miami to bimini to key west to cuba

[dockholiday]

You really don't know you are in that current. That is why people get it trouble. You can be doing perfect dead reckoning and still miss the islands by 40 miles. The current is still pushing you north at 6 knots and the next stop is Africa. More likely, your wreck washes up on the beach in Nova Scotia.
As long as you understand and plot a vector across the gulf stream you will be OK but you are right, that course will be using more fuel.
Back in the olden days (before GPS) you could still do a good job as long as you had a sextant and could plot your latitude. (the easy one) All you really need to do is find the north star.

Yep I remember the first example (problem) equation in trig was exactly what you are talking about. More than two decades ago. Funny what is still floating around in the back of ones mind.....
doc

[GregF]

If you like trig, it is a fairly simple problem. Most of old time navigation is really just trig questions, whether it is shooting stars or plotting courses across wind and current.

I was pretty close to this in my rate but we were plotting the course of projectiles down range. (FT)

[Ron Burgundy]

Here are some photos of that fuel tank storgage system. Gives you an extra 10 gallons to increase your range.

[GregF]

Cool Ron. What would we do if we didn't have PVC pipe.

[margaritaman]

Would you reach the Bahamas with just having an extra 10 gal of fuel?

[curtiscapk]

Ron,

These guys are sick!!!

[Ron Burgundy]

Would you reach the Bahamas with just having an extra 10 gal of fuel?

Most jetski's wouldn't even need it. Even the high HP (low fuel economy) ski's have a range of more than 50 miles. I think the Yamaha SHO can go over 100 miles on one tank of gas.

I'm only talking about getting to Bimini, Bahamas...the other islands in the group are another story.

[Ron Burgundy]

Greg, gotta love the PVC pipe. I'm think about making something similar for my 'toon.

Curtis, that video is awesome. The water is so clear. Exuma is much further east than Bimini. I wonder if they just island hopped there...that's the trip of a lifetime

[REPETE]

I think I read that story about the pontoon trip from Florida to the Bahamas in Pontoon and Deckboat magazine.
http://www.tahoepontoons.com/info/adventure.html

I think I wiped my ass with that article.

[Ron Burgundy]

There is a better article in the September/October issue of BoatUS. It's not specific to pontoon boats, but it has some usefull information.