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I live in an area where
bridges stop traffic and open so boats can pass through. The land is
situated so there is a “beach side” and a “mainland”. Doesn’t that
sound cool? I know your answer is yes and I must say I
agree. I don’t mind waiting on the boats to pass on the
waterway known as the Intracoastal Waterway, ICW. In my area
the ICW is used mostly by recreational boaters
. In other areas
especially near inlets, commercial vessels use the ICW just as much or
more than recreational boaters.
The ICW is an inland route for recreational and commercial boaters and it is about 2700 miles long. Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook : Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida
, charts a
part of the waterway used frequently especially by
"snowbirds". Snowbirds are cruisers who go south for the
winter and north for the summer, just like the real birds. Even though
it is a waterway that goes from Maine to Florida to Texas, the waterway
from Virginia to Florida is the major artery. The Maine to Florida part
of the ICW has a disconnect in south New Jersey so the cruiser must go
on the “outside” around NJ. The ICW overlaps with
other natural channels in many
areas and the cruiser must be aware that the ICW mark,
a broad yellow band, is omitted in some areas. Most of The cruisers
going north will go around NJ, through New York Harbor and up the
Hudson River to pick up the Erie Canal to go west to the Great Lakes.
Then there is the ICW on the west coast of Florida on the Gulf of
Mexico that goes from Carrabelle, Fl to Brownsville Texas.
The ICW is part of the “Great Loop” of waterways that circles the
eastern United States. We have friends that
sold
their sailboat and
bought a trawler just for the purpose of becoming a “looper”,
to make
the voyage of the entire “great loop”. They didn’t want to have to take
the mast down and they wanted less draft. Their trawler fits under
bridges without a problem. Some people take years to complete
the loop and others do it in a year. A saying is that “Sailors never
die. They just move to trawlers”.
Tugboat Pushes a Barge Along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico, Texas Photographic Print
Blair, James P.
Buy at AllPosters.com
The Intracoastal Waterway or ICW was first authorized in 1919 and it is maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers. Each state is to maintain their buoys, lights and other navigational markers but the Army Corp does the dredging in the ICW to keep the water depth at 10-12 ft. This allows for safe passage for most commercial and recreational vessels. The new bridges are 65ft tall and this height allows most vessels to go under them without any problem.
There are many beautiful anchorages along the ICW. The charts do a great job of documenting most of them. If you are in route, make sure your charts are up to date and be sure to listen to the advisories posted by NOAA and local VHF Radio
stations.
After the hurricanes of 04-05 came
through, the route to the inlet we usually took was no longer navigable
due to the shoaling caused by the winds and the storm surge.
The ICW has beautiful scenery. The palm trees and mangroves are awesome but in some areas there is no place to put a dinghy
let alone a
32ft
sailboat like we have. Along the ICW in the area where we live there
are several sections that have “manatee zones”. These lovely creatures
are endangered and need protected so you have to go slow in the areas
they frequent.
The ICW is a great waterway for boaters to use to get to where they want to go on the “inside” in a timely manner. It may not be as exciting as being on the "outside" on the ocean but the ICW has more amenities. The ICW has marinas for docking for a night or for a needed pump out. Anchorages Along the Intracoastal Waterway, Eleventh Edition shows you where there are some great spots to pull over and enjoy the beautiful scenery while cruising the ICW. There are lots of free anchorages and you will see many different kinds of wildlife. The ICW has restaurants along the way where you can dock and go ashore to have a meal if you don’t mind the current. I like sailing on the ICW where we live because it is well marked with buoys and this makes it easy to navigate. Someday I want to cruise the ICW from Daytona Beach to the NY Harbor and on to the St Lawrence Seaway to spend the summer in the 1000 Islands Region of upstate New York. (But that is another story and I can’t wait to write about that trip!)
The ICW is an inland route for recreational and commercial boaters and it is about 2700 miles long. Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook : Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida
, charts a
part of the waterway used frequently especially by
"snowbirds". Snowbirds are cruisers who go south for the
winter and north for the summer, just like the real birds. Even though
it is a waterway that goes from Maine to Florida to Texas, the waterway
from Virginia to Florida is the major artery. The Maine to Florida part
of the ICW has a disconnect in south New Jersey so the cruiser must go
on the “outside” around NJ. The ICW overlaps with
other natural channels in many
areas and the cruiser must be aware that the ICW mark,
a broad yellow band, is omitted in some areas. Most of The cruisers
going north will go around NJ, through New York Harbor and up the
Hudson River to pick up the Erie Canal to go west to the Great Lakes.
Then there is the ICW on the west coast of Florida on the Gulf of
Mexico that goes from Carrabelle, Fl to Brownsville Texas.
The ICW is part of the “Great Loop” of waterways that circles the
eastern United States. We have friends that
sold
their sailboat and
bought a trawler just for the purpose of becoming a “looper”,
to make
the voyage of the entire “great loop”. They didn’t want to have to take
the mast down and they wanted less draft. Their trawler fits under
bridges without a problem. Some people take years to complete
the loop and others do it in a year. A saying is that “Sailors never
die. They just move to trawlers”. Tugboat Pushes a Barge Along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico, Texas Photographic Print
Blair, James P.
Buy at AllPosters.com
The Intracoastal Waterway or ICW was first authorized in 1919 and it is maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers. Each state is to maintain their buoys, lights and other navigational markers but the Army Corp does the dredging in the ICW to keep the water depth at 10-12 ft. This allows for safe passage for most commercial and recreational vessels. The new bridges are 65ft tall and this height allows most vessels to go under them without any problem.
There are many beautiful anchorages along the ICW. The charts do a great job of documenting most of them. If you are in route, make sure your charts are up to date and be sure to listen to the advisories posted by NOAA and local VHF Radio
The ICW has beautiful scenery. The palm trees and mangroves are awesome but in some areas there is no place to put a dinghy
The ICW is a great waterway for boaters to use to get to where they want to go on the “inside” in a timely manner. It may not be as exciting as being on the "outside" on the ocean but the ICW has more amenities. The ICW has marinas for docking for a night or for a needed pump out. Anchorages Along the Intracoastal Waterway, Eleventh Edition shows you where there are some great spots to pull over and enjoy the beautiful scenery while cruising the ICW. There are lots of free anchorages and you will see many different kinds of wildlife. The ICW has restaurants along the way where you can dock and go ashore to have a meal if you don’t mind the current. I like sailing on the ICW where we live because it is well marked with buoys and this makes it easy to navigate. Someday I want to cruise the ICW from Daytona Beach to the NY Harbor and on to the St Lawrence Seaway to spend the summer in the 1000 Islands Region of upstate New York. (But that is another story and I can’t wait to write about that trip!)
