I'm not sure about sailing in the ICW. I was always told sailing in the channel was illegal. I was thinking about the channel coming into the Manatee river. The other day a sailboat was in full sail heeled over 15 degrees sail blanketing their vision while trying to turn in the channel where it is only about 100' wide. I don't think that was very responsible, not legal from what I've been told.
Maybe we have a legal beagle that can shed some light on the legality of this issue.
Have fun boating