ICW or offshore

[davil]

Originally Posted by timb7734

The ICW traffic S bound in the fall is obnoxious, power boats passing on plane and veering all around you with wakes,.....

I have done this many times. Wait for a multiple day good weather window and go sail outside for two or three days. Note that each time you need to come in it will add 10 plus unproductive miles each way. Come in for places you want to visit like Charleston, Savanah, or St Augustine, and re provision for the next leg. This is the best of both worlds, being quicker, and letting you choose sights to see.

===========================
thank you Timb7734

my thoughts

normally keep between 10 and 20 miles from the coast to keep away from smaller power boats.
Commercial fishing boats are another story.

Seems there are no high traffic sea lanes for cargo shipping.

take care

[BBill]

Originally Posted by davil

===========================
thank you Timb7734

my thoughts

normally keep between 10 and 20 miles from the coast to keep away from smaller power boats.
Commercial fishing boats are another story.

Seems there are no high traffic sea lanes for cargo shipping.

take care

Cargo ships going south run west of the stream if going to the gulf and those going north run in the stream. Off Canaveral you can barely see land from the deck of a southbound freighter..however many miles that is.

The frost line is at Vero.

[davil]

Originally Posted by BBill

Cargo ships going south run west of the stream if going to the gulf and those going north run in the stream. Off Canaveral you can barely see land from the deck of a southbound freighter..however many miles that is.

The frost line is at Vero.

=============================
there are some important ports,like Charleston, Savannah,New Orleans.
The charts don't seem to show lanes or traffic separation?

[mjscottinnc]

Originally Posted by davil

Have specific question on outside re: (coastal traffic)



I live on the ICW and have experience going north from home (Morehead City NC)

Have also sailed north to Norfolk both ICW and outside rounding Cape Hatteras.



Now plan to go south, single-handed ICW has proven to be a challenge as stated in prior postings.



What traffic can I expect, keeping between 10 and 20 miles off the coast?



thanks.

I single hand everywhere and I’ve always found that staying between the 100 foot and 60 foot contours offshore when heading south maximizes the counter current during the fall and winter months, until Florida of course. On my last trip down I was able to maintain cell coverage 70% of the trip from NC to FL, which means I had weather forecasts and weather radar available. In every off shore trip I’ve encountered at least 1 other vessel between sunset to sunrise each day on AIS or radar, some following me the entire way day on and day out. Offshore tugs pulling barges, freighters, tankers, cargo ships, commercial fishing vessels of all types, customs speed boats, and navy destroyers. If you go enough you will see just about everything.

The one risk that I should have, but never thought about until I encountered it for the first time was pea soup fog which triggered false echo returns. A stressful few minutes until I figured out what was really going on. Came without warning, lasted for hours and disappeared just as fast.

[BBill]

Originally Posted by davil

=============================
there are some important ports,like Charleston, Savannah,New Orleans.
The charts don't seem to show lanes or traffic separation?

Ship captains go wherever they think is best but you can search shipping lanes and regulations to get a general idea of what the USCG has in print. The best thing a small boat sailor can do is not rely on any ship following lanes or avoiding you by much distance. They may divert but it might be close enough to see crew walking the deck and smoking cigs. That happened to me on a run from Baltimore to New Orleans in the gulf...and we were heading in opposite directions.

[MicHughV]

The nice thing about going offshore, is that you don't have to listen to that infernal diesel all day long.
You can also travel at night.
Traffic will be minimal.
It doesn't matter if your boat wanders around a bit.
You can use the autopilot.
You can relax and enjoy the trip. Read a book. Use the head. etc,
Might even be able to catch some fish.

Probably many more plusses, just can't think of them all now.

Imo....hands down the only way to go.
Want to see the towns on the way down ? Rent a car.

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by nuru05

We are newer liveaboards on a moody425 (we draft just over 6") currently frozen in Kenosha. Our plan is to take it across Huron and Erie and through the canals this summer. From there we will hang out around the Chesapeake until hurricane season ends and then head for the Bahamas. What I'm trying to decide is whether we are better off doing the ICW or going offshore. We have limited offshore experience and none on the ocean (we learned to sail on the great lakes). So if we have all the time in the world which one is the better choice?

Is there enough to see along the ICW to make it a worthwhile trip to just take our time and cruise down?

If we decide to go down the coast is it better to just push through and run hard to Florida or are the towns and ports worth stopping at along the way? We prefer to anchor out if at all possible, are there good anchorages going down either the ICW or the coast?

More the question, what is your mast height and draught? it's important in certain sections and could drive your plans.
There are some scenic and beautiful parts of the intercoastal and some working towns, just remember there is barge traffic and commercial traffic, so be aware of the rules governing rights of way. If you do it will remove some stress from the equation.
You can pick weather windows and pick offshore interc transits that become increasingly longer and learn incrementally, taking longer and longer passages, do an overnight and have a watch system, see how it works and adjust it for your crews particular style and needs, cruise the intercoastal when there's a place you want to check out, there are many.
There are guides and Bob's tracks to help. Personally, one of the most enjoyable part of our intercoastal experience was Georgia, some boats skipped it, saying it was boring and there were not enough marinas. But we prefer to anchor anyway, iit turned out to be a good experience, miles of salt grass expanses, remote canals, bird life, marine life and open wild spaces, and some large expanses of wetlands, it was beautiful scenery, especially in the dawn hours.
There are many options, depending on your likes and needs, modern weather services are so much better than when I started sailing, which make offshore passages much easier to plan, just make sure to plan around your comfort level, but plan for some thunderstorms and squalls along the way as you get further south. Your skills and confidence will increase a your skills sharpen.
Learn all you can about weather.
Cheers

If you don't have offshore experience then do a mix,

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by timb7734

The ICW traffic S bound in the fall is obnoxious, power boats passing on plane and veering all around you with wakes, even bigger when they do you a favor and “slow down” to barging speed.

@davil, if you do choose to go down via the AICW, you'll likely have best results from passing powerboats if you a) monitor your radio, and b) come to dead slow when offered a slow pass.

Many will be happy to pass nicely... but if you maintain 5 kts or whatever it's almost impossible to pass without creating some wake.

FWIW, we found approx 75-80% (?) of sailors along the route wouldn't answer a radio hail. Even when we could see (and read) the boat name on the stern and/or on AIS. (Boat names on the sides often aren't useful, boat names in fancy unreadable script aren't really useful... Guessing many have a VHF installed at the chart table, below decks, maybe couldn't hear a hail.)

-Chris

[Wolfe10]

Originally Posted by mjscottinnc

If you go enough you will see just about everything.

YUP.


Crossing the northern Gulf of Mexico, on the 3AM-7AM watch, AIS showed an RV slowly gaining on us.


WAIT-- an RV 100 miles offshore???


Yup, Research Vessel.


Maybe if it has been at 4PM instead of 4AM.............

[Cheechako]

I dont know if your draft will work in the ICW North of Beaufort. But I would take the ICW if you can, I would NOT go around Hatteras this time of year even with offshore experience.

[MicHughV]

I've done the offshore trip along the east coast of the USA from north to south and south to north several times.

Marine traffic...imo....is mostly minimum. Around port inlets, you might see a ship or two, either heading in or leaving.
You might also see a few center console fishing boats around inlets, but usually only during the daytime.
Shrimp trawlers are also to be seen, but they typically are reasonably close to shore as they are pulling a net.
On occasion you might see a power boat or sailboat.
Between the B'mas and south Florida you will see more ships, but usually from a distance.

During the day, off course, all this activity is easily seen. At night you need to be on the lookout for nav lights.
This is where staying some distance from shore is helpful, as lights from shore can sometimes be confusing.

I can't recall a time, when there was any marine traffic that close to me. They are keeping an eye out for you as well.

The November schedule is puzzling. That time of the year, the weather can be unpredictable....make that cold and unpredictable.

As much as I prefer to run outside, a November trip would give me pause, where I would consider an ICW trip, or at least portions of an ICW trip.

Going south offshore in a boisterous nor-easter is actually a fun ride, a fast and fun ride at that. The first time I did this, I was a bit apprehensive, but quickly discovered it was quite a nice ride.
A nor-easter close to south Florida is to be avoided due to the proximity of the Gulf Stream.

I've rambled enough here. Captains need to decide what is best for them, their crew, their experience and their boat,