Going south from Annapolis in December

[Miss Ellie]

Is anyone leaving or ever left Annapolis in late november or early December to make the trip south in a sail boat via the ICW?

[Ti' Punch]

No, but I did go the other way from New Bern, NC to Norfolk, VA in December. It was cold, but pretty much had the ICW to ourselves each day.

[CCBullseye]

I have seen the Bay freeze up a week before Christmas. Does not happen very often, but it has happened.

[Jane.Joy]

brrrrrr

[chuckr]

our insurance did not allow us to go below morehead city nc until nov 1 - we usually hit it about that time and it was cold - bundle up as it will be cold but you can do it - assume 50-60 miles a day on the icw but we go off at beaufort sc and run direct to miami and hope we do not turn into ice icles before we make fla

just our thoughts and opinions
chuck patty and svsoulmates
in trinidad for hurricane season

[Miss Ellie]

Thanks.....We are hoping to meet up with other cruisers to share the "cool" sailing/motoring days...always makes it seem better knowing others are near!

[flagorio]

My window of opportunity to leave Annapolis area starts November 19. I intend to go as far as i can subject to weather window. Then I need to return to work after Thanksgiving for a week or two, then it's south for me in December, as well.
I started in Marinette WI so cold is no biggie. It has been a hell of a voyage so far.

[Amapola]

We've done it in both a sailboat and trawler. It gets cold on the water and sometimes frost appears in the mornings. In addition, you get the winter circular wind patterns which make for rough seas especially crossing the sounds and wide rivers. We were glad to get home to Florida!

[Miss Ellie]

Flagorio....Hope you at least get to Norfolk before you have to get back to work!
Our timeline looks similar...we are hoping to leave Annapolis on Dec 2nd or 3rd.....
Hopefully we will see you out there. What type of boat do you have?

[Paul L]

We're leaving the Monday after Turkey Day from York River VA to start heading to Moorehead City inside. Then if we can get some weather we'll head outside to Charleston and then....

[onestepcsy37]

i'll be helping a friend bring his hunter 34 from annapolis to fort lauderdale sometime between dec 1 and jan 30. after reading this i'm thinking maybe i shouldn't have signed on...

[flagorio]

I am in Edgewater right now. My boat is a 1963 Rawson 30 Ketch. White hull with green stripe, green sail covers and wood trim, bowsprit and aft railing. Bronze davits aft. I have to repack the boat tomorrow and put up sails. Probably leave Sunday or Monday. I filled up on diesel today Supposed to be breezy on the lower Chesapeake So am debating to do an overnighter or three day trips to Norfolk.

[Rod Headlee]

Originally Posted by Miss Ellie

Is anyone leaving or ever left Annapolis in late november or early December to make the trip south in a sail boat via the ICW?

We left last year November 9th, stopped in New Bern for the holidays where they had a wonderful rate for southbound cruisers. Then we went offshore at Beaufort, NC to Charleston SC in Jan, spent that in Charleston. Then we went offshore to Cape Canaveral in late Jan or early Feb. ICW to Ft Pierce, offshore to Palm Beach in March. Any questions I can help you with?

[hooligan6a]

I left a few years ago (sailboat) the 7th December. It was not that bad. I had my coldest
day crossing the Nuse River. That was a very cold 2/3 hours, strong wind on the nose. Another year I left the last week in Feb. It was much worse then in
December. It all gets better south of BO'ferd.

[flagorio]

I left Annapolis yesterday at 5:30 pm. We had a weather window and went for it. At 5:00 am the admiral let us get a little out of the shipping channel and we struck an unlit gill net. I wound up diving down and cutting away the rope which bound us. While doing so I got caught in the net and had to cut myself out of the net.it was cold and dangerous work. We lost two hours so we are arriving into port at twilight and to the Marina after dark! Thank God I had my wet suit, fins and a mask and my health at 61.
Stay close to the shipping lanes!