Key West to Mexico

[belizebill]

I plan on leaving Sarasota,Fla. on June 3rd heading to Key West. Stay there a night or two depending on weather, and heading out to Isla Mujera,Mexico. Any boats out there want to come along? The more the better. I allready have a crew of 4 including myself. Cheers,Bill

 

[Pineapple Girl]

oh I wish.* There was an article about Isla Mujera in the April Carribean magazine.* Sounds awesome.* Have a great time!

 

[Nomad Willy]

BB,

Have you read the book "South to Alaska"? A very good read about a guy that built his own boat in Arkansas, went sown the river, to W Texas and over to Mexico ect ect to Ketchikan.

 

[Forkliftt]

belizebill wrote:


I plan on leaving Sarasota,Fla. on June 3rd heading to Key West. Stay there a night or two depending on weather, and heading out to Isla Mujera,Mexico. Any boats out there want to come along? The more the better. I allready have a crew of 4 including myself. Cheers,Bill

DUDE!!
You are my hero!! Keep us posted.

 

[belizebill]

Comon,somebody wants to go. I didnt mention the final leg is to Caye Caulker, Belize where I live. Bill

 

[Moonstruck]

belizebill wrote:
Comon,somebody wants to go. I didnt mention the final leg is to Caye Caulker, Belize where I live. Bill

*Sorry, this time.* Going north.* Sounds like a great trip.* I would love to make it.* Fair winds and calm seas to you.* Take care.

*

 

[Forkliftt]

belizebill wrote:
Comon,somebody wants to go. I didnt mention the final leg is to Caye Caulker, Belize where I live. Bill

Oh I WANT to go! I just CAN'T go! How many miles of open water? How much tankage do you have.

 

[HeyJude]

Wish we could...maybe someday. How do you intend missing the big rock between KW & the Yucatan...or do you?

 

[Forkliftt]

Doc wrote:
I have made the trip in reverse. Fun, just don't get in close enough to see the lights of town in Cuba.

Doc-
Tell us about the trip!

 

[Doc]

We left Isla Mejures in the morning on a 58' Viking sportfish that belonged to a friend. He had a captain and a mate both of whom were great fish cathers but crappy navigators. You have to make a sort of arc around the Cuban coast to get to Key West. We took turns single handing the watch all night long. When I went up to relieve the captain at midnight I could see lights on the shore. I asked if he was on the rhumb line that I had plotted. He said "The What?"

Turns out that everytime he felt like it he reset the Key West waypoint...from where the boat was at the time. I pointed out that we may have drifted off coarse and that every time he reset the waypoint we were starting from a different place. For example if we had drifted to a point where there was now a large rock (or Cuba) in our path we would head directly to the waypoint regardless if we had to pass through the rock to get there.

He finally went to bed and I changed course back to the original rhumb line which was several miles north of where we were when I took over.

We made it in the afternoon the next day. 10 kts all the way.

 

[Forkliftt]

Great story! Thanks for sharing.
A few years ago I was in Ponchatoula LA, making a cold call at Marine Power (the gas boat engine supplier). While waiting to get in to see the guy (can't remember his name) I noticed a framed newspaper article talking about a few local guys taking a go fast boat down to Mexico from Louisiana and then back. Of course the boat was being pushed by a pair of big blocks provided by Marine Power. Turns out that the guy I was waiting to see was one of the crew and he loved telling me about the trip. I can't remember many details, but it was some trip. They had a 330 gallon tote tank with them to have enough fuel. Crazy Charlie, a local guy who owned Blood River Marina until he died recently in a motorcycle accident, was also involved. I just found a link that mentions that they made the trip twice, in 1995 and 1999. Setting a record both times.
http://bloodrivermarina.com/?page_id=25

 

[belizebill]

*Willy, Neat Title, Ill see if I can find it. Thanks,BB


-- Edited by belizebill on Saturday 30th of April 2011 06:54:19 AM

 

[belizebill]

Bonvida, I will cut North of the Dry Tortugas in order to stay out of the Gulf Stream then proceed south. As far as open water, it will be about 300nm, I hold roughly 300 gals. BB

 

[Forkliftt]

charles wrote:
Steve, quite a number of years ago I left Morgan City, La. with a freind on his steel shrimp boat, headed directly to Guanaja, Honduras Bay Islands. 5 Days later arrived. Great trip except that the seas as we rounded th Contoy Light on the Yucatan were running 12+ on the port side. Made an interesting ride. To get anything out of the refrig had to time the pitch as the ref door faced aft. Open the door, look to find what you wanted and slam it quick. On the next cycle open grab and slam.

Grea fun.

Did another trip to Beliz on a clients survey boat, oilfield. Much more pleasant crossing abt the same amt of time at sea. It was abt 120 ft in length.
CCC

Charles, you are my HERO! I gotta hear more about these trips when we get together next time!!

 

[Nomad Willy]

Well it's been 9 days. What happened to blizebill? Hope all went well.

 

[belizebill]

Im not leaving Fla. until June 3 on the boat to Belize. Im in Italy for three weeks right now and will fly to Fla. on the 30th. BB

 

[Baker]

belizebill wrote:
............on June 3rd heading to Key West. Stay there a night or two depending on weather.......

*Bill, this is likely your biggest hazard of the whole trip. *I have known many a people that planned on staying in Key West "a night or two".....that was decades ago and they never left!!!! *I guess living in your own little paradise down thee in Belize you may not be so tempted...........

 

[belizebill]

I know what you mean about Key West. My last "stay" in KW lasted 3 years, I had only planned on two weeks. BB

 

[Alemao]

I intend to go from Miami to Brazil, passing true Key west; Cancun and Isla Mujera, but just in November. Somebody wants to come?

 

[Steve]

You may want to look at this site, a family's trip in a trawler from Brazil*to the US, they travelled up the islands of the Eastern Caribbean.

http://www.projetojade.com/index.html
Boa Viagem!

Steve W.


-- Edited by Steve on Saturday 23rd of July 2011 01:50:00 PM