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From: Jack Beale (no email)
Date: Sun Sep 23 2001 - 20:18:57 EDT
Manfred...
Since there haven't been any other posts on the subject, I'll wade in with a little first-hand experience.
Last year, I brought our boat from Massachusetts to Venice, FL (just South of Sarasota). There is an Intracoastal waterway, down the coast, all the way to Key West. The waterway South of Miami is really the Pacific Ocean, though.
I would consider (strongly) leaving the Intracoastal at a point near Daytona and taking the outside route. The Intracoastal from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami is really a 'pisser'...! There are a multitude of bridges that don't seem to be time coordinated on any type of schedule that will allow you to pass without long waits. The bridge tenders are often short tempered because of all the radio traffic they have to answer. And, that brings me to another point about the boat traffic, which is horrendous - especially power boat traffic. There are large volumes of power boaters that could care less about courtesy, let alone the rules of the (rather narrow) 'road'. I have personally witnessed large (huge trawlers, some over 75 feet) hugging the wrong side of the waterway and forcing all oncoming traffic to deviate or be hit. I've also seen sport fishers at full throttle head down the middle of the Intracoastal, splitting two lines of sailing and power vessels, headed in opposite directions. The sport fishers seem to be the most rude and dangerous.
WARNING: If you have a mast height of over 55 feet, beware that the last bridge in Miami is just 55 feet - you will not be able to pass through and must go around.
Once you leave Marathon (or Key West, if you sail farther South), and turn North, there is NO Intracoastal at all - you will be sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. You will be in the Gulf until you reach Marco Island. Once at Marco, you can take an inside route - IF your mast height is less than 55 feet. On the West coast, you must watch your depths carefully if you draw over 6 feet. The Intracoastal waterway has nominal depths of about 7 feet but you must exercise vigilance in spots.
That said, the Gulf (on most days) is a very nice sail offshore. You needn't motor up the Intracoastal.
Jack Beale
http://home.att.net/~jack.beale/computerguy.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: M. Schmuck
To: lv-ab
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2001 11:37 AM
Subject: lv-ab: Charts
I have never been on the Gulf side but from snippets of conversation I was under the impression that something resembling an inland way exists. It is apparent that I badly need some charts.
Manfred
Que Sera 1
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----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: "M. Schmuck" <>
Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2001 8:25 AM
Subject: RE: Re: lv-ab: Re: Welcome aboard!
What ICW on the gulf side?? I thought the ICW was on the eastern seaboard.
Or are you talking about the Okeechobee waterway?
Pierre Mitham
aboard Shanica J II
north of the 49th parallel!
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