Three things about traveling offshore in a slow trawler, whether it be offshore New Jersey, or offshore Georgia/Carolinas, or offshore New England, or offshore in the Gulf of Mexico:

1. THE MOST DANGEROUS THING TO HAVE ON A BOAT IS A SCHEDULE; a schedule will make you leave when you should stay and stay when you should leave.  A schedule will drive you to make bad decisions.  Been there; done that; broken crockery to prove it.

2. Sea states offshore are very different than sea states on the ICW or on the great bays and sounds of the US East Coast (Albemarle/Pamlico/Chesapeake/Delaware).  Sea states of 4 ft offshore are probably gentle rolling swells; look at wave period as an indicator; four foot seas with 7 - 10 second wave periods will be a most acceptable ride.  Sea states of 4 ft on the Albemarle/Pamlico/Chesapeake/Delaware are NEVER pleasant.

3. Have a WRITTEN departure criteria in your mind, tailored to your boat, the preferences of your admiral/crew, and the needs of any animals you have aboard as pets.  Seasick animals are not fun.  Sanctuary has the following written criteria which I review pre-departure EVERY DAY.  In the spring and summer, a BEAUTIFUL, CLEAR MORNING can turn to an afternoon of t'storms very quickly; steering currents at 18K feet will help you decide if they're more likely to pass you by or more likely to spoil your afternoon.  Following is our pre-departure review:

Acceptable: Bright sun to light rain; visibility > 3 StM; Seas < 2 ft from any quarter; winds < 15 kts.

Marginal:  Periods of rain, no or “isolated” t’storms; visibility > 1 < 3 StM; seas 2-4 ft if following, 2-3 ft if ahead, abeam or abaft of abeam; winds 20-25 kts; these conditions stable or with an improving forecast.

Unacceptable: T’storms; strong squalls; visibility < 1/2 StM; seas 4 ft or more from any quadrant; winds >25 ks; deteriorating forecast.

Additional Considerations: direction of winds aloft; travel on protected inland river/ICW vs. open water; distance from/availability of “safe harbor;” if offshore, period and direction of ocean swells; air temps; hours-of-daylight; prevailing large scale wx patterns and wx directions; availability of traveling companion (“Buddy Boat”), availability of Tow Boat resource if needed.

Hope this is useful.

Jim

Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, currently at Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL
http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com/
Monk 36 Hull #132
MMSI #367042570
AGLCA #3767
MTOA #3436

Thanks to everyone for the advice.  At this point, the entire project is
more a possibility than a certainty and I will learn more in coming days.

The preponderance of advice as I understand it is to go outside and that
it is not all that bad if the appropriate plans and observations are
made and no firm schedule is set.

Again, thanks everyone.

Has anyone heard anything from Fred?