T&T: Traveling the ICW in Winter

[Patrick And Margie Connor]

Rich, Ditto everyone's comments re getting good guides and charts.

On the northern part of the trip if you're planning on going directly from 
say Block Is. to the Delaware River or even Norfolk you're going to need a 
good weather window that will be hard to come by this time of year. 
Therefore, I assume that you'll be going up LI Sound, the East River, and 
down the Jersey coast.  Be aware that in bad weather there are very few 
inlets on the Jersey coast that are safe.  Once you get to the Cape May 
Inlet, then it's thru the Cape May canal, up the Delaware to the C & D Canal 
and into the Cheasepeake.  From this point on, you will be in relatively 
protected waters until you head across the gulf at Clearwater.  I say 
relatively because any of the larger bodies of water you will encounter 
inside can become treacherous in strong winter winds.  Also your ICW 
waterway guides will identify places where you can do a short trip outside 
in the Atlantic and significantly reduce your travel time South.  Just make 
sure you have a save weather window to reach the planned inlet.

Okeechobee Waterway:  I just crossed the Okeechobee waterway earlier this 
month.  There is plenty of water in the lake NOW to get across.  When you're 
getting close contact the Corps of Engineers to check on the lake level. 
You will transit 5 locks crossing the waterway.  If you haven't transited 
locks before it's no big deal if you and your crew have planned for it. 
You'll need 2 or 3 big fenders: I like the big round balls.  Your bow and 
stern line tenders need to know what to expect.  Based on today's lake 
level, the first lock at St. Lucie will raise you 14'.  This means that when 
they open the doors at the high water end to start raising your boat you can 
get some significant currents in the lock.  It's not a problem if your line 
handlers at the bow and stern cleats are expecting it and keep the lines 
tight as you go up.

Good luck and enjoy the trip.

Patrick Connor
"Cheers" Prairie 36
Ft. Myers, FL