Any updates about the ICW from Norfolk to Florida with all the storms? Any marina closings or major damage? Any low water areas?
There are a couple here and there in Northern FL and in GA. Here is the best listing I've found. Not sure it will post here. https://www.waterwayguide.com/hurricane-status-updates
I just did the Intracoastal PRIOR to the Hurricanes from VA to Stuart,FL. There are several very shallow areas from NC to the Florida border........it's getting very tough to do........
Well, except for the Virginia Cut instead of going around Hatteras, I run outside as much as possible. The ICW through those states is all passable, but requires a lot of attention and proper timing and do it often enough and you will experience a grounding somewhere, sometime. Most of the time it will be soft and easy to get out of. Just not the way I want to cruise for hundreds of miles.
It's reaaaallly sad, what used to be drama free, easy and calm and fun to do, the ICW. Has now become a hair raising adventure where you're constantly paying close attention to your depth finder and reading the water. I used to work on a 97' MY with an 8.5' draft and we used to run the ICW exclusively back in the early 2000s and never paid attention to tide and never ran aground.
Sign up for the email alerts here, they are pretty good. I wish they would have them on a web page but I couldn't find a way to get one. http://cruisersnet.net/
Must be all that darned global warming/climate change and the melting icebergs that's making the water levels drop. No, wait. The global warming theorists all are claiming that water levels are rising and coastal towns will flood. Wha's up with that?
You ought to pay better attention. The water levels aren't dropping, shoaling is caused by the bottom shoaling up. Warming isn't a theory, it is a fact. What gets debated is how much human activity is affecting it.
Caltexflanc, Oh that I had your wisdom and was able to determine that it was shoaling, not decreasing water levels, that has created the shallow areas. I guess my tongue-in-cheek post that was meant as a joke just sorta drifted on by. Sorry. Next time I'll be more clear in my posts.
i am doing a trip from Beaufort to Jacksonville next week may be going inside any places to watch out and any recommendations to stop .will be on a powerboat
Yes, and just so we're sure of the impact, the water level at the TX coast has increased 6". Plus the combination of warmer water and higher levels definitely contributed to the severity of this year's storms.
A lot of shallow places. NC only had a few, mostly where the ICW channel almost goes out to the inlet, SC just North of Charleston between the 2 bridges North of Charleston was VERY shallow in Isle of Palms. The rest of it mostly fine in SC. Georgia in front of the defunct marina in Jekyll Island, little mud river, and various other places. Florida pretty much all fine....except ICW between St. Johns River and Fernandina Beach can be a little shallow......It's sad as in 2003 I was a mate on a 97' MY with 8.5-9' draft and we used to travel the entire ICW and never worried about the tides anywhere.......and never touched bottom.
Just finished moving the boat from St. Augustine to Hilton Head. We ran outside from St. Augustine to Fernandina, then the wind forced us inside through ga. We made short runs where we could time the tide for the trouble spots (creek by Jekyll, little mud river, hells gate, and fields cut on the ga/sc border). Timing the tides made the trip relatively stress free. We draw 5 feet. We went to sunbury crab up the medway river, we enjoyed it but very quiet. If schedule allows time the tide and take your time and you will be fine. Also active captain is a must for me. That will help you a lot.
All, please update your BoatUS / East Coast Alerts; The Misery canal is still closed. Dismal Swamp Canal Opening Delayed: The following is still the most recent update: NORFOLK, Va. - Officials at the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have delayed reopening the Dismal Swamp Canal until late October. BoatUS offers good info in these postings.