??? about 07 challenger 18 in the ocean?

[dustinp]

I am going to Key West and am renting this boat. it is only the 140 HP engine. I was wondering if anyone could tell me the crusing speed/top speed with two adult males on board. also what is the fuel capacity? and finally, would I be nuts to take this boat 67 miles off the shore of Key West to the Dry Tortugas? I anticipate these to be calm seas? Any info is greatly appreciated, Dustin

 

[timmyboy76]

handle it, stud. Should be at least a 20gal tank, at 8mpg, you have plenty there/back. That sounds like a kick in the a%# run....

 

[texasmojo]

Its a 21 gallon tank. Just dont carry any extra weight you dont need. I heard it gets the best MPGs between 5500 to 6400 rpms. I've never thought about taking my challenger to open waters. 140 miles round trip sounds scary. I would'nt try it in the ocean unless i wanted to come out on the "i should'nt be alive" show. Top speed is about 46-49mph.

 

[robertm]

Man that sounds like a really bad idea to me. Best case scenario nothing happens and you make it back. Worst case is you don’t come back. There are a whole bunch of variations in between but none of them are very good. If its like glass out there you will have really nice conditions. Typically out there you're looking at 1-2 rollers though. That won't be fun in a challenger 180. Also, the weather and the sea conditions can change VERY quickly there. If you get caught out in anything in that boat its going to be potentially life threatening. There are some small islands along the way that you can duct behind to get out of the waves a bit if needed.

Plus is the boat equipped with a vhf radio? If anything at all happens, even just a simple short that kills the boat you will be stranded without communication if no vhf. I am almost certain cell phones won't work that far out. Lets say you do have radio communication. Where are you? Are you going to bring GPS? Is the boat equipped with life vests, life raft, or EPIRP?

I may be over critical as I don't live down in FL and don't know what the locals do regularly. I have spent a bit of time boating on larger vessels down there though and can say from experience that you never want to take risks in the open ocean. You don't get second chances if you’re not prepared out there.

What does the rental place think about taking the boat out there? They would have some good local knowledge/experience. I doubt they would recommend it.

 

[gerapau]

If you are renting there is a good chance that the rental agreement will state that you cannot go that far offshore with a boat that size.

That said, as the last poster stated, make sure that you have some sort of communications equipment just in case. Also, when that far offshore it is always a good idea to travel with a friend in a second boat.

Remember, winds can change quickly and kick up some good sized chop or swells quickly. I have my boat (Speedsetr 150) on a bay in eastern Canada and I decided to take a trip across the bay a few weeks ago. The weather was supposed to be nice and calm all day so I took off with a friend in a second boat - the water was dead calm. It took us about 40 minutes to make it across to the other side (about 25 miles). We spent an hour on the other side and then set out to come back. Well, a small head wind started up and between the wind and the growing waves what was a 40 minute trip in the morning turned into a 3.5 hour trip back.

It doesn't take much to slow you down quite a bit in these smaller boats and while the challenger is a bit bigger than my speedster it really isn't big enough in my mind to tackle a 67 mile trip out into the ocean. 134 miles round trip may also be pushing the limits of the boat as far as gas is concerned. If you get slowed up at all because of the water conditions what was a possible 3 - 4 hour ride could turn into something quite a bit longer and gas would become a major concern.

 

[scary]

DOnt do it storms can pop off any time down here me and the wife got cought in a lil storm through out 4-6 ft waves and we wasnt even in the gulf.

I would only take it as far as the cell phone lets you. better think of renting a twin engine fishing boat instead.

Stuck without a radio would suck real bad and chances of dying are 50-50 so I guess if you got some real big ones have at it but i would not think of it.

 

[sporsterjoel]

I live in ontario canada and boat in longpoint bay off lake erie and it get to ruff for my boat sometimes and i would never cross it with a boat under 25ft and its 30miles across
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=lake erie&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl I think you nuts if you want to try that, remember the weater on the lakes/ocean can change in a blink of an eye.

 

[sporsterjoel]

If you are renting there is a good chance that the rental agreement will state that you cannot go that far offshore with a boat that size.

That said, as the last poster stated, make sure that you have some sort of communications equipment just in case. Also, when that far offshore it is always a good idea to travel with a friend in a second boat.

Remember, winds can change quickly and kick up some good sized chop or swells quickly. I have my boat (Speedsetr 150) on a bay in eastern Canada and I decided to take a trip across the bay a few weeks ago. The weather was supposed to be nice and calm all day so I took off with a friend in a second boat - the water was dead calm. It took us about 40 minutes to make it across to the other side (about 25 miles). We spent an hour on the other side and then set out to come back. Well, a small head wind started up and between the wind and the growing waves what was a 40 minute trip in the morning turned into a 3.5 hour trip back.

It doesn't take much to slow you down quite a bit in these smaller boats and while the challenger is a bit bigger than my speedster it really isn't big enough in my mind to tackle a 67 mile trip out into the ocean. 134 miles round trip may also be pushing the limits of the boat as far as gas is concerned. If you get slowed up at all because of the water conditions what was a possible 3 - 4 hour ride could turn into something quite a bit longer and gas would become a major concern.

What lake do you boat on???

 

[WebToad216]

Sounds pretty risky to me, I wouldn't do it.


Why would you want to leave Key West anyways though? Its a great area.

 

[robin savell lloyd]

If gilagin and the skipper are going with you I would say go for it. Hold on I think I have this wrong . What I mean to say is if mary ann and the other girl genger are going with you then I would think that you would be good to go. :rofl: :cheers:

 

[gerapau]

What lake do you boat on???

Not a lake at all. We boat on the Baie de Chaleur which is the body of water between northern New Brunswick and the Gaspe coast (eastern Quebec). It was voted one of the most beautiful bays in the world a couple of years ago.

 

[sporsterjoel]

Not a lake at all. We boat on the Baie de Chaleur which is the body of water between northern New Brunswick and the Gaspe coast (eastern Quebec). It was voted one of the most beautiful bays in the world a couple of years ago.

Oh righton, im plannin a boat trip maybe ill check that out

 

[texasmojo]

So we never heard of dustinp again... I guess he's stuck somewhere out there!!lol

 

[sporsterjoel]

Still no word from the man that wanted to cross the ocean in a seadoo boat??????

 

[scary]

lol crazy people will try anything once

 

[texasmojo]

lol crazy people will try anything once

But wont be around to try it again:reddevil:

 

[sporsterjoel]

anyone from FL hear anything in the news about a guy with a seadoo trying to cross the ocean LOL

 

[kustomkarl]

My wife won't let me leave home that long...:rofl: she said I had to cancel :rofl::rofl::rofl:


Besides, the internet won't work that far off shore to help out here.

Karl