Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk, Virginia to Miami, Florida. Questions.

[Pete H]

Hi guys,

It has long been a dream of mine to navigate the ICW. The thousand miles or so from Norfolk to Miami is the section I am currently interested in. This is at an early information gathering stage at present, with a tentative date for Summer-Fall of 2015. I did originally think that  I would hire a car or a couple of motor cycles and do the trip by land, stopping at as many coastal towns as possible, but recently the idea of doing it on water has taken hold of me and I have been unable to shake it off.

I have been wondering about hiring a boat, sail or power, big enough for two people to live aboard for six weeks or so. Eighteen or twenty feet, able to be handled by two. The other possibility would be to buy a suitable boat, but how much would that cost? I figure if I had to pay motel accommodation and car hire for six weeks or so that would cost six or seven thousand dollars. If I could buy a suitable boat for ten thousand and resell it at the end of the trip, If I could get four grand back I would break even, any more would be a bonus. On the other hand if I could buy a suitable boat four six thousand I could give it away or just leave it and still break even.

So, ideas please, specifically, is it possible to buy a suitable boat for about ten thousand?
Is six weeks a reasonable time frame to cover all or most of the route I'm thinking of?
What type of boat? Would a Compac 19 be suitable?
Conditions on this section of the ICW? Sheltered waters, mostly? Coastal exposed waters?
Or, forget it, do it by car!

Any help or advice gratefully appreciated.

Cheers,
Pete H

[wes]

Pete - I sail a 19, and my regular sailing grounds are on the North Carolina section of the ICW - the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, Neuse and Pamlico Rivers, and Beaufort area. It is a beautiful area, great sailing, protected waters, on the inside of the barrier islands called the Outer Banks.

I have contemplated the same trip you describe. Recommend you order one of the ICW cruising guides (Amazon sells them); I did and found it very helpful. This section of the ICW is very diverse in weather, wildlife, scenery and sailing conditions, and many of the towns and cities along the way are charming, friendly, and important in American colonial and Civil War history.

The drawbacks for me are that large portions of the ICW, especially in Florida, are essentially canals that require motoring rather than sailing. Bigger sailboats can go "outside" into the open ocean, but I am not comfortable taking my 19 into ocean conditions. I've concluded that for my skill level I should do the trip in a bigger boat that also will provide more comfortable motoring.

If you do the trip - let me know. I'll meet you when you pass through NC.

Wes

[brackish]

Hi Pete,


I've done a lot of the ICW and on your stated route, I've done from Jacksonville, FL past Miami to Key West.  However, I was on a delivery crew on a 44' pilothouse ketch and we spent most of the time sailing outside.  The actual ICW is not sailing friendly and I would suggest that a fuel efficient displacement power boat might make more sense.  A trawler type or something similar that offers standing headroom and some creature comfort accommodations.  I have known people who have purchased used trawlers to make ICW trips and then sold them at the conclusion of the trip so the difference in the purchase/sale price was the cost along with the operating costs of the vessel.

Do you have experience and credentials?  You might place an add about moving a boat along the route for someone.  Delivery crew is also a possibility, however, they would want to go much faster than you wish.

Your specific questions:

1. Depends on "suitable"  I'm sure you can make the trip in a boat that costs $10K, I knew a guy who did the whole TennTom in a 18' bass boat,  but it was essentially camping out.

2. Six weeks should give you plenty of time including some stopover time.

3. Answered above.  Yes you could do it in a 19, but with no standing headroom, limited cabin living facilities, mostly motoring at 5 knots or less and always in an exposed cockpit regardless of weather conditions, would you want to?

4. On the section I'm familiar with, mostly sheltered on the ICW proper,  Even outside between land and the Gulf Stream wasn't that bad, but subject to rapid change depending on weather.

5. Naw, I'd still do it by water even if I had to use a kayak.

[crazycarl]

Pete,

Read the book, "The Biggest Boat I Could Afford", about an Aussie trying to cure his fear of water (among other reasons) who sails a 16' open Wayfarer from Key West to New York.  Might give you some insite.

I lived aboard a 19' sailboat, alone, for 6 weeks while sailing around Miami and the keys.  Looking through my chartplotter's memory, I see I travelled about 800 miles in the 1st 4 weeks.

I'm currently researching a trip from Brownsville, Texas to Key West in our 19.  I just don't know when I'll have the time. 

Remember, if the Mrs is coming along, make her happy with the vessel you choose, and you'll be happy


Carl

[Pete H]

Carl, Brackish and Wes,

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions. I have ordered several books from Amazon on the ICW as suggested.

My first preference of vessel would be a yacht with a good outboard but I am not averse to doing the trip in a powerboat. Buying and reselling or hiring, all depends on what is available at the time. This trip is just in the dream and early planning stage at the moment. I do have about fourty years years experience sailing, but mostly with trailer sailers, so I wouldn't comfortable doing delivery runs on someones million dollar yacht.

Anyway, I have eighteen months or so to go yet. Next year we are going to the UK again and will spend some time boating on some of their canals and on the Norfolk Broads. I have just this week booked a 48 foot narrow boat for a week on the Monmouth and Brecon canal and a 36 foot power cruiser for a week on the Norfolk Broads, so  although I am a sailor through and through I am not averse to hiring and living aboard a power cruiser if that is the most suitable for the task.

So thanks for your thoughts, I will hit Google and see what is for hire or sale.

Cheers,
Pete