Mast height and the ICW

[Dockhand]

For the ICW I understand maximum DWL height is 65' and I have been looking at getting a larger boat. Some of the boats I have look at are about 59' which gives a person a little room. I looked at a 2004 Hunter 41 and it's listing DWL at 62'-10", I'm not sue that is correct yet but that is getting close to the maximum height.
Question going up or down the ICW with a DWL of 62'-10" going to be a big problem?

[CaptFrankM]

Some friends of ours used a boat with a 66 foot mast on the ICW last year. By timing the tides and occasionally getting creative (to get under the Wilkerson Bridge, they flooded their bilges and hung their children off the boom to create a list of about two feet), they were able to make it into Florida, where they finally went off shore... It can be done, but it adds one more complexity to the trip and slows you down.

[ohdrinkboy]

Don't forget all of the stuff at the top of the mast....windex, vhf antenna, etc.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Dockhand

Question going up or down the ICW with a DWL of 62'-10" going to be a big problem?

You can make it but you will be sweating at a lot of the bridges. AFAIK only the Julia Tuttle is 50 odd feet on the AICW but the rest of them might not quite be 65 feet. The Wilkerson (as previously noted) is always a problem for over 60 ft air draft, especially if the water is being blown in (no tide here). Personally I would not do the AICW with anything over 60 feet, excluding vhf antenna. Really scary if you go under a bridge and hear tink, tink, tink.

[iliohale]

Quick question, for boats with air draft exceeding 70' is there a strategy to do certain parts of the ICW combined with off shore sailing? Can anyone recommend a good ICW cruising guide that includes recommended approaches for boats with higher air drafts?

Gary

[NormanMartin]

The offshore route is fast and less expensive than the inshore/AICW route. The "bear" is Beaufort around Hatteras to Norfolk though I go all the way to NYC or Newport. It is a nice run.

[iliohale]

Originally Posted by NormanMartin

The offshore route is fast and less expensive than the inshore/AICW route. The "bear" is Beaufort around Hatteras to Norfolk though I go all the way to NYC or Newport. It is a nice run.

We will be heading south from NY to Florida during the summer season and want to take our time and experience the East Coast. We will be on a 50' cat with water draft of 3.8' and air draft of 80'. Any recommendations on a good cruising guide for boats with higher air draft?

Gary

[NormanMartin]

Gary: Some years ago while working for a sailing school I did a study for an ICW based series of courses using a catamaran. There are two big problems: dockage and air draft.

Not being a wise guy but the ICW is perfect for a nice trawler type or, my fav, a Maine lobster boat style motor vessel.

[iliohale]

Originally Posted by NormanMartin

Gary: Some years ago while working for a sailing school I did a study for an ICW based series of courses using a catamaran. There are two big problems: dockage and air draft.

Not being a wise guy but the ICW is perfect for a nice trawler type or, my fav, a Maine lobster boat style motor vessel.

I have to believe that there are portions of the ICW that are suitable for a larger cat. My question again is does anyone know of a good cruising guide that would provide this information with recommended routes?

Gary

[Sailshabby]

[/QUOTE]...and hung their children off the boom..[/QUOTE]

I'm familiar with the whole "Captain makes the law" and 'offering a sacrifice to Neptune' thing, but geez, hanging your kids? Seems kinda, well, extreme...

[Cheechako]

Nope, I did it with nearly 65 ft. Miami has a bridge that wont work though.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by iliohale

I have to believe that there are portions of the ICW that are suitable for a larger cat. My question again is does anyone know of a good cruising guide that would provide this information with recommended routes?

Gary

There are waterway guides that give you specific info for each bridge etc. Cant tell you the name but just google it.

[NormanMartin]

Blue Water Books in Ft Lauderdale sells many cruising guides. I don't have mine any more or I could cite the titles.

These guys sell a complete set of books and charts:
Embassy Cruising Guides, Marinas, Navigation Advice, Aerial Photos, GPS Waypoints | Maptech®

Best of luck. Norm

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by iliohale

Quick question, for boats with air draft exceeding 70' is there a strategy to do certain parts of the ICW combined with off shore sailing? Can anyone recommend a good ICW cruising guide that includes recommended approaches for boats with higher air drafts?

Gary

1. Get a US east coast chart. Check out the class A inlets.

2. Get something like Skipper Bobs anchorages on ICW (all bridges are listed with heights).

3. Check bridges between inlets on AICW

If there's no fixed bridges on any section between inlets you can go inside. If there are fixed bridges you'll have to stay outside. Off hand I'd say there aren't many sections without fixed bridges. I've been running here for twenty odd years and I'd say during that time about fifteen or twenty of the formerly opening bridges have been replaced by hi-rise fixed bridges, so the AICW has been getting worse for high air draft vessels, but a lot easier for masts under 65 feet.

[akprb]

62' stick on a Hunter 40.5 Legend and had no problems from Norfolk to Hutchinson Island.

Then, PROBLEM.

The sign boards said 64 and change and I had been through many others at 63 (the vhf antenna would tap, tap, tap on those).

This time the anemometer tapped and promptly fell into the ICW. Upon inspection a small crack was found at the mast head and the rig was replaced.

The lesson? All are not always as they say, the Hutchinson Island in particular :-)

We now have a 61' stick, still nerve wracking at times.