Originally Posted by GLH (Post 606397)

I'll try in order!
I had 454 Mags in that rig so no 92 needed but if I recall most places I stopped had it available. I had charted my course in advance and marked ALL the fuel docks on the route (took a while but I am not much on taking chances!) You could call in advance at areas you plan to be at 60-80% of your range and spot the marinas with 92.

Per day I usually got up around 5 AM took a shower made sure all was running fine and off I went. My first fuel stop was around 8:30 AM and all the fuel docks where open by then. I would run till about 4:30PM NO Later due to the fact I did not want to get to a closed fuel dock and have to wait till 8 or 9 AM when the fuel opened to get going. So about 10 hours a day stopped for snacks and stuff. The day i got to Norfolk I got there earlier than 4PM but did not want to tackle the route Offshore or up Chesapeake Bay that late. Remember I was going North, also from Norfolk to Atlantic City did not take the whole day but I didn't know where I could stop in NY and knew the casino marinas in AC would be a blast.

Wife??? Man I was 24 and single a friend that's an attorney was suppose to come with me and had to bag at the last minute. So i was solo. I had given a chart and course of what I would follow to my mother (this was before cellular) and told her that if I had not checked in by 1PM and 6 PM every day to call the Coast Guard station corresponding to my location (I had given her the numbers of all the stations and she knew to tell them everything about the boat and me. I would call her will fueling usually around 10-11AM and when I would dock at 4-4:30 PM.

Lunches/Sleeping arrangements? Breakfast and Lunch were just pick up snacks by the gas docks. Dinners usually consisted of a few beers two bottles of wine, food and a few more pops at a nice restaurant close to the marina I was staying at, after the whole day on the water and a nice dinner like that I would pretty much just pass out on the engine hatch with a comforter and a pillow!!! I don't think I slept in the cabin once! It was sunny all week. I did get a room in AC, by that time I was ready for time on shore!!!

Charts/GPS? Back then no gps that were worth it, just Loran I had charts for the WHOLE way, bought 4 of those $60 chart books and plotted my course on them with bearing points between buoys for the streches in large waterways (crossing rivers in Carolinas and so forth) I indicated times from points to points running at 45 MPH on the charts so i could time myself bought binoculars with compass in them to help me find buoys around and chart my position. Today I would get a chipped gps and a handheld back up with pre programed route in it.

I had originally charted to go up Chesapeake Bay and down Delaware Bay but when I got up in Norfolk the forecast said 2-3 foot seas so I went offshore to AC and saved a day. I did make it to Lake Champlain from AC in one day!!! left AC at 4:30 AM passed NY city with the tires floating (with rims) railroad ties with bolts and all... around 6 AM up the Hudson and thru the Champlain Canal from Troy NY to the bottom of lake Champlain at 7 PM.

Doing it going south in a 30 ft rig for you from NY I would wait for a day where the following day forecast is descent (2-3ft seas) and would make it that evening to AC, and fuel up spend the night and leave there early morning going offshore you can fuel up in Cape May and a few other places if I recall. I never went more than 1 mile offshore and hugged the coat line all the way. Lost sight of land only crossing Delaware bay. You could easily make Norfolk from AC in one day then it's ICW all the way south.

That trip remains one of the best times and memories off all things I have ever done. I have done that route twice in sailboats and once in a trawler but nothing compared to waking up watching the sun go up after sleeping on the hatch over the engines, cleaning up cranking those bad boys and hauling ALL DAY LONG!!!! Trip cost $1200 in gas altogether from NY might be cheaper and if I had the time I would do it twice a year.

Pics of the rig I did it in. Call me if you have anymore questions. Take Care and have fun.
G.L. Harvie
802-734-8284
BTW: It was sunny all that week! So good luck also!

Originally Posted by KNOT-RIGHT (Post 3005370)

What a great read for a rainy frigid nite!
Good for you GLH:drink:

Originally Posted by xconn92 (Post 3005378)

GLH you are an animal making that trip Han Solo. Nicely done.

Cruising that same route these days on the Azimut must be ho hum :grinser010:

Originally Posted by GLH (Post 3005132)

Thanks for finding that thread I thought I had gone through the trip once here.

Great memories.