Atlantic ICW

[GxK]

I'm looking for input from C-Brats who have cruised the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

I'm thinking of running my TomCat to the Florida Keys from Lake Ontario in the fall. I've never cruised the ICW and I don't own a truck; thus, the idea of running the 1,800 miles on its own bottom.

The idea is a cruise, not a delivery south. I'm thinking of being under way three to fours per day about five days a week. That might make 300 miles per week or six weeks for the distance. I'd leave Lake Ontario in early October.

Am I being too ambitious or too timid about the rate of progress?

--Georgs

[Captains Cat]

I don't see any reason you couldn't do it. I have gone only from the Mouth of the Potomac River on Ches. Bay, down to Norfolk/Portsmouth and then down the Dismal Swamp Canal to Albemarle Sound, that's one of the ICW legs between the Bay and the Sound. Then we came back up the Albemarle Canal and then back up to my place on the River. We did that in a short week, without pushing, in October of 2003, just after Hurricane Isabel came through. There are a few pictures in my album.

Charlie

[marvin4239]

I agree you should be able to do it in the time you have alloted. I'm assuming the 6 weeks is a one way trip? I've cruised much of the ICW from Daytona Florida to Oriental NC. Typically I cruise at a much slower pace than you have figured usually I average less than 10 MPH on a trip but I stop a lot. Your Tom Cat is capable of cruising comfortably at much higher speeds than my 22 in heavy seas. North Easters are common along the ICW but typically only last three days and their are many places to lay up and wait out a blow and much of the ICW is somewhat sheltered but a three foot wind chop isn't uncommon. One concern would be you will be traveling at the tail end of hurricane season but if you monitor the weather you always have plenty of warning. If you haven't I'd definately study the following web sites for trip planning. www.cruisers.net and www.activecaptain When you pass mile marker 46 don't forget to wave!

[Valkyrie]

Georgs.

The trip is do-able in that time frame and I did almost the same route, but from Lake Erie to the Keys and Bahamas 20 years ago on Spirit, a Jeanneau 23 sailboat.

However, I think that you would better off running longer each day, especially to get through the Erie Canal, I assume you are picking it up south of Lake Ontario. I didn't leave the Chesapeake until late October and ran into some very cold weather, although a C-Dory gives you much better protection than the cockpit of a sailboat.

Once I was on the ICW, I got into a cruising rhythm. Most people heading south, both power and sail, raise the hook not too long after sunrise and stop well before sunset. I would go through the charts and guide books and pick an anchorage or marina (I usually anchored out) the night before and would plan on stopping well before nightfall, typically I would be at anchor by 3:00 PM.

I ran at between 5 and 6 mph, either motoring or motor-sailing and averaged about 50 miles per day, sometimes quite a bit more if the tides and currents were with me. They have a large effect on distance covered on the SE coast where there are many tidal rivers and creeks.

Also, plan on being weathered in for a few days here and there and stops for groceries, repairs, a walk to the post office, sightseeing and so on. There are a surprising number of things which can throw off an schedule. One of the biggest is weather and if you monitor the weather closely, you may find yourself running longer and faster than you had planned to get to a protected or interesting location to sit out a bad spell of weather.

Another thing about schedules: don't have one! They are confining, restrictive and will encourage you to run or stop when you shouldn't and defeat the true purpose of a relaxing cruise.

My wife and I plan on replicating my cruise in a few years, but on Valkyrie, our CD 22. We will run longer than your planned 3-4 four hours a day, however. If we left by seven and ran for 4 hours at 15, we would cover 60 miles that day but that could put us anywhere. If we dropped the hook somewhere in a coastal swamp, which is very beautiful in its own way, we would have the rest of the day, an awful lot of time, to spend at anchor. A respite is nice once in a while, but on a daily basis it would get tedious for us.

Personally, I typically prefer to pick a reasonable destination and run for that rather than stop after a set number of hours. If you run longer each day you could then spend more time exploring some of the great coastal towns along the Chesapeake and ICW. I spent 6 days exploring Charleston and could easily have stayed longer.

One book I found indispensable was THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY A Cockpit Cruising Handbook by Jan and Bill Moeller. It gives great tips on anchorages, features and so on. Also, be sure to ask other cruisers for favorite places anchorages, marinas, store and places to see. That will be one of your most valuable resources.

Another great book is PLANNING YOUR ESCAPE which even gives locations and zip codes of local post offices on the ICW so you can have mail forwarded to yourself via General Delivery.

Hope this help.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

[thataway]

Georgs I certainly believe it is very do-able in the time frame. My experience is also at sailboat/trawler speeds. From our log some times, which included stops and exploration--averaging 6 knots--and generally no more than 60 miles a day:
Key West to Norfolk VA was 32 days and about 1250 st. miles. Coming from New York, Hudson River to Norfolk was about 30 days, but that included a lot of exploration and stops at Annapolis and Baltimore etc. (about 430 miles)--I suspect that your distance will be closer to 2000 st. miles for the trip down the canal/ ICW system.

Consider that much of the time you will be running on a plane, but there will be also no wake zones, and occasional weather delays, especially as you get later in the year.

This is a great trip--and I would want to do as much exploring as time allows along the way.

Fuel will not be cheap, figure at least a dollar a gallon more than at the auto pumps.

[Steven Dore]

The first C-Dory that I ever saw, pulled into my marina at Mile Marker 0 on the ICW. I helped the owner tie up and I asked him about the Massachusetts registration numbers. I said that you surely didn't run from Mass to Virginia in that little 22 footer. He replied that he had a house on Cape Cod and one in south Florida and that he ran the boat from Mass to Florida and back every year and that the one way trip took him about three weeks.

My longest one day run on the ICW was 185 miles in a 12 hour stretch.

Steve

[flagold]

[GxK]

[Captains Cat]

Good Luck Georgs! The easiest thing on that list of things you need is a kitty. You can get one for free at the animal shelter , and they don't eat much!

Charlie

[Byrdman]

Georgs: Way Do-Able. Enjoy your trip....when ever you get around to it. As a side note, the American Great Loop Cruisiers Association is having their Spring 09 Rendezvouse 6Apr09-9Apr09 in Charleston, SC.

A great bunch of folks, many who have cruised these waters, many classes on many sections of this run during the week. Join them if you can...if time off work and your kitty allows.

Safe Travels.

Byrdman

[Will-C]

Hello,
You can subscribe to or buy some Skipper Bob publications from the below website. They update changes trouble spots and add new supermarkets and other features to areas all along the ICW. Here is the web site. http://www.skipperbob.net pretty informative. Had a friend from St. Johns went down thru the ICW and found it invaluable. Have fun!
D.D.

[Spike38]

We haven't done the AICW in its entirety since 1980 (33' sailboat), just pieces since, but are considering taking it to ME come spring. In '79 information was sparse, today is limited only by wallet size and available stowage. Some of the publications are available at small savings on eBay and Amazon though I can't find the Skipper Bob publications there and think the one on anchorages would be especially useful (we tend to anchor out in preference to marinas). We relied heavily on Jan and Bill Moellers excellent book in the original edition and used gov't strip charts. Today John Kettlewell's book seems like a good alternative to the latter. The Southeast Cruiser's website:[url] http://www.cruisingguide.com/cp/Scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=22[/url] is a good source of information on lots of things including bridges (not of much concern to a C-Dory!). Charts, Chartkits or whatever are so expensive that I'm considering using primarily electronic charts from two independent sources, general charts otherwise (heresy - even I don't really approve). In '79 we left ME in late August, dawdled with friends near Baltimore, and had snow in Norfolk in early Oct., ice on the decks in Elizabeth City.

I'm trying to winnow down the "available" list to some manageable size: more information is obviously better but there's a limit! Suggestions from those using the ICW more frequently?

Incidentally, if thought continues to be given to the Cuba thread I'd like to be included in the loop. Reminiscing with a shipmate on the last trip down he pointed out that even now there are Americans spending winters there, quietly sailing in and out. However it was disquieting being tracked by a blacked-out naval or USCG vessel on our way back the last time even though we weren't stopped. Maybe they had bigger fish to fry.

[GxK]

[El and Bill]

We have one idea you might want to consider. The East Coast (as well as the Gulf) is vulnerable to hurricanes in the fall. When we did the Loop, we came south in the fall down the interior rivers (the western part of the Loop), and were glad we did when several hurricanes mucked up the East Coast that fall. We traveled that eastern section northerly in the spring without weather inncident.

The last time we gave this same suggestion to consider the interior river route south in the fall, there were many follow-up posts saying, "Ah, don't worry about it -- no problem" These posts were followed up a few months later with stark reports of the hurricane damage along the ICW.

If you have a means to trailer off the ICW should there be a threat I wouldn't worry - in a few days, with advanced notice, you could be hundreds of miles inland. With no trailer or tow vehicle you might be in line trying to get a lift into a yard prior to storm, or in a crowded
'hurricane hole." The folks who went south the year of our caution tried to hide in one of those holes but others tied in the hole broke free and made a mess of every boat in the hole.

Many boats travel the AICW south in the fall and take their chances - and you may wish to do the same. However, the fall color along the interior Loop rivers is incredible! - a side trip up the Tennessee or Cumberland (or both) is an experience never to be forgotten.

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/cumber.htm

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/tenn.htm

And, an added plus, you can meet Brydman on his home stomping grounds!

[eNORMous]

I've cruised some of the upper Long Island Sound ICW, which IMO was extremely broad (wide and very navigable) - very picturesque. I've done the Dismal Swamp ICW, extremely narrow, very nice topology/relief - intriguing. I lived in FL on the Gulf Coast, cruised across the state via the DITCH, and I've done from Destin to the Dry Tortugas, up the keys to Key Largo, and from Ft Lauderdale to St. Augustine - some really, really nice places all along the way and very interesting topography. I've canoed 10 of the FL rivers and nearly wrestled a 12 foot gator for dinner one night! I've done the ICW from Albemarle Sound down to Beaufort, NC (where I reside) nothing of enormous interest, IMO. I recently did a trip from Palmlico Sound to Cape Fear and stayed at some really nice marinas in Wrightsville Beach (SeaPath is excellent) and stayed at the new Southport marina in Southport, NC - very nice accomodations and very nice/lovely town. IMO, the worst navigable waters I've found are the Cape River ICW. Between high water and low water you'll find the currents from the large inlets/outlets to the Atlantic Ocean produce formidable square waves (e.g. stackers). You'll be cruising 3-5 knots for a fair while during ebb and neap. At high/low water you're flat - but when between those times the currents are pretty wild since they meet head-on in numerous areas along the Cape Fear River.