ICW- Your Best Tips

We made it!

Took us 14 days running. We had a bit of a deadline. I know, bad thing!

Great experience for wife and me.
Met some wonderful folks.

Trip back in 2015 will be way slower, complete with rose smelling.
New motto: "we don't have a schedule and we're sticking to it!"

Thank you for all your tips.

Glad you made it and had fun! tell us all about it!

Friday, 12 September:
Annapolis to Portsmouth.
150 statute miles.

Long day but had 3-4 foot following sea. We'd climb the waves and coast down the fronts. Bow never came close to burying (I think) and big spray was cast well to the sides. It was a bit scary until we realized that she was handling it fine. Remember, we're new to most of this!

Tied up at Tidewater Yacht Marina. Helpful staff. Nice facility. Portsmouth restaurant area was so-so. After walking to "downtown" we finally Found nice meal, service and atmosphere at Raddison. Local places seemed a bit too noisy and bright.

Norfolk Arrival

Here come ole flattop

Portsmouth to Alligator River

Saturday, 13 September.

Day 2. Didn't realize no wake zone "till the high-rise bridge", wherever THAT was. Figured it out when we got to it! Good lesson for me and my navigating wife.
Great weather until 90% across Albemarle sound. Saw a t-storm ahead and moving across to the east so we slowed down and scurried to the lower station.
I think the worst of it passed in front of us but still hit us pretty strongly for 15-20 minutes as we encountered our very 1st storm while underway.

It passed as we turned into the Alligator River Marina. Got fuel and tied up. We were the only boat there. Glenn and the staff were very nice. Never met the famous "Miss Wanda". This place is really a road-side convenience store/diner with a marina! Great shower and laundry. Zero security at night. Being the only boat just yards away from a public road felt a bit vulnerable. No problem, though.

Photo: Albemarle Sound. How do you like my red and green reminder clips?

Great Bridge Lock

Leaving Lock

Alligator River Marina

And convenience store...

rclarke246 said:

Photo: Albemarle Sound. How do you like my red and green reminder clips?

Click to expand...

Great idea! I was thinking of using colored electricians tape but this is better yet....until they rust.

Oh, Portsmouth to Alligator River: 84 statute miles.
The clips are coated with plastic but I try to stow them when not running.

Thanks for sharing!

I wasn't impressed with the Alligator River Marina. The bathrooms were awful and the docks need a fair amount of work. Still, it serves its purpose. It's nice and quiet at night and an interesting view of cars crossing the bridge at sunset. I see it more like a highway rest stop for boaters. Certainly not a place you want to go visit, but a place that you need to stop when you have to pee

Alligator River Marina

Perhaps it's new or you're speaking of the rest room in the store, but
there is a separate and newly (?) renovated building that houses about 4 large individual showers with toilets. The laundry is also in this building.

I'd give the showers an 8 or 9 rating!

Nope... It was the one's off in the field ;-) If they have been recently renovated, that's good. They needed it. They were cheap looking Home Cheap-O build interiors with more than one unflushed and unclean head. The showers were moldy and they just were not appealing enough for us to even try to use.

They one very cool things, though, were all of the hummingbird feeders attracting birds like crazy! :-D

Alligator River to Grace Harbor at River Dunes

Day 3
14 September
From Alligator River to River Dunes
92 ST.mi./5 hrs.
Total miles: 329. 22 running hours

Easy trip. Good weather.
River Dunes is just east of Oriental, NC. It is a very clean and fine facility in a well protected harbor. We'd call this place very upscale. We used their loaner van to travel the 10 miles to the town of Oriental where we had a nice meal at the marina.
Also, a mini-Walmart was in the town.
Only negative was that River Dunes is pretty far off to itself and the loaner van needed cleaning.

Diana at the helm

Heading for Pamlico Sound, southbound.

Pamlico to Topsail Beach

Day 4
15 September
Oriental to Topsail beach
92 SM, 7 hrs.
Total: 421 SM, 29 hrs.

Another good day, weather, too.

Harbor Village Marina near Topsail Beach is another clean and fine facility. It's home to many boats but will accommodate some transients.
Well protected and easy.

Magenta Line

BTW, I understand the dangers of following the magenta line but why does it disappear from time to time? Like around around Moorehead City. It's a bit confusing to us, especially when we're relying on it as a general guide.

rclarke246 said:

BTW, I understand the dangers of following the magenta line but why does it disappear from time to time? Like around around Moorehead City. It's a bit confusing to us, especially when we're relying on it as a general guide.

Click to expand...

I am not sure...it looks like that an area with no soundings, such as a turning basin or dredged port area to a controlling depth may not get a magenta line because either there is no preferred route or the is no "middle" or they just figure you can figure it out. In the case of Morehead City you either turn west or go out to sea...and the area is dredged where the magenta line is omitted. The same happens in Cape May, NJ harbor...there are soundings but no line...guess they just figure with no probable options the line just isn't needed in an area that already has way too much printed.

This is from NOAAs wesite about the "magenta line"....

Of Coast Survey’s 1052 nautical charts, 52 depict the magenta line. As charts are rotated through the update process, Coast Survey will evaluate and update the magenta line using charted information. When no depth soundings are on the chart, the line will generally be positioned in the centerline of dredged channels and natural waterways, avoiding shoals or obstructions less than the controlling depth. When the chart data is insufficient for determining the line’s preferred route, Coast Survey will attempt to gather additional data from partner agencies and reliable crowdsourcing.

rclarke246 said:

BTW, I understand the dangers of following the magenta line but why does it disappear from time to time? Like around around Moorehead City. It's a bit confusing to us, especially when we're relying on it as a general guide.

Click to expand...

There was a time (last year) when NOAA was considering the removal of the magenta line. Over the last 5+ years, they had been removing sections of it because of data errors or chart surveys.

ActiveCaptain is fairly involved with NOAA today to protect and rebuild the magenta line. There are some new things coming that will be much better (from NOAA) than the way the existing magenta line is "drawn" on charts. Give it a little time.

For anyone heading south:

East Coast Alerts
By Mel Neale
October 9, 2014

Attention Snowbirds

Camp Lejeune AICW Safety Zones:
The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) adjacent to Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, which encompasses the navigable waters of the AICW between Mile Hammock Bay (34.550671° -77.324784°) and Bear Creek Point (34.667673°-77.136057°) in support of military training operations on:
October 28, 2014 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
October 29, 2014 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
November 4, 2014 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
November 5, 2014 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
November 6, 2014 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
November 7, 2014 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
November 9, 2014 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
This action is necessary to provide for the safety of mariners on navigable waters during this military training operation. It is intended to restrict vessel traffic on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to protect mariners from the hazards associated with military training operations. Persons or vessels requiring entry into, or passage through, any portion of the safety zone during the above temporary closures must first request authorization from the Captain of the Port or on scene designated representatives on board U.S. Navy safety vessels. The Captain of the Port can be contacted via telephone at (910) 343-3882 or by radio on VHF Marine Band Radio, channels 13 and 16. On scene U.S. Navy safety vessels can be contacted via telephone at (910) 451-9577 or by radio on VHF Marine Band Radio, channels 13 and 16. (5th District LNM Week 40/2014)*

Howard

rclarke246 said:

BTW, I understand the dangers of following the magenta line but why does it disappear from time to time? Like around around Moorehead City. It's a bit confusing to us, especially when we're relying on it as a general guide.

Click to expand...

I think it's been removed from the charts in areas where it is no longer depicting the actual safe areas or channel. There are parts of the ICW where there is constant shoaling and aids to navigation are moved frequently. Rather than leaving the magenta line and leading folks into danger, it's been removed.

The magenta line should be used as a guide only. It's important to look at what you see with your own eyes first, something I keep trying to tell my wife. Charts, paper or electronic can be out of date.

Howard brings up a good point. Always read those LNMs on Tuesday! You can sign up for e-mail notices with a direct links to the districts of your choice. Also, the latest Coast Pilot is out and available the same way.

For instance, the RR bridge in Morehead City has some day time closures coming up.

"A temporary deviation from the regulation shall allow the bridge to remain closed from 9 a.m. until noon and again from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. every day, from November 3 through November 7, 2014. The bridge has 4 feet of vertical clearance in the closed position. We advise mariners to check for future notices on this project. "

caltexflanc said:

Howard brings up a good point. Always read those LNMs on Tuesday! You can sign up for e-mail notices with a direct links to the districts of your choice. Also, the latest Coast Pilot is out and available the same way.

For instance, the RR bridge in Morehead City has some day time closures coming up.

"A temporary deviation from the regulation shall allow the bridge to remain closed from 9 a.m. until noon and again from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. every day, from November 3 through November 7, 2014. The bridge has 4 feet of vertical clearance in the closed position. We advise mariners to check for future notices on this project. "

Click to expand...

One huge change coming to that area too. However, not to panic as it's several years away. But the new bridge in Beaufort will be 65' and fixed. It will block boats with taller masts (primarily sail boats), taking away access to the Newport River, to the ICW, to hurricane protection and to facilities such as Jarrett Bay and Bock. I am surprised that it will be fixed, but that's the information from Waterway Guide.

There was a lot of controversy about that new bridge, which delayed the project a few years; primary complainers were the various boat yards up stream. At one point it looked like they might get an open-on-appointment span on the 65 footer. There is no other reason for a taller boat to go up there, other than to take the long way to dock at Morehead City Yacht Basin, or the short way to dock at Town Creek Marina. There already is a 65 foot bridge right after all the yards on Core Creek. So if Jarrett Bay, Moores, Bock et al want to service a tall boat, they will have to get it stepped at one of the commercial guys on Radio Island. Nobody could come up with the numbers to justify it.

The whole thing is a public works pork-laden boondoggle in my opinion, and we drive over the current draw bridge a lot, occasionally being inconvenienced by an opening. The new route makes it a longer car trip to/from downtown Beaufort to MHC.

caltexflanc said:

There was a lot of controversy about that new bridge, which delayed the project a few years; primary complainers were the various boat yards up stream. At one point it looked like they might get an open-on-appointment span on the 65 footer. There is no other reason for a taller boat to go up there, other than to take the long way to dock at Morehead City Yacht Basin, or the short way to dock at Town Creek Marina. There already is a 65 foot bridge right after all the yards on Core Creek. So if Jarrett Bay, Moores, Bock et al want to service a tall boat, they will have to get it stepped at one of the commercial guys on Radio Island. Nobody could come up with the numbers to justify it.

The whole thing is a public works pork-laden boondoggle in my opinion, and we drive over the current draw bridge a lot, occasionally being inconvenienced by an opening. The new route makes it a longer car trip to/from downtown Beaufort to MHC.

Click to expand...

There was another group not happy about it either. That is the merchants the current bridge leads to. It is unusual to see the change of direction of the bridge. I didn't hear any of the arguments, but do you know why they didn't just choose to put duel bridges or a new bridge in the area of the old one? I still find the thought of a traffic problem in Beaufort a bit entertaining.

Day 5

Day 5, 19 September
Topsail Beach to Southport, NC
42 SM, 3-4 hours
Trip Total: 463 SM, 32.5 Hrs.

Easy day as good weather continued and ran less than 4 hours, for a change!
Been sleeping really well. It's pretty exhausting to focus / run all day. We're biting off so much mileage for these 3 reasons, in no particular order:
* nervous about traveling during hurricane season
* have a hard deadline by mid-October
(Looking good on both counts, so far)
* anxious about this, our 1st long voyage. Wanna get to the finish line ASAP.

Vowing to take 3-5 times as long on our return north in 2015. Scoping out places where we'll visit, explore, relax.

Southport is one town we will definitely revisit. Great little beach town with lots to see and do. Perfect for biking, walking.

Had a nice meal (great view, too) at Provisions Restaurant where we dined with our daughters in-laws, who live on nearby Oak Island.

Southport Marina was another fine facility. Fueled up. Starting to wonder, Are we too easy to please? Maybe it's simply the euphoria associated with après docking!

rclarke246 said:

Southport Marina was another fine facility. Fueled up. Starting to wonder, Are we too easy to please? Maybe it's simply the euphoria associated with après docking!

Click to expand...

Seems a reflection of two things. First, the overwhelming percentage of marinas we've visited have been fine facilities. Then that brings to the second, you are reasonable and don't expect perfection. You go in happy and someone would have to work hard to mess that up.

You have already made a lot of miles on the ICW but after 30 trips north and south myself I suggest a few things.
Keep to the outside of the curve- the inside section of curve on a waterway with any current tends to shoal, the outside of the curve stays deeper. The exception is where there are branch channels.
Always use extra caution wherever the ocean meets the ICW as shoals build all the time.
Keep one eye on the chart, one eye on the waterway and one eye on the depth finder.
Always look behind you when running a straight channel to make sure you are still in the middle of the channel. You may seem to be in the middle but when looking at the markers to the stern wind or current may have pushed you to the side.

rclarke246 said:

Southport Marina was another fine facility.

Click to expand...

I thought those boats looked familiar. That's the same slip where we spent last Christmas.



Dave

Courtesy

Cutting Speed to Reduce Wake

Another issue where we are seeking guidance. Got yelled at a time or two.

We understand "official no wake zones". Not too hard to spot the unofficial ones. By the way, why not include the no wake zones on charts?

Other reasons we found to cut speed:

Passing a marina or dock with boats actually in the water

Passing a small to medium sized vessel, often they're fishing just off the channel

Passing, overtaking or being overtaken. Size of vessel matters here.

Commercial Vessels:
I was surprised to hear a tug captain, pushing a large barge, chastise another skipper for his wake. "These chains to my barge could easily break!" Our first thoughts were, get chains sized for the job. Never thought large commercial vessels were touchy about this as sail boaters.

Speaking of which, we're extra courteous to sail boaters, under sail or not, in hopes of mitigating some of the traditional animosity.

Smallish tug and barge was emerging from a small creek to our starboard, about 100 yards away. He was turning to port. I didn't slow down as I was clearly passing well ahead of him. He got visually mad. No VHS contact. Had I slowed the crossing would have been much closer and more complicated. Confused about his anger.

We slowed for manatees, as they are obviously sacred creatures of God, and don't want any of the consequences in irritating God, them or their advocates! Not so much for dolphins! There are millions of 'em and they have no "zones" that we ever noticed. One even struck our keel as we saw him dive just before the "thump". Are we bad people?

As we progressed we think we complied with the law and ettiquette.
Just asking.
Thanks.

Greetings,
Mr. Tucker. "...Keep one eye on the chart, one eye on the waterway and one eye on the depth finder..." Sounds like your recommending THIS guy/gal...