ukmctc
Well-Known Member
Has anyone been down or up them (intercoastal waterways US) and can give any info for us as we intend going over soon.
Best time to go?
North or South?
Costs?
Stops?
Best time to go?
North or South?
Costs?
Stops?
USA intercoastal waterways
- Thread starter ukmctc
- Start date
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Once planned to do it. One crucial fact is that there is a maximum air draft of 63 ft. Also overnight marina stops are b****y expensive.
ukmctc
Well-Known Member
Our air Draft/Height is only 39 feet so no probs there, we have a Moody 33 Mk1.
Robin
Well-Known Member
We haven't yet but have bought our new liveaboard home there to do it and do the Bahamas et al.
The hurricane season runs from 1st June to 30th November, but in between those people still cruise, that is also the wetter season in the south.
Typical overnight 'transient' rates are from $1.50 to $2 per foot per night plus sales taxes of around 6% on top. Join BoatUS and get a significant discount on marinas belonging to the scheme, quite a lot do. Anchoring is very prevalent and free and quite a lot of towns have free docks for one or two night stays to encourage you to spend in town. A lot of transient marinas will offer a loan car or bikes to go to the shops in as their marinas are generally not close to them.
Google Active Captain and join up, it is internet based and links to Google Earth and mapping with an unbelievable amount of useful linked to the chart info on marina prices, fuel prices, uncharted shallows reported etc.
When are you planning on going, in what, from where and for how long?
We will be there soon, our boat is in St Augustine FL but will be moved south to Daytona Beach, Halifax Harbor on the ICW when we get there.
The hurricane season runs from 1st June to 30th November, but in between those people still cruise, that is also the wetter season in the south.
Typical overnight 'transient' rates are from $1.50 to $2 per foot per night plus sales taxes of around 6% on top. Join BoatUS and get a significant discount on marinas belonging to the scheme, quite a lot do. Anchoring is very prevalent and free and quite a lot of towns have free docks for one or two night stays to encourage you to spend in town. A lot of transient marinas will offer a loan car or bikes to go to the shops in as their marinas are generally not close to them.
Google Active Captain and join up, it is internet based and links to Google Earth and mapping with an unbelievable amount of useful linked to the chart info on marina prices, fuel prices, uncharted shallows reported etc.
When are you planning on going, in what, from where and for how long?
We will be there soon, our boat is in St Augustine FL but will be moved south to Daytona Beach, Halifax Harbor on the ICW when we get there.
Gerry
Well-Known Member
Hi there, we are currently in the ICW, Florida to be exact.
Haven't done very much of it, from the Florida border with Georgia up to Savannah and then down to the Palm Coast.
All bridges will take 64 clearance(on the main routes), except for one in Florida which is 55 feet. We draw 4' 6'' and have been aground more times here than in a lifetime of sailing! Get hold of the guide editted by John and leslie kettlewell, excellent for pilotage. Also Skipper Bob's guide to marina's and anchorage. Again very good value, you can download that on the web for around $17
The ICW from the Florida border up to Savannah is stunning and completely empty, no place to shop, get fuel water, etc. Make sure you are well provisioned.
Marina's are VERY expensive, often over $100 a night but there are more bargains coming along as the recession bites harder. See www.leeshoremarina.com and www.hammockbeach.com both at around $350 a month.
Many places charge over $10 for going ashore in your dinghy but ask other liveaboards and they aften have a much cheaper solution, local knowledge and all that.
The weather can be pretty volatile in Georgia, sudden squalls etc and the sometimes narrow anchorages can make anchoring a challenge. You may need up to three anchors in places, so be prepared!
We have seen more dolphins than people in our time here!
Hope this helps.
Haven't done very much of it, from the Florida border with Georgia up to Savannah and then down to the Palm Coast.
All bridges will take 64 clearance(on the main routes), except for one in Florida which is 55 feet. We draw 4' 6'' and have been aground more times here than in a lifetime of sailing! Get hold of the guide editted by John and leslie kettlewell, excellent for pilotage. Also Skipper Bob's guide to marina's and anchorage. Again very good value, you can download that on the web for around $17
The ICW from the Florida border up to Savannah is stunning and completely empty, no place to shop, get fuel water, etc. Make sure you are well provisioned.
Marina's are VERY expensive, often over $100 a night but there are more bargains coming along as the recession bites harder. See www.leeshoremarina.com and www.hammockbeach.com both at around $350 a month.
Many places charge over $10 for going ashore in your dinghy but ask other liveaboards and they aften have a much cheaper solution, local knowledge and all that.
The weather can be pretty volatile in Georgia, sudden squalls etc and the sometimes narrow anchorages can make anchoring a challenge. You may need up to three anchors in places, so be prepared!
We have seen more dolphins than people in our time here!
Hope this helps.
TQA
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- Carribbean currently Grenada
I did The Florida Keys to the Chesapeake then up the Potomac river into the heart of Washington DC then returned to Central Florida. Great trip and realy enjoyed it but would not repeat it, I did parts outside and parts running the ICW. By the time I was back in Central Florida I had done all of the bits of the ICW between the Keys and the Chesapeake. The only scary bit IMHO is running the "rockpile" (mile 347 to 365) but use the radio talk to the freight boys on the push boats and make sure you can run it without having to take avoiding action.
Assuming you are in your own boat and intend to sail over from the UK to the Caribbean then doing Eastern postion of the ICW from South to North in early summer makes sense
It is possible to anchor every night with a little forward planning and/or there are quite a few places offering free short term dockage.
See http://www.bootkeyharbor.com/CruiseLocations&Charters.htm
The official guide/chartlet book and online site http://www.icwfacilitiesguide.com/
Costs? well how long is your string? Cook your own beans and rice and it will be cheap eat out at waterside diners and it will be more but still MUCH cheaper than eating out in the Med.
N.B. The ICW is not being dredged as often as it used to be if you draw more than 5 ft expect to go aground from time to time. More than 6ft 6 inches and you are going to go aground a lot. If you draw 8 ft plus fugedaboutit!
Having TOWBOAT insurance is a good idea.
Assuming you are in your own boat and intend to sail over from the UK to the Caribbean then doing Eastern postion of the ICW from South to North in early summer makes sense
It is possible to anchor every night with a little forward planning and/or there are quite a few places offering free short term dockage.
See http://www.bootkeyharbor.com/CruiseLocations&Charters.htm
The official guide/chartlet book and online site http://www.icwfacilitiesguide.com/
Costs? well how long is your string? Cook your own beans and rice and it will be cheap eat out at waterside diners and it will be more but still MUCH cheaper than eating out in the Med.
N.B. The ICW is not being dredged as often as it used to be if you draw more than 5 ft expect to go aground from time to time. More than 6ft 6 inches and you are going to go aground a lot. If you draw 8 ft plus fugedaboutit!
Having TOWBOAT insurance is a good idea.
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RobbieW
Well-Known Member
US Visas
Make sure you have US Visas in your passports, if you havent allow lots of time in UK to get one. We got ours in Lisbon in October 2011, about 7 days elapsed from application to passport back in sticky mit - very easy process; UK embassy was quoting up to 3 months at Easter 2011 on a very expensive premium rate phone line.
Apparently also possible in the Azores but not sure which island.
Make sure you have US Visas in your passports, if you havent allow lots of time in UK to get one. We got ours in Lisbon in October 2011, about 7 days elapsed from application to passport back in sticky mit - very easy process; UK embassy was quoting up to 3 months at Easter 2011 on a very expensive premium rate phone line.
Apparently also possible in the Azores but not sure which island.
Seajet
...
ukmctc,
I strongly recommend reading 'Narrow Dog to Indian River' by Terry Darlington, the rather humourous tale of taking a British narrow boat along the U.S. Intra-Coastal waterways ( sequel to 'Narrow Dog To Carcassone', the story of exploring the French canals & rivers ).
I was slightly horrified on reading it to discover the numbers of beasties - and humans - all with the sole intention of spoiling one's day, or cancelling it entirely !
I strongly recommend reading 'Narrow Dog to Indian River' by Terry Darlington, the rather humourous tale of taking a British narrow boat along the U.S. Intra-Coastal waterways ( sequel to 'Narrow Dog To Carcassone', the story of exploring the French canals & rivers ).
I was slightly horrified on reading it to discover the numbers of beasties - and humans - all with the sole intention of spoiling one's day, or cancelling it entirely !
Gerry
Well-Known Member
On the subject of visas, which you will have to have. We got ours in Havana, Cuba! Yup we didn't believe it would be possible either but it was no problem whatsoever. Got them within 36 hours. Causes a few raised eyebrows at the Florida checkins but what the hell!
there is a big US embassy in Havana and you turn up, no appointments needed, pay the fee ($125 I think), provide the photos, fill in the form. Return the following day and pick up the completed visa. It was that easy....
there is a big US embassy in Havana and you turn up, no appointments needed, pay the fee ($125 I think), provide the photos, fill in the form. Return the following day and pick up the completed visa. It was that easy....
Salty John
Well-Known Member
Good advice already given above and there's plenty more available via google. The east coast ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) runs 1095 miles from Norfolk, Virginia to Miami, Florida. Officially the waterway runs from Boston to Texas, but the bit most people mean when they refer to the ICW is the Norfolk to Miami bit.
If you're going north, spring is the time to start and for going south early October is setting off time.
You won't be traveling at night. There are many anchorages but some stretches are a bit short of them so you'll want to use marinas in those areas. Make sure you know when setting off each day where you'll be stopping that night to avoid the angst of failing light and nowhere to stop. You can run about 50 miles a day, but allow less on some days to give yourself a break.
I've done the east coast seven times, sometimes entirely inside the waterway, sometimes a mixture of outside and in. I love it.
If you're going north, spring is the time to start and for going south early October is setting off time.
You won't be traveling at night. There are many anchorages but some stretches are a bit short of them so you'll want to use marinas in those areas. Make sure you know when setting off each day where you'll be stopping that night to avoid the angst of failing light and nowhere to stop. You can run about 50 miles a day, but allow less on some days to give yourself a break.
I've done the east coast seven times, sometimes entirely inside the waterway, sometimes a mixture of outside and in. I love it.
chinita
Well-Known Member
Another vote for Lisbon Embassy.
Not supersonic speed - but probably the best you will find en-route.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I have done it from Norfolk, Virginia up to the top end and out of the Delaware Canal that links to Delaware bay and then round Cape May and up to New York and Boston. We really enjoyed the experience although berths tended to be very expensive and there wasn't always a lot of wind as we got further north. We were burning a lot of diesel to make any progress in the latter stages of the trip.
Depths were a bit challenging sometimes, but the welcome we recieved in various places was wonderful. I have promised SWMBO that I will take her on the trip someday.
What do you want to know?
Depths were a bit challenging sometimes, but the welcome we recieved in various places was wonderful. I have promised SWMBO that I will take her on the trip someday.
What do you want to know?
nigelmercier
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Robin
Well-Known Member
I've only done it in a tripper boat, but remember the buoys are the wrong way round!
The buoys are not only the wrong way round but because of the vagaries of tide/current with the inlets to the ocean and rivers flowing into the ICW there are other conventions that can switch the buoyage. Entering from the ocean through an inlet for example with the starboard buoys left to port USA style you then find once in that part of the ICW despite still going with the flow so to speak, the port buoys are left to port. This is because convention has it that the ICW 'flows' north to south as far as buoyage is concerned irrespective of current flow direction. I think that is correct because it tends to confuse and we have yet to travel any distance on the ICW to check it out!
TQA
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- Carribbean currently Grenada
Re US visas you must have the B1B2 and I would not rely on getting them en route. I have met two sets of cruisers who were refused when they applied en route.
It is not a trivial exercise. You have to be able to produce all sorts of documentation to show you have NON US home/NON US money/NON US resident close relations etc etc.
It is not a trivial exercise. You have to be able to produce all sorts of documentation to show you have NON US home/NON US money/NON US resident close relations etc etc.
AndrewB
Well-Known Member
I've done the Florida to Chesapeake stretch twice, plus some of the extended ICW through the Florida Keys and west side of Florida.
Provided you can get under the bridges (technically 64ft clearance, but safer to allow 62ft), the main problem is draft. The ICW is no longer maintained as well dredged as it once was. More than 6ft draft will mean a lot of problems. Even with less, from time to time real shallow spots develop specially in the Georgia and Carolina sections, and you will need absolutely up to date information or risk having to turn round and go back a long way, and then out into the ocean. Here and there the channel has wandered away from the marked line, which isn't kept up to date as well as it should (perhaps because it means good business for local tow-boats). Generally the marinas will tell you about the stretch ahead, also the US BB's are a good source of information.
Marina prices are not quite as bad as some have suggested, except in the Miami - Fort Lauderdale region. For most of the length there are practical anchoring spots, many marked on the chart, where you pay nothing.
These problems apart it is a wonderful cruise - go for it.
Provided you can get under the bridges (technically 64ft clearance, but safer to allow 62ft), the main problem is draft. The ICW is no longer maintained as well dredged as it once was. More than 6ft draft will mean a lot of problems. Even with less, from time to time real shallow spots develop specially in the Georgia and Carolina sections, and you will need absolutely up to date information or risk having to turn round and go back a long way, and then out into the ocean. Here and there the channel has wandered away from the marked line, which isn't kept up to date as well as it should (perhaps because it means good business for local tow-boats). Generally the marinas will tell you about the stretch ahead, also the US BB's are a good source of information.
Marina prices are not quite as bad as some have suggested, except in the Miami - Fort Lauderdale region. For most of the length there are practical anchoring spots, many marked on the chart, where you pay nothing.
These problems apart it is a wonderful cruise - go for it.
Maxi_10
Well-Known Member
We just got our US visas, I didnt think it was that difficult all laid out on their website.
fill out a form on line and upload a photo.
premium rate phone call to make appointment cost £12
appointments available in a week or so
appointment cost $140 approx £90
trip to london, 2/3 hours waiting around
they take finger prints and a short interview to establish you arent going to work or stay
visa delivered back in a week cost £16
and yes we hope to travel up the ICW in summer 2013 so its interesteing to read some of the comments. we are 6ft draft so will need the towinsurance by the sound of it, any idea how much it costs?
fill out a form on line and upload a photo.
premium rate phone call to make appointment cost £12
appointments available in a week or so
appointment cost $140 approx £90
trip to london, 2/3 hours waiting around
they take finger prints and a short interview to establish you arent going to work or stay
visa delivered back in a week cost £16
and yes we hope to travel up the ICW in summer 2013 so its interesteing to read some of the comments. we are 6ft draft so will need the towinsurance by the sound of it, any idea how much it costs?
Salty John
Well-Known Member
Towing insurance is around $125. Google BoatUS for a firm quote.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I've only done it in a tripper boat, but remember the buoys are the wrong way round!
I can cope with the wrong way round, but what I found exasperating was coming down the Deleware towards Cape Hope, all the buoys had the same light characteristic at one point. It's a long buoyed channel and I had to sail close to the buoy and shine a torch on it to tick off it's number to check how far we had come.
binch
Well-Known Member
ICW
Have cruised it twice in a ketch 55 ft x 14' 6" x 6' 9" draught. Mast height 55 ft.
Very enjoyable. A bit like Norfolk Broads on a grand scale.
Plenty of anchorages north of Florida. In Florida, residents often have got by-laws passed forbidding anchorages in front of their houses. It is not popular to anchor in the inlets because there are frequent anti-drug patrols at night. Anchoring further north very pleasant. One anchorage had beds of wild oysters . PYO.
We found marina costs reasonable
I liked the Carolinas and Georgia. Very friendly people.
Very well documented and good charts.
Marinas such as Bahia Mar in F Laudersale are expensive but the service id wonderful.
Watch out in Savannah. Savannah is close to a huge training camp for UD Marunes. We moored alongside the city centre and were cast off during the night. This is a bit of a habit for US servicemen whose officers apparently do not keep their men occupied.
All in all, this was one of the best areas we found for really relaxing cruising.
Have cruised it twice in a ketch 55 ft x 14' 6" x 6' 9" draught. Mast height 55 ft.
Very enjoyable. A bit like Norfolk Broads on a grand scale.
Plenty of anchorages north of Florida. In Florida, residents often have got by-laws passed forbidding anchorages in front of their houses. It is not popular to anchor in the inlets because there are frequent anti-drug patrols at night. Anchoring further north very pleasant. One anchorage had beds of wild oysters . PYO.
We found marina costs reasonable
I liked the Carolinas and Georgia. Very friendly people.
Very well documented and good charts.
Marinas such as Bahia Mar in F Laudersale are expensive but the service id wonderful.
Watch out in Savannah. Savannah is close to a huge training camp for UD Marunes. We moored alongside the city centre and were cast off during the night. This is a bit of a habit for US servicemen whose officers apparently do not keep their men occupied.
All in all, this was one of the best areas we found for really relaxing cruising.