On the US East Coast, it’s time for the fall migration down the ICW.
Hopefully, you’ve found our 1000+ free articles, almost 600 podcasts, courses and products of help as you’re getting ready to shove off. In particular, our Atlantic ICW Quick Reference Cruising Guide will make it easy to find important information:
- Bridge openings
- Places to take your dog off the boat
- Locations to refill propane tanks
- And much more.
If it’s your first time, it’s a big deal. You have probably read some scary accounts of grounding or worse on the ICW. Even if it’s not your first time, the beginning of any journey still feels like a leap of faith.
A couple of quick reminders:
- When you’re feeling overwhelmed, slow down.
- People everywhere eat; you’ll be able to get food.
- When in doubt, take more spares and tools; fewer clothes. A couple of good how-to books are also a good choice.
Above all, be sure to take your sense of adventure! Your attitude and expectation probably play the biggest role in whether you have a great trip or a disaster. You can have problems and still have a wonderful time – trust me, I’ve been there!
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Maria Langer says
I’m retracing my route back down the ICW this autumn on what I’m calling the boomerang leg of my great loop trip. I had to come home for the summer so I was unable to do the northern part of a loop this year, but I’ll do it next year. In the meantime, I’ll be heading south starting in October. If anyone else is heading south this year, look for Do ItNow on Nebo. I’d love to meet up with other cruisers along the way.
Maria Langer, MV Do It Now says
Having done the Atlantic ICW from Stewart, Florida to Annapolis, Maryland, I can offer at least one additional piece of advice: track down the Bob 342 tracks and load them onto your chart plotters. Bob goes up and down the ICW every year and creates a new track. it might be disconcerting to see where he leaves what seems to be the channel, but his tracks are in proven deep water as of his track date and they may prevent you from grounding.
I got my Bob tracks after grounding briefly in sand on what was charted as 12 feet of water. My draft is just 2 1/2 feet. A sailboat grounded nearby needed a tow to get out. The current pushed me off because I had already slowed down after a shallow water alert from my chart plotter. I loaded the Bob tracks onto my chart plotter and started using my autopilot to just follow them on my way north. Of course, I sat there and supervised, manually dodging the occasional crab pot, debris, or boat likely doing the same thing as me. I highly recommend at least consulting this valuable resource. Be sure to get the latest tracks!
There is a ton of shoaling in certain areas of the ICW, so be careful!