Running from Marathon to Palm Beach.... Suggestions

Watching the weather closely and based on a lot of the recent contributions hoping to be able to run the outside. Also communicating with CaptJ on contingency plans. Appreciate all the help and intel guys. Wish I was retired and had more time to enjoy SE Florida waters but that is just not a reality at this time.

Victoria BC

Once offloaded I will clear customs and bring back into the US. I have a Boathouse in Everett WA which is about 30 miles North of Seattle. The additional beam of the Cabo will require a new door and removal of the posts with some engineering necessary to compensate for removal of posts. Not too difficult but it will be some work in the evenings and weekends until the boat arrives once I return from FL. There is an equipment room and finished loft upstairs as well. Really love the building and the Cabo should fit perfect once the modifications have been completed.

And the adventure begins. Bags are checked and loaded to 50lbs each with boat stuff. Cabin doors are secure and wheels up. Gotta love red eye flights. Have spares in Lauderdale awaiting pickup upon arrival. Grab the rental car hit up Costco then Boaters Wharehouse and head to Marathon. Spend Sunday getting to know my new best friend and run the Ocean to Lauderdale Monday. Going to Pipewelders to to await transport for the week and have them fab up a few little ideas and prep boat. As transport gets closer will run to Palm Beach a day ahead of loading. So many variables and firsts to encounter over the next few days. A big thanks to CaptJ for all the PMs and rookie questions answered. Look forward to meeting him and picking his brain further while in Lauderdale.

Well we are getting there. Spent yesterday grabbing some stuff in Lauderdale. The West Marine in Lauderdale was super cool. Boat Owners Wharehouse was neat as well. Grabbed some MAN spares thanks to Aldolfo marine. The Costco in Davie was quite the change of pace for a Costco.

Made way to Marathon late afternoon and started cleaning the interior and becoming aquainted with my new girl until midnight. Woke up this am and grabbed a few items at Winn Dixie. Spent a couple hours with boats caretaker going over things and topped of fuel. Got the hang of handling in marina. Said hello to previous owners for about 10 min and started getting things ready for the run tomorrow. Having some dinner in Marathon now while watching the game. Going to be a big day tomorrow.

Well I figured I would close out the thread with a little update. The run up the coast on the outside went without issue and we ran to Port Everglades at 26-30knots. Once entering Port Everglades we navigated up the New River to Pipewelders which is about 7 miles from Inlet. After 4 bridge openings and a lot of twists we found the Megayacht and Sportfish mecca of the world. It was pretty cool. So many fantastic boats getting work done at various yards. Pipewelders had 3 Spencers in the water next to me which was cool. Pipewelders turned out to be a great place to keep the boat while awaiting my load date with Sevenstar. They did 3 small projects on the Cabo while the boat was there. After a few days of watching them work I flew home. Flew back to FL on a red eye 4 days later to move the boat up to Palm Beach. This time transiting the canal was a much more enjoyable experience as I knew what to expect and could enjoy the process. We made way in smooth water to Palm Beach with reservations set at Riviera Beach marina. Once at Riviera Beach we awaited our loading instructions and as luck would have it we were going to be one of the last boats to load. I spent the next 4 days in Rivera Beach working on the boat and making the best of the time on the new boat. The marina is quite nice but the area surrounding is not so we used Uber quite a bit to get around. Went by the Viking service center for something and that is quite a facility. Had some good meals on Singer Island in the evenings and thought Sailfish marina was pretty neat. Reminded me of Roche Harbor back home. Went to Palm Beach for lunch at CR Chicks and to see the area. Spent many a hour going over systems on the boat and fiddling with things. Did careful preparations to the boat for the long 3+ week journey ahead with all systems shutdown. Finally on the Friday after Thanksgiving we loaded onto Happy Dynamic. Once in the slings we were tendered back to Riviera Beach where we grabbed a ride back to the ship and saw the boat on deck which was very cool. Once I had triple checked everything I took my last Uber ride back to Lauderdale for the long flight home. Overall everything went well and now that I look back it was good to have that time getting to know the boat. I really enjoyed Florida. I have been using an AIS app on my phone and monitoring weather along the way. So far I could have left a wine glass on the counter and it would have been fine. We prepared for the worst and are hoping for the best. The toughest stretch of Ocean is yet ahead IMO between San Francisco and Cape Flattery at the NW tip of Washington state.

With everything on the boat in Off position I still could not get this little light. ?

Some Addtl pics at Pipewelders and nearby.

View attachment 76725 Sevenstar Prep and Loading

Will that little light drain the batteries over the course of 4 weeks?

Thanks for the tips CaptJ.

Live from La Paz. Big thanks to Loadmaster for texting me pics while offloading some other boats. One more stop in Ensenada then to the frigid NW of Victoria BC.