<< Dan Symula (adventuresoul@yahoo.com) wrote: What would be a good time estimate/allotment for a trip from US coast to coast? Say for instance L.A to N.Y.C ? Granted there are "straight through" vs "having fun and enjoying" time frames.>> Dec. 1983, I left San Diego, and arrived in Mt. Desert Island Maine on July 30, of the same year. I reached NY City Oct 5 (after having watched the America's Cup in New Port, RI) I was in a Force 50 motorsailer, which was 52 feet LOD, with a single Ford Lehman 85 hp and cruised at 6.5 knots, max speed under power 8 knots and max speed under sail 9 knots. Average days run was about 160 miles. Since I had already done the coast of Bahia, I went straight to Cabo, arriving only a few days after the Cabo Storm. I spent several weeks there helping other sailors. I went straight to Puerto Vallarta, then cove hopped down the coast with only one over night run: Z Town to Acapulco. The plan was to hug the coast to the Quatemala Border, then travel slightly over 50 miles off the coast to Puentarenas Cosa Rica. (at that time there was a whole lot of shooting going on in Central America) We got sidetacked and stopped in Puerta Madero to help in the rescue of the crew of a boat which was wrecked on the beach in the gulf of Tehuantepec. During the run from Acapulco, we hit a Tehuantepecer (North wind up to 60 knots) in Salina Cruz, but elected to hug the beach and go on. We also experienced a Papagyo, a similar wind comming across the land off of Nicarragua. This got up to 50 knots, and since we were out at sea, we got beat up with some dammage to the boat. We worked our way along the coast to Panama, thus to the San Blas Islands, then directly to Honduras, with only one stop at a remote Island. Then to Belize, Mexico, Dry Turtougas, Key West, on June 1. We R& R in Ft Lauderdale for about a week, then outside to Savanah GA, the ICW to Norfolk VA, arriving there on the 12 of July. We took 6 days directly to Mt. Desert Island Maine. This trip involved a lot of moderately long passages and would not be the one I would take in a trawler. My next trip along this coast, was leaving Puerto Rico May 1, first stop Panama (two days), next stop Acapulco (fuel stop), overnight in Cabo to rest, and San Diego the 30 th of May. Most of this trip under power. About 4600 miles in 30 days. In 1995 in our Cal 46, we went from Long Beach, to La Paz (Cabo was too much like Newport beach) directly. Cruised the Sea of cortez for several weeks, then hit our favorite spots on mainland Mexico. This time we stopped in a number of ports in Quatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Northern Costa Rica. From the San Blas Islands we went to San Andres and Providencia Islands and then to the Rio Dulce, Quatemala, where we spent nearly a month. >Fromthere directly to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, then three days to Pensacola. The length of this trip was nearly 6 months. One can "safely" leave San Diego on November 1 ( I have cruised Baha in the summer). One should not try and buck the trades, but go along the East Coast of Central America, up to Isla Mujeres and to Key west--but the Northers blow in the gulf of Mexico (and as far South as Honduras) through April. Minumal time to do the ICW to New York would be 2 weeks. One would want to be out of the West Coast of Mexico and the East Coast of Central America/Gulf of Mexico areas during hurricane season. On the other hand I have a number of friends who have taken years to get from San Diego to Key West, and then years to get to NY City. Don't dream--do it, before it is too late! Bob Austin Symbol 42 Pensacola, FL