Leaving the Keys, Headed for Houston
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
OP
READY2GO
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Yes on a single FL 120. According to the GPS our moving average was 5.5 nmph, some of the engine hours were warm up and anchoring. Our numbers were better before we got into New Orleans. In open water we were averaging 6 nmph at 1.4 gph. Once in the ditch we had current that sometimes helped and sometimes hurt. Overall it hurt the numbers.
tallswede
Senior Member
Hi ready, glad to hear you made it safely and with such good performance. Hope to get similar from my boat. I too am in Seabrook Marina, B dock, # 33. Come by and see us some time. I don't live on the boat but do work on it from time to time so if you see the doors open I'm there. The boat name is Islander.
Kevin
Kevin
OP
OP
READY2GO
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We just got to love trawlers.
What RPM were you running at cruise?
We normally run between 1450 and 1550, but in the GIWW we had to set our rpm to the situation we found ourselves in. Sometimes behind a barge that we could not pass we would run at 1250. Sometimes after passing a barge we would have to run 1750 to 1850 for several hours to get comfortably ahead of him. Open water 1500. I know some here do not approve of running an FL120 at that low an rpm but the manual says you can operate it between 1250 and 2500 so I do it. I have run it up to 2500 a few times for short periods of time. Mostly just to check that it was propped right. She topped out at 2480 so I think the prop is spot on.
OP
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READY2GO
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Speaking of rpms, it is both interesting and frustrating to me of how this works. The situation is this. We come up behind a barge running 4.9 nmph. We are running 5.8 at 1540 rpms. So we have a choice to overtake or just back off the throttle and stay behind him. If we back off we are running 4.9 nmph at sometimes 1000 to 1200 rpms. Too slow an engine speed. It we decide to overtake we are up to 1900 rpms doing maybe 6.8 nmph. It takes a long time to overtake a 700' long barge at only 2 nmph difference. You have to have a lot of straight away to do it comfortably. It is amazing to me that the difference between 4.9 and 6.8 nmph can be as much as 900 rpms.
There were times I wished I had Catdaddys boat and could pop it up to 14 mph for 5 minutes to get around someone.
There were times I wished I had Catdaddys boat and could pop it up to 14 mph for 5 minutes to get around someone.
OP
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READY2GO
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I have a question for anyone familiar with Clear Lake. We have been in the marina way too long. I want to get out and anchor awhile. The chart on my Garmin shows Clear Lake to be 4' deep almost everywhere except a couple of spots on the north west area of the lake. Is it really only 4'? Before I go venturing to far out of the channel I want some local feedback.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
You can go out and anchor in the bay. We sometimes have anchored off of Bacliff, depending on the wind direction. To spend a few nights at anchor we head down to Offatts Bayou. Takes about four hours at 8 knots. This time of year you can enjoy the Christmas lights at Moody gardens. You can dinghy in to the dinghy dock at Moody Gardens to check out the Hotel dining or take a slip at the Moody Gardens Marina.
Not really a lot of places to go from Clear Lake. The other option is to take a slip at Harbor House on the Strand in Galveston. Might be a little busy this time of year with the activities on the Strand.
Not really a lot of places to go from Clear Lake. The other option is to take a slip at Harbor House on the Strand in Galveston. Might be a little busy this time of year with the activities on the Strand.
Forkliftt
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Ditto on Offatts Bayou and the Christmas lights. I can't remember the name of it- but there was a "swimming hole" just a little further up into Clear Lake that we inspected a few years ago when we were there that might hold enough water for an anchorage. Baker????
1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's
1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's
McGillicuddy
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I see there's been a ketch anchored in Clear Lake for about a year. It's anchored maybe 1/2 mile off Clear Lake Marina. I would guess he draws more than you.
I went to dinner on a friends boat on J Pier on Saturday night and walked right by your boat. It was dark and I didn't realize until we left about midnight that this was the boat I had been reading about. Looked really nice.
I am in Waterford. Feel free to come by for a chat any time.
I went to dinner on a friends boat on J Pier on Saturday night and walked right by your boat. It was dark and I didn't realize until we left about midnight that this was the boat I had been reading about. Looked really nice.
I am in Waterford. Feel free to come by for a chat any time.
McGillicuddy wrote: "I see there's been a ketch anchored in Clear Lake for about a year. It's anchored maybe 1/2 mile off Clear Lake Marina. I would guess he draws more than you."
Likely so, but it could be a centerboarder floating happily in five feet or less.
Likely so, but it could be a centerboarder floating happily in five feet or less.
tbodine88
Veteran Member
Clear Lake depth
There are spots where its shallower than three feet as that's my draft and I went aground somewhere out in the middle.
I have a lifting keel, so it was easy to get off for me. There was a sailboat with a deeper draft also stuck out there that day. It might be a common occurrence.
There are spots where its shallower than three feet as that's my draft and I went aground somewhere out in the middle.
I have a lifting keel, so it was easy to get off for me. There was a sailboat with a deeper draft also stuck out there that day. It might be a common occurrence.
McGillicuddy
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I don't believe it's a centerboard ketch. It's a cruiser not a racer. I have been watching it for over a year not and it swings freely. There is a fairly deep channel that runs to Clear Lake Shipyard. I was in the shipyard last week and they assured me of 4.5' draft in and out even at low tide. Would be worth exploring with the dink just to check it out.
OP
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READY2GO
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Thanks all. I do have an extra depth sounder that I have been thinking of rigging up on the dink. Guess I will go ahead and do that. I talked to a guy at the marina here that has a 40 something power boat with a 4' draft that says he runs all over Clear Lake without a problem, but I usually like more than one opinion.
We have a depth finder on our RIB and have a couple of times used it as a pilot boat. As it has a draft of under 2', it works quite well for that.
Moonstruck
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Yeah, I bought one that Active Capt. had as a Defender special offering for about $69.00 I think. Works great for the dinghy, and it doubles as a flash light.
Jeff, what happened to the Defender specials on Active Capt.?
OP
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READY2GO
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Well I had some West Marine rewards points so I ran over to the local WM and got one of these. $99.
We went out and sounded most of the lake. The shallowest we saw was 5.8' on the north side of the channel. Alot of it was between 6 and 7 feet. Typical tide looks like about a foot. We were about mid tide. So we should be good to go to go relax on the hook for a few days before Christmas company gets here. Saw 6 or 7 boats anchored out. Looks like they have been there for awhile.
We went out and sounded most of the lake. The shallowest we saw was 5.8' on the north side of the channel. Alot of it was between 6 and 7 feet. Typical tide looks like about a foot. We were about mid tide. So we should be good to go to go relax on the hook for a few days before Christmas company gets here. Saw 6 or 7 boats anchored out. Looks like they have been there for awhile.
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OP
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READY2GO
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Mike-
Is that not a premo West Marine there in Kemah?? I always loved going in there.
1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's
Yes it is. It is one of the nicer ones i have been in.
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