Don't know where to start...

Damselfly · 03-10-2014, 11:44 AM

Dreaming of cruising the ICW. Hardly know what a trawler is but want a reasonable living space for the trip. I have a Captain, what I need is a boat.

Do owners ever need folks to transport boats say from the Chesapeake Bay to the FL Keys?

Hoping this forum will help me get started

Bay Pelican · 03-10-2014, 11:59 AM

Welcome aboard. See if you can get a copy of Voyaging Under Power, stay tuned to the Forum, and perhaps look at Passagemaker Magazine.

RT Firefly · 03-10-2014, 12:27 PM

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

eseyoung · 03-10-2014, 12:33 PM

read. read. a lot. go walk the docks at a local marina, strike up a conversation and listen. ask for a tour of a boat ask about the parts of the 'greasy bits' that you can't identify.

Read and listen.

Tom.B · 03-10-2014, 12:35 PM

Here is an excellent one for you:

Adventures of Skinny Dippin'

Skinny Dippin' For Sale - a set on Flickr

(shameless plug) :-D

Earl34Mainship · 03-10-2014, 12:43 PM

Welcome aboard... you found the right forum.. cruising the ICW by trawler offers unlimited opportunities of adventure... days and weeks of serenity laced with an occasional hurricane or uncharted shoal and that gives you something to blog about. Good luck on finding the right boat - with thousands of TF members, you'll probably get that number of recommendations for the "right boat."

**FlyWright** · 03-10-2014, 01:35 PM

First off, welcome to Trawler Forum!

You have a Captain? Does that mean you won't captain your boat? Is your husband your Capt? Some folks have their boats delivered to different ports by professional captains, but many enjoy the journey as much as the destination and move them on their own. Of course, life circumstances and jobs interfere with the schedules needed to be able to move your own boat long distances.

It's a lot to sort through from the start. There's so much to learn and experience that it's a bit like trying to take a drink from a fire hose. It's important to zero in on how you think you'd like to use the boat, where you'd like to go and how much you can realistically afford to spend to make that dream a reality.

It's hard to experience the feel of various boats unless you have friends in the boating community. It's hard to meet new friends in the boating community unless you have a boat....or meet some good folks here at Trawler Forum.

Do you like to fish? Just want to cruise? Cruise with kids? Invite lots of friends for mainly day trips? Long cruises with just two of you onboard? Have any mobility issues? Want a flybridge? Need good lower helm visibility? Need air conditioning in the summer and/or heat in the winter? Do you like camping and consider boating an extension of that or is boating to be nearly as comfortable as home living? Blue water cruising or ICW/inland waters/near coastal waters?

Once you focus on your desires and needs, the right boat becomes more obvious.

N4712 · 03-10-2014, 02:11 PM

Welcome aboard!

IMG2 · 03-12-2014, 09:19 AM

Welcome, this is a great place to get answers to your questions.

GFC · 03-12-2014, 10:01 AM

Welcome aboard TF. We're always glad to help out a Damsel when she needs it.

healhustler · 03-12-2014, 11:17 AM

Not knowing where to start is the perfect posture to bring about your ideal launch. Take all the advice above and get yourself aboard everything you can. Walk the marinas and talk to people aboard their boats. Join the Power Squad in your area or at least take a few courses to find others with common interests. Study Yachtworld. Keep dreaming, cuz that is really the fun part. Soon you'll be breaking the bank to fund the extraordinary marine costs, painfully compacting yourself into spaces that only a contortionist could manage, changing-out your own disgusting head plumbing, scrubbing unsavory bilges and......OH. Well, for now it's better to dream.

Phil Fill · 03-12-2014, 03:45 PM

Well, it sound like you at least have a Captain and this is good boat sites to ask questions. I had to learn mostly by trail and error, mostly error.So you are probable ahead of where ny wife and I started.

I was so excited when I discovered Passagemaker forum 15+ years ago as there was finally a site/place to ask question.

As mentioned before walk the marines, walk the yards, talk and ask questions, go to boat and trawler shows, read past discussions, ask questions and you can also send personal messages.

psneeld · 03-12-2014, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damselfly

Dreaming of cruising the ICW. Hardly know what a trawler is but want a reasonable living space for the trip. I have a Captain, what I need is a boat. Not sure what you mean...what are those person's qualifications ???? so maybe you do...maybe you don't have a suitable captain.

Do owners ever need folks to transport boats say from the Chesapeake Bay to the FL Keys? Yes....people are always looking for an extra hand to deliver a boat...some pay, some let you hand for free and some charge for the experience.

Hoping this forum will help me get started

Good luck with whatever you decide...but so far after many trips up and down the ICW delivering boats and now my own trawler...I would have to say trawlers are OK for the trip but many other boats might just be as good if not better...it all depends on YOU...so don't get hoodwinked by any "group" of boaters telling you what you need... there are many different sizes, shapes, models, costs and crews that do the trip every year and have a blast.

Sit back and enjoy the ride...my first bit of advice...get on on a trip with someone you trust and respect...and see if you even like it. It's not for everyone and not everyone does it the same so also take your first experience as just a piece of the puzzle...and press on if the bug still has you.

rclarke246 · 03-17-2014, 02:24 PM

Hi,

We're new, too.

Planning to take our new boat down the ICW to Marco Island,Fl., in September.

I have made the trip 2 1/2 times but it will be my wife's first time.

Read, study and get our GPS charts updated. That's what we're going to do!

Regards,
Richard

caltexflanc · 03-17-2014, 03:23 PM

Reading is OK. But I will tell you exactly where to start: boating is far far better. Take some on the water classes designed for newbies from one of the various schools (Sea Sense, Club Nautique, SW Florida, Chapman's etc). Then charter various types of boats. This will help you make the right boat buying decision more than anything else. In fact i would encourage you NOT to read books (other than what the school might assign) ads and magazines until after you have spent a fair amount of time on the water. By the way I would disagree with one poster, Voyaging Under Power is virtually irrelevant to cruising the ICW (and there is a copy of it an arm's length away as I type this).

Edit, noticed the DC address, this is one place nearby to check out, they say they have classes but I have no direct or indirect experience with that part of their operation. Some friends rented from them a couple times:

http://www.bluegoosecharters.com/

HenryD · 03-17-2014, 07:28 PM

Half-way between DC and BluegooseCharters is Annapolis - where the Annapolis School of Seamanship is run. A good place for some instruction.

Don't over complicate it. We bought our boat on the west coast of Fla and brought it to Baltimore ourselves. Updated charts, Skipper Bob's reference manuals and a cruising guide. Go.

Moonstruck · 03-17-2014, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rclarke246

Hi,

We're new, too.

Planning to take our new boat down the ICW to Marco Island,Fl., in September.

I have made the trip 2 1/2 times but it will be my wife's first time.

Read, study and get our GPS charts updated. That's what we're going to do!

Regards,
Richard

Welcome to TF, Richard. If you are comfortable cruising the Chesapeake, the ICW will pose no problem you can't deal with. My tip is that it is always a good idea to go over the next days cruise to familiarize yourself with what you will be dealing with. You will be meeting and talking with other cruisers who will be a source of info. Enjoy the trip.

rclarke246 · 03-17-2014, 10:14 PM

Thank you all!

We attended the Navigation course at the Annapolis School of Seamanship, which was very good for 2 full days of instruction.

Also have passed 3 courses from USPS, 2 of which were in a prior "boating life"- in the late 80's.

We attended the past 2 Baltimore Trawlerfests and Trawlerfest University in 2013.

Certainly, with the basic training, the first 150 crusing hours in our new boat have been the most valuable.

Thanks again! We can see how this forum will really help!

Nsail · 03-17-2014, 11:05 PM

After reading the original post, Damselfly may, in fact, be looking to only crew on a boat down the ICW (with her captain), rather than owning, or looking for one.