Okay, 40 plus hours in a 24 foot boat from Miami to New York......
Did you run the outside mostly? And I'm working on the miles, does anyone know what it would be close?
That was the "plan" up the coast of Fla and then to the Carolinas and up the coast.
BUT as plans go a lot of times, it was getting late in the window for weather,
the best weather is found in Mid July.
The 2.4 Merc motors which were new @ the time would not run right @ all,
I built that boat in the spring of 78, went to a couple of races up north in Ohio and Benihana in NJ all DNF's I took the boat to Lake X where it would run perfect, would sea trial in the ocean and the carburators would not cooperate! Merc would even send guys to work and sea trial here in miami, it got better in the ocean but nothing to write home about.
Since it was getting "late" for the weather window, Me and Ralph Linero (navigator) decided it was time to s*it or get off the pot. So I figured that if the boat made it up to Palm Bch I would save face.
Well to make the long story short, the boat and motors ran flawless up to NY.
Needless to say, we did not have all the charts for the trip (figured I knew how to get to Palm Bch) not enough food etc.
All we had for traveling the distance was 2 compasses that were not swung,
an RDF borrowed and a VHF and the surprise that we were getting far away from home.
There was an incident where we ran aground on a sand bar in South Carolina and my wife Linda since not hearing from me, chartered a small plane to go and look for me
at 2 AM never mind that she is scared of flying up to this day, but she is a tough lady!
Talking about South Carolina, we were halted by local authorities thinking that we were smugglers or poachers. needless to say, it took a lot of explaining to the cops that we were setting a record.
I have a lot of anecdotes from that run. Just don't have the time right now.
Later,
pp @ pantera :sifone: yes it is me "pp"
PS, one quick one, we stayed @ the Ritz in the city and my navigator was found by his wife the next AM fully sleeping in the toilet!