Travel Time Boston to Annapolis MD to Fort Lauderdale

What is it you're trying to do and with what kind of crew? Do you have three captains so you can run 24x7? Are you just trying to get the boat south with no enjoyment at all? Why do you care about 2-5 hours on the engine? What is your experience? Do you care about fuel consumption or prefer cruising speeds?

If you have crew you could run 8 hours at 20-22 knots, then fuel, then run overnight at 8 to 10 knots, then fuel, then repeat. No pleasure in doing that just work.

You can't take the shortest routes period because you don't have the range. Your maximum range is 200 nm and realistically may be less. Well, more if you run perhaps 8 knots. Still, if you run outside, you'll be regularly going in and out of inlets for fuel and perhaps to dock for the night.

For distances between ports, you can use this guide.

https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/docs/distances.pdf

Boston to Fort Lauderdale directly is just under 1200 nm. Add perhaps 50 nm by tossing Annapolis in. But then turn your 1200 into 1400-1500 with your limited range and either running inside or in and out. If you run only 8 hours a day you're talking at least 10 days. If you run 24 hours a day, about 5 days.

So, back to what are your objectives, what's your crew, what's your experience and that of your crew?

Like Olderboater indicated, there's a lot more questions that need to be answered before you can answer THE question, which of course has no exact answer.

How about: What kind of boat? How many motors?..... Will it do well "outside"? How about if it pipes up and there's suddenly 12 footers?.... Will you? You THINK it burns 36gph? And you won't do 9 hours on 365@36gph.... Because that will leave you ONE hour till flameout.... not enough to keep MY pucker factor down. So hull speed sounds like a better idea, but a long day. In reality you will do some pieces on plane and some pieces bucking the water....

The fact that you ask the question in the first place indicates that you haven't done a whole lot of this. That, and the very limited range even at hull speed would indicate that you stay "inside" a lot of the way..... There will be pieces you can jump outside..... But yes then there will be a lot of hours spent going in, out and tying up at a fuel dock. And there will be a lot of timing errors..... And when was the last time the fuel was put in the blender? Are the tanks REALLY clean? Going outside and doing the hokey pokey is THE way to get the sludge up and swirling. Do you want to be outside of TowBoat's range? Do you have a lot of fuel filters and does someone know how to put them in, in a hot engine room doing the 40º roly poly? It's a treat I tell you. How's you're ground tackle and will it deploy FAST in a narrow waterway flowing a 4 knot current?

You mention sleep. Is there a crew or just you? Are they crack mariners and can you do an Olympic relay style mission? BTW much if not all of "inside" South of Norfolk is pretty hairy at night.

So Boston, through the Cape Cod Canal, all the way down the Long Island Sound, East River (gotta time that one). Jersey you are outside no matter what. Better not have a snotty day. Up the Delaware Bay, C&D Canal, into the Chesapeake. Unless you want to keep going outside to the bottom of the Chesapeake you will be passing within sight of Annapolis, so that part of the question is answered.

Then again, depending on weather you either go out the bottom of the Chesapeake, outside around Hatteras and into Moorehead City for gas (Don't go into the Outer Bank inlets unless you REALLY know what you're doing.) or you're going to spend a lot more quality time in the Swamp, Albemarle etc etc to get to the same point....... To emphasize "Atlantic Inlets"... they are an art unto themselves. I've seen some hairy stuff even in commercial inlets with wind/current/ tide..... Something to study and practice. Preferably not at night if you don't have to.

Rinse and repeat as you work your way South.

A crack crew with meticulous timing/planning in a capable boat boat with some extra fuel tanks, balls to the wall watch schedule with everything going right and perfect weather so they can run outside in the critical spots and at night as much as possible can probably do this in 5-6 days..... If it was me? I would budget no less than 2 weeks, and I'd be hustling.

Sorry... no "hours and days answer".

Judging by your questions i assume you are the owner. In that case i would encourage you take it slow and enjoy the trip. If you can free yourself for 3 weeke, it can be a great trip, you could also split it in two legs, fly back home for a while. There are some great towns to visit along the way.

I ve done the run from Miami to Nantucket a number of times (pretty much the same distance) and would usually do it in about 20 days runnning mostly at 10 knots hull speed to save fuel. That was with a 70 footer.

You didnt say what kind of boat you have but if burning 36gph at 22kts, i m assuming it s around 45/50'. 10 kts isnt a good speed for that size, brind it down to 9kts and you ll cut fuel down to 10gph, considerably extending your range.

Time of the year also affects the time it takes. Days are longer in the spring than in october

As to reach Cape May at the bottom of the long, dull and boring jersey shore, you can either keep going outside and make norfolk in a day, or turn into the delaware, cross the peninsula with the canal and down the cheasapeake. It adds a day or two but if you have time it s worth it.

As everyone else has chimed in, there are lots of variables: At 10 knots, figure in about 150-175 hours of run time. Depending on the area, weather, boat condition and crew condition, the days might be 24 hours of run or 5 hours of running. Getting offshore will shorten it and being on the ICW will make it more comfortable when the weather is bad. Annapolis will add 12-15 hours at 10 knots.

Note that he's now asking for a surveyor in Annapolis which might lead one to think he doesn't yet own this boat nor know where he might be purchasing it. I don't know. Just until he shares some information, we're spinning our wheels in attempting any answers.

FWIW, in my trip planning, I always include a lay day every third day to account for fueling, re-supplying, resting the cap'n and crew and repairs.

He's got to fuel every day.

The boat runs 21 knots at 36 gph and only holds 346 gallons, so it's only got a 165 NM range at 80% of capacity. So start adding a lot more days to your estimates!

We are a husband and wife owner/operator team. We migrate every year from CT to West Palm counting on 6 days of travel at 23 knots if weather allows us to go outside. If inside, we can do it in 10 days, but always plan 2 weeks for a couple of layovers or weather delays. Your geography would make your trip two days longer than ours.

Our range is greater, but we prefer not to run at night. This means that the days are much shorter in the fall (late October or early November) than they are in April/May when we travel north. Your 9ish hour range shouldn’t be a problem, just another piece of a puzzle that only you can solve to your own satisfaction.

When running offshore, we need to fuel very night, and prefer to stay in marinas to give us a chance to get off the boat and stretch our legs with a walk in town. If you’re doing the intracoastal, and are so inclined, there are plenty of places to just pull off and anchor for the night.

As for the Annapolis question, it would add at least a day, maybe 2. But you’ll want to spend a day or two in port as well.

The most important thing is to have a plan and then be flexible enough to adjust on the fly.