ICW or offshore

[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?

[tamicatana]

If you want to see things and anchor, go in the ICW. ActiveCaptain lists plenty anchorages. Going the offshore/inshore route limits your options, as there are infrequent navigable inlets and then it tends to be a fair distance from coastline to anchorage.

But if you want to just get there, go offshore direct.

[hpeer]

Air draft is more important that depth. We are 6-1/2’ draft and have some difficulty. However there is now Bob423 and AquaMaps with ACE soundings. That is a huge improvement.

Assuming your air draft is under 64’ for anything aloft you want to keep inside is doable with caution and time.

MY PREFERENCE is to use the ICW to Beaufort or Cape Fear and then go outside. You get to see the NC sounds and avoid Hatteras. From either of those jump off points you can pick hour own poison; inside, outside all the way, or mix it up. Thanksgiving in St Marys is nice. Vero is a good place to wait for a decent wx window to cross.

MY PREFERENCE would be to do over night hops between major inlets. Make decent milage, hit the bigger attractions, avoid the tedious motoring.

If heading to the Caribbean then make that jump from the mainland from Beaufort or thereabouts in Mayish. I did the Thorny Path ONCE. Not a big fan. The big outside jump, in the right window, is far faster and more relaxing.

2¢.

[Time2Go]

I have done both
Virginia Cut route was a nice trip with nice country side in the
lowlands of NC. Gotta stop in Coinjock. Don’t know what your stick height is but might be an issue
also water levels for your keel.
Lot could change in a year.
Given your experience level
I’d recommend ICW from Norfolk VA to Moorhead City via ICW
the rest outside. This takes Cape Hatteras out of the equation
South of here
Daily harbor hoping is not really feasible as you will waste too much time
going in and out.
Maybe stop in Brunswick GA then Jacksonville Fl
Wait for good Gulf Stream crossing weather anywhere from Palm Beach to
Miami
Cheers
Neil

[chris mac]

We did that same run in2019. Erie canal, to NYC.down the coast to deleware bay, through the chesepeake and to Bahamas
We have gone up and down the east coast each year since, some inside and some out
Icw is stressful with bridges and other boats. It's kind of like being on a highway, you have to stay alot more aware all the time. But it allows you to anchor every night, explore some nice towns and see lots of new countryside. My wife loves seeing the waterside houses and architecture.
Outside needs to be carefully planned for inlets used, tide times in those inlets, weather outside, and, highly recommend, only transiting inlets during daylight
But once outside, in good weather, you make great time, it's very easy sailing(until it's not) you can run overnight to cover more ground.
So as with everything it is a trade off depending on what you want, that particular day.
This year we are exploring certain little towns that we have always jumped over. Speaking ofwhich, gotta go raise the anchor and main sail, time to go.

[tkeithlu]

1. I'll join others in recommending staying inside for the Hatteras section.

2. Avoid the ICW in south Florida if you go that far south before crossing to West End in the Bahamas. Between Lake Worth and Miami there are 29 lift bridges you will have to sit in front of, waiting for an opening.

[Cheyne]

This past year we stayed inside to Beufort. Ran across the by to Wrightsville on a nice day. Weather was bad so we stayed inside to Georgetown, SC where we were able to jump out to St. Augustine. Then we went out again to to Fort Pierce. ICW to Palm Beach, but mainly to meet up with friends on North Lake Worth. Then outside again to Key Biscaye.

Coming north we kept running into north winds so we ended up inside from St. Augustine to Charleston. Then inside again from Beaufort to Norfolk.

[leecea]

we will hang out around the Chesapeake

When we'd been planning a winter in the Bahamas, we'd had the idea of gaining offshore experience in the summer, while based in the Chesapeake. We figured we could start with day trips outside from the Hampton area and see where it went from there. Some people also do the DELMARVA Circumnavigation which includes an offshore overnight.

We changed plans so didn't do it. No idea if it was realistic or would help you decide how much offshore you wanted.

[carstenb]

The ICW is an incredible experience. Do not miss it. Go outside from geogia. Stay inside from brunwick north

[Cheyne]

Gwen and Adam from Abroad Reach Travel did a good series on the ICW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46tD...vqqsGZ0jaPLKuG

[MicHughV]

Be aware of a few issues doing the ICW.

#1. You (or someone) need to stay at the helm all the time. Any lapse of attention will have you aground. Learn to look behind you constantly, to ensure you stay in the channel. A draft of 6' plus can be tricky in some spots. The Active Captain guide book will list these.
#2. Preplan your day's run depending on your stop for the night, be it an anchorage or marina. This means some days will require a short run.
3#. Forget about sailing the ICW, you will be under power the power the whole time. So plan your fuel stops accordingly.
#4. Trying the run the ICW at night is an invitation to trouble.
#5. Watch out for barge traffic. They tend to hog the middle of the channel, which means you'll be on the edge in the shallow area.
#6. The ICW has a lot of zigs and zags, with many openings to the ocean, tidal range and tidal current will be a constant issue. If you run aground on a falling tide, you will be there for a while. Your average daily run will not be much, depending on your motoring speed, so doing this trip will take many days or weeks as the case may be.
#7. My best advice. Becomes a Boat US member. Why ?? They are located up and down the coast and will come bail you out of a problem. Call them on vhf. Membership is not much and is priceless.
#8. When hurricane season ends, the winter cold fronts arrive. Getting across the Gulf Stream, heading for the Bahamas, requires some planning, as this is no place to be in a 'norther, especially if you're new to this.
#9. You will probably hook up with other boats doing the same trip. This can be fun, but be mindful of the herd mentality that sometimes occur, ie, don't blindly follow anyone without doing your own homework.

Doing the trip offshore is quicker, much quicker...and...in my opinion...less stressful.....but as suggested above, do the ICW till south of Cape Hatteras.
There is no need to be way offshore, especially in Florida, so as to avoid the north running Gulf Stream.

In the end, you'll figure it out as to what is best for you.

[tamicatana]

Things people never mention:

ICW daymark boards "point" /are angled towards the channel direction.
ICW daymarks are usually only carrying lights at turns.
ICW daymarks are identified by small yellow symbols on them.
Your half of the channel begins in the middle.
Commercial traffic is predictable. Recreational traffic is not.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by carstenb

The ICW is an incredible experience. Do not miss it. Go outside from geogia. Stay inside from brunwick north

With a 6' draft, I think I'd say better to go outside from Brunswick to Savannah. Or even Brunswick to Port Royal/Beaufort.

Inside in that area, timing the tides become much more important. There are some peaceful anchorages in the middle of nowhere, though...

-Chris

[mjscottinnc]

It really depends on you and your crew, if there is any crew. Going inside on a nice day is scenic and can be enjoyable as long as you don’t have a schedule to keep. The shallows and anticipated shallows can make it stressful. Other boaters and commercial barges and dredges can make it stressful. On a bad weather day it can be hours of mindless miserable drudgery. In mid-November it can be very cold at day and night and Icy on the deck if you have to fix something in the middle of the night. If you don’t have a fully enclosed cockpit, I’d get one. Outside, the concern about shallows / bridge scheduled openings disappears and is replaced with sea state and weather patterns / frontal movement. I’ve gone both ways and mixed inside and outside. I’ve loved and hated both at times. Weather will dictate your actions from day to day, like any other cruising trip. Ultimately for me it was how long I could tolerate freezing my butt off at night knowing that once I got to Georgia the chill would be tolerable and eventually gone altogether.

Inside, once you get south of Stuart there is a ton of opening bridges as mentioned before, but if you can average 5.5 to 6 knots you will stop for one and make every other opening. The openings are :00 :30 and :15 :45, and someone with a brain set the times for each bridge. On my first trip down it took me awhile to figure out the speed to go to make the next opening. Then I made a list and arrival times based on distance. Worked out well.

[Time2Go]

Originally Posted by leecea

When we'd been planning a winter in the Bahamas, we'd had the idea of gaining offshore experience in the summer, while based in the Chesapeake. We figured we could start with day trips outside from the Hampton area and see where it went from there. Some people also do the DELMARVA Circumnavigation which includes an offshore overnight.

We changed plans so didn't do it. No idea if it was realistic or would help you decide how much offshore you wanted.

The World Cruising Club (ARC folks)
runs a DelMarVa rally as an introduction for new sailers to
ocean sailing.
Definitely worth a look see
Cheers
Neil