Can I DIE !!!!

[dallasrobertb@yahoo.com]

OK, I'm a 54 year old man, here in Texas ( out side of San Antonio Texas), I have Been a Military Army Police, Cop, and many other jobs in my life time. Now for my final adventure I'm thinking about going to FL and buying a Boat (used). Somebody tell me can it be done and how...... I want to leave FL and take this boat via Coast to Port A Texas. Can it be done with this kind of boat, they said it gets 50 miles pg @ 104 Gal tank, could this be true? I have NEVER been on the Gulf in my life, but than again I thought when I was young I would not be dodging bullets and getting shot at and stab at fighting and so....lol.....Or is this going to far in my mind to do. As you well know for the older men here "WE" at a point in out life don't give a damn anymore, some men will look for a young woman and some a BOAT....lol...ME a boat! I have NO wife and 7 kids, 4 still at home 9-11-20-21 Now you know why I want to take a trip....lol. But I do want to know can it be done with this kind of boat and what do I need to look for....remember my last adventure..(ARMY)....Here is the boat Im thinking about getting soon.....real soon......

1982 Sport Craft 27 Family Fish:
1982 Sport Craft 27' Family Fish powered with a Mercruiser 7.4L 340hp inboard motor. Starts at the turn of a key. Aft Deck, large with full transom, plenty of room for fishing or add chairs for lounging. Helm, has 2 pedestal chairs, compass, gauges and controls. Cabin has a V-berth, folding table, galley with sink and stove, head with sink and manual flush toilet. Vessel is a one owner and has been racked stored for most of it's life. This is a brokered vessel and Dealer makes no guarantees or warranties .................

Power: Inboard
Hull: Fiberglass
Beam: 10 Ft. 0 in.
Fuel Tank Capacity: 104 Gallons

 

[dmcb]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Well it won't get 50 mpg if that is what you said. 1 1/2 mpg would be more like it. yes 1 1/2 mpg.
Can it be done. Sure. Pick good weather. The Fla panhandle will be a long stretch with open water and few ports but I know someone who just did it in a smaller boat than you are talking about.
Should you do it. No.
For a lot of reasons.
1. It is an old boat. A lot could be wrong, some not evident until you get under way. If you are serious about the boat, get a survey. Both hull and mechanical. Money well spent and will save you a lot of headaches.
2. You need some experience before you undertake such a trip.
3. You need to properly equip the boat and know your equipment.
I would suggest you get a trailer and haul the boat home. You can safely trailer a 10' wide boat with permits.Use it locally until you gain experience and know the boat is sound.
Good luck.
Doug

 

[QC]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

What he said ^^^^^^ at idle it might get 2.5 . . .

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

I think he means 50 miles a full tank maybe??
..I get an easy 6 gallons an hour on my 350 @3200 25 foot 5000 lb barge..90 gallon tank..the math means 15 hours..on mine..
Your math is somewhere at 2 gallons a mile (no way in hell 50 mpg)...I can go 20 miles easy at 3200, burn maybe 6 gallons (2 hours) (EDIT..WHOOPS takes me 2 hours into town, but thats a stop and go, idle around, so still 6 gallons per hour more or less)..so that is 1/3 gallon a mile..(this is making my head hurt)
Ya need to tell use a little more here..
Yep, watch the weather..think yer fine..just be VERY prepared for what could screw up yer day

 

[SeaKaye12]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Hi,

Geez....only $4900 for all that boat; eh? Sure sounds like a deal if it's in the condition that they say...

1982 though...that's a long time for a salt-water boat; rack-stored or not.

Good luck,

Chuck

 

[hibbert6]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Not much room on board to sleep all 5 of you! Or are you "getting away"?

Dave

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

it can easily be done by an experienced captain. you need all the electronics, already mentioned survey, shake down cruise. and plot your course from fill up to fill up. don't cut yourself short on fuel. also remember conditions have a lot to do with fuel economy, bucking a headwind, and waves cuts into the gas.

 

[JB]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Ahoy, Dallas.

Welcome to iboats.

Mid-life crisis, huh? Been there, done that. Had the T shirt but lost it somewhere. Need some adventure.

What you are dreaming about can be done, but it can also turn into a major disaster. Your chances of success will be best if you:

* Take the USPS course in Piloting and Seamanship. The Navigation course would be good also.
* Shake the vessel down thoroughly in local waters.
* Plan for everything to take twice as long and cost twice as much as expected.
* Master the maintenance of the powerplant and the use of good electronics.. .GPS, VHF radio, Sonar.

Sounds like an adventure worth writing a book about. Bon voyage.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Yes you can die very easily.

Its not that long ago that I was new to boat ownership. Even after taking the USPS boating safety course, I still made dangerous mistakes.

You need EXPERIENCE in both BOATING and YOUR BOAT.

Plus charts, GPS, marine radio, tools, spare parts, the list goes on.

Get the boat and trailer it home. Save the big trip for another time.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Well sir, if you manage to snake thru the rest of it and decide to go for it, 1 last thing before you depart for Florida:

Get in touch with TPWD and explain that you are bringing a Florida boat to Texas and want to register it when it gets here.....what do you need to satisfy them in doing that.

Will certainly help when it counts.

Mark

 

[amynbill]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Dont let the nervous nellies get ya down. Life is an adventure, and you have already done more than most in the ways of the world and taking chances.

Get the boat inspected, learn all you can about the boat, boating and safety, make sure you have a good radio, flares...you know, anything for emergencies you can, chart out the gas stops, make sure the weather will be good, and go for it!

WHat the heck. Life is frikkin short. You can sit back and worry until death takes you over, or you can get the heck out there and experience life.

 

[Kajun37]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Dont let the nervous nellies get ya down. Life is an adventure, and you have already done more than most in the ways of the world and taking chances.

for gods sake don't listen to this guy.....amynbill, to recommend a trip like this to an unexperienced boater is IRRESPONSIBLE .....YES YOU CAN DIE! i live on the gulf coast and fish in it all the time. the gulf can be a very nasty place in bad conditions and the weather can change at the drop of a hat!!one minute nice and flat the next 5-6ft seas in a storm.........for one you obviously have never even seen the boat in person or rode in it and know nothing about it expect for what a boat dealer that is trying to sell it to you tells you....which is prob more than half BS....a 1982????? 27ft??? the gulf will eat up a 27ft like candy in bad weather...believe it....

oh yea.. the army...your experience in the army has NOTHING to do with taking a trip like this ...forget about the army, your cammies and gun training wont help you when your motor is dead in the water and you got waves coming over your stern and your bilge pump decides to go out.

"This is a brokered vessel and Dealer makes no guarantees or warranties ................." this tells me that you broker or dealer wouldnt even DREAM about taking this boat on a trip like that...but they will tell you anything you want to hear if you buy it...

there are TONS of boat out there that you can buy and not have to take a stupid trip like this....good luck in whatever you decide to do..but dont say noone warned you.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

West Palm Beach to San Antonio is about 1300 miles. I had a similar boat shipped 1250 miles from Pennsylvania to New Orleans for less than $900. Put it on USHIP and let them bid on it. If you are open-ended on your pick up and delivery days you can often find someone running empty that will take your load.

You would be real lucky to get 2 mpg. The 500 gallons of gas you would use getting it home will cost you more than the shipping. It's probably worse than that, wouldn't be surprised if they meant it got 50 miles on a 104 gallon tank ..............

A 25 year old boat for $4900 from a dealer (would probably go for 1/2 to 2/3 that from a private party) is going to have some problems. Have it shipped home then work out the problems close to home instead of out on the water somewhere where it will cost you 10 times more to get it fixed (if you don't lose the boat or your life!).

If you're looking for adventure sailing that boat home would definitely qualify!

 

[amynbill]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

for gods sake don't listen to this guy.....amynbill, to recommend a trip like this to an unexperienced boater is IRRESPONSIBLE .....YES YOU CAN DIE! i live on the gulf coast and fish in it all the time. the gulf can be a very nasty place in bad conditions and the weather can change at the drop of a hat!!one minute nice and flat the next 5-6ft seas in a storm.........for one you obviously have never even seen the boat in person or rode in it and know nothing about it expect for what a boat dealer that is trying to sell it to you tells you....which is prob more than half BS....a 1982????? 27ft??? the gulf will eat up a 27ft like candy in bad weather...believe it....

Perhaps re-reading my post where I had stated to gt the boat inspected, check the weather forecast, chart along coast and stop at stations is in order? I didnt tell him to drive there, hop on the boat and go.

You can die taking an airplane, driving your car, crossing the street, a stroke, heck, sitting in your living room hmmm...seems quite a few ways

Taking a risk sometimes is what makes life fun, at least for me it is.
Some people like the merry go round. I prefer the rollercoaster.

I have a feeling the poster really wants to do this for some adventure. I say take precautions and go for it.

Or sit home and watch tv and wonder if you missed out on something new and exciting.

 

[backwater dawg]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Where in Florida are you starting from????

 

[Mark42]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Dont let the nervous nellies get ya down. Life is an adventure, and you have already done more than most in the ways of the world and taking chances.

Get the boat inspected, learn all you can about the boat, boating and safety, make sure you have a good radio, flares...you know, anything for emergencies you can, chart out the gas stops, make sure the weather will be good, and go for it!

WHat the heck. Life is frikkin short. You can sit back and worry until death takes you over, or you can get the heck out there and experience life.

Why do I get the feeling that you really have no idea what a trip like this is really like? Have you ever taken a 1300 mile trip on the ocean in a 27ft boat that is 25 years old?

It is very irresponsable to suggest to someone who has no boating experience to "learn all you can about the boat, boating and safety," and go for it. Exactly how long do you think it will take him to learn all about the boat, boating and safety? A week? A month? In reality, it will take years.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

My guess is that since DallasRobert is looking at 25 year old boats in the $5000 price range he presumably doesn't have bags of money. An internally rusted exhaust manifold leaking and locking up the engine halfway between Carabelle and Panama City could cost him as much as the boat did!

I would hope he knows someone very familiar with I/Os and they do some extensive maintenance checks (engine condition, bellows, u-joints, exhaust sytem, cooling system, fuel system, transom condition, etc) or pay someone to do it (which won't be real cheap) before he gets involved with the boat.

 

[erie_guy]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

The adventure is certainly possible and can be undertaken with only modest risk if you are willing to take the necessary steps to learn your boat capabilities, how to operate it in the Gulf, and how to provision it for such a trip. Experience is difficult to buy but operating the boat during the sea trial with your surveyor at your elbow will be the first clue if the boat is capable - hopefully before you buy it. The surveyor you employ should be aware of your intentions and inspect the boat and engine accordingly.

I owned a 30' Sport Craft about 8 years ago and used it exclusively on Lake Erie where SC boats are used by many charter boat captains - because of their good seakeeping abilities and operating economies. It had a problem that developed with the engine stringers (rot) and had to be repaired before I sold the boat. Have the surveyor check these and the transom before you pay any money for the boat.

I assume the boat has a single inboard engine (i.e not a stern drive) and perhaps is fresh water cooled (instead of raw water). I would suggest that the boat will get 1.5 to 2.0 miles per gallon of fuel - giving you a maximum range of 150 miles between fueling stops. And that would probably translate into a six hour run between stops.

My experience in the Gulf has been on offshore survey boats and I have spent many nights waiting for the Gulf to calm sufficiently so we could work/deploy our survey equipment. Patience is required to wait for the weather windows and sit in port during bad conditions. I have been out in flat glassy sea as well as dodging water spouts and 15 foot breakers during "tropical depressions". The summer would be the best time to hop-skip up the coast to Port "ArTur". Stop every hundred miles or so and enjoy the coast line. (Panama City, Gulfport, New Orleans, Morgan City to name Just a few stops we enjoyed).

If the boat passes survey and seatrial, I personally would take several weeks (think a month) to familiarize yourself and your crew with its operating characteristics. A single inboard is not the easiest boat on which to learn boating skills. It backs up poorly to starboard and will often appear uncontrollable when trying to swing (rotate) the boat. Docking will take many tries and practice is often the best teacher - but using a skilled surveyor can be of real value to more quickly learn the necessary skills. Don't be shy about asking other more experienced boaters for assistance especially when learning docking skills, knowing the local weather, or anticipating sea conditions. Often other boaters are happy to assist in your learning of required maintenance tasks and other boating skills.

Make sure you learn basic seamanship by taking a Coast Guard course. Prepare the boat with the necessary safety equipment (VHF radio, GPS chartplotter, paper charts, depth sounder, flares, life preservers, medical kit . . . etc.)

And then just go for it - Next summer (2008) will be the next best weather window. ENJOY IT !! And let us share in your adventure by checking back into this forum with reports on your progress.

erie_guy
Port Clinton, OH

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

yo guys....I think we are being a little harsh on AmynBill. I think if all 10 or 15 of us were standing around in person and shooting the breeze about this with DallasR, Billnamys response would not stand out so ....he's just offering some encouragement and enthusiasm. I am sure DallasR did not read all of these posts and say to himself "well Bill says its cool so here I go!!!".

Sorry, I just think "irresponsible" is a harsh word.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Can I DIE !!!!

Well I hope we didn't scare him off, there's some good info here, and I applaud his enthusiasm! But yes, I would agree he should think twice about doing this, because he has no boat, or boating experience, and has no idea what conditon the boat is in, except for a dealers heresay. I don't know how far the distance is? but even if it was a short hop, maybe up to 100miles, & I knew my boat, and the water conditions, I'd think twice even with my many years on the water.