I plan on sailing down to Florida next year after I get some more experience under my belt. I'm taking a coastal cruising course and going for my Captains license. The question is how difficlt is it to sail down the intercoastal from the New York City area. Most of my sailing has been on the Long Island Sound. Thanks for your help. Richard
The Intercoastal Waterway
- Thread starter Duke3374
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Almost impossible
Ahoy Duke, Making the trip numerous times both ways, you will find is is really hard to sail the ICW. You will motor most of the time. Well you might like short tacking, you will get plenty of practice. You will find the ICW is to narrow to sail and shallow in allot of places. Constant shoaling is another problem. That is the bad part. Actually it's a fun trip and many good places to visit along the way. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave I sail therefore I ARRRRRrrrr!!
Ahoy Duke, Making the trip numerous times both ways, you will find is is really hard to sail the ICW. You will motor most of the time. Well you might like short tacking, you will get plenty of practice. You will find the ICW is to narrow to sail and shallow in allot of places. Constant shoaling is another problem. That is the bad part. Actually it's a fun trip and many good places to visit along the way. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave I sail therefore I ARRRRRrrrr!!
Actually you will not be sailing much.
Concentrate on learning some of the other disciplines, like motoring, calculating range and planning refueling stops, charting tides and currents , anchoring, provisioning, chart reading etc. Unlike sailing offshore there is no using autopilot on the ICW you will have to be at the helm and alert all the way. Weather can be an issue even on the ICW so maintain informed. Be flexible on your schedule as it will probably take you longer than you may anticipate. You will not be able to maintain a mileage target day after day. Either the weather, something will break or you'll get tired and need some rest.
Concentrate on learning some of the other disciplines, like motoring, calculating range and planning refueling stops, charting tides and currents , anchoring, provisioning, chart reading etc. Unlike sailing offshore there is no using autopilot on the ICW you will have to be at the helm and alert all the way. Weather can be an issue even on the ICW so maintain informed. Be flexible on your schedule as it will probably take you longer than you may anticipate. You will not be able to maintain a mileage target day after day. Either the weather, something will break or you'll get tired and need some rest.
Benny is right
take a class in advance coastal navigation. I would not travel at night. I would come outside at cape fear. Then I would go inside at Georgetown, SC and spend the night. Then back outside until Jacksonville. Sure it rough out there but it is faster and easier than inside.
take a class in advance coastal navigation. I would not travel at night. I would come outside at cape fear. Then I would go inside at Georgetown, SC and spend the night. Then back outside until Jacksonville. Sure it rough out there but it is faster and easier than inside.
Mount a twelve pounder on your deck!!
Hey Duke... I vote for the inside! You can always sneak outside for a short offshore run on a good day between well marked and dredged inlets (Fernandino, FLA to Jacksonville, FLA) is an excellent example. Know your vessel under power and make sure you have spares, fresh filters and a good tune-up before heading out. Everyone is correct in that you will power 80% if not more of the time, but 5-8 knots is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the coast. Study your charts, buy all the books on ICW cruising you can, and have a wonderful adventure. Why the twelve pounder on deck? Those few impolite powerboaters who care not what size wake they leave you in those narrow channels. Bob
Hey Duke... I vote for the inside! You can always sneak outside for a short offshore run on a good day between well marked and dredged inlets (Fernandino, FLA to Jacksonville, FLA) is an excellent example. Know your vessel under power and make sure you have spares, fresh filters and a good tune-up before heading out. Everyone is correct in that you will power 80% if not more of the time, but 5-8 knots is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the coast. Study your charts, buy all the books on ICW cruising you can, and have a wonderful adventure. Why the twelve pounder on deck? Those few impolite powerboaters who care not what size wake they leave you in those narrow channels. Bob
It's a great trip
The Admiral and I made the trip from Buffalo, NY to Charleston, SC in 2005. Great trip. We opted for the inside route. As others have said you will not be sailing very much. I would be happy to send you copies of our ship's logs if you care to read them. Contact me at CDickhut2@aol.com If you have not started the Captain's class yet I suggest Mariners School they are in NJ. Captain Chuck S/V Obsession Catalina 320
The Admiral and I made the trip from Buffalo, NY to Charleston, SC in 2005. Great trip. We opted for the inside route. As others have said you will not be sailing very much. I would be happy to send you copies of our ship's logs if you care to read them. Contact me at CDickhut2@aol.com If you have not started the Captain's class yet I suggest Mariners School they are in NJ. Captain Chuck S/V Obsession Catalina 320
Intercoastal
Nick, Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure what month yet? Probably October or November. I have to get the boat down to St Croix by January. I want to try and start a charter business just day sails. I don't think I can sail it dwon to St croix from Florida my self. Have to hire someone No Balls!!! I will stay in touch. My email is duke1046@optonline.net Thanks, Richard
Nick, Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure what month yet? Probably October or November. I have to get the boat down to St Croix by January. I want to try and start a charter business just day sails. I don't think I can sail it dwon to St croix from Florida my self. Have to hire someone No Balls!!! I will stay in touch. My email is duke1046@optonline.net Thanks, Richard
Intercoastal 1
Bob, Thanks for your reply. What do you mean by 12 pounder? Excuse me for being stupid!! Richard
Bob, Thanks for your reply. What do you mean by 12 pounder? Excuse me for being stupid!! Richard
Duke and Seadaddler
As others have said you won't be able to do alot of sailing except across the sounds in NC. But, you can motorsail whenever you're not in a canal and the winds are ok. I've been making the trip each year for the past 6 years. October is the nicest month. Still warm, still ok daylight hours, but past prime Hurricane season. From NY, wait for a weather window, run offshore to Cape May (or all the way to Cape Charles if the weather is really nice). If you want to take your time, go up Delaware Bay, thru the canal and down the Chesapeake Bay.... otherwise go back out. Its ~ 24 hrs offshore from Cape May to Cape Charles. Come in and fuel up at maybe Little Creek, Norfolk (if you want to go back outside) or Tidewater Yacht, Portsmouth (if you want to stay inside). I prefer to stay inside from Norfolk to Morehead City rather than out and around Cape Hatteras. It's a fairly easy 3 day run inside from Norfolk to Morehead/Bauford, if you motor/sail 8 hr days. If the weather is good, go back outside at Morehead City... its ~36hrs to Charleston; ~56 +or- to St. Augustine; and many other possible inlets in between. Staying inside is more comfortable but much slower, more tedious, and you WILL run aground somewhere along the way. If the weather is bad when you get to Morehead City, continue down the ICW to Wrightsville Beach, then go outside at Cape Fear River... or stay inside 1 day further and go out of Wynya Bay (Georgetown). The ICW thru SC and Ga. is long, winding and sholing. Once in Fla, IMHO, it's just as quick and far more comfortable to stay inside down to Lake Worth... then out that inlet, and down the coast to the Keys. Good luck, have fun.... ! !
As others have said you won't be able to do alot of sailing except across the sounds in NC. But, you can motorsail whenever you're not in a canal and the winds are ok. I've been making the trip each year for the past 6 years. October is the nicest month. Still warm, still ok daylight hours, but past prime Hurricane season. From NY, wait for a weather window, run offshore to Cape May (or all the way to Cape Charles if the weather is really nice). If you want to take your time, go up Delaware Bay, thru the canal and down the Chesapeake Bay.... otherwise go back out. Its ~ 24 hrs offshore from Cape May to Cape Charles. Come in and fuel up at maybe Little Creek, Norfolk (if you want to go back outside) or Tidewater Yacht, Portsmouth (if you want to stay inside). I prefer to stay inside from Norfolk to Morehead City rather than out and around Cape Hatteras. It's a fairly easy 3 day run inside from Norfolk to Morehead/Bauford, if you motor/sail 8 hr days. If the weather is good, go back outside at Morehead City... its ~36hrs to Charleston; ~56 +or- to St. Augustine; and many other possible inlets in between. Staying inside is more comfortable but much slower, more tedious, and you WILL run aground somewhere along the way. If the weather is bad when you get to Morehead City, continue down the ICW to Wrightsville Beach, then go outside at Cape Fear River... or stay inside 1 day further and go out of Wynya Bay (Georgetown). The ICW thru SC and Ga. is long, winding and sholing. Once in Fla, IMHO, it's just as quick and far more comfortable to stay inside down to Lake Worth... then out that inlet, and down the coast to the Keys. Good luck, have fun.... ! !
Buck
Thanks for the help and great advice which you are giving is exactly what I am looking for where to go inside and outside. Weather weather is what it is all about and how to get that info when traveling. Nick
Thanks for the help and great advice which you are giving is exactly what I am looking for where to go inside and outside. Weather weather is what it is all about and how to get that info when traveling. Nick
12-pounder!!
Well Duke... A twelve pounder is simply a deck cannon that fires a 12-pound shot. Common on Man-O-War vessels of that long ago era, its simply more fun to imply your going to blow the hell out of a vessel leaving you a dangerous and damaging wake then lobbing water ballons or spit balls!! Unfortnately, the only recourse for our slow moving vessels is a call to the Coast Guard to report the vessels name and hale port. aaaarrrrgggghhhhh Bob Docked in the vanishing Lake Lanier, GA
Well Duke... A twelve pounder is simply a deck cannon that fires a 12-pound shot. Common on Man-O-War vessels of that long ago era, its simply more fun to imply your going to blow the hell out of a vessel leaving you a dangerous and damaging wake then lobbing water ballons or spit balls!! Unfortnately, the only recourse for our slow moving vessels is a call to the Coast Guard to report the vessels name and hale port. aaaarrrrgggghhhhh Bob Docked in the vanishing Lake Lanier, GA
Nick,
Ah, yes, the weather ! ! In addition to NOAA, I (have a TV antenna at my mast-top and) watch the TV News/Weather being broadcast from each local market as I go South down the coast. Even 20-25 miles offshore you can pick up Charleston, Savanna, etc. local TV stations. The TV weather radar, etc. is worth a thousand words... and its free.
Before you buy Sirius, go South and enjoy each of the different local weathermen on TV from NY to Miami.! I think you'll agree that unless you actually leave the county, you don't really need Sirius. Besides, the local news/weathermen are way too much fun....
Ah, yes, the weather ! ! In addition to NOAA, I (have a TV antenna at my mast-top and) watch the TV News/Weather being broadcast from each local market as I go South down the coast. Even 20-25 miles offshore you can pick up Charleston, Savanna, etc. local TV stations. The TV weather radar, etc. is worth a thousand words... and its free.
Before you buy Sirius, go South and enjoy each of the different local weathermen on TV from NY to Miami.! I think you'll agree that unless you actually leave the county, you don't really need Sirius. Besides, the local news/weathermen are way too much fun....- Status