Waterway Guide's Tour of the ICW

[@TreDeuce-qw3kv]

Invaluable 'Information and Resource' and a salute to Bob for his contribution.

[@timflynn2136]

Sailed from Beach Haven, NJ to Key West, FL. Thank you for all the charts!

[@evananderson1455]

Hoping to get my boat this year, but I've been following Bob's tracks on FB for a few years now in preperation. It's so cool to finally be able to put a face to the incredible source of information!! What he does is truly appreciated, not just by current boaters, but also by those of us who are trying to learn and build our confidence. It's comforting knowing there are experts like you all who are so generous with your knowledge and information. Thanks!!!!

[@TOPDadAlpha]

FANTASTIC trip if you can do it. I took my first trip with my parents from Norfolk VA to Miami in 1964. I remember it clearly as a teenager. I have done it 3 more times. I'm to old now but if you can take your boat for that cruise DO IT. My advice is to plan well, obtain current paper charts and don't be in a hurry. This video is superb.

[@BellsRidesAboardSeaBoss]

This is the most informational video on the topic, thank you for sharing.

[@paulsheler8212]

Great program. Wish I had this 30 years ago. Going up and down the Icw was an interesting with only paper charts and books

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thank you. It was fun back then...you know it!

[@williammagill5634]

Absolutely perfect video for a newbie like me! Thank you!

[@matthewapgar7395]

Very good presentation, great advice.👍

[@larryj9091]

Great video, I have been running up and down the ICW from my youth in the 70's on my commercial fishing boat to my current sailboat. Super helpful video, well done.

[@edtillett5496]

Thank you. Hope to see you out there soon...

[@walkingman2011]

As a young boy vacationing with my parents in Myrtle Beach, SC, I watched boats motor (or sail) N/S thru the "ditch" which runs thru the town. Dreamed one day to do the same thing. In March 2021, I completed traveling the entire ICW from Norfolk, VA. to Brownsville, TX. My last portion was from Ft Walton Beach to Brownsville. So thankful I was able to do this and hope it will around for many years for others to enjoy. GIWW very different that AICW, especially west of New Orleans. Did it all in 2 open bow Grady-White power boats, a Freedom 205 and Freedom 225. Normally overnight at marina, occasionally at anchor. Sleep on deck, kinda like camping on water. Used many of the tools you described. Couldn't begin to tell all the stories and things I learned. Also did the Dismal Swamp route, and crossed FL via the Okeechobee Waterway.

[@waterwayguide3670]

You are a rare breed, sir. Way to go. That is a monumental trip. I want to hear more. Please contact me at [e-mail]. You are a champion!

[@bluewhaleadventures152]

A very detailed, thoughtful explanation for a newbie such as myself. Thanks! ❤

[@donnakawana]

Questions brilliantly an thoroughly answered.... Thank you for posting this I needed this✌🏻💗😊❣️

[@waterwayguide3670]

Donna, thank you. Hope to see you out there soon...Ed

[@masaiwhite5933]

Bob423,outstanding job you have done.Many thanks.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Masai, thank you for the note. Yes, it's great to have Bob on the Waterway Guide team. Ed.

[@saltwaterinmyveins]

Cumberland island/ St.Marys Ga is beuatiful!

[@waterwayguide3670]

Yes, that part of the AICW is a treasure. I love that part of GA. Hope to see you there...

[@Happ465]

Great info. I’ve travelled a bit on the ICW and you gave great advice for newbies and people like me staying further from home. Thanks much.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thank you for the note. See you out there...

[@cindyreid6404]

Wonderful information! I sail the Gulf Coast of Florida with so many great places to tuck in and anchor or lounge around in a well established Marina. Safe and happy travels to all!

[@waterwayguide3670]

Cindy, thank you for the note. I love the FL Gulf Coast. Keep us posted on where you are and what you discover. Ed.

[@justintillett]

Hi Ed. Just discovered your channel. Excellent content.

[@mr.e7022]

Two tips they didn't mention, don't run the ditch at night and look behind you for the channel markers from time to time. If you only line your boat up with the front marker you can be out of the channel. And watch out for folly inlet. It moves.

[@themindunset]

Hi, Ed. Great to see this video. Bob's app track is incredible. Such a valuable resource to get around that pesky magenta line.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thank you. Yes, Bob's work is stellar. He is as dedicated as you can get. Great to have him on the Waterway Guide team. Hope to see you out there...

[@EvergreenOG]

Such valuable info. Thks for posting

[@waterwayguide3670]

Glad it was helpful! Appreciate the note.

[@TonyCampCamppartyof4]

Great video, thanks for putting this out there. Good information

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thanks for watching!

[@timmccutcheon7354]

Nice work guys!! Thank you!!

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thanks for watching!

[@edtillett5496]

Thank you, Tim. Hope to see you out there.

[@abdulkkhan5095]

Great video for ICW.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Glad you enjoyed it. Are you headed out for a trip anytime soon?

[@12000Jetlag]

Excellent information!

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thanks for watching!

[@freddygimenez8610]

Thank you 👍🏻

[@cliffmeima2015]

good job, nicely done.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thanks! So nice of you to comment. Pass it along...Ed

[@jeremyrosenahagen4577]

Check out ormond beach for restaurant stop. They have a new dock there just north of daytona

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thanks, Jeremy. That's a great part of the AICW.

[@hoobeydoobey1267]

I live near Waterside in Norfolk, Va. What makes it your favorite area/marina to stay?

[@waterwayguide3670]

As I mentioned in my comments, I like the staff, proximity to downtown restaurants (pre pandemic!), and going into Waterside for lunch or dinner. Interestingly, because of the harbor and downtown concrete, I suppose, there's always a breeze on my boat. I don't have AC and when I sit on the aft deck, except for those August days of 100 degrees, I'm usually comforted by the river breezes.

[@joebuck5900]

Try a McGregor 26 which has an adjustable keel and quick release mast if you need to but wont.Mast height is 30 ish in feet.

[@simonbriggs28]

Don't forget Oriental, NC and especially River Dunes

[@waterwayguide3670]

Simon, right you are. We love Oriental. They are in the top places to visit category, too. Thank you. Ed.

[@simonbriggs28]

@@bee-otch- Yes, we keep our boat there too. Let me know if you guys ever need extra crew for the trip south. Happy to help sail and cook. A sailing cat is our long term plan for a cruising boat.

[@roblowery3188]

Would a recreational vessel with a 3 foot draft have any issues with the AICW. I have only been on the ICW with a friend a few years ago and we had to watch it near New River, NC and Oregon Inlet. I draw 3 feet in mine and want to explore the northern section of the ICW solo. any suggestions and recommendations for a bvoater newish to the ICW?

[@edtillett5496]

Rob: 3 foot depth is not a problem overall. The channels are well marked and 3 feet of draft is comfortable. Yes, Oregon Inlet is treacherous and requires good local knowledge. New River, as well as some other inlets and shoal areas, should be planned and researched. But, 3 feet is certainly well within reason.

[@sigmachi5803]

You shouldn't have any major depth problems. "Situational Awareness" is best practiced. Make sure your electronic charts are updated, perhaps use your chart plotter and mobile navigational apps running together at the helm, set your depth finder 'offset' for your hull depth, follow Bob 423 current readings, and enjoy. There is an old adage about "running aground:" * There are those who admit they have 'grounded...' * There are those who haven't 'grounded..' YET... and Those who are LIARS! Tight Lines! Alan and Jeanne Cecil M/V SIGMACHI

[@mojoneko8303]

Cool just what I was looking for. I sailed the coast of Alaska for over 20 years and it was amazing but I have wanted to sail the ICW for a long time. That Great Loop has interested me for years. How long would that take to go from Norfolk up and around and back to the Gulf of Mexico? Seems like that would be a challenge in one spring to fall sailing season even with 6-8 months to work with. Thanks for the video! Liked and subscribed!

[@edtillett5496]

The amount of time to get from Norfolk all the way around to the Gulf depends on several factors. Check out the America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association. There are a lot of members who can help with your questions.

[@70hfigueroa]

Thanks 🙏

[@waterwayguide3670]

Indeed. Thank you for watching from all of us at Waterway Guide Media.

[@pointsonthecurve8098]

From Jacksonville - how far South can I travel with a 50' Mast before needing to cut outside? Great channel, Sub'd and thank you!

[@njblanchard2618]

how large a vessel can trvl the ICW from say ft lauderdale all the way north

[@waterwayguide3670]

Mast height is the key consideration to begin with. Check the bridges for heights. 65 feet is the published height for fixed bridges from Fort Lauderdale northward. In terms of draft and beam, Things get a little uncomfortable with much more than 7 feet in draft, especially in the low country of Georgia and SC. Then, for your beam, there are no real problems except finding marinas to accommodate the width of your vessel. By the time you get masts over 60 feet, drafts of 7 plus feet, and big beamy boats (catamarans, etc.) you can sail / motor outside and go around the shallow areas. Does this answer your question?

[@BasedInc-ms9po]

So should I attempt it in my sailboat with a 5.4 draft? I have heard conflicting info that it would be too difficult.

[@edtillett5496]

A 5.5 foot draft is not difficult. Pay attention to tides in the low country of SC and GA. And always watch water levels due to wind and other variables. But 5.5 feet is not a problem for most stretches of the waterway. Note that Waterway Guide posts navigation alerts and tracks and routes from Bob423, which is a good way to confirm who's going where and what depths are in some of the shallower stretches.

[@chuck8835]

Excellent video but why no historic information regarding the role that the ICW played during WW2? I have traveled on the Waterway from Galveston to Houma and in Bay County, FL. Lived right on the ACICW in Myrtle Beach.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Good point. I didn't consider those details when putting this overview together. Our objective was to offer contemporary navigation and destination advice. All of the ICWs of the U.S. are important to national commerce and security, and there's no question that the waterways are assets. Thank you for the reminder and for watching. Do you have any specific links or stories?

[@youarepredictable]

Has anyone here kayaked the ICW in the New Orleans to Florida area. I am planning a long expedition down the Mississippi and will turn at New Orleans and paddle the ICW east to Florida where I have family who live right on the beach in Gulf Breeze. I am looking for some advice/knowledge of the ICW in this area as I imaging it will be quite heavily travelled by barges and container ships as that is an international port.

[@edtillett5496]

I don't know if you've begun your trip, but the GIWW along that stretch is nice. Yes, New Orleans is hectic and commercial and industrial, but after you get to Lake Pontchartrain its pretty quiet. Keep up posted on your trip.

[@yoga572]

Every bit helps, little as it may be.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thank you. Stay in touch...

[@danielpearson6306]

Purchased a sailboat in Portland ME thinking of sail ICW to Corpus Christy but have no interest in all the cities along the way. I sail solo and when in Texas putting on truck to northwest Washington state. Going to Alaska for the summer. Have gotten so much violent flak for sailing solo and many hags that tell me I need them which is a no way.

[@edtillett5496]

Daniel: There are plenty of desolate and rural places to stay. Even when you're near or in a city, the ICW feels remote all along the way. And, if you're headed to Corpus Christi, you will have plenty of solitude along the Gulf coast.

[@a1ar127]

I realize this is a pretty broad intro to boating on the ICW, but suggest you include some mention of the differences in navigation markers for the ICW vs. conventional buoys. There are spots where the normal "red-right-returning" markers switch to ICW "green to the East" where lack of diligence can put you on the wrong side of the channel.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Good point! That's an ongoing navigational consideration. Thanks for mentioning this.

[@kbwaldron]

Two sets of contradictory advice. Can’t set a date AND place to meet someone. But then says you should have marina reservations a few days in advance. Isn’t the second a date and place?

[@waterwayguide3670]

Yes. A bit of a challenge. These days the marinas are so packed that future planning is becoming more necessary. The more specific advice is not to try and set a date and a place to meet someone more than a "few" days out. Sometimes we want to plan months or weeks in advance for guests to arrive for time on the boat. That's what we were trying to convey. Weather is the key consideration and, for the most part, we can get pretty good weather forecasts 3-4 days out.

[@HolmesNick-i8v]

Kutch Fort

[@borysnijinski331]

It is the inTRAcoastal waterway. Not inTERcoastal…while you write it correctly, you keep calling it inTERcoastal.

[@waterwayguide3670]

Thank you Boris. Yes, it is Intra...but I choose to not over inflect too much and perhaps it sounds as if I'm saying inter...just my ole southern drawl, I guess. Thank you for watching.

[@roseesegateret1013]

Martin Deborah Perez Richard Clark Christopher

[@ekbanjosworld4926]

Dude ! It's not BOW fort ok,,, it's pronounced beau fort just like you were spelling beauty ! That's how they pronounce it! I know because I was at boot camp on Parris Island ! That's exactly how everyone there pronounced is too ! How do you think they are going to feel when you go there calling it something totally different than it's real name ? Doesn't help your professionalism?

[@waterwayguide3670]

Bew-fert South Carolina. Boe-fert, ,North Carolina. Yep, dude, you got it. That's what I said. Thanks for the note.