Following is the article I wrote for the magazine Motorboating & Sailing back in 1996 after Ben Mendlowitz and I brought his recently-purchased 20′ Albury photo boat ABACO from Florida to Maryland via the Intracoastal Waterway. Ben bought the boat, used, in the Abacos and had her delivered to West Palm Beach, then fitted with a brand-new Honda outboard. Here’s the story:
This is another way of cruising that came about when we had to get a 20-foot wooden outboard boat from Florida to Maine. By trailer is the usual way, but since neither of us had seen the lower part of the ICW, we opted to go by boat as far as the Chesapeake to familiarize ourselves with this popular route and have some fun as well.
The boat was built in the Bahamas by Willard Albury on Man O War Cay about 12 years ago. She’s one of his very last wooden hulls and one of his best, her deep-V hull shape having evolved over several years to what he considered best in terms of giving a comfortable, dry ride in her often rough home waters. My photographer friend Benjamin Mendlowitz arranged to purchase her after using her and similar boats for years in the Abacos, and have her shipped to West Palm Beach as deckload on the small island freighter Biak.
The motor also deserves special mention because it was one of the new 90 hp four-stroke Hondas, which the manufacturer made available for the trip so that we could subject it to a real-world endurance evaluation. Having had many years of 2-stroke experience we were impressed with the confidence that Honda exhibited by turning us loose with a brand new out-of-the-crate engine for a 1,200 mile run, with long distances away from any support services. The several dealers that we spoke to while working out the logistics also all expressed confidence, saying that we wouldn’t have any trouble with the motor on this trip. They are seeing very few problems with these engines and mentioned that Honda has a very strong commitment to quality. One dealer that Ben talked with in Maine told how he had never seen or heard from an engineer who designs the other outboards he sells, but has had several visits from Honda factory engineers based in Japan who travel to U.S. dealers not to address complaints, but simply to check, first-hand, how the engines were doing and what the mechanics found when servicing them.
Boat and motor came together at Hobe Sound Marine, a few miles north of West Palm, the boat having been loaded onto the awaiting trailer with the Biak’s cargo boom and trailed there by Keith Patton who, with his wife Barbara, own this small outboard shop and are authorized Honda dealers. The motor had already arrived, and Keith got right to work while Ben and I shopped for boat gear and groceries, so that within a day Keith had the fresh-out-of-the-box engine installed and us checked out on it during a short sea trial. We begin our run north in a fine spell of late April weather, running the 13 miles up Hobe Sound to stay the first night with friends Jerry and Annie at Palm City.
The engine didn’t disappoint us. It was easy on fuel and, of course, there was no 2-stroke oil expense, nor any blue smoke. You could hrdly hear it idle, it was so quiet and smooth. In fact, the most common service problem is repair to the starter and flywheel caused by people who try to start an already running engine because they can’t hear it idling. Even at running speed, the engine was considerably quieter than a comparable 2-stroke. But any sound that is present for hours on end can become annoying and we found that ear protectors provided relief on all-day runs. Music on headphones would probably have been a better alternative.
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Mark Ritter says:
Good to hear the Albury handled he chop on Port Royal Sound. We live on it and I’m seriously considering having one built. Thinking it might be the perfect boat to keep on the lift.
David Tew says:
Update on your noise-attentuation/music headphones suggestion. I will run for 7-10 hours on passages from Boothbay to your waters most summers. I got a pair of them and it really makes a difference in how tiresome the noise from the engine becomes. Thanks for the tip!
mike kitchen says:
Wonderful story! I still can’t believe, even after reading the post, that you two had the nerve to take this trip…and do it well. Thanks for the tale and the photos. Maybe someday…someday!
Carl Linley says:
Thanks for the adventure story, ditto on the head phones I’ve been using Bose noise cancelling headphones for 15 years and arrive fresher and more alert.
Robert hatcher says:
My wife and I would love to do this – sort of a bucket list thing.
Any recommendations on planning for overnights since we can’t stay on board?
Thanks
Bob Hatcher
Ben Mendlowitz says:
Maynard and I had no problem finding motels with or very near marinas where we tied up most nights. We just looked at our cruising guide late in the afternoon when we had figured our destination for the evening. I am sure it is a lot easier now with web searches. Have fun, it’s a great way to see the waterway.
David Tew says:
A youtube here about a recent delivery north to south of a First Light Boatworks Pocasset model launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK1pr31iSoc
David Tew says:
Correction: Here’s the PODCAST with info about the ICW trip: https://aroundthebuoy.com/ep-36-woodys-wild-ride/
randall saunders says:
Did the trip from Rbyo spencer a few years before this up to Rhode Island in a boat re powered at that yard with then hi tech 2 strokes…had troubles with the new engines but the company helped us out admirably along the way (Yamaha)..boat was a futuristic stepped hull fishing platform designed by Maclear and Harris. Boat went beautifully on that trip as it had for more than a decade at that time and long after. We followed much the same rout with 2 substantial offshore jogs. Dismal swamp a highlight, made it to RI in eight days …..just Loran then and still a boating lifetime highlight of a trip. Great fun, I’ve often thought of running it again on current little boat ….really was a primordial feel to some of those places.
Charles Jackson says:
Another “Highlight”.
William Jacobs says:
Pat Ball, of Sarasota FL (currently in Maine) made a similar run this summer in his 21 foot wooden Luzier open launch. He made the trip as a gift to himself on his 70th birthday.
He launched in Fernandina Beach FL and ran as far as Charleston SC. He returned to work for a couple of weeks and ended up in Norfolk, Va. Work called again so he came back up to Norfolk with his trailer for the rest of the trip to Maine.
I talked to him a few days ago and he and his wife Judy had just spent the day cruising along the Maine coast with Guests, Mr. & Mrs. David Marlow
Irv Mac Dowell says:
What? You missed the 32 oz. prime rib at Coinjock? A most interesting read. Thanks.
Dirk Faegre says:
Alll this trip we get great reports of the Honda90. But now we see a Yamaha on Abaco. How come? What happened to the good old powerplant?
Ben Mendlowitz says:
That trip was nearly twenty years ago. Since I am very dependent on a single engine with frequent post sunset trips home across lightly traveled bays I have been repowering about every 6 years. The Honda 90 served well and was replaced with a Honda 130 for some more speed to get home quickly on those flat calm evenings. I felt that engine was a bit too heavy for the boat, affecting her angle of attack (too down at the stern) cutting through the waves. The Yamaha 115 went on back in 2007 so I am now over due for a repowering. I might go with the upgraded Yamaha 115, smoother at idle, or try an Evenrude two stroke ETEC for more power at the same weight as a four strike. The current engine is quite compatible in looks with the boat so another issue is the esthetics of the swooped cowlings of the newer engines. Maybe I’ll just stick with my current 115…suggestions welcome.
Dick Tatlock says:
Trailable boats are the best…our “antique” ’89 whaler Revenge 25 with Suzuki 200 power has taken us to Lake Champlain..North ot Montreal..Ottawa..Rideaux Waterway to Ontario..then the Oswego to the Erie and back. Most recently Albany to Sandy Hook and back around Manhatten. It’s basically camp cruising.
David Tew says:
Interesting idea about the sound deadening headphones for music!
I’m so glad you got to see the creeks and marshes of the Georgia coast. We lived there for twenty years on one of the barrier islands near Savannah enjoying all the seasons with our own nineteen foot open outboard motor boat (and its Honda motor!)
virginia aldridge says:
Here Mr Mendlowitz and Abaco greet L’Hermione to Castine a couple of days ago:
http://www.penbaypilot.com/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_popup/public/2015/07/field/gallery_small/mendolitz.jpg?itok=RWu8yyzm
virginia aldridge says:
Here she is greeting L’Hermione to Castine a couple of days ago:
http://www.penbaypilot.com/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_popup/public/2015/07/field/gallery_small/mendolitz.jpg?itok=RWu8yyzm
Alden Reed says:
I didn’t want this voyage to end! Hope future installments include visits to the Old Mill at Mattituck with photos of Old Glory II; then on to Digby!
Bob Shipman says:
Thanks for sharing this trip story. Stories about cruises in small outboards are rare and there are many of us who dream of such. Is Abaco still in use?
Ben Mendlowitz says:
Oh yes, she is still my primary photo boat, in fact Maynard and I just spent the day in her chasing down L’Hermione out off shore in the fog as she was approaching Castine.