Motoring the ICW Part 1 Ep. 21
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- Today is our first day of motoring the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). We started in Fort Pierce, Florida and are making our way down the coast to the Florida Keys. From there we will cross over the Gulf Stream to Bimini in The Bahamas.
We had a very long, hot, and miserable day motoring down the ICW today! This is our first time so we didn't really know what to expect. We were amazed by the crystal clear water near Hutchinson Island, but weren't however too thrilled about how shallow it was, even with being in the middle of the channel. We draw 5' and were scooting by with 1.5 - 2'' below the keel!
We soon began to feel very out of place. There were hundreds of speed boats flying past us at what felt like 100mph! We were the only sailboat in site for miles and miles and the wakes from the speed boats tossed us up and down and side to side. It felt like crossing the Coos Bay bar during rough seas!
"It was like being an old slow lady trying to cross a busy freeway with no traffic rules all while being in the middle of multiple high speed chases!" -Kenzie
Waiting for bridges was really tough too. It was sometimes hard for us to make it through a bridge and make it to the next one in time for it's next scheduled opening, even with going full power at about 5 knots. We had to motor in circles while waiting for the bridges to open; sometimes for more than 1/2 an hour at a time! At one point while waiting for a bridge we were turning around in the middle of the channel and ended up hitting bottom! This was a first for us! Randall cussed and quickly put the boat in full gear to try to push our way through the sand. Luckily Turtle was able to power through and we were able to make it through the now opening bridge! Today really has been exhausting!
It's now dark and we have no idea where we will end up for the night! We thought for sure we would be anchored long ago, but had no luck finding anchorages along the way and the marinas we called to get a slip wouldn't answer their phones. We saw what looked like a good anchorage at Lake Worth on the charts and decided to try to anchor there for the night. Upon entering the lagoon we soon found and realized that none of the channel markers had lights on them making it IMPOSSIBLE to see them in the dark! Kenzie went to the bow of the boat with her flashlight and spotted markers as Randall kept a close eye on the chart. Anchoring in the dark was an adventure in it's self and knowing that we wrapped the anchor rode last night, we probably won't sleep much tonight either.
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MUSIC USED:
"Sunrise"
"Drive"
and "These Moments" by: Nicolai Heidlas
LINK:
www.hooksounds...
www.hooksounds...
www.hooksounds...
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it is difficult for a person from the USA to buy or build a house in the Bahamas. the things that have gone wrong on your trip are very typical for most people. that is why so many quit sailing and leave the boat in the slip. you guys are doing great, keep posting! All the best...thanks for sharing...
This was such a BORING DAY!! There wasn't much to show because not a whole lot happened, but we did want to share our thoughts about the day and what it was like being on the ICW anyway. I'm just sad that we didn't get us hitting bottom on camera, it literally happened right after I turned it off and it was kinda an intense moment for us, so there wasn't time to think "oh turn on the camera". haha oh well. ;) The ICW did get a little better after this and luckily didn't take too long to get to Miami.
Great video really helped prepare me for the trip I have planned. I'm living near Fort Pierce Fl and planning to head down to the keys in late November. I'm curious why you chose the channel instead of the shoreline. I am debating heading out fort pierce channel and then down the coast line.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to reach out to us. We chose the ICW because it is protected from the Gulf Stream which flows strongly Northward along the coastline. It can flow around 5 knots which is Turtle's top motoring speed, so we wouldn't have made any ground. At one point when we got back from The Bahamas we were motoring in it and actually found ourselves flowing backwards up current even with Turtle at full throttle heading south. Plus it can be tricky too if the winds aren't in your favor.
Something to keep in mind when crossing between Florida and The Bahamas is the Gulf Stream current. MAKE SURE to calculate the speed of the Gulf Stream current before leaving and keep in mind that you have to compensate for the northward drift as you sail across. When sailing from Miami Florida to Bimini in The Bahamas we set our course and sailed with an East-Southeast compass heading to compensate for the northward drift and arrived perfectly where we wanted to be. Good luck with your journey. We wish all the best of luck and are VERY excited for you!!
It's not a matter of where but when you will run aground. Florida is a swamp as many yachtsman and yachtswoman will tell you. Therefore don't feel bad. On anchoring you most likely had to much line out with no pull on the boat. In heavy weather or a gale you can use 5 to 1 scope, when the wind is blowing 25-35 knots. For overnight anchoring in 8 to 14 feet of water (which you will find all over the ICW) consider using 20 feet of chain, which will hold you fine. You can get tips on how to set your anchor but practice is your best method. My choice for anchoring down south is an plow anchor (3 axis) movement and chain. In New England it is a Dan-forth anchor, which holds good in compacted sand and mud. I rode out two hurricanes, with Hurricane Matthew being the worse. I used 30 feet of chain in a low water depth of 14 feet. Yes correct rode out the hurricanes on-board the boat. So don't be discouraged since the more you travel, the better you learn to anchor and the better you will get overall. Consider the fact that your willing to take on a challenge, that in itself is the key building block, which will bring you many rewards. Fair skies to you both and keep the wind in the sails.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a great comment! We love it when we can connect with our viewers and we know that the information you shared will be very helpful too many. We appreciate you watching our videos!
From what i have seen and heard on forums about the ICW. Motoring or even sailing the BLUE is better than the ole military saying of ( hurry up an wait ). I know when I go, I will be coming from route66 up at the port of Catoosa next to TULSA , OK. Yep, thats right we have a ICW built from the 50's via the corp of engineers just like they have in the chicago, area heading down to the Louisiana delta. There is a alternate way from St. Louis via Alabama to Mobiles coast. BUt there no ICW from floridas panhandle to Tampa JSYK. I watched your episode and just gotta give it to you guys for hanging in there. LIke what else can you possibly do....right? Take it easy...cant wait to see the next episode.
You have shared some interesting information. Thank you for sharing this with everyone! We appreciate that you get it! Thanks for watching and being part of our sailing adventure!
Usually recommended to back out the way you came when you hit bottom.
Very true. In our case it happened so quickly that we were out before we knew it. Luckily we didn't hit too deep into the bottom. Thanks for watching our videos!
meh... I can't even count how many times we have gone aground. It's not something you want to do in Maine but down the rest of the ICW it's almost always a non-issue. Learn how to kedge yourself off and you will save yourself a lot of time waiting for towboat.
Boaring, only talking and not a lot happening!!!