... Many of the trawler people
here talk about the great loop.



It's surprising how many people do it every year.

Joe wrote:
Thats what I mean, you need blinkers to get on and off the loop. Like
the good sam club of camping RV's.


Yep. Fortunately there's still a lot of water around, you
can usually get away from the crowd for at least a little
while. We've made some very good friends on the ICW and
cruising in company is part of the fun.



Doug I pushed barges for years in the ICW, they drew 13 ft loarded. Why
do you have problems with a 4+ft draft?



When & where?

From South Texas around Port Aransas all the way to the Mississippi,
Most times between the Sabine and the Brazos. I did it in the early
90's. They still do it today, I'm sure you could go all the way to
Florida with anything under 11 ft.


That may be true, I don't have any experience in the Gulf
ICW... what about getting into anchorages?



I can't think of a single place in NC where
you could pass with more than about 9' draft, and that's
dead center in the channel. Once you get further south, you
can make it on the tide.

IIRC the controlling depth for the ICW in TX is 13 ft. We pushed that
many time with the supply boats loading out of Freeport area.


I wonder if the Corps of Engineers expends more on your part
of the ICW, we seem to only get the very worst places (like
consistent 5' shoaling' dredged. And most of the channels
have not been re-bouyed in years.


Working the tides is very important here on the ICW. If you leave at
the wrong time you can be pushing or riding the tides all the way
between the sabine and Galveston bay. Sometimes with a loaded barge you
could arrive faster leaving 6 hours later.



On much of the Southeastern coast, the inlets are close
enough together, and the channels twisty enough, that the
current will be helping you for a mile and then against you
for a mile. Almost impossible to predict the current over a
day's run... we just go.

DSK