# How far is tooo far?



## HighSide25 (May 15, 2007)

how far out would you go in your micro?

would you go in an inlet?

out an inlet?

5 miles offshore? 10 miles? gulf stream? 

would you venture to the tortugas? 

West End or Bimini?


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

It's all condition dependent.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

You tell us! I think you've gone farther than 90% of Gheenoe owners based on some of your previous posts and pictures.

Unless you're starting this just to brag...    ;D


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## HighSide25 (May 15, 2007)

no sir, not bragging, just trying to get a solid understanding....


and conditions would be "sheet of glass" but w/ summertime pm t-storms possible


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## Flyline (Mar 3, 2008)

I had a gheenoe classic with 25hp yamaha and went 15 miles out in the gulf for winter grouper fishing few times in really good calm days.  I had a 12ft jon boat with 9.9hp evinrude running few miles off the homoassa river.  I never tried on another side of Florida but ran a 31ft contender and 18ft key largo center console all the time but I would love to do it a micro. The weather can be extremely tricky in Alantic Ocean and U know the weatherman always wrong!  Check like NOAA Ocean weather service channel and more likey They doing good.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Boats can take more abuse than we can, so it's not the boat that sets the limit.
It's the abilities and common sense of the operator that determines how far is too far.
I've spent much time offshore, in boats that were meant for inshore, and enjoyed myself immensely.
And I've learned the hard way, what my limits are...

                                          

http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1220494929


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

i've watched it go from decent calm  to scary rough  on the st.johns river real quick so you really need to watch the weather and plan accordingly


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

it's that elusive point in time where you pushed your luck too far and the totally unexpected happens.


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## CatchBravo (Nov 21, 2009)

Do it but never show to much hubris respect the ocean and be very cautious of incoming storms and winds safety should be first careful


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

You all are crazy!


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

I Do the Seminole Ramp to 3 Rookers and back in a 13' gheenoe all the time ...

I have got caught in 3' seas in a Classic Gheenoe NO FUN !!! 

The St.Johns can be a Helluva Thrill !!!! 

Also Play around the skyway in the Classic ...


(WARNING ! The above should NOT be attempted )


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## costefishnt (Dec 11, 2006)

too far is when you run out of gas. here again, only MY opinion.


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## Strike_III (Mar 21, 2007)

I already pay enough in taxes to the Coast Guard....please don't add to my tax base because of your poor judgement. 

But on the other hand if you thrill seekers go down with your ship it will help to weed out the mentally deficient from our society.

;D :


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## MATT (Apr 30, 2007)

I think the only limits are on what the "Mother Ship" will do. We ave run to the islands many times west end and memroy rock and Bimmi with small boston wallher type skiffs, but we always had a larger Boat that ran with us and carried fuel and supplies. Most trips we would sell the small skiffs there and all ride back on the Boat. I would love to do this same type trip to the Dry Tortogas.


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## ghstdanc (Jul 15, 2008)

Early 80s Ft. Laud. to Bimini in a 13' Whaler. Wouldn't do it now. Older and Wiser


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

Kyle, your obsessed. Lets face it the only thing holding you back is a little planning and a few bucks saved up for expenses. Its not a matter of if. Its a matter of when.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

> Early 80s Ft. Laud. to Bimini in a 13' Whaler. Wouldn't do it now. Older and Wiser


Welcome to the forum. Yeah, Classic Sport 13, go anywhere
under almost any conditions, as long as you didn't mind the thumps.


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## james_bingham3 (Oct 22, 2009)

the guy i biught the dirty johnsen from would take it a couple miles of shore and troll for kings, with a 9hp  yamaha on the back no bilge and one paddle , hell im scared to take it to the skyway , not very graceful i've fell in too many times in 4' or less if im swimming i want to be close to shore


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## costefishnt (Dec 11, 2006)

what is too far? honestly too far is not having confidence in yourself or your equipment. is it the smartest thing to take a micro on any large water crossing, probably not, however let us reflect on many true men of the sea from our past. no saftey gear, no motors, no electronics. Most of them fared well, i think if you have the will and determination anything can be done.

would i make a crossing to lets say bimini or west end. yes i would. once again, is it smart? maybe not. you only live once. now would i do this with out a support team on a larger boat? nope, i aint as tough as the old salts from back in the day.

kyle, you know my opinions and you have my full support for what ever you (and I) decide.

please feel free to bring on the nay sayers. i may not be as tough as as the old sea goers, but i am stubborn as hell and got a harder head than most river cats, and thick skin to match.

as you were gentlemen.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

As a young teenager in a 17' CC I wandered all over the Gulfstream several times a week during the summer in search of dolphin(circa 74ish). Back then I could catch 10 times more than I could eat and sell the rest for gas and beer money.   During the doldrums there were days where the conditions were glass calm with a gentile swell in the stream. On those days you could easily make the crossing in an LT25. Assuming you have enough gas and your engine doesn't fail, it's a pretty easy ride. About the only hazard would be hitting something unseen in the water and either damaging the hull or rendering your lower unit inoperable. Then of course there's the weather. As some have pointed out it doesn't take much of a wind change to get things stirred up enough to swamp a Gheenoe 25-30 miles offshore. Bottom line is if you loose power and the weather starts changing for the worst, it doesn't matter much how tough you are. You're at the mercy of the conditions and a low freeboard hull like the LT25 is not going to take much in the way of agitated seas, even underway.

I would never persuade anyone not to do it, I would only suggest testing whether your rig will stay afloat completely filled with water so there will at least be something easier to spot from the air. And of course having a real boat nearby in case things get ugly in a hurry is the best precaution.


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## Canoeman (Jul 23, 2008)

If you decide that open water is the place to go in a gheenoe, help out the USCG and carry some proper signaling equipment.

A helo flying at 500 feet looking for you (or what's left of your boat) has a field of view of about 2,750 square miles. Throw in a few whitecaps and you see the problem. If you're in the water wearing a floation device without a strobe or dye marker, then you'd better be pretty damn religious.


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## HighSide25 (May 15, 2007)

> you'd better be pretty damn religious.


i own a bible, its underneath a west end/bimini/florida chart and TLD 25 currently


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## HighSide25 (May 15, 2007)

> Kyle, your obsessed. Lets face it the only thing holding you back is a little planning and a few bucks saved up for expenses. Its not a matter of if. Its a matter of when.



truer words could not be spoken


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

How many times have we all done the "kessel Run" LOL


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## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

> It's the abilities and common sense of the operator that determines how far is too far.


Hmmm, I guess that means I shouldn't venture beyond 100 feet from shore! lol


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## Yoreese (Oct 15, 2009)

Out the inlet on calm summer day down the beach would be fine.


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

All of this talk about "How far is too far?" got me thinking about an early 20th century artist here on the gulfcoast named Walter Anderson. Granted, he was kind of crazy...but, he would take a small rowing skiff and row himself out 12miles to Horn Island of Mississippi's coast to paint....I often think that if he could do it in a wooden boat without modern weather forcasts, then surely I could get my little SUV out to the barrier islands!...I will get there someday 

Here is a quote from his website:
"He would row the 12 miles in a small skiff, carrying minimal necessities and his art supplies. Anderson spent long periods of time on this uninhabited island over the last 18 years of his life. There he lived primitively, working in the open and sleeping under his boat, sometimes for weeks at a time."


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## Weedy (Dec 11, 2006)

> How many times have we all done the "kessel Run"  LOL



Ok, I have to ask, I should know better than to ask, but I have to. What is the "Kessek Run"??????


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## HighSide25 (May 15, 2007)

> > How many times have we all done the "kessel Run"  LOL
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, I have to ask, I should know better than to ask, but I have to. What is the "Kessek Run"??????


i even googled it, came up with nothing


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## Charlie (Apr 5, 2010)

> > > How many times have we all done the "kessel Run"  LOL
> >
> >
> >
> ...


It's spelt differently in the two posts. For Kessel Run I got the results on google that it is a space route used in star wars by Han Solo. I don't know bout you, but I haven't seen any space gheenoes yet.......now there's an idea for Pugar!


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## popcorn (Apr 11, 2010)

I had a 16' wood and glass well boat with a 35 'rude and a 10 x 15 stainless prop that we used for shrimping. I used take that boat out Bogue or Bear inlets on any calm day to troll hand lines for summer kings and spanish. I could hear the whistle bouy from our house if it was rough. You could tell how rough it was at the inlet by the frequency of the blows. I'd run out to the whistle bouy and if I could not stand up in the boat I went back in. That boat had zero flotation in it as it was meant for inshore work but man was it seaworthy. Kind of miss that old boat. 

Duncan

BTW - I'm new to the forum - living vicariously through all of your Florida adventures!!


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