REROUTED OVER WATER IN SINGLE ENGINE ACFT WITHOUT SURVIVAL GEAR.

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I FILED FOR THE FOLLOWING IFR ROUTE FROM ADW TO ISP 'POLLA V170 DQO DIRECT PNE DIRECT GXU DIRECT RBY V276 DIXIE V1 DPK.' WHEN I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AT ABOUT XA40 I WAS TOLD I WAS CLRED AS FILED. I HAD PROPOSED DEPARTING AT XA00; BUT WAS DELAYED IN GETTING THE PLANE READY. WHILE TAXIING OUT I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT CLRNC AGAIN. I DID; AND MY CLRNC WAS REVISED TO POLLA V312 PALEO V44 SEA ISLE V139 SARDI DIRECT CALVERTON DIRECT ISLIP. I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT THE DELAY OF REQUESTING A CHANGE. A DEP DELAY BEYOND XB00 WOULD CAUSE ME TO VIOLATE THE AF AERO CLUB LIMIT ON A 12 HOUR DUTY DAY. THE FLT WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED EVEN THOUGH THE ROUTE TOOK ME APPROX 35 MI OFFSHORE IN A SINGLE ENG ACFT. WHILE ON THE OVERWATER PORTION AT AN MEA OF 7000' I HAD TO REQUEST AN ALT CHANGE DUE TO ICING. I WAS GIVEN 9000'; WHICH PUT ME IN THE CLR ON TOP. I THINK I WAS LUCKY. ICING WAS NOT IN THE FORECAST AND WAS ONLY PRESENT IN THE CLOUD TOPS ABOVE ABOUT 7000'. USE OF PREFERRED IFR ROUTES FOR SINGLE ENG ACFT WILL RESULT IN ACFT LOSS WHEN THE ROUTES HAVE LONG OVERWATER PORTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAD DISCUSSED INCIDENT WITH FRIENDS AND NOW REALIZED HE COULD HAVE REQUESTED A REROUTING WHILE ENRTE. IS NEW TO THE E COAST AREA. EXPLAINED THE FLT WAS OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR; BUT IF HE IS NOT COMFORTABLE; ALL HE NEED DO IS REQUEST A CHANGE FROM THE CTLR.