intercoastal waterway

Submitted by tommy b on Sun, 12/27/2009 - 17:16
Has anyone cruised a flying scot down the east coast via the intercoastal waterway? I am preparing my scot for this trip within the next year or two. I am on the chesapeake which should be the hardest part of the trip. I would love to chat with anyone who has done it, or is at all familiar with it.
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Comments

I've done the ICW from Florida to Maine many times in many boats

Submitted by aposner on Sun, 12/27/2009 - 21:17.
I've done the ICW from Florida to Maine many times in many boats, both sail and motor. No reason why a Scot can't do it as long as you have a motor. No way is it feasible under sail alone. Channel is just too narrow in many places. The Chesapeake (open water) is the one place where it might be possible. (It might be the easiest part of the trip).

How long would you expect it to take? From the Chesapeake to so

Submitted by tommy b on Mon, 12/28/2009 - 21:20.
How long would you expect it to take? From the Chesapeake to southern Florida? More motoring than sailing? That deters me a bit. I want to sail as much of it as possible. Thanks

The only practical portion you'd be able to sail would be the la

Submitted by aposner on Mon, 12/28/2009 - 21:44.
The only practical portion you'd be able to sail would be the large bodies of water i.e. Albermale Bay. Of course if you have a motor you could motor sail, most of the way. Assuming you could motor/sail at 5 kts, just check the distance and divide. Where would you stay at night? I suppose you could sleep in an anchored Scot, but wouldn't be very comfortable. You could pay for Marinas, but it would be cheaper to tow it down here. The enterprise would certainly be an adventure, but not very practical.

What a bunch of naysayers.

Submitted by Transom on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 08:51.
What a bunch of naysayers. Do your research, be careful, and don't take unnecessary chances, but good luck Tom on your adventure. It is the journey, not the destination.

Having grown up along the Chesapeake and sailing the NC branches

Submitted by mgjmsw on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 22:01.
Having grown up along the Chesapeake and sailing the NC branches of the ICW: There are several stretches of the ICW where a ton of motoring need to be done. From Norfolk, VA through the Dismal Swamp almost MUST be motored. It is a VERY narrow stretch, not very sailable- alternate routes needed. Also stretches from Alligator RIver to Pungo R and Pamlico R to Neuse R also may need alternative routes through Pamlico sound. If the wind is right some of the ditches can be sailed, but it must be right. Good Sailing FS 2450

Transom, I'm not at at all a naysayer.

Submitted by aposner on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 22:05.
Transom, I'm not at at all a naysayer. Just giving the facts as tommy b asked for.

You might want to look at Lee Hughes book "The Biggest Boat I Co

Submitted by rlarson on Thu, 01/07/2010 - 22:49.
You might want to look at Lee Hughes book "The Biggest Boat I Could Afford: Sailing Up the U.S. Coast in a Dinghy". Hughes sailed a Wayfarer, which is slightly smaller than a Scot (16' vs. 19'), from Key West to NJ. My impression from the book is that the great bulk of it was in fact sailed and not motored. Hughes sailed northward up the coast and not down, which seemed to me a mistake since he arrived in NJ when the weather was still quite raw. (He essentially quit at that point.) But relevant for you would be the long passages along the Georgia coast and the Carolinas. By the way, it's a funny book, and the Wayfarer ("Wanderer") was a very famous one, sailed by Frank Dye.

I found this article to be very interesting.

Submitted by waywardfool on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 00:36.
I found this article to be very interesting...Pamlico, not the skinny parts of the ICW... http://councill.home.mindspring.com/sbjournal/outerbanks/ob1.html --- Former owner of FS4053...thinking about taking the plunge -- again.