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charles said:
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.
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Where you been hiding Charles? Haven't seen you posting for a while..
 
It is called Dismal for a reason, some make like dismal others the Bahamas.

Jack (Steve) where have you been? We drank some of your Budweiser in the Bahamas. It was good.
 
I have 2 nominees

1. The Miserable Mile--the no wake/manatee zone near the junction of the Caloosahatchee and the ICW between Ft Myers and Pine Island. NEVER saw a single manatee in the channel (possibly due to the nice grassy bottomed shallow area immediately north of it!!)

2. Carrabelle Fl to Cedar Key at ~8kts. Throw in 3-5 ft seas and thunderstorms, no cell or VHF coverage, nor sight of anything in any direction but stormy skies and seas for the better part of a full day.
 
1. Delaware Bay - Currents, steep seas, green head flies. Unfit for human habitation and it reminds you so.

2. Manasquan Inlet - currents, steep seas, rock jetties, inconsiderate boaters, fishermen jeering, a drawbridge just inside that was designated a hazard to navigation.

I agree that the A&C canal is dull but I find it less scary, even with the barges, than the two I’ve listed.

— Tom
 
twiisted71 said:
I have 2 nominees

2. Carrabelle Fl to Cedar Key at ~8kts. Throw in 3-5 ft seas and thunderstorms, no cell or VHF coverage, nor sight of anything in any direction but stormy skies and seas for the better part of a full day.
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Yes as I stated earlier (post #25) when I mentioned Cedar Key to St Marks Lighthouse, shallow water,cant see land in any direction but DOWN, and goes on forever.


Thats two votes for this route.....LOL
 
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Ours was definitely 14 foot seas on a passage from Rodriguez Key to South Riding Rocks in the Bahamas. Forecast was 2’-3’. Spray flying over our fly bridge Bimini top, 18’ above the water. I quickly learned how unsecure some things were and had to crawl on hands and knees to lash items down. Husband had to use a trash can to pee at the helm. Dogs kept trying to escape to the bow to get to their “pee pad”. Hubby still brags that he got delivered lunch at the helm in that piece of hell. Learned a LOT about forecasts that trip.
 
menzies said:
... 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.
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No, you don't have to do it again, ever. Go down the Pamlico. Stop and enjoy Manteo. Anchor in Silverlake for a few days and enjoy Ocracoke. Live a little!
 
djmarchand said:
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
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One of our very favorite cruising grounds. Walburg Creek, Table Point, Duplin River.. some of our favorite multi-day anchorages, among others. What was your big hurry? Take a car if it's all about Point A to Point B!
Plus, you can go in and out all the various inlets if there are sections to skip.
 
Ooops. Deleted post belonging to another thread.
 
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OK, we always enjoy cruising anywhere, but some places are "one and dones" AKA "been there and done that" :

NC ICW, as much as is easily avoidable.
FL ICW pretty much everything from JAX to MIA, and Channel Five to Key West (though draft figures in there a bit)
As previously mentioned, the Okeechobee Waterway in its entirety.
Texas ICW from Galveston to Rockport.

When we lived out west, I actively disliked San Pablo Bay, but it is the only way from SF Bay to get to a bunch of places we really like. Pamlico Sound is its sister in NC. Might have to throw the Great South Bay of LI in there too.
 
caltexflanc said:
...

When we lived out west, I actively disliked San Pablo Bay, but it is the only way from SF Bay to get to a bunch of places we really like. ...
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When the waters are calm, SPB is a nice transit.
 

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MurrayM said:
Hasn’t happened yet...too many mountains, islands, islets, inlets, canals, channels and bays to look at ;) :hide:
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Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.
 
DC36Monk said:
Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.
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The slog up the Malispina on the East side of Texada Island can be a bit of a bore. Maybe not of the ICW Dismal Swamp level, but a bit of a jaunt.
 
I've had weather I wouldn't want to revisit, and sea conditions that I'm not looking forward to repeating, but I've never had a cruise that I disliked. At times I've been s#!t scared and I've asked myself wtf am I doing here, but in the end I've never had a bad day.
Perhaps never travelling in congested areas with other boat traffic makes it easier to just enjoy the moment.
 
markpierce said:
When the waters are calm, SPB is a nice transit.
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Boring though!

Delaware Bay, I can understand the prior poster's point, though we always had fun exploring it. And it can be a nice boy as well if you choose your weather and tidal stage.

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DC36Monk said:
Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.
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We've done a fair amount of cruising in the PNW, and you will note I didn't list any spots up there. Thing is, you can use some part of the AICW and adjoining waters, rivers and islands in beautiful weather 12 months a year.

Having had tri-coastal cruising experience, we were living in Texas when we decided to take a few years off and go cruising full time, and it took less than a minute to decide where we were going to do it.

We've enjoyed all our cruising, but as mentioned in a previous post of mine, some cruises are not on our list of desired repeats if at all possible, regardless of weather.
 
While there hasn't been any waterway I wouldn't cruise again, going from Lake Michigan through Chicago, down the Des Plaines river, and the Illinois river to Grafton, IL, wasn't remotely enjoyable. Start with the stretch through Chicago that has almost no redeeming value. Then there is the heavily industrial Des Plaines river that can be choked with barges and reaks of petroleum based industries. This is followed by long stretches of the Illinois river that can be best described as a tug and barge canal through a very desolate area with few stopping points. Factor in numerous locks undergoing bandaid repairs to delay you. Overall it's just not a pleasant experience.

As a side note: The tug captains are incredibly professional and courteous making every effort to share the waterway with you. Through this section, all the way to Mobile, AL, I never encountered a tug captain who wasn't safe courteous and professional. The lock operators were also extremely accommodating considering what they have to work with (decrepid infrastructure and paltry maintenance budgets).

Ted
 
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DC36Monk said:
Second the thought. You AICW folks need to try the Salish Sea to Glacier Bay. Not a boring or ugly mile in the thousands of miles of inlets, sounds and islands. But, if you don't watch your weather you might get a bit uncomfortable. Saw over 70 Bald Eagles sitting on a little island on my way out of Smith Sound last month. Hard to beat.
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Wifey B: I agree but then I don't find anywhere I've been boring or ugly. :D
 
O C Diver said:
While there hasn't been any waterway I wouldn't cruise again, going from Lake Michigan through Chicago, down the Des Plaines river, and the Illinois river to Grafton, IL, wasn't remotely enjoyable. Start with the stretch through Chicago that has almost no redeeming value. Then there is the heavily industrial Des Plaines river that can be choked with barges and reaks of petroleum based industries. This is followed by long stretches of the Illinois river that can be best described as a tug and barge canal through a very desolate area with few stopping points. Factor in numerous locks undergoing bandaid repairs to delay you. Overall it's just not a pleasant experience.

As a side note: The tug captains are incredibly professional and courteous making every effort to share the waterway with you. Through this section, all the way to Mobile, AL, I never encountered a tug captain who wasn't safe courteous and professional. The lock operators were also extremely accommodating considering what they have to work with (decrepid infrastructure and paltry maintenance budgets).

Ted
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Wifey: You left out the electric carp barrier in your Chicago to Grafton paragraph. :ermm:

Tow captains, lock operators, bridge tenders all respond as you described as long as you are courteous and respectful to them. I've often heard them remain amazingly professional with boaters who didn't merit it. Sometimes I just want to yell at the offender, but I don't generally. I have though a couple of times had the offender go to another channel so I could nicely tell them the error of their ways which was mainly to learn what they're doing and prepare. :)
 
BandB said:
Wifey: You left out the electric carp barrier in your Chicago to Grafton paragraph. :ermm:

Tow captains, lock operators, bridge tenders all respond as you described as long as you are courteous and respectful to them. I've often heard them remain amazingly professional with boaters who didn't merit it. Sometimes I just want to yell at the offender, but I don't generally. I have though a couple of times had the offender go to another channel so I could nicely tell them the error of their ways which was mainly to learn what they're doing and prepare. :)
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One lock operator told me of a large pleasure craft transiting the area the previous year. He said the female captain was only wearing a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Know anything about that? ;)

Ted
 
O C Diver said:
One lock operator told me of a large pleasure craft transiting the area the previous year. He said the female captain was only wearing a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Know anything about that? ;)

Ted
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Wifey B: No, but I applaud them. We might have female captains wearing skimpy bikinis but no naked captains on inland rivers. Generally shaded too so no hat. Now, of course, he might have just had the illusion of nudity because someone's bikini was "nude" color and very skimpy.

As a matter of information, since we have researched these things, topless would be legal in almost all areas but nudity would be illegal in many depending on the state, city and county. :D
 
O C Diver said:
While there hasn't been any waterway I wouldn't cruise again, going from Lake Michigan through Chicago, down the Des Plaines river, and the Illinois river to Grafton, IL, wasn't remotely enjoyable. Start with the stretch through Chicago that has almost no redeeming value. Then there is the heavily industrial Des Plaines river that can be choked with barges and reaks of petroleum based industries. This is followed by long stretches of the Illinois river that can be best described as a tug and barge canal through a very desolate area with few stopping points. Factor in numerous locks undergoing bandaid repairs to delay you. Overall it's just not a pleasant experience.

As a side note: The tug captains are incredibly professional and courteous making every effort to share the waterway with you. Through this section, all the way to Mobile, AL, I never encountered a tug captain who wasn't safe courteous and professional. The lock operators were also extremely accommodating considering what they have to work with (decrepid infrastructure and paltry maintenance budgets).

Ted
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My wife would agree with your description. We delivered a sailboat with a 6' draft from Chicago to St Louis in October 1991. Quimbys showed several good overnight/fuel stops but they were all closed or inaccessible due to shallow water. We ended up spending a couple of nights anchored just off the channel listening to the tows roar by. When we hailed a towboat near the end of the Illinois River to ask about where to find fuel they invited us to come alongside and gave us 20 gallons of fuel and a tour. Captain said with a smile that they wouldn't miss the fuel :) Very friendly folks, they were working 28 day shifts and were happy to stop and chat.

I'm planning to be fully self-sufficient when I do that stretch again this year. The industry and commercial traffic interests me, so I'm actually looking forward to it. Would rather deal with that than the endless swarm of recreational boaters on parts of the AICW and Trent Severn.
 
Jack (Steve) we traded PBR for Bud once you informed us. Getting ready for the February Trawler Forum, Watfa has a great menu planned. Come hungry.
 
That is a well known fact.
 
Mosquito lagoon. Ugh, buggy, smelly and boring.
 
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