FLL to Charleston Trip Overview

This last week we brought Karma, our 54’ Flybridge (2007 Pama LX54) up the east coast on an enjoyable cruise. It’s sort of an “Apollo 8” trip with my buddy who has done this trip dozens of times so I can learn the route. We are leaving the boat in Charleston and I’ll come back in a few weeks to take my wife & friends back down the coast.

These last 4 years I’ve cruised the ICW in S. Fla, the Keys, Okeechobee Waterway; Bimini, Abacos and Chub. This is different in a good way.

ICW
The ICW from Palm Beach to Miami is a hassle of bridges, no wake zones and congested spots. There is nice scenery but it can be tedious.

North of the Southern Blvd bridge Palm Beach it’s easier to traverse as I have 19’ air draft so I can make it under the bridges , but it’s just slow. North of Stuart you can really make good time. It’s wider, less scenic but lets you stretch your boats legs.

The ICW in Ga*and SC is really cool; meandering through grasslands with occasional cuts linking rivers.

Ocean and ARG Stabilizer
We had good weather so went out Fernandina and ran 3+ hours in 2’ beam swells/- with an occasional 3’. I had an Mitsubishi ARG Gyro stabilizer installed during COVID layup and it worked well. When a swell would hit beam we would rock, but as the boat came back you could feel the gyro tamping down the movement. I’m really pleased with the results.
We went in Wassaw Cut and fueled up in Thunderbolt so I missed the skinniest waters in Ga.

Fuel & Speed
Karma has twin 575 Hp Volvo D9s and they run great. @ 8mph burns 3gph; @10mph burns 10gph, @ 20mph burns 35gph and at 24 burns 47 gph. We have 700 gal capacity and input in 360gals in Titusville and 492 at Thunderbolt. Just topped off 150 in Charleston. With combo slow and fast speeds my average is about 18gph. But speed has its benefits: we outran a bad storm from our south for 3 hours @24mph. We stayed just ahead of the front from Stuart all the way to Titusville. I originally thought I just wanted an 8kt trawler, now I’m glad I can run in the 20s when I need to

The Right Boat has what you use.
Not many Pama’s were made but this one has a great teak and holly insole, roomy layout, accessible and labeled engine room & lazarette. We converted the office into a 3rd bunkroom, installed a water maker and Gyro. We carry a 14’ tender with 50hp. I have put 452 hrs over last 3 years and that includes a 12 month hiatus for Covid. So for you boat shoppers, it’s not only the brand that counts - it’s the sum of all the parts. Kiss a lot of frogs to find “the one”

This was sort of a delivery trip of 11 hour - 12 hour-10 hour and 7 hour days. Trip back to S Fla this fall will be much slower and more sight seeing among the way

it was a great trip to learn these cruising grounds; general idea next year is to come here Spring, then learn the Chesapeake and Nantucket next summer.

[QUOTE. Glad your gyro worked well , was the install time long ?[/QUOTE]


Not too bad. - we built up stingers first , amd ran the control a and power, then the install was a days work. Probably at least a few week process