Intercoastal Waterway

[Guest]

For a while now, I've wanted to take a few weeks, rent a boat and go south along the Intercoastal Waterway (I live in North Carolina). I have little experience in boating, so I'd like to see if I could get some advice from people more knowledgeable than myself.

How much would it cost to rent a boat for such an excursion? What kind of boat would be fitting? How many weeks should I allot for this trip? How much training would I need, and where can I get it? Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance,

Ross

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[byron]

Whoa! We are almost 99% based in the U.K. most of the dudes here have never heard of the Intercoastal Waterway any more than you have heard of the Chichester Bar. Some of the guyz here think its a major journey just crossing the Channel - so the Intercoastal would terrify them. You will I think find your answers in a U.S. based Forum. Good Luck.

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[Moose]

Well "Arfur"(Sorry ArthurWood) comes from down there doesn't he.

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El Alce

 

[byron]

Little bit further down.... like the distance between Jockland and Limeyland, Arfur lives in Florida. I must confess never thought of him. He would know though.

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[Chris771]

The IntRAcoastal Waterway, not intercoastal, is a boaters paradise, it is about
.3,000 mi (4,827 km) long, partly natural, partly artificial, providing sheltered passage for commercial and leisure boats along the U.S. Atlantic coast from Boston, Mass. to Key West, S Fla., and along the Gulf of Mexico coast from Apalachee Bay, NW Fla., to Brownsville, Tex., on the Rio Grande. The toll-free waterway, authorized by Congress in 1919, is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers at a minimum depth of 12 ft (4 m) for most of its length; some parts have 7-ft (2.1-m) and 9-ft (2.7-m) minimum depths. Among some of the waterway's most often used canals along the Atlantic route are the Chesapeake, Delaware, and Albemarle; along the Gulf route the most used are the New Orleans-Rigolets Cut, the Port Arthur-Corpus Christi Channel, and the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal at New Orleans. The separate Okeechobee Waterway in S Fla. crosses the Florida peninsula. Plans to build a canal across N Florida to link the Atlantic and Gulf sections were blocked in 1971 by a presidential order to prevent potential environmental damage. Many miles of navigable waterways connect with the coastal system, including the Hudson River-New York State Barge Canal, the Chesapeake Bay, the Savannah River, the Apalachicola River, and the entire Mississippi River system. The Intracoastal Waterway has a good deal of commercial activity; barges haul petroleum, petroleum products, foodstuffs, building materials, and manufactured goods.

The best bits are Delaware Bay and up around Cape Cod. The waterway provides safe, sheltered access to these wonderful boating areas without having to go into open water around areas like Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras (Bit like our Portland Bill ).

Also worth noting is that it is completely FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a concept unheard of in the UK.

Motor Boats are available for rental, or varying sizes, aminly powered for displacement speeds. You would need to check local regulations for the area you wish to go boating.
Hope this helps.

See, it is not only Arthur who knows about it, though I think he is lucky enough to live along it.

Chris

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[ArthurWood]

What more can I say, Chris!?

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[ArthurWood]

Most boat rentals are advertized for FL and Bahamas. See BoatUS.com. For a power boat, the prices per week range from ~$2500 for a 30ft boat to ~$5000 for a 40ft (plus fuel).
You will need some training in boat handling and basic navigation skills. As you know, the ICW is not like a canal with obvious banks on either side so navigation has to be done with care in places or so will soon be high and dry. I would suggest you find a local marina and talk to the harbourmaster about what you want to do. He/she may be able to help.

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