Opinions?

[bradford]

Figured I might as well ask here.

Got a deposit on a 44 foot trawler in Florida that if all checks out with the survey I'll be bringing up the coast via the ICW. My concerns are first that it will be a new to me boat that while I've checked it out and had it surveyed will still be a whole lot different than what I'm used to as far as piloting and handling and my more or less maiden voyage with her will be a 4 day trip. A good friend of mine is concerned about the ICW in Georgia due to large expanses of wilderness, strong tides, large sounds with large mud banks and sandbars etc. and really thinks I should hire a delivery captain to what I feel is basically babysit me while I bring the boat back with my wife. I'm on the fence. While I know that mother nature around here and especially a little further south is no joke, I feel like if thousands of retired mid westerners with little or no experience can do it, why not me. What y'all think?



SSIRedfish, any local knowledge or advice?