ICW with 7 1/2 Foot Keel - Piece of Cake

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I've done Wilmington to Charleston to Hilton Head with a 5'5" keel - no problem if you pay attention to tides. Georgia is quite another story - went outside HHI to Fernandina. Also did Fernandina Beach to West Palm with no issue.

[jkleins]

Originally Posted by carstenb

You shouldn't have any air draft problems at 63.5 the bridges are 65 feet at high tide so you can go under easily

The parts that we did do above Charleston and some of Florida we saw that the bridge height on the boards at high tide was considerably below 65/64 ft. We went through at low/mid tides with barely enough clearance and it seems others on the internet have the same issue. It was more this inconsistency and uncertainty that made it not much fun.
The few places we traveled under the same bridge twice and we knew the boards were correct (or at least good enough) we had no problem and have to agree that the waterway was pleasant. It was always the planning of a long trip from inlet to inlet in an area we had never been before without the real time knowledge of the bridge height and board accuracy that was a pain.

Jim

[Diesel Bill]

Could be done but the attention to the schedule just didn't seem like cruising. We never got through the turn just south of the Ponce de Leon inlet at low tide and strong ebb. We just were too chicken to run it fast enough to avoid the current moving us out of the channel. :-)[/QUOTE]

Wife and I used to anchor just below that turn near the fixed bridge at night to dip shrimp on the outgoing tide. that current is indeed pretty strong.

[EEC]

Just did Brunswick GA to Norfolk VA with 6' keel and a broken depthsounder, we strapped a handheld unit to the boat hook as a make shift. Bumped the bottom a couple times but by reading the Waterway Guide to know about areas of concern and minding the tide we never truly ran aground to the point we were stuck or the boat stopped.

As mentioned, minding the tides is huge, hit the bad spots when the 4'+ tide is at it's peak and you have no issue. I think a big problem for sailboats is most with a 7'+ draft have masts above 65'. So you need low tide for bridges and high tide for depth.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by EEC

Just did Brunswick GA to Norfolk VA with 6' keel and a broken depthsounder, we strapped a handheld unit to the boat hook as a make shift. Bumped the bottom a couple times but by reading the Waterway Guide to know about areas of concern and minding the tide we never truly ran aground to the point we were stuck or the boat stopped.

As mentioned, minding the tides is huge, hit the bad spots when the 4'+ tide is at it's peak and you have no issue. I think a big problem for sailboats is most with a 7'+ draft have masts above 65'. So you need low tide for bridges and high tide for depth.

we're ok on bridges - we have a 61 ft air draft so not a real problem for us'

[carstenb]

We've reached Oriental and we did have some issues at the New River inlet, took us 5 tries to find a way through, but we did get there at dead low tide.
Had it been high tide we would ahve just sailed right through

Still don't understand why everyone thinks it can't be done

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Still don't understand why everyone thinks it can't be done

Come much further South, down in Fl, not much tidal change either. Where I am its about a foot or so.
I never like playing in the shallows at high tide, if you do go aground, how you going to get off?

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Easy Peasy

or Piece of cake - what is everyone so nervous about?

Yeah well. It's easy to do the easy part isn't it? Try doing the hard part (Charlseton south through Georgia and into Florida) and then come on here and brag about how easy I was.

Not sure why someone would come on here and brag about how easy it is to do something when they haven't even done half of it.

For the record, I've never gotten stranded but I have touched twice. On both occasions I was mid channel where there was supposed to be deep water on a boat with a 5' draft.

Both times I was going slow trying to figure out what was going on when my depth sounder didn't match what I was seeing on the chart.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Yeah well. It's easy to do the easy part isn't it? Try doing the hard part (Charlseton south through Georgia and into Florida) and then come on here and brag about how easy I was.

Not sure why someone would come on here and brag about how easy it is to do something when they haven't even done half of it.

For the record, I've never gotten stranded but I have touched twice. On both occasions I was mid channel where there was supposed to be deep water on a boat with a 5' draft.

Both times I was going slow trying to figure out what was going on when my depth sounder didn't match what I was seeing on the chart.

That is somewhat crass. Maybe you didn't heed the tide. Then again you hadn't sailed from Denmark to be in the ditch.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Cadence

That is somewhat crass. Maybe you didn't heed the tide. Then again you hadn't sailed from Denmark to be in the ditch.

Actually, crass is having the bravado to come on here and saying the ICW is a piece of cake and shaming people who think it isn't.

FWIW I've crossed the Atlantic before. So what? SO WHAT? It's nigh impossible to run aground in the middle of the ocean.

Easy peasy to run aground up a creek in Georgia, which is a stretch the OP hasn't been through.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Actually, crass is having the bravado to come on here and saying the ICW is a piece of cake and shaming people who think it isn't.

FWIW I've crossed the Atlantic before. So what? SO WHAT? It's nigh impossible to run aground in the middle of the ocean.

Easy peasy to run aground up a creek in Georgia, which is a stretch the OP hasn't been through.

He didn't reference Georgia just north of Charleston so what's your gripe?

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Cadence

He didn't reference Georgia just north of Charleston so what's your gripe?

Is the title of the thread "Wilmington to Charleston on the ICW with 7 1/2 Foot Keel - Piece of Cake"?

No. It isn't. Is it?

It is "ICW with 7 1/2 Foot Keel - Piece of Cake"

In titling his thread the OP would have you believe the entirety of the ICW is a piece of cake when in fact his personal experience is with just a small portion of it. In my mind this title is crass, which is by definition lacking refinement, sensitivity, and intelligence.

If you don't agree with me that is cool. I am okay with that.

[Seabeau]

In years past sailors sailed vessels designed for their own local conditions. I'm from Georgia and I cruise the Southeast Coast of the US. Given my self imposed geographical limitations, I searched out and found in my opinion, the ultimate shallow draft monohull. My Presto 36 is a 18,000 lb. disp. true centerboard vessel designed in 1880 by one of L. Francis Herreshoff good friends, Ralph M. Munroe of Coral Gables Florida and built in Florida in 1984 . Her ballast is partly carried in a external lead grounding shoe 9" wide and 6" deep which runs the length of boat. The remainder of the lead ballast was cast externally and glassed into her shallow bilges. Naturally, due to the internal ballast, she has a low aspect ketch rig (main is 40ft tall) with long overhangs to help spread out and maximize the sail area. Lite ship mode and board up she drafts approx. 2'-6", with the board down 5'-6". Many times in the evenings, time and tides permitting, I find a friendly sandbar to ground her on to spend the night. Such is life on thin water.

[JPA Cate]

Yes, Cadence,

Experienced cruisers have lots of reasons for using the tides. Doing it makes sense when you need the depth, for sure; but also, if you are having to motor, like you have a motor vessel, your fuel dollars go a lot further when you go with the tidal streams.

Ann

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Is the title of the thread "Wilmington to Charleston on the ICW with 7 1/2 Foot Keel - Piece of Cake"?

No. It isn't. Is it?

It is "ICW with 7 1/2 Foot Keel - Piece of Cake"

In titling his thread the OP would have you believe the entirety of the ICW is a piece of cake when in fact his personal experience is with just a small portion of it. In my mind this title is crass, which is by definition lacking refinement, sensitivity, and intelligence.

If you don't agree with me that is cool. I am okay with that.

Delancy

we don't need to argue

we are now closing in on Norfolk and will then have done the northern half of the classic ICW. If, as you claim, the southern half is the truly difficult part, then we will discover that this fall when we come back down.

Now it might be the difficult part, although in the past I've heard the opposite, but that's not important.

So far, our experience is that if you mind your tides, pay attention - then you can run the (parts of the ) ICW without major issues.

Perhaps you are correct and the title should have been more concise. Run the ICW from Charleston to NOrfolk with a 7 ft 5 inch keel.

If that would suit you better - I'm at peace with it