Calling experienced East Coast Snow Birds

[Shipscarver]

I am considering a run from Tampa to Boston the end of June in a 27' CD.
How about some real life considerations/problems, and probability of making it that far North over the summer, and ideas on ducking storms.  :o

[thistlecap]

Go for it.  There are just a few things to check on.
1) If it's windy or the forecase is uncertain, take the rim route across Lake Okeechobee.  It can build an impressive, short sea.
(2) The Port Mayaca Railroad Bridge has an open clearance of 49 ft.  If you exceed that, take a handpump and a barrel or boom out your dinghy to heel the boat enough to clear.
(3) If using the ICW, have an anchor ready to run, especially if approaching a drawbridge while riding a fair current.  Also, the responsibility of establishing communications with the bridge tender rests with the skipper.  They have other duties than watching for boats.  A cruising guide (Clairborne S. Young is good. Also, in the Chesapeake, William H. Shellinberger is good.) will help identify bridges on restricted schedules.  Be conservative in planning the next day's run.  Current and bridges can throw your time off.  Pick 3-4 anchorages for the end of the day so you have options already planned for.
(4) Take your time on the ICW and enjoy it.  Don't rush.  I've heard people complain about how boring it is, but I've probably done it thirty times and have loved it every time.  People that complain are trying to make the ICW be like I-95.  They just want to get 'there'.  The ICW is a cruise in itself.  One last note---never run the ICW at night. 
(5) Shoaling can be a problem in some areas, especially around Wilmington, NC. area.  Most people run aground from inattention rather than shoaling. If you carry 5 ft or less draft, you should have little to no problem.  Shoal areas change fast, so sailors going the other way are a good source of up-to-date information.  Pay special attention to the ICW markings on buoys (yellow).  Sometimes it's red-right-returning, and sometimes it isn't.  Returning on the Atlantic ICW is north to south. 
(6)  Take advantage of the inside routes through the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays.  Spend as much time as possible in the Chesapeake---it's heaven on earth. You will transit two of the nation's three most dangerous bodies of water---Albemarle Sound and Delaware Bay (the third is Superior).  Just pick your weather and in the Delaware, regardless of the time, take a fair current as far as possible.  Make sure you know where you are in the Delaware.  There are wrecks awash and shoals with only a foot or two of water miles offshore.  It isn't as bad as it sounds.  You just have to pay attention. 
7) The most dangerous part of the trip is the offshore run from Cape May to New York.  Again, pick your weather.  Then give yourself a good offing to avoid the Jersey coast if the weather turns foul.  About the minimum is 35 miles offshore, and I've run as much as 75 miles.  The inlets are some of the most dangerous on the coast in foul weather.  A low may last three days, so your offing should allow for being hove-to for three days without risk of running out of sea room.  You can daysail most of the trip, but this is one leg I try to make in one shot to put it behind me.
(8) Ship traffic will be worst in the Delaware Bay, approaches to New York, and Long Islands Sound.  Keep a good lookout and don't rely on the engine to get you out of the way.  It may decide not to cooperate. 
9) Pick your time to go through heck's Gate (New York) at slack water turning to a fair current. 
Forgive me if I've been too basic.  I don't know what your experience is.  It's a great trip.  Have a ball!!

[Captain Smollett]

(4) Take your time on the ICW and enjoy it.  Don't rush.  I've heard people complain about how boring it is, but I've probably done it thirty times and have loved it every time.  People that complain are trying to make the ICW be like I-95.  They just want to get 'there'.  The ICW is a cruise in itself. 

The reason I speak about the ICW like it's I-95 is that to me, that's about what it is.  If doing a delivery, you ARE against a schedule and not on a 'cruise.'  I have many times told people that running the ICW is like driving on an Interstate.

My complaint and the basis for my comparison is BOAT TRAFFIC.  Watching out, and avoiding, the other boats can be hectic to say the least - and not unlike driving with other cars on the highway.

If you find the stretch from Southport north to say Topsail Beach enjoyable on any weekend April through November, we have FAR different thresholds for stress.  The word "horrendous" comes to my mind.

That said, the stretches of the ICW that are less 'populated' are indeed awesomely beautiful and wonderful cruising grounds.  Gotta take the good with the bad, I guess.

One last note---never run the ICW at night. 

Hum, why the absolute on running at night?  I've spent MORE time on the ICW at night than during the day on both my delivery runs and on pleasure cruises with the family.  This includes the Cape Fear River,  the whole Myrtle Beach area (including the rockpile), Shallotte Inlet, Charleston to just south of McClellanville, Morehead City to the Neuse River (Core and Adams Creeks). 

My last big trip on the ICW was over 200 miles and took four days.  Easily over 30 hours of the time underway on that trip (52-ish hours total underway) was made in the nighttime hours from dark until about 3 am. *

Tying this back into my comment above, one BIG advantage, to me at least, to running the ditch at night is the FAR FAR fewer boats on the water to contend with.  And those that ARE on the water tend toward those operators with a fair degree of competence.

I don't have a problem running the ICW at night...in fact, I rather enjoy it.

* Uh, I guess I broke the oft-cited "don't try to anchor at night" rule, too.   :-[

[Shipscarver]

Thanks.
Since I will be singlehanding and have never done the ICW I am very interested in all safety angles.  :o

[CharlieJ]

Except in certain areas, I've always been reluctant to run the ICW at night, and I've run the WHOLE ditch, from Norfolk to Port Mansfield Tex. I have 40 miles to go to finish it and we'll do that next month ;)

I'm most particularly reluctant here on the Texas and Louisiana sections. Low lying banks, marshy areas so you cannot actually SEE the edge, and more tow/barge traffic in any one day than the east coast ICW sees in a week. Between Galveston and NOLA at any rate- it tapers way off once you get west of Galveston/Freeport or east of NOLA.

And once you run aground six feet outside the channel, with tows constantly passing 25 to 30 feet away while you are working to get afloat again, you soon realize it just isn't worth it.

Again, parts of the east coast ICW can easily be done at bight- high banks, deep to the edges, straight runs- sure. Parts through Georgia where you are again running twisting channels, through marsh, not so good.


We simply make sure we're at anchor when darkness gets there.

[CapnK]

Without meaning at all to take away from Jim or CJ's comments and experience, I must confess to being an ICW Night Runner ;) on more than one occasion. But there are some caveats in my case that make it not necessarily an unsafe thing, in my opinion and for myself, of course:

1- The boat is slow, w/a cruising speed of ~5.5-6 kts.

2- I'm not scared to slow down for any reason, and do. Especially in limited depth areas.

3- If I am not mid-channel, I am slowed way down, to just above idle. I'll slow on turns in the waterway course, also.

4- I have good eyesight.

5- I take active measures to preserve my night vision: no always-on lights in the cockpit area at all, not even with a red lens, running lights shielded so that they do not affect my vision by either being able to see them directly, or via reflection. (Note: you do need a way to make red markings on your chart apparent if you are only using red light to view said. Circling such markings with a dark color pen alerts you to the fact that there is something there which may not be visible under red light. I use a light which also has a blue lens, in use it makes red ink visible.).

6- I won't do it in a fog or a storm.

7- I stay continually and constantly aware of my exact position (even moreso than I would during the day), and know prior to starting what to expect along the route.

8- I always have 3 lights handy: a big handheld spotlight (not the rechargeable type, a plug-in model), a small but bright flashlight with a white beam, and another small light with a red beam.

The key thing IMO is maintaining good visual contact with the water surface. Once my eyes have acclimated to the dark, I can see surprisingly well. Plenty well enough to see what to avoid several hundred yards ahead in most cases. Anything suspicious or odd looking is cause for throttling back, as is the occasional gut feeling. :) Usually, though, even on a moonless night the sky is bright enough to illuminate a path in front of the boat that allows me to pick out surface deformities from a long ways away, and thus to have plenty of time to react accordingly.

If my boat traveled faster or drew more, I would be a little more hesitant about night travel. But I have found it occasionally convenient and pleasurable to knock off a good days travel at night, and spend part of the day relaxing in the sun, out of the wakes and traffic. :)

Also, I don't use the brazillian-candlepower spotlight for when I want to light something up, it is only used on extremely rare occasions, sometimes (frequently) not at all on night trips. It takes too long to recover night vision after using it. I have found that small flashlights with bright bulbs (like a 1-3 watt LED) will visibly reflect off of a mile marker (or other reflective surface) from a long way away, almost a half mile, and serve quite well to illuminate the shore from a few hundred feet away in narrower stretches where that is a concern. When using the light, I hold it high and directly over my head, not right out in front of my face. This helps to cut down on 'backscatter' and subsequent loss of night vision.

One thing I have played with, but is difficult to use practically, is a pen laser. These will reflect very brightly from a mile marker that is well over a mile away, but it is difficult to hit the target initially because it is so small at that distance, and the light beam is so narrow. Maybe a cluster of them would do the trick... :)

All that said, I do so knowing it is a gamble of sorts. But I'll wager (and I do, I guess ;) ) that the odds of striking a log or such is not any higher than those of getting hit for whatever reason by a go-fast boat/PWC during the day. Probably the most dangerous part of night travel is that it makes it more difficult to detect when you have begun traveling *sideways* due to current. In bays or inlet mouths, and even on some turns in the Ditch, you have to be constantly situationally aware and vigilant about maintaining the course you should be on, in the place you should be.

There is one big plus to nightime ICW travel: the bridges open on demand. Sometimes you barely have to throttle back to make passage. ;D

---------

On the original topic: Shipscarver - I know the ICW fairly well between Wilmington NC and Chas SC, be glad to share any knowledge with you. Also, when you get to/near Georgetown, SC, let me know, we'll grab a bit to eat and a Grog. :)

[psyche]

Shipscarver,
There have been some good advice given which I would like to add to. If you go to Clayborne Young's websit your trip is divided into sections with probably the most up to date information available written by cruisers currently or recently traversing those sections. When you get to the ICW and Ogeechee River, South of Savannah,Ga. if you want to go up the Ogeechee about 10 miles you are welcome tie to my sailboat at my dock or anchor near the dock in the protective cove. I would be glad to suttle you to the local stores or to see the "sites" of Savannah. Dan

[Captain Smollett]

The reason there are so fewer boats on the ICW at night is most people know not to run at night,

Are you saying I do it at night because I don't know any better?

Bah.  I know my capabilities AND my limitations.  I make such decisions from a position of cost-benefit analysis, not foolhardy bravado.

The elements of navigation are knowledge, judgment, and alertness.  To the person possessing these, navigation can be a pleasure.  A person who tries to navigate without them is at best a doubtful asset.

All true.  But you cannot judge ANOTHER person's knowledge, judgment and alertness just because they weigh costs and benefits of nighttime travel differently than you.
 

I guess the question is whether another ten miles is worth the risk?

I was not talking about an extra ten miles; I was talking about an extra 60+ miles in a day's run. 

One of the maxim's I try to apply continually in the operation of my vessel is "prudence is the better part of seamanship."  In a sailboat, even with auxiliary power, we are still at the mercy of  wind and tide; with severe weather making an early departure imprudent, but later weather improving, I faced the decision of 'waste a day or get a day's run at night.'  I chose the latter.

Being from North Carolina, one thing you have that may make you more comfortable is your local knowledge

A fair bit of the runs I've done at night were along stretches I've never done - and in some cases, I was also singlehanding.

Yes, I agree running the ICW at night is a risk.  So is taking a small boat offshore for any distance at all.  This site is a community of sailors who identify those risks, find ways to minimize them and move forward with their decisions.

We've all faced naysayers in some context or another.  Having experienced (more than once) people telling me what I "should not do," I try to avoid telling others that, at least in absolute terms.  Please note that I am NOT saying one should avoid pointing at the risks of something like night time ICW navigation.  But my point is that that is FAR different than saying "don't do it, EVER."

Fair Winds.   :)

[CapnK]

For clarity: I made my post because I don't think that night travel on the ICW is inherently outrageously dangerous. Everything has its own dangers, all the time. The type of danger or risk entailed in night travel is, to me, as acceptable as those I would experience during the day, all things considered.

And:

Regarding the million-dollar cap'n ;D in Jim's post: Note that he was in a restricted waterway, and he was traveling fast enough to cause that kind of damage to his boat, and they were unfamiliar waters to him, and it was at night. Like the insurance company, I don't think it happened simply due to the fact that the sun was on the other side of our planet, despite that being a prime contributing factor. ;)

[psyche]

Whether to run at night or not is partly dependant on what section you are on, type of boat you are in and knowledge of the section. I do not think you can make a general statement. Dan

[Frank]

On the lighter side   :o   The ICW from about Stuart on south IS a nightmare..day or night. Between a multitude of bridges,boat traffic and yahoo's, I try and avoid it at any cost and hop 'outside' from Stuart to West Palm,Ft Lauderdale then Key Biscayne S of Miami. I'll fight wind and waves before I fight 8 people in a crosswind and current waiting on a bridge. PS..this multiplies ten fold on weekends. Anyone who has not experienced Ft Lauderdale or Miami's entrances during a weekend is truly missing a cross section of  both humanity and seamanship rarely present in one erea.

[CapnK]

Oh, that last post reminds me...

Shipscarver - You might also want to try and avoid being in the same port as Frank, unless you have a real healthy liver. ;D

[Frank]

Capt K...  I resemble that remark

[Shipscarver]

What a group!!  I really appreciate all the advise and help.

[Captain Smollett]

I cannot offer QUITE the hospitality Dan (psyche) does with the use of his dock, but if you DO care to venture up this way, I will be more than happy to shuttle you around as needed.

New Bern is about 22 miles up river from the ICW, but it's worth the trip.  The upper Neuse River is good cruising grounds, and New Bern itself is a small boat friendly town.  You can anchor here, and our marina allows dinghy dockage.

Hope to see you on your travels North!

[Shipscarver]

I cannot offer QUITE the hospitality Dan (psyche) does with the use of his dock, but if you DO care to venture up this way, I will be more than happy to shuttle you around as needed.

Much appreciated.  BTW - I used to fly in and out of New Bern via the old prop jets. The airport then was a Quonset hut with a big opening where the "Dodge Sheriff" was always standing, (spread eagle, hand on gun).  My boss really didn't want to disembark for fear of someone yelling, "YANKEE!!".  :D

[Auspicious]

Have you considered skipping the entire ICW and going offshore? For most wind directions the Gulf Stream is on your side, and if it starts to stack up in northerlies you can just head further off shore.

If you want to see the ICW do it southbound.