Intercoastal waterway
 

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.

Intercoastal waterway
 

"tt" wrote in message
oups.com...
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.


Having just done the trip in a 40 footer, I suspect you will have few
problems - provided you have a big engine and a month or more free.

But, if you go North from Myrtle Beach, it is a much longer trip ;)

Intercoastal waterway
 

"tt" wrote in message
oups.com...
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.


What model sailboat?

Intercoastal waterway
 

Don White wrote:
"tt" wrote in message
oups.com...
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.


What model sailboat?
The boat is a 1932 Cheasapeake Bay modified Sharpie. It is fully
restored and this will be its first voyage. It has a 2/12 hp outboard
that will most likely be upgraded to 5 hp. A small cabin provides a
V-berth and a porta potty.

Intercoastal waterway
 

"tt" wrote in message
ps.com...

Don White wrote:
"tt" wrote in message
oups.com...
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.


What model sailboat?
The boat is a 1932 Cheasapeake Bay modified Sharpie. It is fully
restored and this will be its first voyage. It has a 2/12 hp outboard
that will most likely be upgraded to 5 hp. A small cabin provides a
V-berth and a porta potty.


I have a modest 18.5 foot mini-cruising sailboat also.
I'd probably tow it down to Florida. (of course I live close to a thousand
miles north of you)

http://sailquest.com/market/models/spipe.htm

Intercoastal waterway
 

On 14 Jan 2007 18:14:06 -0800, "tt" wrote:

The boat is a 1932 Cheasapeake Bay modified Sharpie. It is fully
restored and this will be its first voyage. It has a 2/12 hp outboard
that will most likely be upgraded to 5 hp. A small cabin provides a
V-berth and a porta potty.

There are boats much bigger running the ICW every day so it is
unlikely you will have a problem running aground if you stay in the
channel. I think your biggest issue is power, or the lack thereof.
You really need an outboard big enough to buck a stiff headwind and/or
an adverse current. Sailing opportunities are limited due to the need
to stay in the channel, so reliability is an important factor also.

Intercoastal waterway
 

We are currently on our way from Beaufort, NC to S Fla. So far, the
worst spots we have encountered were in NC. We had been led to believe
that the ICW in NC was the best maintained part of the waterway.
Actually, we found fewer problems in SC--much deeper water and better
marked than in NC. We draw 4.5 feet andreally have had few problems
anywhere--Shallotte Inlet in NC was the worst spot--depths at 5 feet an
hour before low tide. Dredging is in progress there. Read the cruising
guides--go to Salty Southeast website and Skipper Bob website for
current info.

Peter
s/v Now or Never!
tt wrote:
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.

Intercoastal waterway
 

We are currently on our way from Beaufort, NC to S Fla. So far, the
worst spots we have encountered were in NC. We had been led to believe
that the ICW in NC was the best maintained part of the waterway.
Actually, we found fewer problems in SC--much deeper water and better
marked than in NC. We draw 4.5 feet andreally have had few problems
anywhere--Shallotte Inlet in NC was the worst spot--depths at 5 feet an
hour before low tide. Dredging is in progress there. Read the cruising
guides--go to Salty Southeast website and Skipper Bob website for
current info.

Peter
s/v Now or Never!
tt wrote:
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.

Intercoastal waterway
 

"Peter" wrote
We are currently on our way from Beaufort, NC to S Fla. So far, the
worst spots we have encountered were in NC. We had been led to believe
that the ICW in NC was the best maintained part of the waterway.
Actually, we found fewer problems in SC--much deeper water and better
marked than in NC. We draw 4.5 feet andreally have had few problems
anywhere--Shallotte Inlet in NC was the worst spot--depths at 5 feet an
hour before low tide. Dredging is in progress there. Read the cruising
guides--go to Salty Southeast website and Skipper Bob website for
current info.

Are you going to stay in the ditch through Georgia? I would be real
interested in what you find. Things don't look real good behind Jekyll
right now and the COE only has enough money to keep one guy watching it fill
in.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Intercoastal waterway
 

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote

Are you going to stay in the ditch through Georgia? I would be real
interested in what you find. Things don't look real good behind Jekyll
right now and the COE only has enough money to keep one guy watching it
fill
in.


We went as far as St Catherines Sound before heading out to sea, but ICW was
good up until then.

One thing original poster should bear in mind, is that this is not really a
"ditch" all the way - There are large bodies of open water that must be
crossed. Albemarle Sound, Pamlico Sound and the Neuse river in North
Carolina can be rough as can Calibogue sound.

Another thing to check, is the distance between marinas or towns where fuel,
ice and supplies can be purchased. Only so much carrying capacity on a 19'
boat and the outboard will use quite a bit of fuel.

I am sure the trip is doable, but it will need some careful planning.

Intercoastal waterway
 

"tt" wrote in news:1168810072.961060.210860
@s34g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.

I just did the trip from Deltaville, VA to Ft. Lauderdale in Oct/Nov. You
can find extensive trip logs and photos at http://www.GeoffSchultz.org/ in
the 2006 section.

You're going to have a SLOW trip with a 5 HP motor once you hit the tidal
areas of the ICW, which is the area after Beaufort, NC. There are strong
currents in this area and despite the fact that the currents are supposed
to even out, it always feels like they're against you or when they are with
you, you have to slow way down so that you don't get to the next bridge too
early.

We headed out at St. Helena Sound and ran down the coast of FL to St.
Augustine and then to Palm Beach and then to Ft. Lauderdale. Friends of
ours who stayed in the ditch ran into a lot of shallow water in Georgia and
southern FL. To be more precise, they didn't run into shallow water...they
ran into the stuff below the water! :-)

Good luck on your trip. Bring WARM clothes as you're leaving quite late
and it will get COLD.

-- Geoff

Intercoastal waterway
 

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in news:rfMqh.18669$sE7.2584
@newsfe21.lga:

Actually, we found fewer problems in SC--much deeper water and better
marked than in NC.

For the return trip, make a note that under the Ben Sawyer bridge that
connects America to Sullivan's Island, north of Charleston Harbor, stay to
the MAINLAND side of the support post. The island side of the post is very
shallow and all filled in, so shallow at low tide outboard motors kick up.

South of the intersection of Stono River and the ICW, down to below the new
high bridge connecting America to John's Island, where the ICW flattens out
into a broad area just south of Stono River, the wide section has shifting
bars that are not all along the shores as the current slows in this area.
It used to be lots deeper, but that's no longer the case. Where the bends
are as it narrows to approach the last bridge on the south end of John's
Island, be watchful of shifting sand bars there, too.

I encountered one of these new bars about a mile S of the Stono
intersection when taking Stray Dog, my friend's Endeavour 35 to the
boatyard down there for her final motor to the survey...our final trip
aboard as she sold straight away. We'll get his new Jenneau 41 in May from
her cheap berth in Miami...(c;

Ah, another handheld GPS delivery in a boat stripped by her previous
owner...

Larry
--
Extremely intelligent life exists that is so smart they never called Earth.

Intercoastal waterway
 

Before you go BE SURE to read The Boy, Me and the Cat. The author made the
trip down to Florida just before WWI along the same route and wrote a
humorous classic about it. We have problems today on the ICW? Naw!

http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Me-Cat-Mas.../dp/1589762266

Bill Longyard


"tt" wrote in message
oups.com...
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the current condition of the
intercoastal waterway from the Cheasapeake Bay to Central Florida. .I
would like to plan a late spring or early summer trip from myrtle beach
either north or south depending on conditions. Small ( 19ft. )shallow
draft centerboard sloop.