refer to my website, in particular
http://www.sv-loki.com/Delivery/delivery.html
http://www.sv-loki.com/The_Trip/Trip_Log/trip_log.html

comments interspersed

BeeRich wrote:
Hi folks.

Just out of curiosity, how long would it take me to go from Toronto to
the Caribbean?

Toronto - Oswego, NY

We did it in one day, but our cat is probably a bit faster than your
boat. Many people do an overnight - the next morning you can continue
up the canal to Phoenix and meet customs there. (This was pre-911,
you should find out how this is handled today.)

Oswego, NY - NY Canal System to NYC

4 days through the canal and down to Catskill to raise the mast, then
one more long day to NYC.

NYC - Florida Keys

I counted 46 "travel days" on our last trip down the ICW, about 40 on
the return. (Atlantic Highlands-Key West)

Florida Keys - Some lazy bay in the Caribbean somewhere

I'm just looking for ballpark estimates for a 40' sailboat. Dedicated
movement (no 3 week stays in Chesapeake, etc.) every day, and mooring
probably every night.

I've only driven from Toronto to Miami and that was when I was a kid.
I've flown, but this is obviously a different thing altogether.

My intention was to show my family all the small towns along the ICW,
so we made a point of tying up at the local "in town" marinas whenever
possible, and dawdling frequently.


Anybody done this? I'm looking at becoming a Snowbird (duck or goose,
that doesn't leave water) and going South for the winters, then coming
back up in the spring.

You'll find there is a large community that does this, perhaps several
thousand sailboats and a larger number of power boats. I have good
friends who have done it for 26 years - currently they're in Nova Scotia.


Are there ramifications on a fiberglass hull moving from fresh - salt
- fresh - salt, etc.?

I think the zincs might be different for freshwater - perhaps some
Great Lakes sailor can answer that. And the tannin in the "black
water" parts of the Carolinas will leave a stain to deal with, but its
no biggy.