Add A Candidate So Others Can Vote On...

menzies · 07-02-2018, 04:45 PM

... where was the absolutely worse place you have transited on a cruise.

Ours was today when we came through the Alligator River and Pungo River Canal (A&P Canal).

That place is boring, ugly and I would even say dead. We saw minimal signs of any life at all - even birds. And the mega tug-barge combos running it are downright scary.

AND we have to do it again in a couple of months.

psneeld · 07-02-2018, 05:40 PM

Thats why I prefer the Outer Banks run if the weather is nice.

Usually dead but there have been reports of deer, black bear, eagles, otters..... more so at twilight and most of us want to be out of there at those times.

Add poor phone reception unless you have an amplified antenna.

Ranks up there as 20 or so miles of mindless travel for me too.

bnoft · 07-02-2018, 06:25 PM

I agree the canal is not scenic, goes on for what, 20 miles?
I did enjoy some of the sights on the VA Cut' photo attached. You might need to zoom in to see everything.

DDW · 07-02-2018, 06:46 PM

Well I went around those (Pungo and Alligator) when I went south thru there, too tall to clear the bridges. Went through the sounds, and it was no picnic either, 28 degrees and snowing, had to hand steer (unsheltered cockpit of sailboat) because the autopilot had packed it in 3 days earlier. Got pictures of the wife on the Nags Head/Hatteras beach standing in 6" of snow. Most of the stores were closed (as was the National Park) and we were trying to buy ski gloves.

ranger58sb · 07-04-2018, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psneeld

Usually dead but there have been reports of deer, black bear, eagles, otters..... more so at twilight and most of us want to be out of there at those times.

I think there are still a few red wolves in there, too; part of a (failing?) re-establishment program...

When we came through there in March, e Nordic Tug a mile or so in front of us had a surprising "change to reverse and go to full power" event happen while underway. Gave them quite a scare; we thought maybe they had hit something, watching from a distance, since the maneuver was a bit weird. I think it turned out to be caused by corrosion at their upper (unprotected) helm.

-Chris

menzies · 07-04-2018, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranger42c

I think there are still a few red wolves in there, too; part of a (failing?) re-establishment program...

When we came through there in March, e Nordic Tug a mile or so in front of us had a surprising "change to reverse and go to full power" event happen while underway. Gave them quite a scare; we thought maybe they had hit something, watching from a distance, since the maneuver was a bit weird. I think it turned out to be caused by corrosion at their upper (unprotected) helm.

-Chris

Told you that place could star in a horror movie!

GregBrannon · 07-04-2018, 08:01 AM

I've been thankful for even the less fabulous places we've visited and transited. Experienced while on our boat in the way we choose, they've all been better than the alternatives, and we've learned something from them all.

menzies · 07-04-2018, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregBrannon

I've been thankful for even the less fabulous places we've visited and transited. Experienced while on our boat in the way we choose, they've all been better than the alternatives, and we've learned something from them all.

Great. What did you learn from the A&P?

DavidM · 07-04-2018, 08:24 AM

The Georgia ICW gets my vote for the most mindless, unscenic place to cruise. Miles and miles of salt grass as far as the eye can see, no civilization, and switchback after switchback which makes the trip twice as long.

But some like the solitude. Not me!

David

GregBrannon · 07-04-2018, 08:30 AM

We learned that it was a haven from bad weather on the Pungo.

Ski in NC · 07-04-2018, 08:35 AM

On my recent Bahamas trip, we had nice offshore conditions between SC and Fla going in both directions. So we got to miss Ga.

But weather caused us to hit the Myrtle beach ditch stretch both ways. Yuk. Jetskis as thick as roaches in the bottom of a dumpster...

boomerang · 07-04-2018, 09:10 AM

I personally enjoy every statute mile of the AICW! I would like to try the outer banks channel sometime and on our short list is the dismal swamp route. I seem to always find something interesting to look at even where some deem it as boring & not scenic. I did see a bear way up in the top of a tree on the Alligator Cut...it was kind of comical. To me, the SC & Georgia marshes are some of the prettiest ,with their random small islands, beaches & wildlife. Dolphin will sometimes surprise us with a show near the inlets too. I especially appreciate even the most monotonous areas of the waterway when it's blowing 25 offshore!

RT Firefly · 07-04-2018, 09:54 AM

Greetings,
I’m also of the mind that there are really no boring places along the ICW. I agree with Mr. dj that it does seem like endless marsh and salt grass but I don’t find that so bothersome. We’d never have come to experience Kilkenny Creek marina otherwise. Now, THAT is a life’s experience.

George Harmon · 07-04-2018, 10:02 AM

I came South in my old sailboat in 2010 using the Dismal Swamp Canal, also the Alligator and Pungo rivers. There are mostly game lands and wildlife preserves surrounding the Alligator and Pungo, but its a great deal wider and deeper than the Dismal Swamp. I can agree with David that the Georgia swamps with the green headed flies and other swamp features was the part I least enjoyed. Just wish I had spent more time enroute visiting some interesting towns.

O C Diver · 07-04-2018, 07:39 PM

I have no problem with doing the Alligator Pungo canal. Generally do it twice each year and simply it's a safe passage, with reasonable depth, protected from all but hurricane force winds. Given a choice between being beaten up by moderate winds in the short steep chop of the NC sounds, waiting sometimes for days for passage through the sounds, or the peaceful canal, I'll take the canal. It's only about 2.5 to 3 hours.

Ted

Group9 · 07-04-2018, 08:08 PM

Kemah, Texas to New Orleans via the ICW. No, just no, never again.

MurrayM · 07-04-2018, 08:18 PM

Hasn’t happened yet...too many mountains, islands, islets, inlets, canals, channels and bays to look at

Capt.Brett · 07-06-2018, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by menzies

... where was the absolutely worse place you have transited on a cruise.

Ours was today when we came through the Alligator River and Pungo River Canal (A&P Canal).

That place is boring, ugly and I would even say dead. We saw minimal signs of any life at all - even birds. And the mega tug-barge combos running it are downright scary.

AND we have to do it again in a couple of months.

We made the trip in 2015 in a Hans Christian 38 Mkii at night. We lost the transponder so no depth sounder. The submerged tree stumps kept us in the middle. It was the trip from hell.

garychurch · 07-09-2018, 12:53 PM

Made the trip once. Now do Pamlico Sound for the reasons stated.

charles · 07-09-2018, 01:17 PM

An Opinion was requested so, Kemah, Tx. to New Orleans was mentioned as bad.
I have transited that portion of the ICW for many years and many times and have always noted that it is a grand section of the ICW, really neat with so many homes and things to see and divert to on the trip. I mentioned one time, giving a seminar on the Gulf ICW that it is a DESTINATION and not a way to get somewhere and received an ovation! These people knew!
It is replete with many commercial tows and many pleasure boaters don't like that, but one must keep in mind that the ICW, both of them, were not built for pleasure but for transport of goods.

Personally I prefer to be in the company of most commercial tows as opposed to many pleasure boaters as I KNOW what the tows will do (or will not) but certainly not the case with many pleasure boaters.

As far as a portion of the Atlantic coast not being great would be the inside route north of Cape May, NJ, there again only an opinion.