# Cruising NY to Florida -- intercoastal



## Guest (Mar 22, 2002)

I''m planning to sail from NY to Florida and I''m looking to purchase used or inexpensive charts. Any suggestions?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Ahoy, DougO. Inexpensive is fine, but I do not recommend used charts. You should get the latest charts you can for such a trip in my opinion. Things can change fairly quickly and older charts can get you in trouble if the owner hasn''t kept them up to date.


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## thomasstone (Dec 21, 2001)

Used charts would be fine, its not like the Icw changes much (besides depths) . I dont see why you would need charts anyways for an Icw trip. 
thomas


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## Guest (Mar 22, 2002)

You don''t think I need charts for an ICW trip? Sounds good to me -- can you explain?


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## thomasstone (Dec 21, 2001)

From Norfolk to Miami its basically a straight shot follow the markers.Albermale , Pamlico and the Neuse river in NC can get a little rough other than that its mostly protected. Im not familiar with the NY through VA area. Im probally being a little extreme in suggesting you make the trip without charts it is helpful with marinas and anchorages as well as bridges. You certainly dont need new charts as long as you have a radio people in the south are very helpful. Some marinas , restaurants, etc. might be closed but again the boating community will direct you.I would bring some charts of the east cost atlantic if you decide you cant stand the drown of your motor. Beaufort to Wilmington is very easy as well as Wilmington to Charleston.
thomas


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Not using charts,new or old,on the ICW,is the stupidest & most irresponsible suggestion I''ve ever heard on this board. Having done the ICW many times,I wouldn''t even attempt it without charts. The biggest inconvienience from using older charts is that sometimes the channel numbers are changed. If you use a current cruising guide ,such as Reeds,they show changes.Please don''t listen to the previous writer,or you''ll wind up like him.
Marc


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Beaufort to Wilmington? Wilmington to Charleston? What the hell is that all about?
Marc


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## thomasstone (Dec 21, 2001)

Girlshell ,if you have been down the Icw several times how can you not know about the very popular offshore route from Beaufort to Wilmington or Wilm to Charleston. Seems like charts do you no good if you cant read them. I would worry more about someone winding up like you , up and down the ICw several times and missing some very major Inlets. 
thomas


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Thomas, Wilmington is not an inlet, Cape Fear is. If your heading to Fl,why would you go all the way around Frying Pan Shoals,and then go 20 miles up the Cape Fear River to Wilmington. If you had a chart & knew how to read it,you might know what your talking about. Until you do,try to not give advice to novices
Marc


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## thomasstone (Dec 21, 2001)

Girlshell, sorry when I speak of Wilmington and coming into Wilmington I mean Masonboro Inlet , does this show on your chart? I live in Wilmington please do not tell me the names of my local inlets.Cape Fear is used by commercial boats. If you knew how to read your charts you would see masosboro is a better inlet than going all the way around to cape fear.
thomas


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## thomasstone (Dec 21, 2001)

Besides girlshell Im not saying come to Wilmington I am just letting him know these are very easy inlets and if the drown of the motor becomes to much he can actually use his boat to sail between these points. Since you are the expert on the Icw you know it is a terrible place for a sailboat. You must have also missed when I said no charts was a little extreme. I too have been down the Icw and lukily I did not end up like you, once is enough I like to sail!
thomas


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Doug ,Get the best charts you can afford & follow them,along with a good cruising guide and you''ll do fine. By the way,you''ll notice on your charts that Masonboro Inlet goes into Wrightsville Beach,NC
Good Luck ,Marc


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Doug ,Get the best charts you can afford & follow them,along with a good cruising guide and you''ll do fine. By the way,you''ll notice on your charts that Masonboro Inlet goes into Wrightsville Beach,NC
Good Luck ,Marc


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## thomasstone (Dec 21, 2001)

Marc, clear the diesel fumes from your glasses.You should notice on your charts when you come into Masosboro inlet make a hard right into banks channel and yes you are correct ,Wrightsville Beach . If you proceed straight about a quarter of a mile,viola! Wilmington NC. BTW this probally isnt on your charts and wouldnt matter to you anyways ( since your prefered sailing venue is the ICW)but a new inlet is being cut on the north end of Wrightsville Beach.Doug, buy whatever you can afford and remember this is not that ambitious of a trip. Hopefully a channel marker misnumber wont screw you up like it does mark. Just remember north or south its very simple. 
good luck thomas


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have not been on the ICW yet but it looks like I should stay clear. You guys are suffering from "channel rage", take a chill pill


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## duffyM (Jan 27, 2001)

sounds like "CABIN FEVER",i''ve got it to!!!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

You might want to look up MapTec''s Embassy Guide to the Atlantic Coast. I''ve been pleased with my ICW wanderings using the Embassy guide.

Of course you need a chart/guide, unless you''re never planning to anchor out, fuel up, water up, pump out, eat out the entire time down the ditch. I''ve found the Embassy to be reasonably accurate to existing facilities, and right on the money with the charts. Only something like $50.

Don


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Don''t forget the indespensible "Skipper Bob Anchorages & Marinas". I think they cost about $14.
Marc


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

We are planning a trip down the ICW from Chesapeake Bay to Miami later this year and have purchased Maptech''s Norfolk to Florida via ICW chart book. We purchased it at a discount at the Atlantic City Sail Expo. It appears to be very detailed and even can even be used if we decide to hop on the outside for a piece of the trip. If it serves us well then we will but the Florida East Coast and Keys for the rest of our trip.

Good luck to you!


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## halyardz (Sep 2, 2000)

Make sure you carry critical spare parts for the engine cause you are gonna motor quite a bit! Charts are a must have...paper form too as a backup to electronic.


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## thomasstone (Dec 21, 2001)

Join a towing service ,sea tow ,tow boat US (cost is around $95 a year )and coverage is usually east coast and some parts of caribbean. This will cover you in case of engine breakdown running aground, etc. Like halyardz says you will motor quite a bit, I say the whole time.Mama, chill pill. No thanks what else you got?Duffy , cabin fever . More like exopy fumes.
thomas


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

As you can see, everyone has their own opinion. Big versus small, full keel versus fin keel, deck stepped versus keel stepped. I bought the perfect boat FOR ME, the right charts FOR ME, and went down the ICW sometimes and outside sometimes. I would talk to as many (experienced) people as you can find, take everything they say with a grain of salt (including my opinions), and after a while, you will befriend and trust those who do things (right or wrong) the way you think they should be done. After a trip down the ICW, you will have your own opinions, and think like the rest of us, that everyone else is doing it wrong and you are the only one with his head screwed on right.

My opinion:

I am too much of a coward to go down the ICW without charts, so I bought a good chart book, a good companion book, and asked those I trusted to mark down their favorite anchorages. If you draw more than 6'', you will want to sail outside more than if you draw less than 6''. Everyone occasionally runs aground on the ICW, and I have never seen anyone go to the extremes of getting unstuck like you see in the sailing magazines (filling the dinghy with water while suspended from the boom, kedging off with another anchor, etc.) The first time it happens you will think the world is ending, the 10th time you will swear, hit reverse, and either back off the mud or wait an hour or two for the tide to come in.

The experience will come - the most important thing is to JUST GO!

Happy sailing!


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