| FLORIDA TO CHESAPEAKE BAY |
We were back in the States the first week of April. Our plan was to get to the Chesapeake Bay by the first of June and we had two stops to make.
Leta's sister and family live in Melbourne, in the Cape Canaveral area, where we planned to stay a week. In early May, Ellis had to go back to Dallas
for a few days to attend a Board meeting, so we had to pull off somewhere close to an airport. We would figure out exactly where as we made our way
north.
ICW (April 2007 - May 2007) - We knew the first few days would be inside on the ICW on the way to Melbourne. After that, we hoped the weather
would cooperate, for a change, so we could go outside on a few occasions.
We are not ICW fans but you can generally make progress to your destination by travelling the ICW unless the weather is really bad. The weather was
not particularly good, but the day after getting back from the Bahamas we took off. The first day was uneventful, other than having seven or eight
bridges to go through, and we made it as far a Vero Beach Municipal Marina. Some people call it Velcro Beach, because once you go there you never
leave. It's kind of a strange place. There is a marina with slips, but most of the boats (by far) are on moorings (and a lot of the boats did appear as
though they would never leave). The strange thing is that if all the moorings are taken (and there are a lot of them), the marina doesn't turn you away,
they have you raft up to someone on a mooring. Not something we would want to do regularly but it served its purpose. We pulled up to the assigned
boat, yelled at them until they came up from below and informed them that we would be crashing into their boat, so get ready. We managed the raft up
with no casualties and were off at dawn the next morning.
The next day was a short one and we arrived at Telemar Bay Marina in Eau Gallie about noon (15 minutes by car from the in-laws). We always have fun
with Dr. Dan (besides, he saved Buster), Lori and the kids. We stayed a week and Dan confiscated the kid car from Jason for us to drive. Good for us.
Bad for Jason. After a week, we were off again. The marina was okay, but overpriced. There was room for only one or two transients. We'll try to find
another marina next time.
We did have a huge turning point in our cruising lives while in the Melbourne area. I can't remember exactly when, but sometime during our time in the
Bahamas Leta and I sort of looked at each other (no, no, nothing mushy) and said, "We need a bigger dinghy". Our old dinghy was okay and worked
fine, except that it was a wet ride and unstable in the smallest waves. It was a West Marine 310 Lite that had a hard bottom and a fold down transom
and was powered with a Mercury 9.9 hp four stroke. After many treks of several miles in interesting weather conditions to get provisions (read food,
okay, maybe beer), we had enough. We made arrangements for a new dinghy to be delivered to the marina (an AB 10VS powered by a Yamaha 20 hp
four stroke). The difference is amazing. Yeah, it weighs a lot more and it is a pain sometimes to get up and down, but it weighs a lot more (this negative
is a real positive when it gets choppy), is much wider with bigger tubes and plows right through the waves. We are so happy. The dogs are so happy.
So far we have had two huge life changing events. Dog grass on the swim platform and a big dinghy.
The first day after Melbourne we stopped at a high rise bridge in Titusville. It was basically a pull over, but worked just fine. That was roughly ICW
mile 879. If you try to follow any mileage references on the ICW, remember that ICW miles are statute miles and not nautical miles (big difference).
The next day we pulled over behind a shoal in Daytona Beach. After that we pulled over behind another shoal in St. Augustine. The day after that it was
another pull over behind a shoal close to Amelia Island in Georgia at roughly mile 726. In a matter of a couple of days we had gone from no tide to
speak of to almost 8 feet and all the current that comes with it. Current and tide would be a big deal for quite some time.
Also, about here ,shoaling across the ICW gets to be a serious problem. So much so, that you can't make it through some areas without waiting for high
tide. I guess it's good that the tide is 8 feet or so, unless of course you run aground on a falling time and end up high and dry on your side. That would
make for a really bad day. Suffice it to say, paying attention is of paramount importance. This problem would plague us from northern Florida all the
way through North Carolina. We were really beginning to dislike the ICW. Unfortunately, the spring weather was not so good for offshore work. So the
ICW it was.
After Amelia Island we stopped at Golden Isle Marina, in the St. Simons area. The marina was nice and we would recommend it if you are in the area.
The marina was a welcome sight after making it through one of the shallowest parts of the ICW in Jekyll Creek and Buttermilk Sound. At high tide we
saw about eight feet in the channel (remember, the tide is about eight feet).
From there we needed to find a secure anchorage for about a week. A nasty front was due in. We found it at Duplin River at about mile 649 and stayed
five days. There were at least 48 hours of rain and howling wind. The tide was almost nine feet and the tidal current was almost like the tidal current in
Nassau. Since there was plenty of swinging room and good holding, we only needed "big dog" with lots of chain. It was kind of weird a few times when
the current was at its height and the wind was 30 knots plus about ninety degrees off the current. We would "sail" from side to side of the river,
charging like a bull to one side only to have the anchor and chain pull us up short of running aground then taking off in the other direction. I like big
anchors and lots of chain. I could have put out two anchors, but that extended period of wind against current could have hopelessly twisted anchor rodes
and anchors together ending in dragging one or both of the anchors. Not good. I'm a fan of two or three anchors ready to go, but you should never use
more than one anchor unless you have to.
It was also here that we rigged some dog pooping paraphernalia. The current was so strong that I began to worry about Leta taking the dogs on the
grass on the swim platform. Had she or one of the dogs gone in, the current was so strong she and they would be gone before I could react. The dogs
always have a harness attached to their leash. When in the cockpit, they get clipped in just like Leta and I offshore. So, we rigged a clip to clip to the
leash, so if you lost the leash you could still drag them in using the clipped in tether. We also rigged a clip to clip into Leta's harness (she just had to get
used to wearing the harness when pooping - I mean the dogs pooping) attached to a tether that was also attached to a rope ladder. That way, neither the
dogs nor Leta could go sailing away in the current.
When the weather broke, we went the next day to Buckhead Creek. More tide and current.
I'm leaving out all of the shallowness to deal with. Anyone deciding to travel the ICW should get Skipper Bob's (since he's dead I hope someone still
publishes it) and scan the Corps of Engineers web sites for info. If you don't and you have any significant draft, you will not be happy.
Next stop was Beaufort, South Carolina at Port Royal Landing Marina. It's just north of Hilton Head. The marina is nice and the people are nice. We
definitely recommend it.
Here comes another front. The front was supposed to be a mild one and we anchored in Bull River at about mile 521. Well the front reports got worse
and worse. By the time it hit us about midnight (it continues to amaze me how really bad weather always happens in the middle of the night), the winds
were gusting to 60 and I watched the wind meter for at least two hours where it never got below 40. Bull River had the strongest tidal current to date.
We dropped anchor in 20 feet of water but at low tide it was closer to 10. Believe it or not, the current was stronger than the wind most of the time and
the stern of the boat was pointed directly into the wind for a significant part of the night. When the wind was blowing particularly hard, the boat would try
to point into the wind but would only make it half way, so it was beam to the wind and current. That's one of the hazards of a full keel (current really
affects the direction the boat is pointing). We got a few chain scratches on the hull from that, which I am very happy about. I like "big dog" and chain.
Next up was Tom Point Creek. Tom Point Creek is a very protected anchorage, but narrow. We had just come from another tedious day of dodging
shallow water and I was exhausted. You can't let your guard down for a second. If you get out of the marked channel, you are aground. If you get on
the wrong side of the channel in some instances, you are aground. You are constantly straining to see the next marker; all the while keeping an eye on
the chartplotter and depth meter. I really am tired of this. We just came from a river entrance (I forget the name) where the chartplotter says it's 20
feet, but where people run aground in the middle of the channel all the time. We saw about 8 feet. Anyway, Tom Point Creek demanded two anchors.
We were still in strong reversing current and the anchorage was only about a boat length and a half wide. The first anchor goes in the water and gets set
normally, but with twice the scope needed. The second anchor goes in the drink and half the first rode is taken in and the second rode is let out. Set the
second anchor, then all is well. You end up with an anchor fore an aft with the desired scope no matter the direction of the current. It's all very nice until
time to get both anchors back in. We have the perfect set up for that and it's still a pain, but it works. By this time, it's an hour after we went through
the low spot and we hear the VHF chatter. Sailboat aground inside the channel.
The following day was Dewees Creek. Same kind of tidal issues and shallow places to go through to get there.
The next anchorage was in Thoroughfare Creek at mile 388. Very nice except that we arrived on Sunday afternoon. It turns out that it is the local
hangout and was very crowded. Only for a while. By dark we had the place to ourselves in perfect protection with not much current for a change. The
tide is getting back down to 4 or 5 feet.
We were facing a couple of days where no anchorages were to be found (zero). First up was Cocina Yacht Club in Myrtle Beach. The marina was fine,
but had a shallow, tricky entrance.
After that we pulled into a small marina in Surf City (Beach House Marina). Very small, but it worked for us. Another shallow entrance - not tricky but
if your draft is six and a half feet, forget it.
Mile 204 brought Beaufort Inlet and Moorehead City, another anchorage challenged area. Had we not faced a strong front, we could have found a
marginal anchorage. But instead, we chose a bit of security in Moorehead City Marina. Good protection right off the ICW. We would recommend it, if
you are in the area and need a marina. The wind howled for two days.
By now we needed a place to park for a while close to an airport so Ellis could go to Dallas for a few days. When the weather quieted down a bit we hit
the road to New Bern, North Carolina. It was a day trip from Moorehead City, but about 20 miles up the Neuse River from the ICW. We had planned
to stay a week at the Sheraton Marina. After the trip to Dallas, the weather was a real problem for about a week. Gale force winds made it all the way
up river and blew for days. It was so bad offshore an experience crew in a 49 foot sailboat disappeared without a trace off Cape Hatteras. NOAA was
reporting 30 to 40 foot seas. Remember, you are supposed to double that. About that time frame, Leta was playing ball with Bogey (he loves you to
kick a tennis ball so he can chase it) and kicked him in the eye and lacerated it. We took him to the local vet and, in retrospect, they didn't know what
they were doing. To make a long story short, the eye got worse and Leta finally rented a car and took him to Norfolk to an ophthalmologist in hopes of
saving his eye. The ophthalmologist knew what he was doing, but we had to schedule a visit for the following week. Okay, that gave us a week to get
there, about 200 statute miles. We just needed weather.
After spending three weeks in New Bern, we made the dash to Norfolk. New Bern was okay but we wouldn't go back. The weather was iffy but not
really nasty. The first day went fine even though it was blowing 20 to 25, mostly on our stern. We made it to the anchorage at Pungo River at about mile
127. The anchorage is not very protected from south winds, which is what we had, and the wind blew hard all night. By dawn the wind disappeared. Cold
front coming.
The weather was not looking good, but we thought we could make it to Coinjock Marina that day. We did, but not before a very cold, rainy day with one
of those shallow water, lots of wind treks across Albemarle Sound. We tied up about dark.
At dawn we were off and spent one of the most miserable days so far. It was cold, rainy and windy. The wind, of course, was on our nose and what
should have been an easy time across Coinjock Sound and North Landing River turned into a long, cold, wet slog. After that, we had several bridges
(some of which were restricted) and a lock to finally get to Norfolk. We pulled into Tidewater Marina about dark. We had decided we needed a marina
because of the Bogey problem. It took forever to raise anyone on VHF to get directions to our slip. They finally gave us directions and when we get
there we couldn't believe our eyes. It couldn't have been more than a 20 foot slip. We hailed them again (it took a while again) to make sure there was
no mistake and there wasn't. So we stick our nose in and tie off as best we can with at least half our boat sticking into the fairway. I'm not sure another
boat could have gotten by and we were not real happy about putting half our boat in harm's way. By this time it was dark and we were cold, wet and
tired. The marina is fairly large and could have easily put us at their gas dock for the night and taken care of us the next day. They knew we were
scheduled to stay for a week ( because of Bogey). Well, Leta goes to check in and complain a bit and the owner loses his temper and gives her the worst
verbal abuse she has ever had, including telling her to get out of the marina (leave - immediately). Again, it was dark. That put her in the position of
having to beg to stay the night. Nice people. So we end up paying about two hundred bucks for a 20 foot slip. We were out at dawn the next morning
and found a great place to stay across the river at Waterside Marina. We highly recommend it. With respect to Tidewater, Leta hopes the owner burns
in hell. They are complete jerks. 'Nuff said.
We were at mile zero.
A word or two about the ICW. If you have any draft at all, you will need Skipper Bob's and the Waterway Guide. You need the Waterway Guide to help
you find a marina in those areas where there is no anchorage. If you have a three foot draft, you might find anchorages the entire way but I doubt it. We
also found that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers web site for North and South Carolina gives a lot of valuable information. They periodically conduct
soundings of the major shoaling areas and, in some severe cases, even supply you with waypoints to find the deepest water within the channel. There
are a couple of places that you will run aground at high tide without this info. In these areas, we never saw less than ten feet of water following the
waypoints. I wish you could find this sort of info for Georgia, since some of the worst shoaling is there.
Leta's sister and family live in Melbourne, in the Cape Canaveral area, where we planned to stay a week. In early May, Ellis had to go back to Dallas
for a few days to attend a Board meeting, so we had to pull off somewhere close to an airport. We would figure out exactly where as we made our way
north.
ICW (April 2007 - May 2007) - We knew the first few days would be inside on the ICW on the way to Melbourne. After that, we hoped the weather
would cooperate, for a change, so we could go outside on a few occasions.
We are not ICW fans but you can generally make progress to your destination by travelling the ICW unless the weather is really bad. The weather was
not particularly good, but the day after getting back from the Bahamas we took off. The first day was uneventful, other than having seven or eight
bridges to go through, and we made it as far a Vero Beach Municipal Marina. Some people call it Velcro Beach, because once you go there you never
leave. It's kind of a strange place. There is a marina with slips, but most of the boats (by far) are on moorings (and a lot of the boats did appear as
though they would never leave). The strange thing is that if all the moorings are taken (and there are a lot of them), the marina doesn't turn you away,
they have you raft up to someone on a mooring. Not something we would want to do regularly but it served its purpose. We pulled up to the assigned
boat, yelled at them until they came up from below and informed them that we would be crashing into their boat, so get ready. We managed the raft up
with no casualties and were off at dawn the next morning.
The next day was a short one and we arrived at Telemar Bay Marina in Eau Gallie about noon (15 minutes by car from the in-laws). We always have fun
with Dr. Dan (besides, he saved Buster), Lori and the kids. We stayed a week and Dan confiscated the kid car from Jason for us to drive. Good for us.
Bad for Jason. After a week, we were off again. The marina was okay, but overpriced. There was room for only one or two transients. We'll try to find
another marina next time.
We did have a huge turning point in our cruising lives while in the Melbourne area. I can't remember exactly when, but sometime during our time in the
Bahamas Leta and I sort of looked at each other (no, no, nothing mushy) and said, "We need a bigger dinghy". Our old dinghy was okay and worked
fine, except that it was a wet ride and unstable in the smallest waves. It was a West Marine 310 Lite that had a hard bottom and a fold down transom
and was powered with a Mercury 9.9 hp four stroke. After many treks of several miles in interesting weather conditions to get provisions (read food,
okay, maybe beer), we had enough. We made arrangements for a new dinghy to be delivered to the marina (an AB 10VS powered by a Yamaha 20 hp
four stroke). The difference is amazing. Yeah, it weighs a lot more and it is a pain sometimes to get up and down, but it weighs a lot more (this negative
is a real positive when it gets choppy), is much wider with bigger tubes and plows right through the waves. We are so happy. The dogs are so happy.
So far we have had two huge life changing events. Dog grass on the swim platform and a big dinghy.
The first day after Melbourne we stopped at a high rise bridge in Titusville. It was basically a pull over, but worked just fine. That was roughly ICW
mile 879. If you try to follow any mileage references on the ICW, remember that ICW miles are statute miles and not nautical miles (big difference).
The next day we pulled over behind a shoal in Daytona Beach. After that we pulled over behind another shoal in St. Augustine. The day after that it was
another pull over behind a shoal close to Amelia Island in Georgia at roughly mile 726. In a matter of a couple of days we had gone from no tide to
speak of to almost 8 feet and all the current that comes with it. Current and tide would be a big deal for quite some time.
Also, about here ,shoaling across the ICW gets to be a serious problem. So much so, that you can't make it through some areas without waiting for high
tide. I guess it's good that the tide is 8 feet or so, unless of course you run aground on a falling time and end up high and dry on your side. That would
make for a really bad day. Suffice it to say, paying attention is of paramount importance. This problem would plague us from northern Florida all the
way through North Carolina. We were really beginning to dislike the ICW. Unfortunately, the spring weather was not so good for offshore work. So the
ICW it was.
After Amelia Island we stopped at Golden Isle Marina, in the St. Simons area. The marina was nice and we would recommend it if you are in the area.
The marina was a welcome sight after making it through one of the shallowest parts of the ICW in Jekyll Creek and Buttermilk Sound. At high tide we
saw about eight feet in the channel (remember, the tide is about eight feet).
From there we needed to find a secure anchorage for about a week. A nasty front was due in. We found it at Duplin River at about mile 649 and stayed
five days. There were at least 48 hours of rain and howling wind. The tide was almost nine feet and the tidal current was almost like the tidal current in
Nassau. Since there was plenty of swinging room and good holding, we only needed "big dog" with lots of chain. It was kind of weird a few times when
the current was at its height and the wind was 30 knots plus about ninety degrees off the current. We would "sail" from side to side of the river,
charging like a bull to one side only to have the anchor and chain pull us up short of running aground then taking off in the other direction. I like big
anchors and lots of chain. I could have put out two anchors, but that extended period of wind against current could have hopelessly twisted anchor rodes
and anchors together ending in dragging one or both of the anchors. Not good. I'm a fan of two or three anchors ready to go, but you should never use
more than one anchor unless you have to.
It was also here that we rigged some dog pooping paraphernalia. The current was so strong that I began to worry about Leta taking the dogs on the
grass on the swim platform. Had she or one of the dogs gone in, the current was so strong she and they would be gone before I could react. The dogs
always have a harness attached to their leash. When in the cockpit, they get clipped in just like Leta and I offshore. So, we rigged a clip to clip to the
leash, so if you lost the leash you could still drag them in using the clipped in tether. We also rigged a clip to clip into Leta's harness (she just had to get
used to wearing the harness when pooping - I mean the dogs pooping) attached to a tether that was also attached to a rope ladder. That way, neither the
dogs nor Leta could go sailing away in the current.
When the weather broke, we went the next day to Buckhead Creek. More tide and current.
I'm leaving out all of the shallowness to deal with. Anyone deciding to travel the ICW should get Skipper Bob's (since he's dead I hope someone still
publishes it) and scan the Corps of Engineers web sites for info. If you don't and you have any significant draft, you will not be happy.
Next stop was Beaufort, South Carolina at Port Royal Landing Marina. It's just north of Hilton Head. The marina is nice and the people are nice. We
definitely recommend it.
Here comes another front. The front was supposed to be a mild one and we anchored in Bull River at about mile 521. Well the front reports got worse
and worse. By the time it hit us about midnight (it continues to amaze me how really bad weather always happens in the middle of the night), the winds
were gusting to 60 and I watched the wind meter for at least two hours where it never got below 40. Bull River had the strongest tidal current to date.
We dropped anchor in 20 feet of water but at low tide it was closer to 10. Believe it or not, the current was stronger than the wind most of the time and
the stern of the boat was pointed directly into the wind for a significant part of the night. When the wind was blowing particularly hard, the boat would try
to point into the wind but would only make it half way, so it was beam to the wind and current. That's one of the hazards of a full keel (current really
affects the direction the boat is pointing). We got a few chain scratches on the hull from that, which I am very happy about. I like "big dog" and chain.
Next up was Tom Point Creek. Tom Point Creek is a very protected anchorage, but narrow. We had just come from another tedious day of dodging
shallow water and I was exhausted. You can't let your guard down for a second. If you get out of the marked channel, you are aground. If you get on
the wrong side of the channel in some instances, you are aground. You are constantly straining to see the next marker; all the while keeping an eye on
the chartplotter and depth meter. I really am tired of this. We just came from a river entrance (I forget the name) where the chartplotter says it's 20
feet, but where people run aground in the middle of the channel all the time. We saw about 8 feet. Anyway, Tom Point Creek demanded two anchors.
We were still in strong reversing current and the anchorage was only about a boat length and a half wide. The first anchor goes in the water and gets set
normally, but with twice the scope needed. The second anchor goes in the drink and half the first rode is taken in and the second rode is let out. Set the
second anchor, then all is well. You end up with an anchor fore an aft with the desired scope no matter the direction of the current. It's all very nice until
time to get both anchors back in. We have the perfect set up for that and it's still a pain, but it works. By this time, it's an hour after we went through
the low spot and we hear the VHF chatter. Sailboat aground inside the channel.
The following day was Dewees Creek. Same kind of tidal issues and shallow places to go through to get there.
The next anchorage was in Thoroughfare Creek at mile 388. Very nice except that we arrived on Sunday afternoon. It turns out that it is the local
hangout and was very crowded. Only for a while. By dark we had the place to ourselves in perfect protection with not much current for a change. The
tide is getting back down to 4 or 5 feet.
We were facing a couple of days where no anchorages were to be found (zero). First up was Cocina Yacht Club in Myrtle Beach. The marina was fine,
but had a shallow, tricky entrance.
After that we pulled into a small marina in Surf City (Beach House Marina). Very small, but it worked for us. Another shallow entrance - not tricky but
if your draft is six and a half feet, forget it.
Mile 204 brought Beaufort Inlet and Moorehead City, another anchorage challenged area. Had we not faced a strong front, we could have found a
marginal anchorage. But instead, we chose a bit of security in Moorehead City Marina. Good protection right off the ICW. We would recommend it, if
you are in the area and need a marina. The wind howled for two days.
By now we needed a place to park for a while close to an airport so Ellis could go to Dallas for a few days. When the weather quieted down a bit we hit
the road to New Bern, North Carolina. It was a day trip from Moorehead City, but about 20 miles up the Neuse River from the ICW. We had planned
to stay a week at the Sheraton Marina. After the trip to Dallas, the weather was a real problem for about a week. Gale force winds made it all the way
up river and blew for days. It was so bad offshore an experience crew in a 49 foot sailboat disappeared without a trace off Cape Hatteras. NOAA was
reporting 30 to 40 foot seas. Remember, you are supposed to double that. About that time frame, Leta was playing ball with Bogey (he loves you to
kick a tennis ball so he can chase it) and kicked him in the eye and lacerated it. We took him to the local vet and, in retrospect, they didn't know what
they were doing. To make a long story short, the eye got worse and Leta finally rented a car and took him to Norfolk to an ophthalmologist in hopes of
saving his eye. The ophthalmologist knew what he was doing, but we had to schedule a visit for the following week. Okay, that gave us a week to get
there, about 200 statute miles. We just needed weather.
After spending three weeks in New Bern, we made the dash to Norfolk. New Bern was okay but we wouldn't go back. The weather was iffy but not
really nasty. The first day went fine even though it was blowing 20 to 25, mostly on our stern. We made it to the anchorage at Pungo River at about mile
127. The anchorage is not very protected from south winds, which is what we had, and the wind blew hard all night. By dawn the wind disappeared. Cold
front coming.
The weather was not looking good, but we thought we could make it to Coinjock Marina that day. We did, but not before a very cold, rainy day with one
of those shallow water, lots of wind treks across Albemarle Sound. We tied up about dark.
At dawn we were off and spent one of the most miserable days so far. It was cold, rainy and windy. The wind, of course, was on our nose and what
should have been an easy time across Coinjock Sound and North Landing River turned into a long, cold, wet slog. After that, we had several bridges
(some of which were restricted) and a lock to finally get to Norfolk. We pulled into Tidewater Marina about dark. We had decided we needed a marina
because of the Bogey problem. It took forever to raise anyone on VHF to get directions to our slip. They finally gave us directions and when we get
there we couldn't believe our eyes. It couldn't have been more than a 20 foot slip. We hailed them again (it took a while again) to make sure there was
no mistake and there wasn't. So we stick our nose in and tie off as best we can with at least half our boat sticking into the fairway. I'm not sure another
boat could have gotten by and we were not real happy about putting half our boat in harm's way. By this time it was dark and we were cold, wet and
tired. The marina is fairly large and could have easily put us at their gas dock for the night and taken care of us the next day. They knew we were
scheduled to stay for a week ( because of Bogey). Well, Leta goes to check in and complain a bit and the owner loses his temper and gives her the worst
verbal abuse she has ever had, including telling her to get out of the marina (leave - immediately). Again, it was dark. That put her in the position of
having to beg to stay the night. Nice people. So we end up paying about two hundred bucks for a 20 foot slip. We were out at dawn the next morning
and found a great place to stay across the river at Waterside Marina. We highly recommend it. With respect to Tidewater, Leta hopes the owner burns
in hell. They are complete jerks. 'Nuff said.
We were at mile zero.
A word or two about the ICW. If you have any draft at all, you will need Skipper Bob's and the Waterway Guide. You need the Waterway Guide to help
you find a marina in those areas where there is no anchorage. If you have a three foot draft, you might find anchorages the entire way but I doubt it. We
also found that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers web site for North and South Carolina gives a lot of valuable information. They periodically conduct
soundings of the major shoaling areas and, in some severe cases, even supply you with waypoints to find the deepest water within the channel. There
are a couple of places that you will run aground at high tide without this info. In these areas, we never saw less than ten feet of water following the
waypoints. I wish you could find this sort of info for Georgia, since some of the worst shoaling is there.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |