7 days on the Central Portion Intercoastal Waterway

[Rabbits Hutch]

Hey All,

Long time no chat. I have some time between deployments and I am considering a May trip of 7 to 8 days on the intercoastal waterway. Launching in Maryland and heading south for 3 to 4 days, then making the turn around.

I'm wondering a few things in planning such a trip:
Will I need radar?
Chartplotter?
Is there a few suggested books detailing this specific voyage?
Has anyone here made the trip before?
Best place to launch that would safely allow for truck/trailer storage?
Suggested stops along the way?

My preference would be to cruise for 7 or so hours a day, stopping in plenty of time to tie up for the night, enjoy a relaxing dinner and explore what that area has to offer.

Is cruising 7 hours a day unreasonable to expect for my first extended voyage?

Looking forward to hearing back from my ol c-brat friends on this one.

Gary R.[/b]

[JamesTXSD]

Hi Gary,

I don't have experience with the area you are considering. But, if I may offer a suggestion: instead of going out for 3 or 4 days and then heading back the same, consider running further the first two days, checking out places you'd like to stop on the way back. Then take your time meandering back. By the third day, you will appreciate stopping early and taking more time to explore. If there is any kind of a weather situation, you have a pad for your return.

You can certainly do most trips without radar or a chartplotter, but you'll want good charts (you can print your own from the NOAA site), and I'd check into any cruising guides for the area you plan to cover. A good cruising guide will tell you about places to anchor, what's available nearby onshore, and plenty more. I've not used the Managing the Waterway guide for the east coast, but I was sure pleased with their guide for the Florida Keys.

I have no doubt that other Brats who have traveled that area will have plenty to recommend.

Hope that helps to get you started. Have fun!

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[thataway]

Officially "The ICW extends from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida.. The navigable mileage of the ICW is approximately 1200 miles."

It seems to me if you are starting in Maryland, you could easily spend the 3 to 4 days running down to the beginning of the ICW. A better voyage would be to plan a circular trip on the Chesapeake Bay. It is a wonderful cruising ground, and May is an excellent month, although the water may not have warmed up much if you want to take a dip.

I think that 50 miles a day is a nice run in a C Dory (we regularly do 200 or so miles a day in the Tom Cat)--but if you want to explore, sight see and relax the 50 or so miles a day is a good distance.

If you really want to do the ICW, then start in Norfolk and run down to N. Carolina--or even S. Carolina. Another option is to run one way, take a bus or one way car rental back to pick up the trailer and tow vehicle. That way you are not limited to a specific schedule. Weather may delay your trip--and you could be shy the final day of making it easily back to the launch site on a "round trip".

Jim's idea of running fast one way, and taking the time the other way is also an excellent plan.

[Captains Cat]

Gary, with that signature that has Go Army beat Navy, I almost didn't respond! However, in the interest of interservice cooperation, here I am!

I did that trip about 3 years ago, just after ISABEL came through here. I left the Potomac River, near where it hits the bay and went down through Norfolk and through Portsmouth into the ICW. There are two ways to go south from there, one is through the Great Dismal Swamp Canal and the other down the Albemarle Canal. Both have locks but not many. The Swamp route is great because the controlling depth is 6' and the speed limit is 6 knots so the big boats don't use it. Lots of wildlife to see. You can see some of the pix in my album but I haven't posted many.

We went down that way to Albemarle Sound, across the sound and back up through the other canal. Stayed in marinas each night, I'll tell you more if you want.

Then back up through Portsmouth and home. Took about 7 days and we didn't push too hard. Made the trip in late Oct, early Nov.

Charlie
Go Navy!

[Pat Anderson]

I have never been on the ICW (although did cruise the Chesapeake for five GREAT days!), so no insight on that area. But on cruising and daily distances, I have some definite thoughts now, based a two week cruise in 2006, six days of which were boogying from Blaine, WA, to Ketchikan, AK, and the rest of the time slowly up to Meyer's Chuck for a day and then cruising the Behm Canal. Although in the circumstances I really had to cover the ground on the way up, and it was great fun, the NEXT time I will NOT have a definite schedule, or any place I 'have" to get to at a specific time. If it is 20 miles from one place I want see to another, that is how far I will go that day. If I want to stay three days at Belize Inlet, Rivers Inlet or Ocean Falls, I will arrange it so I can. It is of course easier for retired folks with unlimited time, but even for us working folk with a week or two, more time slow cruising enjoying the sights, exploring the shore areas, and enjoying sundowners in the cockpit is a LOT better than spending that time just trying to cover miles.

[El and Bill]

Having cruised that route various times, we would heartily agree with the suggestions from Thataway Bob and Wild Blue Jim. Most folks, with limited time, bite off too much -- and they get more stressed cruising than from work. The Chesapeake is simply marvelous, with many side rivers to cruise up, great places to visit ashore (many historic), and lots of good eating spots.
If you decide to start at Norfolk and cruise southerly on the ICW let us all know that decision and then we can be more specific with ideas. Otherwise, have a great time on the Chessie water.