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500 Mile Trip

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Bob3589
1st Mate

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31 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/09/2004 : 17:07:26

I just completed a trip moving my C25 TR FK from Pensacola, FL to a lake in west Tennessee. I had the boat in Pensacola for the past year and just got tired of the 8 hour drive. A boat mover quoted around $1,600 to move the boat on a trailer so i thought it would be a nice adventure to just sail and motor it up the Mobile river and Tombigbee waterway. I was looking forward to sailing across Mobile Bay (about 25 miles) but there was absolutely no wind when i got there and the water was smooth as glass which is unusual for Mobile Bay. My 75 year old stepfather made half the trip with me but after 6 days he was getting tired and i was worried that he might get hurt so i took one day off, rented a car and took him home. I singlehanded the other 250 miles. In 11 days i went through 12 locks, dodged barge traffic, got rained on, lost 4 pounds, never ran aground, saw a guy kayaking the same trip in the other direction. Overall, it was a great adventure but not one i want to make again anytime soon.

I went the whole trip using only the motor cause the channel was too narrow and winding to put up the sails. My 2003 Honda 8hp 4stroke never gave me a bit of trouble, didn't use a drop of oil (i checked it every day), cranked every time with the touch of the start button. I averaged 5.3 to 5.6mph on my handheld GPS and i believe i averaged about 10 mpg. This weekend i'm taking the motor to the Honda service shop to replace the impellor. It still shoots the water out but i imagine it is pretty worn after a year of use plus the 500 miles. Also changing all fluids and fuel filter.
On board i had a backup 6hp motor, and several other emergency backup pieces of equipment like 2 VHF radios. The only boat problem i had during the whole trip was one of the radios kept blowing fuses. I put a higher amp fuse in and that solved the problem.
I took some pictures but not digital. Sorry about the long post but i wanted to share the experience.
Bob,
C25,83TR,FK.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2004 : 18:07:25

Congratulations on a job well done. I admire you.

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2004 : 19:58:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">up the Mobile river and Tombigbee waterway<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Bob:

I don't know that area well, but it sounds like you made the same trip, albeit more successfully, as the guy did in his C320 which was well described in the May '04 article in MAINSHEET (pp. 14-15), "Destination - Nowhere: Hard Times Aground".

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2004 : 21:06:50

Would you do it again? Will you do it again....maybe somewhere where there's wind..

Oscar
Catalina 250WB#618 Currently FOR SALE:
http:www.woodenshoemusic.com/C250WB

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2004 : 21:38:57

Sounds like a good adventure to me! Too bad you could hang around for the [url="http://www.knology.net/~ballen1/beer2004.htm"]Beer Cruise[/url] with the Trailer Sailor forum.

Edited by - Ben - FL on 06/09/2004 21:42:58

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5913 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2004 : 09:24:07

Just curious - How much fuel did you carry on the boat at any given time, and how did you carry it?

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2004 : 09:58:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bob3589
 I just completed a trip moving my C25 TR FK from Pensacola, FL to a lake in west Tennessee...I was looking forward to sailing across Mobile Bay (about 25 miles) but there was absolutely no wind when I got there and the water was smooth as glass which is unusual for Mobile Bay....<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

“Damn the torpedoes....er,...wind! Full speed ahead!”

Good goin', Bob!

Edited by - on

austin72
1st Mate

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48 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2004 : 11:41:31

Once again, all this talk of motors. I often visit this forum and wonder 'Why all the talk of motors'? Well, I found out last weekend when mine decided to take a haitus just as I was entering Monroe Harbor in Chicago.
For those unfamiliar, this is a BUSY place to go adrift. Lots of boats coming and going, lots of boats moored...6,000 is the right number I think. Or, maybe that's the whole harbor system in Chicago...But it's a lot of boats and I digress.
I eventually did coax the motor into employment, if only under almost full throttle, so it was an on again-off again experience, and the Admiral was none too happy with me.

Stinkpot cruisers offered only navigational terror and big wakes to throw me off course; never a tow line though. I mention this only because of the saving grace that followed.
When I limped close to my mooring I realized it was going to be nearly impossible to hook it because of the all or none power issue. Then I noticed a nearby neighbor standing with a line ready to toss. I headed up, stalled into the wind, he threw the line and slowly let me drift back to my mooring. Home at last.
The gushy but true part of it all is the neighbor is another C25 owner (I now know his name is Andy, he's from Poland, he's a roofer and loves his Makers Mark almost as much as his boat).
Ironic.
The moral I came away with was anything associated with motor powered boats - the motor, their owners, etc. - proved they are the bane of this (novice) sailor's existence.
Andy on the other hand is a new friend that is taking me out this weekend on his C25 to show me all the tricks he's added to his boat, followed by going out with us the following weekend on our girl to have fun and offer advice on improvements.

Ramble off.

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1773 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2004 : 11:58:01

... Andy on the other hand is a new friend that is taking me out this weekend on his C25 to show me all the tricks he's added to his boat, followed by going out with us the following weekend on our girl to have fun and offer advice on improvements. - austin72


Maybe you could recruit him to join the Association ... 'sounds like he would be a good addition to our membership!

Edited by - on

Bob3589
1st Mate

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31 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2004 : 19:43:53

To answer a few of the questions:
1. Would i do it again? Yes, but only if i had someone with me who could take over driving the boat and give me a break. When i was singlehanding, it was 10 to 12 hours with my left hand on the tiller, right hand with binoculars or the VHF radio. I rigged up a makeshift autopilot to hold the tiller straight if i needed to get anything from the cabin. I only had about 15-30 seconds to leave the tiller cause the current or wind would move the boat toward the river bank.

2. I read the Mainsheet article and other articles about people running aground during anchoring on this same trip route. One article said to just count on running aground at least once or twice if you have a fixed keel. I took great precautions to keep from running aground. In some narrow coves, i would back in and drop the danforth anchor off the bow and two 15lb river anchors off each side of the stern. That kept the boat from moving into shallow water in the middle of the night. In one cove i was in 12 feet of water about 20 feet from the bank with night fishing bass boaters going by all night.

3. How much fuel did i carry and where did i stow it? I used a 6 gal gas tank which i refueled while going down the river - didn't want to run out of gas meeting barges or going into a lock. I also had 6 - 5 gallon gas cans. I stowed 2 of these on the deck forward of the head under the v-berth next to the shelf on the port side. One in the cabin which i used first. The others i put in the lazerette. There's one stretch of river from Mobile north that is 118 miles with no marinas for gas. I really had more gas than i needed but i didn't want to take a chance on running out. I like to smoke cigars but believe me, i didn't smoke while on the boat with all that gas on board.

I don't have a stove on board so for 11 days we ate tuna or chicken out of a can and pork&beans and crackers. I actually enjoyed roughing it, like camping out afloat. It was a unique experience, one that i will remember for a long time.

Bob.

Edited by - on

svmoxie
Past Commodore

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USA
331 Posts

Response Posted - 06/11/2004 : 08:34:54

Hi Bob,

Please consider sending this write up to Jim Baumgart for the TellTale newsletter. AS hard as it is for some of to imagine a lot of members simply do not read the messageboards and this would be a great contribution to the newsletter. You can email him at cjwb@indiscipline.org

Thanks and congratulations on a great adventure.

Edited by - on

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