From NY to Florida along the coast

MJWarner · Sep 22, 2010

I ran aground several times following the advice of Skipper Bob. Heard other cruisers saying the same. A Boat US captain told us Skipper Bob passed away several years back, the guide is still being published yearly even though there have been no updates made since his demise.
We did start using The Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook: Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida by Leslie Kettlewell (Editor), John J, Kettlewell (Editor). Spot on charts, advice, anchorages, marinas, and bridge info. This would be my only chart recomendation after having used it from Moorehead to Miami and back.
If you are trying to avoid Tuttle bridge, we left out of Palm Beach (Lake Worth inlet) and came in Government Cut (Miami). It was a wonderful offshore day run. Also, we always went outside at Beaufort NC, and came back in at Masonboro Inlet to avoid Frying Pan Shoals. We then leave out at Southport (Cape Fear River) to head offshore again. I have no personal knowledge of avoiding Cape Hatteras, as we are off the ICW below Bellhaven and use it to traverse to Beaufort NC, however, an awful lot of cruisers use the ICW route through our area instead of rounding Hatteras.

Chuckbear · Sep 22, 2010

MJWarner said:
I ran aground several times following the advice of Skipper Bob. Heard other cruisers saying the same. A Boat US captain told us Skipper Bob passed away several years back, the guide is still being published yearly even though there have been no updates made since his demise.

This is just not correct. The Skipper Bob publications have been updated on the average of three times a year and have been since Skipper Bob passed away. If you are using an older outdated guide book, no matter who publishes it, you are going to have problems, just as you will if using outdated charts, etc. Chuck

RichH · Sep 22, 2010

I think the problem when using the Skipper Bob books is that one also uses the typical chartplotters ..... and most chartplotters are dead WRONG about 5% of the time of exactly where the ICW 'magenta line' is. .... and so is the Kettlewell Book.

The ICW constantly changes its 'natural course' over time and Skippy Bob (web updates) is THE source for the constant changes in the 'bottom'.

MJWarner · Sep 22, 2010

Well, as I said, It was the information we recieved from two Boat Us captains as we were being extracted from one of the recommended Skipper Bob anchorages. The guide was the current years guide that we recieved from someone who decided not to make the trip due to mechanical issues.
I also saw mention to boarding and hassle in the Daytona Beach area. That was not something we encountered during a week long stay at anchor there.
And as to running the ICW at night: unless you have a large spotlight, slow speed and nerves of steel, I wouldn't. We kept on ONE night for 40 minutes after full dark to make an anchorage. Yikes! Many of the markers are not lit. Even with a half moon, there was no ambient light to find them, and we crawled along at idle, with a spot light and chartplotter. It was something I would never put myself of crew through again.

Chuckbear · Sep 22, 2010

MJWarner said:
Well, as I said, It was the information we recieved from two Boat Us captains as we were being extracted from one of the recommended Skipper Bob anchorages. The guide was the current years guide that we recieved from someone who decided not to make the trip due to mechanical issues .

Are we talking about Skipper Bob? There are no years related to the Skipper Bob publications, the information is updated usually as it comes in. For instance, if you give the the information as to where you and others ran aground and the details, it would be on the Skipper Bob website immediately as Rich said, and in the next printing of the book which could be next week. Once again, using old information no matter where the source comes from will create problems. Have the most current charts, guides, and other resources at the beginning of the trip. Chuck

MJWarner · Sep 22, 2010

Chuckbear, I'm not going to argue this w/ you. You obviously know more on the subject than I do. However, for the record, we were using a Skipper Bob that was purchased NEW in mid October for a Nov. 1st trip. If this is "old" by any standard, then I don't understand the meaning of "current". And no, we did not check the Skipper Bob website on a daily basis for updates. We were using new chart chips, a chart (also current year) ICW chartbooks (we had three, all new) and eyeballs (while not current, I do rely heavily on them). We ended up "chucking" Bob in favor of the Intracoastal Waterway chart, and had no further problems. Everyone has to find what works best for them. This is what worked (and didn't) for me.

seadaddler · Sep 22, 2010

Hi Estelle

First off what year 380 Hunter and whats the mast height and your draft,what electronics do you have on your 380 and what chartplotter.
I left Montauk,NY around Oct.20,2008 and did all off shore,the plaan was to sail sraight to the Bahamas and than over to Florida,my crew had about 14 days to help me make the trip and if not we would leave the boat where ever we could.
We did good until my Rat S1 auto stop working and weather reporting was not working at all,so we went into Cape Hatteras inlet which was very tuff inlet and thank god the CG help us out on the VHF.
WE tried to fix the Auto but it just not working and so went down inside until Moorhead inlet and than out off shore until Ft Pierce,was a tolal of about 9 days.
I left the boat there until Jan and I and two friends with no sailing experience helped me sail down to Biscayne Bay and around the keys up to Punta Gorda with total 4 days stopping in lake worth and Biscayne Bay.
My charts are bay in Florida and I am up in Maine and heading back to NY and than back to Florida in my Motor Home,if I can help give a yell.
I have a ray C-80 and it did help motor in the ICW at night very well no problems.
Nick

Benny · Sep 22, 2010

You can sail in the ICW but when approaching a bridge opening you may be required to drop your sails. One time had a bridge nazi tender holding up boat traffic because an approaching sloop under sail apparently was not monitoring vhf. Needless to say the sloop captain was not treted kindly by his fellow boaters who had to heave an scramble in the tidal currents.

Stu Jackson · Sep 22, 2010

My understanding is that BoatUS has some information on the dredging on the ICW. You might want to check their website, too. Can't ever have too much information...

RichH · Sep 23, 2010

http://www.torresen.com/s4s/manuals/hunter/38 Owner's Manual 10-27-05.pdf
Mast height (antennas not included) for the 3800 is 60 ft. Add 3+ft for antennas and you have 63 ft. Of course, you should make 'actual' measurements to be sure.

I would suggest that you arrange for a 'spring loaded' antenna fastening system so IF your antenna does in fact come in contact with a bridge (due to extreme high water from 'wind tides', etc.), the antenna wont be damaged and will 'reset itself' on the attachment to the mast top.
I state this because many of the bridge navigation lights that 'hang down' from the bridge structures on the ICW may well be not included in the posted 'height gage boards' on some of the bridges .... NC & SC.
Note: many of the fixed bridges in Florida are purposely 'mis-marked' (for local legal purposes) and will have their 'indicator boards' typically reading at 62-63 ft. when the actual 'air clearance' is 65 ft. You must be aware that the 'number boards' are set for MEAN *HIGH WATER* clearances. Also there is an apparent distinct 'rudeness' in South Florida and you may possibly be 'waked' by large powerboats exactly when you are beneath these fixed bridges possibly causing the boat to come in contact with the bridge when 'on top' of the large wakes.

Chuckbear · Sep 23, 2010

FYI, the issue with the bridge clearance in Florida came about when Florida decided to post the height at "low steel" rather than center span. The Coast Guard was very unhappy about that since they decide what the posted height is and not the state. So the order was to return the sign boards to their original markings. Whether that was done is anybodys guess. The good news is that the center span will be higher and not lower than the marked depth. Chuck

RichH · Sep 23, 2010

Chuck - the problem is nobody (nobody) knows which bridges are correctly marked and which bridge indicators have been altered !!!!!!!

I called my Senator with the suggestion: All bridges 'marked' at less than 65 ft. clearance to be ripped-out and rebuilt to the CORE standards ... and at the state's expense because THEY are the responsible party to comply with the 65ft. standard. If the bridges are posted at less than 65 ft. ... its clearly the 'states fault'. We'll see how far that goes.

BTW the same senator got that swing bridge rebuild at the Isle of Palms delayed .... so that the (elderly) 'snowbirds' on the ICW didnt have to needlessly include an 'ocean passage' to get around Charleston SC in the middle of the 'migration time'. Sometimes 'politics' works.

;-)

Nereussailor · Sep 23, 2010

Another thing that we did on our way down was to do 3-4 day jumps out in the Atlantic. We'd wait for a good weather window that was at least 3 days, and go outside. We planned our inlets for fuel water and supplies. We took the inside when weather was not so great so we could keep moving. We also jumped outside from Charleston, SC to St Augustine. It was a 4 day trip with winds on the nose the whole way, but we skipped the badly shoaled stretches of the ICW in Georgia.

Dave

Chuckbear · Sep 23, 2010

RichH said:
Chuck - the problem is nobody (nobody) knows which bridges are correctly marked and which bridge indicators have been altered !!!!!!!

I called my Senator with the suggestion: All bridges 'marked' at less than 65 ft. clearance to be ripped-out and rebuilt to the CORE standards ... and at the state's expense because THEY are the responsible party to comply with the 65ft. standard. If the bridges are posted at less than 65 ft. ... its clearly the 'states fault'. We'll see how far that goes.

BTW the same senator got that swing bridge rebuild at the Isle of Palms delayed .... so that the (elderly) 'snowbirds' on the ICW didnt have to needlessly include an 'ocean passage' to get around Charleston SC in the middle of the 'migration time'. Sometimes 'politics' works.

;-)

Rich, There is one bridge on the ICW that was built at 64 feet and not 65 and it is marked as such. The rest are all properly constructed. The bridges re-marked in Florida have nothing to do with construction. The State of Florida put up new sign boards showing height at low steel, the lowest point under the bridge withing the channel designation, and not at the center span, where most all bridges are measured. The difference is usually a couple of feet. The changed tide boards will not be a hazard to navigation since the actual height at center span is going to be higher than the boards show. This gives you more clearance. Chuck

Gary_H · Sep 23, 2010

http://cruisersnet.net/

This site usually has updates on shoaling and conditions posted by sailors who are currently traveling the ICW. It also post any CG notices and changes to bridge schedules ect.

Chuckbear · Sep 23, 2010

Yes and so does this site,
http://www.waterwayguide.com/
Chuck