I C W Question

[Paul Gwiz]

The charts are mind boggling I will be coming out of the Chesapeake having trouble figuring out which waterway gets me in to the ICW ? got a day or two to figure this one out.

 

[GJH]

Paul, if you like PM me and I can walk you through it. Some planning is involved to time the bridges and locks. Pick up a copy of Kettlewell's ICW chart book and the also the Waterway Guide Atlantic ICW edition. Those two will get you all the way to Florida. Doyle's On the Waterway Guide looks good but I have no direct experience using it. Let me know when you are passing through NC and if I am around would be glad to sit down with you and discuss in detail. Looks like there is some great weather coming up the next few days.

 

[Pascal]

As George suggested the kettelwell chart book is a must have, along with either a laptop running an active captain enabled program or a tablet

Leaving Norfolk make sure you time the bridges so you don't end up waiting. I don't think anyone can get lost there and take a wrong turn, it s pretty well marked.

There rules on ICW....

Your sounder is your most important instrument. Make sure you know if an offset has been set to show depth under the props/keel, actual depth or just from the xducer...

Don't ASSume that being between the sticks is enough, there are mny spots where you need to be close to centerline, as shoaling encroaches on the side.

Do not blindly follow the magenta line on your plotter. It s a guide, nothing else, watch for markers and clues. You d be surprised how many folks run aground because they were on the line, ignoring a newly added marker. By clues I mean shallow water extending in,a sometimes the current line on the water surface will be a clue.

I haven't run the ditch in 2 years since the boat I run has been staying south in summer but the following page I put together may be useful. Keep in mind the data on the shallow spots is no longer up to date so check active captain as well as saltys cruiser net for the latest

http://www.sandbarhopper.com/boatips/icwnotes.htm

 

[TommyB]

Your sounder is your most important instrument. Make sure you know if an offset has been set to show depth under the props/keel, actual depth or just from the xducer...

Don't ASSume that being between the sticks is enough, there are mny spots where you need to be close to centerline, as shoaling encroaches on the side.

Do not blindly follow the magenta line on your plotter. It s a guide, nothing else, watch for markers and clues. You d be surprised how many folks run aground because they were on the line, ignoring a newly added marker. By clues I mean shallow water extending in,a sometimes the current line on the water surface will be a clue.

What he said.
Just came down the ICW and right before that gunnery range (I forget the name)
there was this stuck right in the middle of the ICW This was around marker 61 if I recall


We had to wait for about 45 mins while that little boat tried to yank that big boat off the bar.
Little boat was not able to, so we finally motored around them in about 3 foot of water.
At marker 61 only had 3.9 feet under the keel.

On last look little boat had seem to give up and was walking up the steps on the big boat.

At Mason Inlet, north of Wrightsville Beach hit bottom; 8.9 feet of water in the middle of the channel (marker 121).

 

[Pascal]

On the ditch, I schedule my days based on tides... Most folks are on set schedule where they start early in the days and stops early. I prefer to set that on the tides when needed and even run past sunset if have to; water is so my murky you can't see a thing anyway

 

[GJH]

Yeah that area around marker 61 at Bear Inlet has been a biatch for years. Another good source is

http://cruisersnet.net/

Which covers all the problem stretches on an almost daily basis, and has lots of bridge and other POI information, including regular fuel price updates and a nifty way of finding the best fuel prices near where you are going. You will note a tab at the top, for instance entitled "AICW Prob.", as well as drop down menus along the right for various areas. Worth a study everyday for what lies ahead. Persoanlly I find it much easier to use and more reliable than Active Captain, to which I was an early adopter and contributor but now I find cluttered and unwieldy, but lots of other people seem to love it.

I certainly agree that the two most important instruments for navigating the ICW are a good pair of binoculars and a depth sounder (with a really good tide table to go with it). A VHF and knowing the protocol for arranging passes and contacting bridges is also a must. With those things and, say, the Kettlewell or Doyle books, you could easily do the whole thing without a chart plotter. Oh, and a Tow Boat US or sea Tow membership! I always found it convenient to call them on the radio or cell phone for local knowledge on tricky areas and inlets (I'm a TBUS member) and they have been uniformly helpful, even if it is against their economic interest to do so!.

I note you have been running at night, so ASSUME you are comfortable with your radar. Make sure you run it during the day on a regular basis so you can tune it and know what it will show you and what it won't. You can get very dense and sudden fog on several stretches ahead of you this time of year. If at all possible, stop and smell the roses along the way. There are fantastic and beautiful cruising destinations ahead of you, both of the wilderness and civilization variety. IMO, better than anything in eastern Florida (which is why the main destination for most cruisers in EFL is the Bahamas).

 

[tellico]

As a native eastern NC'er from (too) many years back, I agree tides + wind rule 110%. Many times we couldn't get off the pier because of wind/tide.

I have seen many of the big boys rolling wake down parts of the sound, only so see them stuck soon after.

Of course, when you hit the rock pile in SC - things get serious.

 

[PeterK]

Paul,

We are still at Dowry Creek Marina near Belhaven (ICW 132). A lot of folks stop here after Coinjock and would love to meet you if this is a good stop for you. Give me a heads up and we have have some chow for a pot luck here. I think Mary (the owner) has a well deserved reputation for her hospitality.

If you are throwing the hook on the way down, the Doyle's On the Water chart guides are a must have. The show all anchorages with soundings every 30 feet. Actually met them a month or so ago when they stopped here on the way to the Chesapeake. Great folks and very helpful. Mark helped me get my MacENC up and running!

Peter

 

[Paul Gwiz]

IRe: I C W Question

I learned real quick about a green # 5 can that looked very wrong & close to a shore , Come to find out it was exactly where was suppose to be. I had this big dog one the bottom My very first time out......( didn't even make it out of the harbor ) This whole adventure has been a learning experience.
I am glad We have a redundant system , there off 2.5 ft , The original transducer is mounted higher up on the hull. From the # on my new transducer I only have 1.5 ft of boat to be concerned with.
ya, I got the gold sea tow package For 180.00 they were betting I wouldn't use it , I'm betting that I will...hahaha..... ( that's not a bet I want to win either ) Without it getting unstuck can be quite expensive.
their prices start @ 200.00 , they show up & confirm your stuck , add a few hundred Depending on the size of your wallet, the deal is you pay or you pay....

As long as I have the sticks & info I should be able to keep course. The thing is having the right sticks.......

 

[Paul Gwiz]

Almost forgot about the stones , to make the call........yea , na , let's see...........

 

[rsmith]

It's as important to look behind you as well as ahead. Even with all this electronic stuff you need to stay aligned in the channel. Also I watch how my wake is breaking behind me to give me a trend on how close I am to the drop off. Many places the depth finder will only tell you when your aground as the bottom can go from 12' to 1' like a canyon drop off

 

[Paul Gwiz]

No doubt , I do NOT trust My Garmin 7212 , it sucks, it only a neat toy , I like my trusty old compass, A Half way good compass heading, & a some good poles. The Garmin froze up in NY , just as I was heading into Hell's Gate . The Garmin is just a toy. It's not to be depended on. As far as that magenta line, I believe the guy at garmin that figures it must be in bed with Sea Tow. I will get you on the bottom no doubt.

 

[Pascal]

The line is set on the governemnt charts (NOAA / COE) and again it is just a guide.

I never run on plane on the ICW unless I know I am in a deep section (10 to 12' min) free of trouble spots. The trouble spots are almost always when a creek or river creek crosses the ICW, especially near inlets. The stretch of water just north of charleston, behind isle of palm is a good example... You have a bunch of small creeks crossing the ICW and at almost every crossing, the bottom comes up. Usually not enough to be a concern but sometimes at low tide it can be

Whenever the sounder closes on 9' I back off from hull speed to idle. If it gets below 9', I go to slow idle and at 8' I go to neutral and start bumping in and out of gear. 7' and it s reverse time . All that with a 6 1/4 draft...

Also, the bottom is rarely even so if it gets skinny, I usually change course a little to see what s on the right or on the left side of the channel. Usually you will see the depth change, slowly but surely... The key again is to go slow

But again, the number one thing is preparation. Every night, I review e next leg and check cruisers.net and active captain for the latest. The kettelwell chart book as an inch wide margin along each page on which I make notes for the next day

3 or 4 years ago, little river inlet crossing in nc was a real problem... On one trip I ran that stretch at night to make up some time and pass thru near high tide.... I had to poke three times on the north side to find enough water. Sure I was in the channel but on the first two attempts the bottom came up and I chickened at 7' third time was the charm with 8' thru. The plotter track told the story... Two aborted solid lines and finally one thru. Not a lot fun

 

[Paul Gwiz]

Got to Annapolis Friday around 5p . Jim stopped by to visit. Planning on getting farther south today, How far i'm not sure , It's totally dependant on the temp. , Nice sunny skys....

 

[GJH]

Little River is South Carolina. The stretch between there and Southport NC is one of the best places to go outside. Avoid boring scenery and many tricky spots. Ditto Beaufort / Masonboro NC.

 

[Pascal]

Meant New river... Right before camp Lejeune. It s been dredged since, but 2 or 3 years ago it was real skinny.

 

[Paul Gwiz]

That is what i'm thinking , I just want to get around Cape Hatteras On the ICW then cut to some Ocean. South Carolina sound good to me.
Thanks , Paul Gwiz

 

[Paul Gwiz]

Still heading south , The weather finally got warmer, not what We like but over 60. We laid over @ the Atlantic Yacht Basin on the ICW. Going to take a shot at running outside @ Beaufort to Cape Fear, Dose anyone know what the water is between there & Beaufort ? I am assuming it is smoother than North of Cape Hatteras, The bottom looks Short so I'm concerned about the wind. We caught some of those 4-5' on the Chesapeake . All flat & boring water Monday, We are sliding east thru the Albemarle canal, looking for the North River.

Not much to report , just another boring update. FYI I do NOT like blow boats. They always seem to be in the xxxxing Way. I do kinda like to rock them......I could never see myself running a blow boat. It seems you would have to work ur ass off to get anywhere, I like the sound of these DD's spinning @ 1600 not fast but just sippin' on the diesel .

Later Guys.

 

[Paul Gwiz]

oh ya,
The Garmin 7212 totally sucks. It seems to freeze up when you kinda need it. It is scared & hides when it get tough. Glad I have the charts ......The Garmin tries it's best to put you in short water. Sea tow is some how involved with the Garmin team. I believe when I get home I'm going to look into some ray marine stuff......Anyone want to buy a Garmin 7212......it will be for sale soon.

 

[magnawake]

It would be real nice to run from Beaufort to Charleston (outside). I've been running the ICW for the last 3 years in that trench and I can tell you its a pain sometimes. A blow boater can save you if get in shallow water, because he will come to an abrupt stop. These abnormal low tides we've been having would be impossible to pass through in many areas. I wish we were stabilized. It would make running outside better.