ICW and the Hunter 49 short rig

Davidasailor26 · Aug 11, 2024

@Captain Larry-DH just posted about ICW bridge videos he took from atop his 64’6” air draft here - ICW Masthead Bridge Videos

smokey73 · Aug 11, 2024

What is your draft? Draft can be a problem in a few places and you may have to time your passages based on the tide for both air draft and water draft. My 40.5 Mash Head height is 63 ft 3 in + appurtenances, like yours and my draft is 4 ft 10 in. You also need to be aware that some of the bridges will not open if the wind is above a set speed (I think it is 35 mph or so.) One bridge that is particularly troublesome is the Wilkerson Bridge near Bell Haven, NC. It is actually nominal 64 feet and if the wind is from the South it will build up and there is not much tide to allow to wait it out. I did not go through this and went around Roanoke Island but it was a tense trip with some really skinny water. The problem with skipping this bridge is that the offshore route is around Cape Hatteres, which can be challenging. I went through with a friends Moody 46 that has 65 foot clearance but we heeled the boat over with a large "salvage bag" filled with water suspended from the boom extended out to one side. We still tinged the VHF antenna. There is at least one thread (probably more) on this forum that discusses the trip. How far South are you planning on going?

Captain Larry-DH · Aug 11, 2024

tkwhalen said:
I'm planning a trip south next year and just spent some time physically measuring my rig. From the mast head to the deck it is 56'9". From the deck plate to the water line it is 6'6" for a total of 63'3", So far so good. The anchor light is 7 inches above the mast head, wind cups are 8', the windex is 24' and the VHF antenna is 32'. In theory I might be able to squeeze by if I remove the windex and VHF antenna. However, I have a friend who went south this year and said that the 65' foot markers on a lot of the bridges were under water and on several so were the 64'. Couple that with shallow spots and I am beginning to think I should just plan to do the trip offshore.

So to my question.... Have any other 49 owners taken the ICW north or south and what was you experience?

Hi Kevin - I have a catamaran with 64’6” air draft (including the wind instruments). I’ve done the trip 4 times between FLL and CT in and out of the ICW, inlet hopping, and partial offshore. We went outside when crew were up to it and weather was favorable, stayed inside when that was more favorable. There were times we waited because neither was a good choice, or we needed to do provisioning/laundry/maintenance. It becomes like a strategy game, balancing time/distance/hazards/weather and bridge opening schedules.
The low fixed bridges (rarely 65 air clearance) that are most problematic are the Pungo Ferry and Wilkerson, and the Flagler Beach Bridge on the Palm Coast has no tide and is dependent on local rainfall. There are quite a few others that are frequently less than 65 at high tide but are tide dependent (E.g. Socaste bridge, McTeer Bridge, Isle of Palms bridge, more….).
You didn’t mention your depth, but you can bypass the Pungo Ferry bridge by using the Dismal Swamp Canal. I don’t recommend the DSC if your draft is deeper than about 5.5 Ft. (Supposedly it’s maintained to 6 ft draft.) Even at 4.5 draft we bumped a few submerged logs but they moved and we had no damage. The Pungo Ferry bridge can have 65 ft air clearance when the water level at this gauge reads zero. North Landing River near Creeds (This only happens when there is a sustained north wind that lowers the water level in the Albamarle Sound.).
Info on Socaste bridge Waterway Guide | Navigation Alert Information
There is a wealth of constant information updates on the Facebook ICW group called - ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423. I highly recommend that you join it and start reading past posts. Log into Facebook
You can also download Bob423’s safe tracks and import them into your navigation software (Aqua Maps is recommended). Learn more about them and download them free here Bob423 Long Tracks

smokey73 · Aug 11, 2024

I looked at the ICW Videos that were the thread referenced. Since the video poster went through the Washington-Baum bridge near Manteo it means he took the same path around Roanoke Island (that bridge is between the island and Nag's Head) that I referenced in post 3. He probably took this route, as I did, to avoid going under the Wilkerson Bridge that I referenced. There is some thin water on the route around Roanoke Island unless they have dredged and even though you are going through a wide expanse of water on the Pamlico Sound, the channel itself is narrow with only a few feet of water outside of the channel. Last I checked (a few years ago) there was reported shoaling along that route around Roanoke Island

Captain Larry-DH · Aug 11, 2024

smokey73 said:
I looked at the ICW Videos that were the thread referenced. Since the video poster went through the Washington-Baum bridge near Manteo it means he took the same path around Roanoke Island (that bridge is between the island and Nag's Head) that I referenced in post 3. He probably took this route, as I did, to avoid going under the Wilkerson Bridge that I referenced. There is some thin water on the route around Roanoke Island unless they have dredged and even though you are going through a wide expanse of water on the Pamlico Sound, the channel itself is narrow with only a few feet of water outside of the channel. Last I checked (a few years ago) there was reported shoaling along that route around Roanoke Island

I went through there in June and this is absolutely correct. But the channel is generally around 7-10 feet or more. Around Roanoke Island and south of it you MUST stay in the channel or very likely run aground immediately. The buoys are moved frequently to keep pace with the changing shoals, so while you should use your charting app to “stay in the lane“ you should prioritize buoys over charts if any conflicts are observed. The same goes for buoys that have a number and letter. Where there is a numbered marker-post you might see a buoy near it with the same number but a letter added (e.g. 6a should be followed instead of the nearby 6 buoy or daymarker). Call the local towboat operator for local guidance - I haven't done it often but the few times I did they were more than happy to help with up to date local knowledge. (These guys really want to help people, and they know all the trouble spots.
I highly recommend anyone doing the ICW to subscribe to the highest “unlimited tow” package with TowboatUS or SeaTow - or both.
One trouble spot is the channel junction at the entrance to Manteo. Buoy 30a and 29c were VERY close to each other in June, and it’s critical to go between them. The 3.x ft charted depths are outside the channel - there was at least 7 ft of water in the channel north there and going around the top of Roanoke Island.
It’s also critical to know that buoy 29c is part of the N-S channel and is NOT part of the Manteo entrance. If you keep that buoy on your port as you turn into Manteo entrance channel your boat will stop immediately! (This is sandy bottom, but it can still ruin your day). Green 3 and red 4 are the pair marking the entrance - stay away from the red and favor the greens all the way in. (The green dashed lines are my tracks).
edit: Chart shown is from Aqua Maps with USACE depth survey overlay displayed.

Captain Larry-DH · Aug 12, 2024

tkwhalen said:
facebook group sounds interesting but I've made it this far with out a facebook account

That decision precludes you from THE most informative and timely info on hazards and changes in the ICW (both official and crowd-sourced from other cruisers). Bob (forum moderator) is plugged in with the USCG and USACE, and posts all the most up to date changes.
You can do it read-only and web-only (don’t load the app). Use a free “burner” email address for it. Don’t overlook my advice on Bob’s tracks either, especially with your 5.5 draft.

Captain Larry-DH · Aug 13, 2024

@tkwhalen good luck. It‘s not just a trip, it’s a journey. Private message me If you’d like to have a conversation. Would be happy to help if I can.

Daze · Monday at 5:44 AM

@tkwhalen Hi Kevin - Still planning on heading south on the ICW this year? I'm planning a trip south as well in a couple of years.