CRUISING THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY

Starting at the Annisquam River, north of Boston, the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) runs down the east coast of America, along the Gulf of Mexico coastline and finishes at Brownsville, Texas. Most skippers cruise the 1,090-mile section between Norfolk, Virginia and Miami, Florida, with its rivers, estuaries and bays as well as large man-made sections of waterway.

When navigating the ICW remember that commercial shipping use it, so know the rules of the road. The waterway is tidal and it’s vital to plan or wait for rising tides to continue. Currents can also be fast. Not all parts of the ICW are dredged so keep a careful eye on depth to avoid grounding. There are few opportunities to sail and most skippers motor all of it. For those who need to feel the wind in their sails, there are several points where you can leave the ICW and enter the Atlantic Ocean, or head to wider bodies of water such as Pamlico Sound or Albemarle Sound, both in North Carolina.

The ICW is accessible for boats with a keel no deeper than 5ft and a mast no taller than 64ft. Generally, most bridges are 65ft above the water at high tide, although some have scheduled opening (VHF Channel 09 or 13). Bridges between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale open, allowing for larger vessels to navigate.

The ICW can be cruised all year round, with a marina or anchorage every 25 miles or so, some of them off the main waterway. There are also plenty of boatyards, should you need them. It is advisable to call ahead and book berths, especially in the busier months of March-may and September-november, when skippers move their boats to escape the winter.

The Intracoastal Waterway, Norfolk to Miami by Bill Moeller & John J. Kettlewell, 6th edition, (International Marine Publishing Co, £25.99) and The Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook, Norfolk to Miami by John J. & Leslie Kettlewell, 6th edition (International Marine Publishing Co, £61.99) are good sources of information.