USA intercoastal waterways

[chinita]

Make sure you have US Visas in your passports, if you havent allow lots of time in UK to get one. We got ours in Lisbon in October 2011, about 7 days elapsed from application to passport back in sticky mit - very easy process; UK embassy was quoting up to 3 months at Easter 2011 on a very expensive premium rate phone line.

Apparently also possible in the Azores but not sure which island.

Another vote for Lisbon Embassy.

Not supersonic speed - but probably the best you will find en-route.

[john_morris_uk]

I have done it from Norfolk, Virginia up to the top end and out of the Delaware Canal that links to Delaware bay and then round Cape May and up to New York and Boston. We really enjoyed the experience although berths tended to be very expensive and there wasn't always a lot of wind as we got further north. We were burning a lot of diesel to make any progress in the latter stages of the trip.

Depths were a bit challenging sometimes, but the welcome we recieved in various places was wonderful. I have promised SWMBO that I will take her on the trip someday.

What do you want to know?

[nigelmercier]

Has anyone been down or up them (intercoastal waterways US) and can give any info for us as we intend going over soon.

I've only done it in a tripper boat, but remember the buoys are the wrong way round!

[Robin]

I've only done it in a tripper boat, but remember the buoys are the wrong way round!

The buoys are not only the wrong way round but because of the vagaries of tide/current with the inlets to the ocean and rivers flowing into the ICW there are other conventions that can switch the buoyage. Entering from the ocean through an inlet for example with the starboard buoys left to port USA style you then find once in that part of the ICW despite still going with the flow so to speak, the port buoys are left to port. This is because convention has it that the ICW 'flows' north to south as far as buoyage is concerned irrespective of current flow direction. I think that is correct because it tends to confuse and we have yet to travel any distance on the ICW to check it out!

[TQA]

Re US visas you must have the B1B2 and I would not rely on getting them en route. I have met two sets of cruisers who were refused when they applied en route.

It is not a trivial exercise. You have to be able to produce all sorts of documentation to show you have NON US home/NON US money/NON US resident close relations etc etc.

[AndrewB]

I've done the Florida to Chesapeake stretch twice, plus some of the extended ICW through the Florida Keys and west side of Florida.

Provided you can get under the bridges (technically 64ft clearance, but safer to allow 62ft), the main problem is draft. The ICW is no longer maintained as well dredged as it once was. More than 6ft draft will mean a lot of problems. Even with less, from time to time real shallow spots develop specially in the Georgia and Carolina sections, and you will need absolutely up to date information or risk having to turn round and go back a long way, and then out into the ocean. Here and there the channel has wandered away from the marked line, which isn't kept up to date as well as it should (perhaps because it means good business for local tow-boats). Generally the marinas will tell you about the stretch ahead, also the US BB's are a good source of information.

Marina prices are not quite as bad as some have suggested, except in the Miami - Fort Lauderdale region. For most of the length there are practical anchoring spots, many marked on the chart, where you pay nothing.

These problems apart it is a wonderful cruise - go for it.

[Maxi_10]

We just got our US visas, I didnt think it was that difficult all laid out on their website.

fill out a form on line and upload a photo.
premium rate phone call to make appointment cost £12
appointments available in a week or so
appointment cost $140 approx £90
trip to london, 2/3 hours waiting around
they take finger prints and a short interview to establish you arent going to work or stay
visa delivered back in a week cost £16

and yes we hope to travel up the ICW in summer 2013 so its interesteing to read some of the comments. we are 6ft draft so will need the towinsurance by the sound of it, any idea how much it costs?

[Salty John]

Towing insurance is around $125. Google BoatUS for a firm quote.

[john_morris_uk]

I've only done it in a tripper boat, but remember the buoys are the wrong way round!

I can cope with the wrong way round, but what I found exasperating was coming down the Deleware towards Cape Hope, all the buoys had the same light characteristic at one point. It's a long buoyed channel and I had to sail close to the buoy and shine a torch on it to tick off it's number to check how far we had come.

[binch]

Have cruised it twice in a ketch 55 ft x 14' 6" x 6' 9" draught. Mast height 55 ft.
Very enjoyable. A bit like Norfolk Broads on a grand scale.
Plenty of anchorages north of Florida. In Florida, residents often have got by-laws passed forbidding anchorages in front of their houses. It is not popular to anchor in the inlets because there are frequent anti-drug patrols at night. Anchoring further north very pleasant. One anchorage had beds of wild oysters . PYO.
We found marina costs reasonable
I liked the Carolinas and Georgia. Very friendly people.
Very well documented and good charts.
Marinas such as Bahia Mar in F Laudersale are expensive but the service id wonderful.
Watch out in Savannah. Savannah is close to a huge training camp for UD Marunes. We moored alongside the city centre and were cast off during the night. This is a bit of a habit for US servicemen whose officers apparently do not keep their men occupied.
All in all, this was one of the best areas we found for really relaxing cruising.