Quote:
Originally Posted by Fr. Frank
Yes you can go that far offshore in a single engine 20'. I used to take my 20' Seafari 105 miles offshore out to the Florida Middle Grounds launching from Cedar Key or from Fort Island in Crystal River. I did it several times and never had an issue.
That being said, I never went as a solo boat, but in the company of other boats, most often along with a 23' SeaCraft Tsunami and a 44' Cruisers, which served as our floating hotel. Your boat has to be in good condition, as does your boater, and your complete boating plan. If any of the three are even a little questionable, don't go.
I've also run a 20' SeaCraft from Lake Worth/Palm Beach over 50 miles of open Atlantic Ocean to the Bahamas more than 30 times, not to mention in other boats as small as a 13' Whaler. You'll find that lots of CSC members have made this same run many times.
The only time I ever had trouble was in 1984 in a 25' Robalo with twin 200 Mercs when the owner hit a coral head north of Grand Bahama with both motors at about 25 mph, making both motors inoperable. Fortunately, he had a kicker bracket and a 15hp Chrysler kicker stowed in the forward fish box, which ran like a fine Swiss watch, getting us all the way back to Ft. Pierce. (There was no such thing as "Sea Tow" or "TowBoat US" back in those days.
If the boat is right, the plan is right, and the boater is right, go have fun!
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Ugh, not this again... I know you
can go that far in a single engine boat. And I have also and still do in a single engine boat. Nothing groundbreaking, congratulations on all of your past, current, and future successes.
Using what exchanges I've had with the OP here on CSC, I was using deductive reasoning to make an assumption that he wasn't planning to fish that far offshore on his boat, at least not this year. And he seems into it for the fun and enjoyment of fishing with his boys, and using deductive reasoning again, I assumed he wasn't planning to take them 65 miles offshore in a 20' SeaCraft with only a single Evinrude FICHT. Thus offering any specific locations in that depth of water off of St. Marks would not be helpful to him. Main point was, IMO, focus on nearshore grouper fishing when the water is cool in the fall and winter.
Now here I go on the side tangent...
Boy we were glad that Mako of dad's had two engines. Unfortunately, they were 225 FICHTs. Approximately 1 out of every 3 trips we made, one of the FICHTs broke down in some way, shape, or form. 4-5 years of that, plus 1 fire, then one explosion and big fire, the FICHTs finally got replaced with Etecs. Lucky to have had the 2nd because with the big fire the wind blew flames right into the cockpit. Would've been disastrous without the 2nd motor to turn it around into the wind. One year dad's boat broke down the weekend before the Big Bend Saltwater Classic...of course. With the chit luck of those two FICHTs, the marina owner loaned up his 28 Mako to fish the tournament in. Trailered to Apalach with intentions to fish more to the SW. You guessed it, day 1 on Friday, one of those FICHTs broke down. Made it back into Apalach around 2 AM Saturday morning on one engine. Loaded it up and headed on back to St. Marks.