Private boat out to Flower Gardens

[CFL]

Does anyone have any experience taking their own boat out of Freeport or Galveston to the Flower Gardens? My question is: How big of a boat do you need to go out there? Is a 42' or 46' boat enough? The Powerboat Bible suggests (as I recall) that you need at least a 40' (or it possibly said 50') to go out into the deep ocean, e.g. 100 miles or so. It would be nice to hit Stetson or the Flower Gardens on your own schedule, without having to rely on the two charters that go out there.

Any experience or thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Cary

 

[redacted]

I've seen power boats and sail boats in that size on FGB. Watch the weather.

 

[Goose75]

Wolf Charters (wolfcharters.com) runs a 28ft catamaran. I haven't used them but I've gone out to the rigs on a boat of similar size.

 

[archman]

Most of the monitoring folks aren't comfortable going out there in anything smaller than a 50 footer, but they'll go out in rougher weather than most folks. Which is at least half of the time.

 

[CFL]

Thanks for all of the replies. I agree that I wouldn't want to go out there in bad weather in too small of a boat, especially 110 miles out.

But, if it's a choice between a cuddy cabin just to go to the rigs and a little more boat that could safely go out to FG, it sounds like it would be worth the extra money. Not that I want to talk about money and boats . . .

 

[Rick Murchison]

Cary

Lots of Carys in my family... originally from the Virginia bunch (Miles Cary immigrated circa 1640)... You a cousin?
Rick (Miles was my maternal grandmother's great ... great grandfather)

 

[MichaelBaranows]

With good weather less than 3' seas I would have not problem go to the FG in my 24' boat. I have and know guys that make longer runs than to the FG regular in boats 22'-28'.

 

[starpilottom]

I'm going to be in houston for about two weeks. I'm taking an overseas job and they keep you in houston before you go. Can anyone recommend a reputable dive operator for a trip out to the flower gardens.

 

[mongoose]

Dude, I would rely on the charter boats... If a professional captain will not take a 100-ft (AFAIK) boat out there, I think I would stay in with my Bayliner.

Now, if one happens to have a name like Reginald J.P. Danglenutz XIV, and sits around on their own aircraft carrier in big stuffy chairs, smoking Lewinskis, gripping their lapels and saying "indeed" a lot, well that's another story :14:

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I'm going to be in houston for about two weeks. I'm taking an overseas job and they keep you in houston before you go. Can anyone recommend a reputable dive operator for a trip out to the flower gardens.

No one is running until next season partly due to the quantity of trash in the Gulf from the hurricanes.

TwoBit