ICW, mile 0 to BeauforT, NC

[AnchorageGuy]

Advise for South Carolina, Georgia and Florida will not help the OP since he is only going to North Carolina. Most of the comments he has received for that area is pretty accurate. Chuck

[Capt Sam]

Use Active Captain live as you go. They have the latest hazards noted.
Further, Captains that have just been through the area in the last few days will have notes on "how and where" to go.


Used on trip from Brunswick to Charleston and it saved several "groundings."
In one case North of Savannah, had just read about staying "so near the grass you could touch it" to stay in deep water. 10 minutes later a power boat that had passed us, was stuck in the middle of the channel as we "touched the grass."


Lots of smiling as we passed....

[wesevans]

You are pushing the envelop. You will have to watch the tide, wind and whether the ICW water is at, above or below datum. The option is to sail inlet to inlet. Depending on the year and it's rainfall there many be places where you 7' draft will be too much. Get and read the Water way guide and current CG notice to mariners.

[ehniii]

I would just like to say thanks for all of the great info. My fellow boaters and I will feel a bit more confident about the ICW now.. Obviously, as with all of sailing it is not without its pitfalls. The good the bad and the ugly I guess.

As for the Beauford, Beaufort thing, I even looked it up.

Anyway thanks for the info. Hope to keep in touch

Smoke & Mirrors

[Travis McGee]

Originally Posted by ehniii

I would just like to say thanks for all of the great info. My fellow boaters and I will feel a bit more confident about the ICW now.. Obviously, as with all of sailing it is not without its pitfalls. The good the bad and the ugly I guess.

As for the Beauford, Beaufort thing, I even looked it up.

Anyway thanks for the info. Hope to keep in touch

Smoke & Mirrors

If you set out now, plan to be trapped by a few normally 65' bridges when the storm raises water levels for several days or weeks. Bring lots of provisions. If you make it to Belhaven before being trapped, you will be golden. There is not much between Coinjock and Belhaven in the way of stores.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Travis McGee

If you set out now, plan to be trapped by a few normally 65' bridges when the storm raises water levels for several days or weeks. Bring lots of provisions. If you make it to Belhaven before being trapped, you will be golden. There is not much between Coinjock and Belhaven in the way of stores.

Yup, given the forecast, the Wilkerson Bridge could be problematic for some time to come...

Best bet might be to split up the flotilla at the entrance to Albemarle Sound, and send the Catalina 445 through the route E of Roanoke Island and down Pamlico Sound, instead...

[Cheechako]

1) have towing insurance. You are likely going to need it, if not further north, in Florida anyway.
2) Do not approach bridges until you are confident you have the air clearance... currents often become quite strong as you get close and at that point you are committed.

[Capt Sam]

Get the unlimited towing coverage...

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Capt Sam

Get the unlimited towing coverage...

Good point, anything less is worthless.

[rsailorbob]

There are two kinds of sailboats on the ICW. Those that have run aground and those that will run aground. Channels tend to scour on the outside of a curve and shoal on the inside. deeper water tend to be on the outside of a curved channel. The channel is a curve not point to point as the marks lull you to believe. If you steer the curve and stay in the MIDDLE rather than going marker to marker, you will have a much better chance of avoiding the bottom. In minor groundings you can often heel the boat with the main halyard and an anchor and power off toward the deeper water.

Navionics Sonic Charts often provide more current depth info. Be sure to download Active Captain Offline data since Murphy says you won't have 4G when you need it. I Like the MXMariner Active Captain Interface.

Little River Inlet is not a problem but we needed mid tide with 6-10 draft to get in and out of the marina (Coquina Harbor)

Have fun!

[Cheechako]

I plowed for miles on the ICW with 6-5" draft... as evidenced by the big plume of mud behind the boat. Trouble is ...there are spots with hard sand also. I ran hard aground twice, hit something hard like a rock once.

[SteveSails]

Hi Ed,

I would skip the ICW and just go outside, the recent heavy rains bring all sorts of debris to the ICW. Wait out the weather then just go, stay close to shore and pick up a counter current around Hatteras.

But, if you must do the ICW then look at Towndock.net from Oriental NC and select water levels page, shows levels at various points in NC. Strong NE winds raise the levels but work against the 64' air draft. If you can induce a 10deg heal that will lower the air draft by almost a foot, might be hard to do in a wide Catalina though. Active Captain is another great tool.

Hope that helps, Say hello to Harvest Moon.

Steve H.

[Travis McGee]

Originally Posted by SteveSails

Hi Ed,

I would skip the ICW and just go outside, the recent heavy rains bring all sorts of debris to the ICW. Wait out the weather then just go, stay close to shore and pick up a counter current around Hatteras.

But, if you must do the ICW then look at Towndock.net from Oriental NC and select water levels page, shows levels at various points in NC. Strong NE winds raise the levels but work against the 64' air draft. If you can induce a 10deg heal that will lower the air draft by almost a foot, might be hard to do in a wide Catalina though. Active Captain is another great tool.

Hope that helps, Say hello to Harvest Moon.

Steve H.

Considering recent weather, heavy rain, flooding, and wind-driven water level rise, I'd say that is very good advice, Steve.

[Keith Puls]

Can anyone report on the depth in the channel on the east side of Roanoke Island. I draw 7'3" and am hoping to be able to slip thru and get to the Pamlico Sound.

Thanks

Keith "Cabernet"

[Hudson Force]

Water depths are great just now! I was in Norfolk a five days ago and we're now in Oriental, not far from Beaufort.

Here's a photo of us in a slip at Oriental Marina in May followed by a similar photo taken this morning:




We've been rocked by the wakes made by a few passing cars!

You'll certainly have the depth for a while. but the bridges will be lower than the posted mean high clearance for some time!