. We still need to work so we can’t be completely “off the grid” for extended periods of time.

I don’t have a lot of time to do tons of boat modifications. We have a 2000 Generator and a 9.9hp kicker that I am considering replacing with something that it more suitable for a dinghy. Lifting 110 lbs off the boat is not something we want to do in an anchorage. An open water passage might make me reconsider and we would have to store a dinghy kicker somewhere.

I just wanted to throw this idea out there to the group. I’ve spent the last couple of nights following old trips on this board and I have really started thinking. Please let me know what might be on your “short list”.

Thanks
Bob and Alicia
 
For me and Susan its easy. We would head to the San Juans and lower B.C. There are even a lot of areas of the south sound that we have not seen in the last 15 years we have been here. July is the perfect time to go. A whole month would be fantastic.

I have lived in the south a good deal of my life and you will not find me anywhere near is in the summer. Once it hits 85 I'm done with it.
 
You might think about extra fuel...don't know what you have for motors but with my 22' I have only a safe 200 mile range...after that I start sweating
I get just a tad over 4 mpg...I would think a 25 would not do anywhere near that, unless they have a BIG fuel tank...or a sail.

Joel
SEA3PO
 
As for the kicker motor. I would go with the most hp for the weight. So a Suzuki 4hp is the same motor as the Suzuki 6hp. Just different cards and other parts. It weights the same, 55 lbs. So if the weight is the same get the higher hp for the dinghy and the cd. A 4hp might not plane the dinghy , depending on what you got an how big you are. But a 6 will and it will get the CD going just as god at a 9. (given no current and all else being equal)

Yamaha 4 and 6 hp are both 60 lbs.
Honda 4,5 and 6 are all the same at 60lbs.
Mercury 4,5,6 are all 57 pounds.
Suzuki 4,6 ( no 5) are all 55 pounds.

I would get the suzuki 6hp. they are all good outboards
 
As for the kicker motor. I would go with the most hp for the weight. So a Suzuki 4hp is the same motor as the Suzuki 6hp. Just different cards and other parts. It weights the same, 55 lbs. So if the weight is the same get the higher hp for the dinghy and the cd. A 4hp might not plane the dinghy , depending on what you got an how big you are. But a 6 will and it will get the CD going just as god at a 9. (given no current and all else being equal)

Yamaha 4 and 6 hp are both 60 lbs.
Honda 4,5 and 6 are all the same at 60lbs.
Mercury 4,5,6 are all 57 pounds.
Suzuki 4,6 ( no 5) are all 55 pounds.

I would get the suzuki 6hp. they are all good outboards
 
Up Peace River then return, the Myakka River, ,leave
Charlotte Harbor to Caloosahatchee River over the East Coast down to the Keys, visit the Fort and return on coast side to Charlotte Harbor
 
Joel,
The 25's have 100 gallons, and we have made a number of over 200 mile trips.

Now the issue, is that July is gong to be hot in any of those scenarios you have outlined, in the South But trailering any where cool will eat up half or that vacation.... I was going to say the PNW and AK needs to be on everyone's bucket list--some of the best cruising in the World!

Then there is Lake Powell--do-able in July because the altitude is high enough to allow cooling at night for sleep--but hot in the days, and more houseboats and PWC--again a bucket list item.

Channel Islands of S. Calif--cool and nice weather.

Or go North--any where on the East Coast--including Maine--another fantastic cruising area.

Do you have air conditioning? (Don't say you never needed it on the sailboat--because we never did either...The C Dory is amenable to a fan pushing air thru the forward hatch, but in many areas, it really needs AC in Florida in the summer. For a boat which is moving a lot, I would suggest an RV roof AC unit--and the Polar Cub will run on the Honda EU 2000. The alternative is the window unit (5,000 BTU and not as much cooling (or you could use 7,000 window unit and still be OK. Too big it is too hard to move to the forward window.

Where to go? If you do the run from Destin down, I would cove hop, and then have the trailer staged at the end--or rent a vehicle to run home and pick it up in a day. Get a copy of Rick Rhodes, "Cruising the Big Bend" and Claiborne Young's West Coast of Florida. These are the best guides. Also study the Active Captain site--look at all of the anchorages.

Another option is going to be the St. John's river. We had missed that great cruising in our 25 years of living in FL--at least until last year! Some depends of the water levels as to accessibility, but lots to do. Also the ICW North from Amelia Island up to the St. Mary's area of Georgia are good cruising areas.

Another option is the Tennessee River. Lots of great cruising on the River Systems, and you can run up there in one day with the trailer. The Thomas/Rumsey Tennessee River, Ten Tom water way and lower Tombigbee River is the book for that trip.

The keys are good any time of the year. Actually the Bahamas are a good summer destination. But remember the summer thunderstorms, and be aware of tropical storms/hurricanes, even in July. The winter northers are gone, and the gulf stream crossing is far better than in the winter or even spring.

As far as the Northern Gulf Coast, Again Claiborne Young (tragically killed in a motorcycle accident a few years back)
 
HI Bob and Alicia I hope you are enjoying your boat! You will love the 2500HD diesel and it does open up your options. We are geographically in the same boat. Atlanta/Birmingham and our boats in Destin.

I usually head south when I have a month off as my slow work time is Dec/Jan. If I had a month off in the summer I'd head up north somewhere. Chesappeak Bay, Long Island, Martha's Vineyard, Lake Champlain, the Canals and the North Georgian Bay etc. I have never cruised up north but, Lord willing, I will. If I had 2-3 month off I'd head to Alaska and I will, Lord willing!

So cool that you can actually take a month off and trying to figure out where to go and a beautiful boat to go in... nice problem to have!!!
 
It's wonderful to be on the East Coast. There's so much to see and do. OK, here's my suggestions, by a guy who has visited the East, not lived there. A 25 C-Dory is the perfect boat for any trip..

Chesapeake Bay. It's one of Americas great cruising grounds. Hot in summer. Stop by the Capitol.

Bahamas. A great place to visit, it's unlike the USA if you look in the right places. Great snorkeling and they sell gas.

Eire Canal, following a trip up the Hudson. History, the friendliest people in the world, where the Industrial Revolution started in the USA. Cool in summer.

North Channel at the top of Lake Huron, leading to the Trent Severn Canal.

A trip up the ICW, visiting all the historic sights and going the way least traveled.

A 25 C-Dory has a 100 gal fuel tank, good for over 250 miles at a time. however, they do sell gasoline wherever you go. I also realize it gets hot down south in the summer, so pick the best season for each.

Boris
 
It all kind of depends on where you start and how much of your time you are willing to tow as opposed to cruise I suppose!

We live on the Upper Left Coast (Birch Bay, WA), and there is no question in our mind where we would go if we had only a month. Our deal used to worse, only two weeks until I retired. Now I frequently don't know what day of the week it is much less the date. and given good health, there will be a number of longer cruises in our future!

If we were willing to spend six days of the month towing (three days in each direction), it would be Lake Powell for sure. Such a magical place! We have done this four times on our two week regime, and probably will go back again for a more extended period! If we were just going to launch and cruise, we would head into the San Juans, the Canadian Gulf Islands, Strait of Georgia, Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound and the Broughtons. At this point, we would probably try to spend the majority of our time in the Broughtons, since Patty has never been there and I have only passed through on my way to Ketchikan.

Driving from Florida to Washington probably does not work with only a month. We are driving from Washington to Florida in about a month but we will have eight months for cruising the Great Loop! Maybe your West Coast cruising has to wait for retirement, but your should definitely plan on getting here.

I respect Dr. Bob and Boris, but we would not count on making 200 NM, much less 250 NM, on our 100 gallons of fuel. We don't want to coast in on fumes, so for planning, I assume 2 NMPG and a reasonable reserve when I arrive at the next fuel dock. For us, that means about 150 NM is the most range we count on. We usually do better than that, but I would hate to do worse! That said, we are now fairly confident that the Mississippi River portion of the Great Loop will not be a problem due to the river current pushing us along!
 
Bob and Alicia,

I'm seconding Big Daves recommendation --> the Broughtons.

That is up on the east side of the north end of Vancouver Island, on the BC coast. Yup, I know that's the opposite corner and about as far as you could possibly tow from Florida. That tow trip could be done in as few as 3 days, maybe less depending on your driving stamina, or it could take a week each way. That takes some time out of your month. But as Bob said, It is a must go to.

Take a look at my SleepyC on Vancouver Island 2016 thread. There are tons of "must see" places there, and in July you won't even need air conditioning.

Coming from that SE corner, I could understand being hesitant to tow across to that opposite corner. July, I would be looking for cooler weather. This year, there are some good $$$ bonuses for those who cruise the Canadian Canal/Lock systems. I would look north to the Trent-Severn system and go there. It will be a shorter tow. There will be more boats and more people than the Broughtons, but they deserve more than 2 weeks, really.

Best in your searching. This is a good place to ask, but as you see, it may not narrow your search (much) :shock: :roll: :lol:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

JC_Lately_SleepyC_Flat_Blue_070.thumb.jpg
 
We know that Boat Test.com's figures are optimistic, but here are their numbers: with 10% reserve: 6.5 knots 523 Naut miles range; Which is about as fast as displacement speeds are going to be efficient. At 13.4 knots, the range is 390 naut miles, and at 20 knots the range is 358 nautical miles. Our Average mileage for our 1200 mile Alaskan cruise was about 3.2 miles per gallon. Granted we had the 130 hp, outboard, a slightly smaller engine, but it was working hard at 17 knots, our top cruising speed, and some of the time we were less than 6 knots. The boat was heavily laden, with full water and fuel at each opportunity.

This also shows the good reason to have fuel flow meters, which are accurate, and allow calculation of range. I agree that Pat will do well on the loop.
 
Thanks everybody and please keep the ideas coming…

BC and the San Juans- I’ve never thought about going there. I will do some reading and research. Thanks for the idea.

Fuel Burn- I keep a detailed log and plan on going through it to see what I’ve been averaging.

Kicker Motor- Thanks for all the details on HP to Weight. That is very interesting. I like the 9.9 since I already have it and it’s paid for BUT I think Alicia is right….do we really need 2 small motors on the boat?? It would be nice to use the articulating arm off the back and use it to store a kicker than can be used with the dink. We have an inflatable 12’ Kaboat that is easy enough to paddle and doesn’t take more than about 2hp to run at a good speed. Need to really think on this one because if we go on this trip I would like to have a dink to explore.

AC: we have a window unit that works great with the 2000. I think it is 5000 btu. Bob, you’re right about the sailboat and not needing it. The C-Dory seems to be a little warmer. Having the AC has been very nice.

Peace River/Myakka River- we’ll definitely look into this, haven’t thought about this area for some reason.

Rick Rhodes “Cruising Big Bend”—I have dog-eared Claiborne Young’s FL books I’ve used them so much. Very sad when he died. I am not aware of Rick Rhodes but will order a copy. Thanks for the info.

Ken- Alicia told me that you had the same truck. I didn’t recall. I have pulled a couple friend’s boats out of Lake Lanier for the winter and I don’t think I’ll have any issues with the C-Dory. Is your new boat in FL yet? We’re still at Legendary but may move. Just been too busy with work to worry about it.

Trent Severn – Haven’t thought about this area either. It’s closer than towing out to BC, which is on our list, but this trip might be hard to make that work time wise.

Thanks again for all the thoughtful input.

We welcome the continued feedback as we are seriously hoping to plan a trip and make it work.
 
You are getting lots of fun advice on places to go... sometime. Given your home location, you are probably used to heat. Might be a treat to get away from that... so, north. The suggestions for Lake Powell (hot in the summer), New Orleans (hot and humid during the summer), and pretty much anything south of I-10 would not be on my list for July.

The Pacific Northwest has wonderful - and cool - cruising during the summer... BUT, it is SO far away from Florida. Realistically, you are not going to tow 1,000 miles per day with your truck and the 25. Trailer tires are simply not made for speeds above 65 mph. We have towed from coast to coast - if you try to cover so much on the highway, you are going to be wiped when you get to your destination.

I would suggest heading north and take a relaxing cruise on the Erie Canal (and Hudson River) and/or Trent-Severn Waterway (in Canada). The cruising is easy, supplying is easy, and there is a lot of history and great little towns to explore. Wineries. Restaurants just steps from your inexpensive stay on the various town walls. It will give you a good cruise with your boat, without being "out there." Even in July, there will be space on the walls... farmers markets... town festivals. There were days on the canal where we passed a handful of boats. No concerns with finding fuel.

Save Lake Powell for the fall when it isn't wall-to-wall houseboats and jetskis. Do the Pacific Northwest (San Juan Islands, Canadian Gulf Islands, and north from there) when you have more than a month - it is our favorite cruising waters!

If you decide to stay more local, the Keys will be relatively quiet in July because of the heat. The Bahamas, keeping a close watch on tropical weather moving in from the east.

SO many options, and you have a great boat for doing it! Good luck with the decisions and have fun!

Jim
 
The ideal trip really depends on you and your desires. As a sailboater I wanted to go sailing. Anchorages, towns to visit and fishing spots were secondary. Now that I've retired I don't find the need to "escape" the madding crowds that I once did. With a month you've got some time. We find that our trips seem to break into two week segments. By then we are looking for fresh food, fresh faces, fresh places.

In 2011 we trailered east after the Lake Powell gathering to attend the Great Looper's fall convention held on the Tennessee River in northern Alabama. We quickly decided we did not have the "need" to do the loop, so we pinned down many of the Gold Loopers (those who had "done" the loop) and asked about their favorite places. We heard: 1) Georgian Bay and the Canadian Historic Canals (Reideau & Trent Severn)., 2) the Eire Canal, and 3) the two rivers: Cumberland and Tennessee. The common thread that all of them share are many small towns facing the river offering a full range of services.

We have now trailered east 3 times and done some of those plus the Mississippi from Minneapolis to St Louis. What we enjoy are the many small towns that often are looking for tourist $$ and who then put out the welcome mat. These small towns are personable and walk-able. So you have a choice of the town or a quite anchorage and can choose depending on your mood, the weather and etc.

You should be used to heat and humidity. As westerners were were not and had quite an adjustment. For our 2012 trip on the Eire Canal in August I was used to anchoring out and did not want to be tied to the grid so I refused to buy an air conditioner. WRONG! I remember leaving Ithaca, NY at 6 AM listening to the marine weather: 90 degrees and 90% humidity. When the trip was over I looked at my logs and found I had spent 75% of our nights with power. For the Mississippi River trip in '15 I bought a $100 Wallmart air conditioner and set it on a RV folding step stool in the doorway. Curtains hung in the open door kept the cool air in and the warm air out and it did a wonderful job on our CD 22.

After the Eire Canal we moved to the Outter Banks and then to the Apalachacolla Gathering. We enjoyed those areas, but not to the degree that we enjoyed the small towns. Maybe we just looked in the wrong places, but our fondest memories are the small towns. This summer we will do the Canadian Historic Canals starting in mid-August. The Canadians are having a holiday and the canal system is free.

As a westerner who is used to trailering long distances, your trip to the north seems like an easy job up interstates that avoid metropolitan areas, but I realize not everyone is so comfortable towing longer distances.

Chuck
 
Bob. your 16 kaboat does not take more then 2.5 hp. seems low to me. but how does it row.? they first couple of years we hauled around a second out board for the flat bottom dinghy we had. Would not plane and took a while to get any where but it was better then rowing the flat bottom inflatable. They just suck to row. After a few years I got a larger inflatable keel and floor dinghy. Night and day difference to row. We do not take the dinghy motor any more. Its been a few years. We take the new dinghy or kayaks or both. The new dinghy is so easy to row. But its mostly to take the dog to shore and go on walks or see towns. I have no problem rowing a mile in short order and few of the harbors around here are bigger then that. You might not need a motor is you have the right dinghy.

Now for kayaks. We carry two either with or instead of the dinghy. Depends on the trip. For a month long trip I would take both.
 
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