Extended Cruise

R

rawidman

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25110
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My wife and I cruise in our Camano Trawler a few times a year.

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/19068769

By "cruise", I mean trips of four to eight or nine days with most nights on the hook while travelling, but the destination is usually a marina.

I'm thinking about a cruise from Charleston, SC to FL and up the St Johns River (and back). I'm figuring four to five weeks total with sightseeing, anchoring, etc., especially on the St Johns.

I know I'll have to make arrangements to take care of the house and lawn, pay bills, etc., but for those who spend longer times on the water, anything I might be forgetting, or any hints or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
lining up stops with easy food market acess is important.
 
quote:
Originally posted by pdecat

lining up stops with easy food market acess is important.

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Yes. I have several cruising guides that cover the areas where I will be cruising.
 
a few of the most important spares such as filters are a good idea but otherwise a trip of 2 months is IMO not much different than a trip of 2 days except that each day is a new location.
 
I don't know the range of your vessel, but once you pass Savannah be sure you got plenty of fuel , the next stop is over 100 miles away !! Also, watch the time of your travels thru South Georgia, Jekyll River and Little Mud River are almost unpassable on the low tide.
 
I live in NE Florida and have done the St. Johns a few times. Let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations. Active Captain is an excellent source for information.

Also, as a follow up to Neal's advice, there are only 3 marinas south of Jax that have diesel fuel. So, take a close look at distances and watch your range.

Otherwise, the river is gorgeous. There are lots of really goegeous places to drop the hook and lots of smaller side rivers and creeks that make wonderful day trips in the dink.

I recommend April, May or June, before school is out and simmer vacations start. The river gets a LOT of week end recreational traffic on week ends especially around the springs.

Bob
 
quote:
Originally posted by rnbenton

I live in NE Florida and have done the St. Johns a few times. Let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations. Active Captain is an excellent source for information.

Also, as a follow up to Neal's advice, there are only 3 marinas south of Jax that have diesel fuel. So, take a close look at distances and watch your range.

Otherwise, the river is gorgeous. There are lots of really goegeous places to drop the hook and lots of smaller side rivers and creeks that make wonderful day trips in the dink.

I recommend April, May or June, before school is out and simmer vacations start. The river gets a LOT of week end recreational traffic on week ends especially around the springs.

Bob

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My guides point out the fuel situation. I have worked out a tentative schedule for the trip south including fuel stops.
One of my questions was spring or fall for the St Johns. I wouldn't want to go in the dead of summer, it's just too hot.
 
4 to 5 weeks? Go to the abacus in the spring! A few more miles but worth it.

You can get to Ft pierce in 5 days at hull speed, leaving 3 weeks to cruise nice clear blue water and white sand...
 
What Pascal said! You could have three weeks in the Abacos at a comfortable pace getting there and back and still have a layover at St Augustine or Cape Canaveral. Warm turquoise water and deserted islands, ahh..
 
take time to cruise Black River/Creek,south of Jax off to the west, you can go several miles,
very deep lots of "jungle" and gators to see (gators are no problem)
 
Online banking. Get your statements and pay them online.
I also have online bills for both credit cards.
Paperless is the way to go if you are going outta town for a while.
I work 2 weeks away from home and pay everything by credit card,
no issues with late fees and such from being away from home.
You can also get paperless magazine subscriptions now too. No mail. Read everything online.
 
Ron, From Mayport to Sanford on the St, Johns is only a little less than 200 miles, actually 190 if I recall without looking at my logs. The amount of time you plan for your trip may be a bit much and may get boring after a while.

Don't get me wrong, the St. Johns is a beautiful river and a lot of fun to cruise. But 10 days to 2 weeks is more than plenty to see it all.

To really maximize your trip I recommend you buy "St. Johns River Boating Crusing Guide" by Tom Kranz. This book is full of information as well as a full set of charts with marinas, anchorages, navigable side waters and fuel stops clearly marked.

If you decide to make the trip let me know and perhaps we can hook up somewhere along the way.

Bob
 
Those Camanos are nice cruising boats for 2. If we did not have an Albin 32 a Camano would be on the short list. I imagine at hull speed you burn about 2-3gph. If in doubt of range carry a couple of jerry cans of fuel.
 
I would think that Ron's Camano has a range of over 200 miles?
 
quote:
Originally posted by rnbenton

Ron, From Mayport to Sanford on the St, Johns is only a little less than 200 miles, actually 190 if I recall without looking at my logs. The amount of time you plan for your trip may be a bit much and may get boring after a while.

Don't get me wrong, the St. Johns is a beautiful river and a lot of fun to cruise. But 10 days to 2 weeks is more than plenty to see it all.

To really maximize your trip I recommend you buy "St. Johns River Boating Crusing Guide" by Tom Kranz. This book is full of information as well as a full set of charts with marinas, anchorages, navigable side waters and fuel stops clearly marked.

If you decide to make the trip let me know and perhaps we can hook up somewhere along the way.

Bob

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Will do.

I already have the book and have read it several times. Also the Waterway Guide and Claibourn Young's Florida book. And a DVD et of the ICW.

I figure five days from Charleston to Jacksonville and five days back so that's ten days without the St Johns. My wife is really into wildlife so I'm sure she will enjoy seeing the aligators, manatees, birds, etc.

If we get bored, we can turn around and head home. Of course it's really boring going back the way you came.
 
quote:
Originally posted by abalmuth

I would think that Ron's Camano has a range of over 200 miles?

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The boat holds about 90 gallons (it's metric) and burns 2 GPH or less at 2K RPM (about 7 knots)
 
quote:
Originally posted by rduhon

Online banking. Get your statements and pay them online.
I also have online bills for both credit cards.
Paperless is the way to go if you are going outta town for a while.
I work 2 weeks away from home and pay everything by credit card,
no issues with late fees and such from being away from home.
You can also get paperless magazine subscriptions now too. No mail. Read everything online.

Click to expand...


I'm already doing on-line banking and just sent my wife to set up her account for the same. I still get paper statements just because I get so much junk email that I'm afraid I might miss them.

I can look up my credit card balances on-line and pay them. For utilities, I could do what some of my friends do, just overpay by the estimated next month's amount.

My neighbor is a landscaper so I can have him handle the lawn.
 
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