# JAX, FL to Norfolk, VA in December



## jslade8581 (Aug 3, 2009)

So, I'm toying with the idea of sailing my boat from Jacksonville, FL to Norfolk, VA the second week or third week of December this year. I'm looking at going outside from Jacksonville, FL to Moorehead City, NC, then staying on the Intercoastal to Norfolk, VA.

I have a good bit of time to do this, but I was hoping it wouldn't take more than around 7 days. I'm budgeting about 10 days as a "just in case". The boat is 33'; I'm planning for pretty conservative numbers.

It's going to be my first "coastal cruise" and "overnight cruise" - in my sailboat. I'm an officer in the Navy, so safety, navigation, etc isn't what scares me - even night time (you do a few nights near some pirate havens and you learn to deal with little contacts all over the place). It's more of a what don't I know?

To mitigate some risks I'll be:
1. Renting a liferaft.
2. Hiring a USCG captain (sailboat delivery captain) to go with us for the Jax to Moorehead City leg. I'm hiring him for his experience, and for his capabilities - he and I will head up the watch teams.
3. Crew size is 4 total (Captain, dad, brother, me).

My biggest concerns include exposure, so I'm planning on dressing warm. Immersion suits were brought up, so that's high on my list as a possibility (I have my own heavy weather gear - would that be enough)? In terms of safety, the boat has had a lot of good work done, and she's in really great shape (she's 31 but she's doing well). I'll do preventative maintenance right before I leave (for the engine). Sails are all in good shape. Heavy weather gear is onboard (storm sail, para-anchor). Good medkit. We'll all keep on inflatable PFD and safety harness on deck, and we'll have jacklines rigged.

Any other thoughts? Anyone have any pertinent experience sailing this particular run? How about sailing that area in December? Anything really glaring missing?

I'm not interested in going around Cape Hatteras - that's a non-starter. But I was also looking at Southport, NC - it'll just add another hundred intercoastal miles, if I remember right (its off the top of my head, and my handy Intercoastal Guide isn't sitting next to me).

Thank you!


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## CrazyRu (May 10, 2007)

It is about 150 nm between Moorhead city NC and Norfolk.. It is impossible to navigate ICW at night. There are shortest nights in December. I'd plan 5 days just for icw. I did the stretch in November. I had ice covered deck more than once. You will need some heat. just to keep the crew happy after shift. Nothing fancy. You have plenty of people to stand a watch. Something simple like gas tent heaters from campmore.com will do the job. Read carefully notice to mariners. There are lots of repairs and closures at winter time. I had to retract 70 miles in NJ to get around closed bridge. Be ready for no service at marinas. Good luck.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Will you be leaving on a fixed date.

If so be VERY aware of the weather especially the winter cold fronts that bring strong North winds.

On a 33 footer you do not want to be out there in the gulf stream with a 20+ knt Northerly bringing out the elephants who play leap frog.

SHOALING INCLUDING THE INLETS SEE CLICKY

Make sure you have the latest version AND be aware it wil not be accurate in all respects.

If you are on a fixed schedule I would have as plan A running UP THE ICW and plan B doing part of the trip outside *if and only if* you get a good forecast.

Make sure you have spare pairs of warm gloves


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

I too have done this trip - even from NAS JAX ha ha and I would not go outside all the way. I would most likely go up to Cape Fear and then inside the rest of the way. It will be cold, the weather is very changeable, and as pointed out if you get winds from the North not only will the Gulf Stream kick up (not a big problem, it should be about 50 to 75 miles east of your track) but you crew will freeze. As pointed out the days are very short so doing the ICW becomes an issue. If you check your charts you will find that there are long stretches you can do at night - Adams Creek is pretty easy, the Alligator River to Elizabeth City is another. Particularly with a good spotlight and chart plotter you can find the marks. I have always gone outside north of the St. Mary's River so I don't know the ICW between there and Cape Fear.

Either way prepare for COLD COLD COLD.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Are you just wanting to get your boat to Norfolk, or is it just something you want to do?

Unless you're very fortunate, what you're looking at is a hard, cold, push, with little to no room for error. Only way you make Beaufort Inlet in 3 days is riding the Stream (which isn't likely to be possible that time of year). And you'd be lucky to get through Carolina in 4 days. (For example, Coinjock to Hospital Point is right at 12 hrs @ 5.5 kts)

If all I wanted was to get the boat there, and I had a limited window of time, AND, was going to hire a Captain anyway, I'd just hire 'em to deliver the boat.

It's not that it can't be done, but unless it's the only option and has to be done, I wouldn't do it.


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## jslade8581 (Aug 3, 2009)

Thank you for your responses. I was worried about the cold. I'll look into a boat captain delivery as well, and an overland delivery (anyone know of any really good services?).

It's based on transfer time between stations. I always seem to catch the crappy transfer times (winter when I'm available, summer when I'm deploying). I guess the other option would be to get it up to Moorehead City and leave it there for a few months until it warms up, then take it up the intercoastal when I have a few days free in the following spring. If I was going to do that, any marina recommendations?

@PBzeer - I was going to hire the captain only for the outside portion (Jax->Moorehead City). That's the only part that I'm "worried" about, and for which I would really like the extra experience. I do have several extra days if I needed them, so I'm not a completely static schedule.

@TQA: I hadn't considered doing the entire thing up the ICW. I'm out at sea now, and so I don't have my ICW Guide in front of me, but I imagine that a continuous ICW run would be about 10-14 days (assuming 5 knots and 10 hours of travel a day). I'll verify that when I get home.

@SVZephyr44: Are you military too?


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## DougSabbag (Aug 3, 2011)

jslade8581 said:


> So, I'm toying with the idea of sailing my boat from Jacksonville, FL to Norfolk, VA the second week or third week of December this year. I'm looking at going outside from Jacksonville, FL to Moorehead City, NC, then staying on the Intercoastal to Norfolk, VA.
> 
> I have a good bit of time to do this, but I was hoping it wouldn't take more than around 7 days. I'm budgeting about 10 days as a "just in case". The boat is 33'; I'm planning for pretty conservative numbers.
> 
> ...


For whatever value, it took me 2 days to sail from St. Augustine to Beaufort N.C. a couple of weeks ago in a Ta Chiao CT 56.

You would possibly want to get into the Gulf Stream as soon as possible, in order to gain speed from that current.

We didn't have any issues, and it was a short smooth cruise.

Good luck / Fair winds,
Doug


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

Retired - say hi to Phil for me from Roger on Reboot.

Re Doug's comment - It was July/August - other than the possibility of dealing with a tropical storm that is like night and day to December.

PS If I were going to hire a delivery captain I would have him move the boat now - in the good weather rather than wait until December if for no other reason than the standing rigging will take less of a beating if it is not covered with ice.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

That's a good question. Why wait until Dec?


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## jslade8581 (Aug 3, 2009)

If I was going to have a delivery captain move it, the sky's the limit! As for me moving it, which is preferred, we're at a very busy point in my ship's life.

I'm working to get my transfer date shifted around so that I can have a few weeks in April next year to sail it up instead. If that works out I'll probably do that.


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## Silvio (Nov 10, 2010)

Nt going to offer specific advice, I will add in general that I made the trip this summer from NAS Jax to Norfolk NAS and on to Solomans Island, MD. I went inside some and outside some, and if I were to do it again I would have gone outside the entire way and avoided the ICW all together. The ICW was neat and I'm glad I saw it but it is not for a sailboat with 5 foot draft and 5-7kn of boat speed motoring. I entered the US from the Bahamas at Jax and left my boat for a week at NAS Jax then returned solo to continue the trip north. Sailing with the Gulf Stream pushing was MUCH better than motoring 10 hour days in the ditch. There were several days when I would have preferred to continue beyond the anchorage or marina that I chose for a day's travel on the ICW but there are so many stretches that offer no anchorage or marina that would be reachable before well after dark, and as others have said it really is unwise to run the ICW in the dark (I did the stretch from Destin to Panama City overnight once and learned to never do that again).

Good luck!
PS 
I stayed at the Norfolk Base Sailing Center for a couple days and it is really a nice place if you will be keeping your boat there. typical NAF funded MWR activity, great facilities but you are on your own for getting info and learning your way around it.


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

Silvio said:


> I stayed at the Norfolk Base Sailing Center for a couple days and it is really a nice place if you will be keeping your boat there. typical NAF funded MWR activity, great facilities but you are on your own for getting info and learning your way around it.


Skipper Bob has a restricted distribution guide to Military Marinas on the Great Loop. Send them an email with you military affiliation and they will send you an electronic copy for free. It is printed by them and updated by us old military cruisers.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

I usually travel from FL to Beaufort Inlet in a series of overnight hops (singlehand). Once you get up on the Nuese River, you can run on autopilot for much of the trip through Carolina. So you're not stuck behind the wheel all the time.


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