Big Trip

4,254 Nautical Miles

Andy Burton, his friend Larry, and I are off to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. tomorrow to pick up this boat and deliver it to Marina Del Rey, California. The trip will take us from South Florida, around the west side of Cuba, and south to Panama and the Canal. We’ll cross from North to South for 50 miles across the Isthmus of Panama and exit into the Pacific, where we’ll face the longest part of the journey. We’ll go by Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico, stopping whenever we need fuel or a place to hide. The last 800 miles or so will be an upwind bash alongside the Baja Penninsula.

The boat is big and comfortable, and relatively fast under power, thanks to the optional, twin 56-hp diesels. We’ll be able to carry plenty of fuel and food, and we’ll each have our own cabin. My guess is that Andy, who got the trip, will end up bouncing around in the owner’s cabin, which takes up the entire starboard hull. Larry and I will be in the comfy looking guest cabins in the port hull. The steering station is high on the starboard side, and all the sail and engine controls can be run from there. It looks as though it has excellent visibility. The galley, bar, and nav station are forward of the large cockpit, and look to be comfortable as well.

I’m quite excited about this trip, as I’ve never been through the Canal. I’ll blog when I can, and will be writing a few articles for Cruising World about the trip. Next stop: Panama.