On Jun 15, 8:51 pm, wrote:
On Jun 15, 8:44 pm, wrote:



On Jun 15, 8:35 pm, wrote:

I've been wanting to sail to teh Bahamas from NW FL (near Carabelle)
but I realize that maybe a power boat would be better. I could
trailer my 20' Tolman Standard to Miami and then take her across to
Bimini. The Tolman would give better access to the cool places with
shallow water than the sailboat. I have outfitted the Tolman with a
full enclosure (removable) for camping. I have a 90 hp Yamaha and 9.9
hp backup.
However, the Tolman has only a 12.5 degree deadrise so she does pound
in any chop. The advice I see on the web is to go in Summer due to
low seas but being a FL native I know Summer is miserably hot and
would prefer Spring.
Bimini is only 48 nm from Miami and from there most runs are short.
It is the 48 nm run across the Gulf Stream that concerns me in the
Tolman. What do y'all think?

For those who think the 90 hp is too small for the 20' Tolman need to
realize that she weighs about half of what a normal glass boat weighs
(and gets amazing fuel economy). However, this means she gets shoved
around by seas too. The 90 hp with 9.9 kicker is actually more than
the designer (Renn Tolman) specified for transom weight but I balanced
it by putting the batteries in front of the console (with expensive 00
gage tinned battery wire).

I can't answer your question but I will not that even though you have
balanced it, you have still changed the configuration and how it will
act in the water. Being a Tolman you probably have some room to play,
those are great boats from what I can see... I have never been in one,
or gone to Bimini

HK, et. al.:

I am somewhat obsessive about navigation and still use paper charts.
Most of my navigation is done by compass and DR being a longtime
sailor and I do have a GPS and would get a backup one (I do have
mounted and hand held VHF) and a I have a newish personal EPIRB I
bought for some of my single handed sailing trips.
Finding a flotilla to go over with may not be a problem but coming
back it might be a problem. I would probably be spending more than a
few days that most people would so hooking up with a coming back
flotilla might be tough. Also, considerign that the Tolman pounds in
chop due to the small deadrise (I may be able to deal with this by
holding the bow down), I may have to go slower than boats with deeper
V.