Norfolk, VA to Carrabelle, FL March-May 2020

[garmstro55]

That's quite a trip Rich! I will be there with you in spirit.

 

[Group9]

That ought to be a fun run!

 

[rgano]

Yes, we are a delivery crew with perks! Since it is a favor to a friend with our expenses covered, it's like chartering a fine vessel for free. There also is no schedule. Admiral asked me if we can detour to the Bahamas. Hmmm.

 

[Wayfarer]

Lord willin' the crick don't rise, I'll be departing Georgetown tomorrow. I'm planning to either stop at McClellanville or drop the hook somewhere around there. Then onward to Charleston after that.

I'll keep an eye out, and let you know what I find.

 

[rgano]

Lord willin' the crick don't rise, I'll be departing Georgetown tomorrow. I'm planning to either stop at McClellanville or drop the hook somewhere around there. Then onward to Charleston after that.

I'll keep an eye out, and let you know what I find.

While I understand it has been dredged recently, the stretch along the backside of the Isle of Palms leading the the Shem Creek bridge was once know to be shallow. It would be nice to hear you can confirm that passage through there was uneventful.

 

[Stickman]

I draw 5’ , and since the dredging no issue Sullivan’s Island to Dewee’s inlet.
Recall the dredge path perhaps 90’ wide so can return to shallows quickly at the edges. Same story at Dawhoo Creek off the Edisto. No apparent dredging at juncture of ICW ACE Basin and Coosaw River.
Heading Chas to Jax next Sunday pm.

 

[rgano]

I draw 5’ , and since the dredging no issue Sullivan’s Island to Dewee’s inlet.
Recall the dredge path perhaps 90’ wide so can return to shallows quickly at the edges. Same story at Dawhoo Creek off the Edisto. No apparent dredging at juncture of ICW ACE Basin and Coosaw River.
Heading Chas to Jax next Sunday pm.

Is Georgia the worst for shallows? I am hoping to bypass the whole state, but weather will determine.

 

[ranger58sb]

While I understand it has been dredged recently, the stretch along the backside of the Isle of Palms leading the the Shem Creek bridge was once know to be shallow. It would be nice to hear you can confirm that passage through there was uneventful.

Is Georgia the worst for shallows? I am hoping to bypass the whole state, but weather will determine.

We didn't see anything particularly worrying around Isle of Palms... and the ICW near McClellanville had been dredged (they were just prepping to dredge Jeremy Creek too).

And Georgia had the most shallow areas we encountered in late November. Don't remember off-hand which was where, but they were clearly called out in the Waterway Guide and mid-tide-or-better solved it everywhere for us (3'7" draft).

-Chris

 

[rgano]

Since it will be on board anyway in the wife's hands, I am going to play with the iPad as a navigation tool in addition the the Coastal Explorer and the Garmin plotter. This will be more as an exercise in eliminating it as a viable tool for me because I DO NOT like touch screens and i-anything much, but hey, what the heck, it already has SeaIQ on it with all the charts. Due to space limitations, it is useless on my 30-footer, but with this huge pilothouse on Eleohn, I'll have plenty of room. I think a couple of years ago I figured out a way to transfer routes from CE to the iPad's SeaIQ, but I have now forgotten and will have to play with it today.

 

[rgano]

Well that wasn't too bad. Just emailed a GPX file of all my routes to the email on the iPad and copied that to the SeaIQ folder I had established on the iPad and then hit the SeaIQ import button. Viola. Isn't this boating sh-- soooo much fun?

 

[O C Diver]

If you go through Georgia, the Altamaha Southern section was dredged last Fall. The Little Mud river and the Mud river including the Northern part of the Altamaha river will be too shallow at low tide in some areas. I would suggest mid tide or higher for that section.

Ted

 

[rgano]

If you go through Georgia, the Altamaha Southern section was dredged last Fall. The Little Mud river and the Mud river including the Northern part of the Altamaha river will be too shallow at low tide in some areas. I would suggest mid tide or higher for that section.

Ted

Thanks, Ted, I am making notes on my CE computers.

 

[O C Diver]

Fields Cut which is the waterway you enter going North as you cross the Savanna river, was being dredged when I went through last fall. What's worth noting is that the buoys at the North end will likely be different. Shoaling had the buoys close to the East shoreline.

As you would be traveling South, expect to assess the markers before making the turn. Hopefully, Waterway guide will have updated information.

Ted

 

[rgano]

Fields Cut which is the waterway you enter going North as you cross the Savanna river, was being dredged when I went through last fall. What's worth noting is that the buoys at the North end will likely be different. Shoaling had the buoys close to the East shoreline.

As you would be traveling South, expect to assess the markers before making the turn. Hopefully, Waterway guide will have updated information.

Ted

Thanks, Ted. The red circle I had planted there on my CE just got changed to yellow with a note "Dredged 2019 check buoys."

 

[jimfrens]

rgano, I'm a 50T Master in Edenton NC looking for sea time and AICW experience. Depending on your exact departure date, I'd love to go along for the ride and will cover my own expenses.
Jim

 

[Don1500]

Don't want t completely miss the AICW, but with 5.5 foot draft...... We'll probably only load half the fuel for the first part of the trip. Capacity is 2000 gallons.

I've done the ICW from Norfolk to Tampa, thru the Okeechobee. 5.7' draft. (I've done the east coast 6 or 7 times) Stay in the center, watch the day markers you'll be OK. Do get TowBoatsUS or Sea tow, never leave the dock without it. Used to be real skinny around McCullenville, but I think that's been fixed. Down around Cumberland Island there are some shallow parts, and watch yourself in the rock pile. All in all I love the East Coast ICW. Beautiful Cruising, lots of good anchorages, lots of good marinas and people. Just do it nice and slow and enjoy the trip.

 

[Don1500]

Lord willin' the crick don't rise, I'll be departing Georgetown tomorrow. I'm planning to either stop at McClellanville or drop the hook somewhere around there. Then onward to Charleston after that.

I'll keep an eye out, and let you know what I find.

I traveled from Socastee south and my first stop was Mimms Creek, great anchorage. A little close if you're leaving from Georgetown though.

 

[rgano]

rgano, I'm a 50T Master in Edenton NC looking for sea time and AICW experience. Depending on your exact departure date, I'd love to go along for the ride and will cover my own expenses.
Jim

Hi Jim, I have not yet checked with the owner about having anybody else aboard, including members of my family, but if you will contact me with a private post here with your nautical background and any other facts you deem pertinent, I will run the idea by him and, of course, the admiral..

 

[rgano]

I've done the ICW from Norfolk to Tampa, thru the Okeechobee. 5.7' draft. (I've done the east coast 6 or 7 times) Stay in the center, watch the day markers you'll be OK. Do get TowBoatsUS or Sea tow, never leave the dock without it. Used to be real skinny around McCullenville, but I think that's been fixed. Down around Cumberland Island there are some shallow parts, and watch yourself in the rock pile. All in all I love the East Coast ICW. Beautiful Cruising, lots of good anchorages, lots of good marinas and people. Just do it nice and slow and enjoy the trip.

Always nice to hear encouraging news like yours. Where is the rock pile you speak of?

 

[menzies]

Always nice to hear encouraging news like yours. Where is the rock pile you speak of?

Some details in this post!

South Carolina, Georgia, and Home! | AtAnchor.com

 

[rgano]

Thanks so much for the Rock Pile info. Once I knew generally where it was, I zoomed in on CE and with the AC notes now have a good feel for what the Rock Pile is (MM 349 to 352). I have a big red circle drawn around it.

 

[O C Diver]

Going through the rock pile area isn't an issue at low tide for water depth, but the safe width narrows quite a bit. I make it a practice to make a Securite call before entering the area as there are places at lower water levels that you wouldn't be comfortable turning around. While there isn't much commercial traffic through there, the occasional construction barge and tug do transit the area.

The other good place to make a Securite call is Elliott cut (Wappoo creek going into Stono river west of Charleston, SC). This is a narrow cut with stone banks. Peak tidal currents can exceed 3 knots. While the cut is quite short there isn't room to comfortably pass another boat. The occasional small tug with a construction barge can be seen going through here.

Ted

 

[ranger58sb]

Always nice to hear encouraging news like yours. Where is the rock pile you speak of?

Some details in this post!

South Carolina, Georgia, and Home! | AtAnchor.com

And it's common to broadcast a Securite call on both 16 and 13 on entering and leaving.

Edit: hadn't seen Ted's post...

-Chris

 

[Stickman]

Where are you now?
Near coastal forecast for Sunday-Monday shows 1-2 ft seas, 5-10 kn winds.

Great window for going Chas to Jax.

We'll leave tomorrow afternoon on the outgoing tide and head for St Mary's/ Fernadina overnight.

 

[rgano]

Going through the rock pile area isn't an issue at low tide for water depth, but the safe width narrows quite a bit. I make it a practice to make a Securite call before entering the area as there are places at lower water levels that you wouldn't be comfortable turning around. While there isn't much commercial traffic through there, the occasional construction barge and tug do transit the area.

The other good place to make a Securite call is Elliott cut (Wappoo creek going into Stono river west of Charleston, SC). This is a narrow cut with stone banks. Peak tidal currents can exceed 3 knots. While the cut is quite short there isn't room to comfortably pass another boat. The occasional small tug with a construction barge can be seen going through here.

Ted

Hey,Ted, I did read the AC comment on my Coastal Explorer which suggests the security call, and I am placing my own comment on my route through there to alert me to make the call. Great stuff, thanks.

 

[menzies]

They actually recommend more than a Securite call - it is recommended that you specifically ask if there is any commercial traffic heading into or going through in the opposite direction to you.

 

[Wayfarer]

Hey Rich, no issues to report between McClellanville and Charleston. I never saw less than 7 feet of water where I was. I departed at close to low tide, and I transited the area in the bottom half of the tide range

 

[rgano]

Hey Rich, no issues to report between McClellanville and Charleston. I never saw less than 7 feet of water where I was. I departed at close to low tide, and I transited the area in the bottom half of the tide range

You da MAN, Dave. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is half so pleasing as messing about in boats (or words to that effect) AND spot reports from the reporter in the field. I'll guess it won't silt in before I get there in a few weeks. Thanks again, shipmate!

 

[rgano]

They actually recommend more than a Securite call - it is recommended that you specifically ask if there is any commercial traffic heading into or going through in the opposite direction to you.

Makes great sense to me. Thanks. Looking more and more like a cake walk every day. I am really hoping to stretch this boat's legs at sea, though. There are still plenty of fronts coming across the country that time of year, and I imagine sea windows will be short.

 

[JESSEDIVER49]

I made that ICW run northbound in 2018 for the first time and was worried most about all the shoaling stories I heard about the stretch in Georgia. They may have dredged since then but I was given a very useful tip by a cruiser I met in St Augustine. Utilize Sea Tow folks for the latest intelligence on their stretch. I got the phone #s and contacts from their main office and called a day or 2 before with notebook in hand. They know their area better than anyone and were always happy to provide info on skinny areas. I draw 4’2” and Never ran aground but had inches below the keel entering Jekyll Island from the south buoy and remember some really skinny water on approach to Stuart. If I remember right, each Seatow franchise has responsibility for about a 40 mile stretch so I usually made 2-3 calls the day before.