New York to Florida in a Homemade Wooden Boat

Edit: This was posted on the domain rossadventures.com before that website was taken down. The original website can be viewed here. Note this is an internet archive of the site and not the actual site so the pictures will not be viewable. The comments made on the previous blog posts however will be viewable.

June 13th 2021 is the day all the hard work and planning will come to fruition. Long setbacks are past and adventure awaits. I’m traveling from New York to Florida (recreating the trip my Grandpa took in his teens) in my 18′ homemade wooden boat I built in my backyard. The boat is a Carolinian dory designed by Jeff Spira and more about it’s design can be found at https://spirainternational.com/.

Edit: Jeff Spira passed away suddenly and his website has been taken town.

Last year, on September 1st 2020, I launched the boat with the same goal I have now: Make it to Florida and recreate my Grandfather’s teenage adventure. But, our trip would be interrupted under sad circumstances. My Dad and I started in Hudson, NY on the Hudson river and traveled south to Manasquan NJ when we learned my Grandpa had passed unexpectedly. The trip then had to be postponed and now, almost a year later, we take to the very water we left off, Manasquan NJ, to continue our journey south but now we weren’t traveling in re-creation instead we are traveling in remembrance of my grandfather Jerry Comcowich.

More can be read about last year’s trip here:

My Grandpa did the trip when he was 16 in 1956 with three other friends on a modified coastguard life boat they named “Le Quatuor” (meaning foursome in french). I named my boat “Quatuor II” after his boat.

I’ve been charging camera and drone batteries and sorting all necessary essentials in preparation…fingers crossed I don’t forget anything.

Some basic details about the boat: Ply on frame construction using 2×4’s and 1/2″ marine grade plywood with 2-6 layers (transom and bow have more) of six ounce fiberglass cloth filled in with west systems 2 part epoxy. The deck of the boat is also fiberglassed. It has a 50hp Suzuki outboard which burns about 2.5 to 3 gallons an hour when on plane at about 18knts.

We will leave tomorrow from Manasquan, NJ where we cut our 2020 trip short after hearing of my grandpa’s passing. Adventure is calling. I picked up and said hello by pointing south. FLORIDA HERE WE COME.

Preparing For Departure