Chesapeake to Jacksonville Florida off shore

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Mainship400

Mainship400

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2015
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69
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USA
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Glacier Bay 2770
Hello: Helping a friend with a 48 Krogen move his boat from Baltimore to Jacksonville, leaving late next week. Weather permitting, we would like to do part of this off shore to make some time, when possible. Boat cruises around 6 to 7 knots. Are there any inlets that are recommended for leaving and entering the ICW for say a 2 or 3 day off shore passage?? Any tips on best places to head offshore and avoid the Florence damage?
Thanks for your help!
 
Search around here and you will find a wealth of information on this itinerary.
Also the Waterway Guide AICW edition and website is an excellent companion, the latter especially now with constant hurricane updates. Also Cruisernet, and of course the LNMs
 
Mainship400 said:
Hello: Helping a friend with a 48 Krogen move his boat from Baltimore to Jacksonville, leaving late next week. Weather permitting, we would like to do part of this off shore to make some time, when possible. Boat cruises around 6 to 7 knots. Are there any inlets that are recommended for leaving and entering the ICW for say a 2 or 3 day off shore passage?? Any tips on best places to head offshore and avoid the Florence damage?
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Just go out Chesapeake bay in in at Jacksonville in that boat.
 
Read the posts on our summer trip from JAX to the Chesapeake and back, including Baltimore, at the link below. We went outside all the way to Beaufort NC using inlets (you would be reversing), and inside between there and the Chesapeake.

All Posts | AtAnchor.com
 
If you haven't done the trip before, I would focus on commercial shipping ports for easy access from the sea. Some would include:

Morehead City, NC
Southport, NC (Cape fear river)
Charleston, SC
Savannah, GA
Brunswick, GA
Jacksonville, FL (St John's river)

There are certainly other easy inlets, but these have good sizes cities with lots of resources, should you need them.

Ted
 
The ICW from North Myrtle Beach to Georgetown is closed now because of flooding, but will probably be open by the time you get there. But check first. I would suggest that you plan to do all the way from Beaufort NC to Beaufort SC outside, at least until the C of E has a chance to plot shifted sand bars, and replace damaged or missing markers.
Otherwise Caltex gave good advice as to where to get information.
 
O C Diver said:
If you haven't done the trip before, I would focus on commercial shipping ports for easy access from the sea. Some would include:

Morehead City, NC
Southport, NC (Cape fear river)
Charleston, SC
Savannah, GA
Brunswick, GA
Jacksonville, FL (St John's river)

There are certainly other easy inlets, but these have good sizes cities with lots of resources, should you need them.
Click to expand...


Winyah Bay into Georgetown, SC, is easy enough. Georgetown is a bit further inland, and isn't huge... but we found it to be pleasant.

I suspect Port Royal Sound, into Beaufort, SC, might be useful if necessary, too. Just guessing, though...

-Chris
 
Would consider offshore cape fear inlet to Charleston. Easy 135nm offshore run to the Charleston-. Winds commonly SSE-SW and seas commonly from the SE so that may indeed keep you at 6.5 -7.5 knots. I just made that trip ( pre-Florence) with wind and seas on my stern in the same boat at 8+ kn.
Plus that offshore run avoids timing your trip through the (pre-Florence) shoaling between Winyah bay and Charleston.

I’m in Charleston until 10-11, then ICW to Beaufort, and Savannah 10-13 to about 1 Dec.
 
We're doing that trip, now. If weather holds, we'll jump out at Morehead City, it's a day's run to Masonboro Inlet (Wrightsville Beach). We'll go in at Masonboro, then take the ICW south to Southport and avoid the Frying Pan shoals. Then jump back out. The weather will drive your choices. The inlets others have mentioned are all good in most all conditions, most are easily done at night, well-marked. Little River inlet is another option in good daylight conditions, the ICW closure is south of that to Georgetown (Winyah Bay). Watch your weather, make prudent choices. There are plenty of interesting places to visit if you need to hold up for weather.
 
Maerin said:
We're doing that trip, now. If weather holds, we'll jump out at Morehead City, it's a day's run to Masonboro Inlet (Wrightsville Beach). We'll go in at Masonboro, then take the ICW south to Southport and avoid the Frying Pan shoals. Then jump back out. The weather will drive your choices. The inlets others have mentioned are all good in most all conditions, most are easily done at night, well-marked. Little River inlet is another option in good daylight conditions, the ICW closure is south of that to Georgetown (Winyah Bay). Watch your weather, make prudent choices. There are plenty of interesting places to visit if you need to hold up for weather.
Click to expand...

Let us know what you find, since Wrightsville Beach was ground zero for the hurricane.
 
East entrance to Dawbo from wadmalaw/north Edison-


Have you passed through? Rumor was is was dredged in September.
Did you follow channel markers or take the “outside the marker” route.

Will be heading down there next week.
 
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