VR5 OB To Bimini

[Purespin52]

To those that have a VR5, would you ever consider a trip to Bimini from Miami? Assuming appropriate safety gear, i.e. epirb, extra fuel, sat phone, dual gps, fixed vhf, maybe inflatable raft, extra bilge pump, etc.....would you ever attempt a gulf stream crossing in this boat considering single engine? Have a 2017 VR5 OB.

[Purespin52]

By way of background, previously had a 170 Ob that i would never consider taking on a trip like this. However, after a year with the VR5, it is something I am considering. Maybe I am nuts....

[Jeffw]

Maybe I am nuts....

I wouldn't say that, you've given proper consideration to safety and redundancy. I have no idea how far that is, but about 40-45 years ago my cousin and I took our 16' Tahiti (4 place ski boat) with a 115 Merc from San Pedro CA out to Avalon, about 22 miles of open ocean each way. We had a thermos of coffee, a dozen donuts, and a case of beer. And our sleeping bags and toothbrushes for the overnight. Young and dumb, but damn, we had fun...

[Download_Complete]

I have run the VR series extensively, including a VR5 OB.

While I think the boat will do it, I also think you will not have much of a safety line if anything goes bad.

I will say that the VR5 is well designed to do it - it has a wide flared bow, it has high freeboard, and it has a self-bailing cockpit. If you can plan the trip with a few buddy-boats, they my answer would be yes. If you are going to do this solo, then the answer is no.

I would partner with a local club (I know there are regular supervised cruises over there) if you want to go through with this.

[green650]

Just check the weather and tell your plan to someone reliable and do not deviate from your plan. Tell them exactly where you are leaving from and where you plan to go, and call them when you get to your destination. Tell them to call for help if you don't call them by the drop dead time.
By the way, people do that run in jetskis when the weather is good. I plan on doing it with my 17' with outboard too. I'm going thru the ICW from Cape Coral.

[Nickdixon]

I have run the VR series extensively, including a VR5 OB.

While I think the boat will do it, I also think you will not have much of a safety line if anything goes bad.

I will say that the VR5 is well designed to do it - it has a wide flared bow, it has high freeboard, and it has a self-bailing cockpit. If you can plan the trip with a few buddy-boats, they my answer would be yes. If you are going to do this solo, then the answer is no.

I would partner with a local club (I know there are regular supervised cruises over there) if you want to go through with this.

i would not do this if the club is of boats of similar size. That stretch of ocean can get nasty quickly. Can you take 5-7 footers making way for an hour or two with 100% confidence of not broaching or pitchpoling? This is the situation you will find with even a small squall, which a forecast cannot predict.. even on waters flat enough to stay on plane all the way, this is a 2.5 hour trip and on this stretch it will never be a cruise...it will be throttle and rudder all the way.

I've done the shorter crossing from Lake Worth to West End three or four times in 43' and 65' Rivieras with a very .conservative captain. I've always observed that I would not even attempt it with my 195. The smallest boat I've personally seen make the crossing is a 28' Bayliner and that guy was very very frazzled when he arrived. In fact, so frazzled he could barely dock his boat.

Others have observed that you are taking all the proper precautions. I would say, yes, all of them except the size of the boat. Sorry, if this made sense I would do it myself.