# Rhumb line between Key West and Galveston, TX



## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Would you take the rhumb line or hug the coast all the way to Galveston? No Radar or life raft on board. 

TIA.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Whose boat? Yours, or a delivery boat??

I would take the rhumb line if I were confident in the vessel's condition, and in the spares and tools aboard. On a delivery boat, the coast would be the way to go.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Take a look at the charts when you start nearing New Orleans. The oils rigs look to be insane just off the coast and southwest of NO - such as the Vermillion Bay approach.

I've sailed through the rigs going west from Galveston several times - but they are nowhere near as thick as what I see on the charts close in in that area. I'd defintely go out if I was confident in my boat.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

It is a delivery. Condition of the boat is unseen, but I will have a couple days to learn the boat. The weather looks good next week so far for the rhumb line approach. 

I appreciate the input. Please let me know what other things I should keep a look out.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

rockDAWG said:


> It is a delivery. Condition of the boat is unseen, but I will have a couple days to learn the boat. The weather looks good next week so far for the rhumb line approach.
> 
> I appreciate the input. Please let me know what other things I should keep a look out.


About five years ago a delivery skipper sent me his checklist. His web site is Safety Check | Pacific Yacht Deliveries

As you know I like ISAF offshore racing requirements as a guideline.

Personally I would stay close to shore with no liferaft.

SSB?

SAT phone?


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Hug the shore. 

Many people will jump across from texas to mobile or pensacola. I have been and sailed pensacola. It is an easy in and out. From there, jump to panama city. It is also easy. From there, jump to tampa. Easy. Tampa to venice. Venice to charlotte harbor (do that one during the day). At charlotte harbor you can anchor off useppa and go to cabbage key. Good holding there and you can take the inside to fort myers beach. Fort myers beach to key west. 

I have done all that and am in fact about to head back south to the keys in the next week or so. If you need anchorages or marinas, let me know. 

I would not go across the middle without a life raft personally. The gulf gets very rough this time of year with the northerns creating a lot of fetch and tall, square seas with short periods. The best plan of action is to hug the shore in them and have options to jump at any of the places mentioned above. Your only overnighters on the trip above is panama city to tampa and fort myers beach to key west. If you follow the route i suggested, you can skip and destination to save time or at least have a point of refuge if the weather is bad. Mid december to about march is the worst time to cross the gulf, with march being tough too depending on weather gods. 

Take care,

Brian


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

CD - what was your route between Galveston and Pensacola? How far out did you guys go? Those rigs around LA look seriously scary.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

I have only sailed once on someone elses boat in the Gulf from Pensecola area to Galveston Bay and it was 15 years ago. We chose to stay in close ( 10 miles) to shore as the wetaher in the Gulf was iffy. I rememeber the area off of Lousiniana peppered with oil rigs. We had radar too. The Captain mentioned that many of them were unlit at night while some looked like oil refineraires and that it was difficult to see the darkened ones. He chose for safetys sake to do that part of the trip in daylight. So we pulled in to anchorages. Not sure how far out they put the rigs.

Stay safe

Dave


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

I did not do that route. I dropped my boat in pensacola to avoid just that. Sorry if that was not clear. I did the route from pen south. But you can judge your weather window from texas to pensacola for a reasonably safe trip. From there, you can refit or provision. The route i have given above does not mean you have to stop at each of those places. You can pass them. It just gives you the option. 

On another note, weather does look good next week. However, its blowing 26 here now in the slip and a few days back they were saying this was already going to pass us. Im just sayin.


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

chef2sail said:


> I have only sailed once on someone elses boat in the Gulf from Pensecola area to Galveston Bay and it was 15 years ago. We chose to stay in close ( 10 miles) to shore as the wetaher in the Gulf was iffy. I rememeber the area off of Lousiniana peppered with oil rigs. We had radar too. The Captain mentioned that many of them were unlit at night while some looked like oil refineraires and that it was difficult to see the darkened ones. He chose for safetys sake to do that part of the trip in daylight. So we pulled in to anchorages. Not sure how far out they put the rigs.
> 
> Stay safe
> 
> Dave


Yes, i have also been told many are unlit. Hurricanes got some. Have also been told some have been cut below waterline, but who knows??? As far as some not being lit, i have heard that from multiple sources whom i trust.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

I KNOW many of them are unlit...like this bad boy ready to sink or dismast you in a heartbeat...










...completely dark at night. We sailed past several of these in our last off-shore run:

HMR Return

You don't want to screw around in the middle of these things - especially if you don't have radar.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Captains, good advise, I will hug the coast, or within 25 miles from shore. 

Brian, I will more or less follow your suggestion but in a reverse order. We have enough provision and water. Unless we need diesel, otherwise, we won't stop. It will be three of us, so the night watch will not be a problems. Full moon is on Feb 25, we should be ok at night. 

BTW, we have no SSB, EPIRB, or Sat. Phone. I tried to rent one, but no luck to get it on Sunday. I will just rely on my SPOT II and VHF. I think we should be OK. If something happen, the dingy should be able to keep us afloat for at least 12 hours. This should give the CG enough time to find us after the storm passes. Hey, there is no reason to have the best of the best in our nation to risk their lives to save our sorry asses.  

Need to get some zzzz, have to get up @ 3 am and catch a flight at 5:15 am


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Go get 'em Dawg. Have a good trip and bring back some stories dude.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

You might consider a PLB. You then had something for other trips as well.


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## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

Why are some of these rigs unlit? Is there no reg that requires that they be lighted? Seems it would be fairly easy to do with low power solar charged systems with LEDs. Are there no regs that require that they be lighted since they are hazards to navigation? Are they inactive unmanned rigs that have been abandoned and have no "owner?" With all the $$$ that our Fed "employees" spend on outlandish crap seems that we should give this a higher priority.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Considering the time you have to "know" the boat, and what the weather can be like in the Gulf, I'd suggest a sort of mixed route.

Key West to the east end of the canal below Lake Pontchartrain.

Canal through New Orleans and cross the Mississippi to the ICW going west. With crew, you can follow a barge through the night. (It's wide and deep)

Take the Calciseiu River south to the Gulf, then to Galveston.


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## MARC2012 (Mar 17, 2008)

They are giving 20-25 knots off La coast this wk.Taking a boat you have known for a wk. off shore IMHO is like marrying someone you you met 15 min ago,might be ok?For the grammar police ? intentional.Do not know your air draft however destin bridge is aprox.50 ft & icw bridge is 48.Also 50 something between Panama city & east bay.If you go through NOLA go downriver to the algeris (sp?) locks.I use Battiste collette & tiger pass instead of NOLA.Have a safe trip.marc


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

MARC2012 said:


> They are giving 20-25 knots off La coast this wk.Taking a boat you have known for a wk. off shore IMHO is like marrying someone you you met 15 min ago,might be ok?For the grammar police ? intentional.Do not know your air draft however destin bridge is aprox.50 ft & icw bridge is 48.Also 50 something between Panama city & east bay.If you go through NOLA go downriver to the algeris (sp?) locks.I use Battiste collette & tiger pass instead of NOLA.Have a safe trip.marc


The wind will die down by the time we get to the northern coast of the gulf. But thanks for the route suggestion, and employ as called for.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Damn, they should have rules to prohibite flights departing earlier than 6 am. I stopped by WAwa to get a cup of cOffee, the girl said good nite. LOL.


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## Magnolia (Dec 21, 2012)

rockDawg - good luck on your journey. Looking forward to hearing how it all went for you.

cruisingdad - thanks for the itinerary. I've jotted it down and we'll use it to start planning our trip.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

Probably just me, but I'd want to know what sort of boat we're talking about here, before offering an opinion... I know the type of boat doesn't seem to make any difference to some folks around here, but it does to me... (grin)

With only a VHF for communication, however, I'd tend to favor the Big Bend approach, if for no other reason than to be able to keep tabs on the weather. We're getting into the time of the year that is perhaps the most difficult to forecast, lots of weird things can develop very quickly in March, and many of them tend to be spawned down around the Gulf...

If you are gonna do the rhumb line, I'd strongly suggest picking up a small world band receiver, at least...


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Rock,

I didnt realize you were going the opposite way. Sorry, typed that in bed under a benadryl!! If you need any specifics, i can help. Watch out for crab traps. They are everywhere right now. Take a good cerated knife and mag lite (they work well under water). 

Brian


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Update:
On my way back to Baltimore now waiting for my flight. This trip did not work out. The boat is not in a sounded condition and is unsafe to sail from the keys to Galveston. This is my first time I have backed out for my crewing job. 

The owner who I have not met was a nice guy to deal with but has very little experience in sailing, may be under the wrong advices. Problems I discovered after I arrived.
1. Engine problems, major. 
2. Charging problem and very old batteries both the house and starting battery.
3. Charging and unload voltage are odd
4. Main sail can't reef.a
5. Genset burnt out
6. Radiator leaks
7. All belts were loose, but oveyrnite we fixed.
8. Gallery stove was not working. 
9. Hot water was not available. 

After a shower at the marina, and a serious consideration for an hour while laying on my berth , i decided to bail in the morning. Texted my wife to explore my flight option.

Early morning, engine finally broke and motor oil was everywhere. And the hired captain grounded the boat. It was my time to jump off the boat. 

Just like every crewing I have done, I always learn something.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

BTW, thanks everyone's help, greatly appreciated. You inputs guided me to think and rethink and finally let me come out with my decision that I am comfortable with.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

rockDAWG said:


> BTW, thanks everyone's help, greatly appreciated. You inputs guided me to think and rethink and finally let me come out with my decision that I am comfortable with.


Sounds like a good decision as described. Glad you are safe.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Thank you for the update. It is good to know that reason prevailed over the excitement of adventure.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Sounds like a wise move Dawg. Good call.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

An axiom to remember

There are old sailors, and there are bold sailors; there are no old bold sailors.

Discretion is the better part of valour.

Great call.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

If you do see an unlite platform, get its block number off the side of it and report it to the USCG. All Platforms are required to have working flashing lights on them. The lights are usually on the corners of the platform. Some are dimmed by the bird sh*t covering the lights. Report those also if you can.
If the platform is unmanned those lights are required to be maintained in working order at all times...


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Boasun said:


> If the platform is unmanned those lights are required to be maintained in working order at all times...


But this is the kicker...maintained by whom? The guys I race with all come from the oil industry. According to them, the reason there are so many unlit rigs so close in is that many companies (big and small) went out over the years and tried to strike it rich. Most of them went bust, pulled out, and the company dissolved...leaving behind a hulk of steel that "no one" owns. So who can you go after to enforce the ongoing maintenance of the rig? Do we push that onto the CG? Do they have the budget?

It's not an easily solvable, nor inexpensive, problem.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

jackdale said:


> An axiom to remember
> 
> There are old sailors, and there are bold sailors; there are no old bold sailors.
> 
> ...


Thanks. 
It was a difficult, but timely decision.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

smackdaddy said:


> Most of them went bust, pulled out, and the company dissolved...leaving behind a hulk of steel that "no one" owns. So who can you go after to enforce the ongoing maintenance of the rig? Do we push that onto the CG? Do they have the budget?
> 
> It's not an easily solvable, nor inexpensive, problem.


If the company went under. It will become a Federal problem that the we have pay the bill. It is unfortunate.


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## kellysails (Nov 1, 2008)

smackdaddy said:


> But this is the kicker...maintained by whom? The guys I race with all come from the oil industry. According to them, the reason there are so many unlit rigs so close in is that many companies (big and small) went out over the years and tried to strike it rich. Most of them went bust, pulled out, and the company dissolved...leaving behind a hulk of steel that "no one" owns. So who can you go after to enforce the ongoing maintenance of the rig? Do we push that onto the CG? Do they have the budget?
> 
> It's not an easily solvable, nor inexpensive, problem.


That is crazy shocking! Oh, dare we criticize the the oil industry hence being labelled an anti big business socialist. The industry should clean up their own pond. ugh! And the government should take part of the lease fees to provide perpetual safety lighting on abandoned rigs and monitor for safe waterways.


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## ShoalFinder (May 18, 2012)

On the bright side, if nobody owns it and nobody will take responsibility for it...

Sounds like a fella could make some money with a workboat and some gas torches. Scrap steel is worth a lot of money right now.

Just kidding... or maybe not...


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