ICW FROM MILE 0 (PORTSMOUTH, VA TO MILE 310

ICW FROM MILE 0 (PORTSMOUTH, VA) TO MILE 310 (SOUTHPORT,NC)

NOVEMBER 5-12, 2017

Navigating the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) requires some planning.  There are bridges that are only open during designated hours, railroad bridges that close whenever a train is due, swing bridges that stay closed if the wind exceeds, 30 miles per hour.  Then one has to choose an anchorage or marina for the evening.  Many of the places along the ICW are too narrow for safe anchoring and prevailing weather conditions.  We figured that we could run 50-60 miles per day at an economical cruising speed of 5 kts.  We were usually underway by 0800 hrs in the morning and anchoring by 1700-1800 hrs in the evening.  Once the vessel gets into the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds weather becomes increasingly important.  Both of these Sounds have long fetches and can kick up a nasty sea; also, the Neuse River deserves respect.  In navigating these waters, Active Captain is a dedicated mariners information source.  All members of this website post information on hazards, marinas, anchorages, cheap fuel, etc., etc.  It has been so successful that it was bought out by Garmin Charts and incorporated into their charting programs.  I use Active Captain exclusively for navigating along the ICW.

We left Portsmouth at 0630 hrs on November 5^th.  We went through the following bridges:  Southern RR Lift Br (0642), Jordan Fixed Br (0645), Norfolk & Western RR Lift Br. (0652), Glimerton RR Lift Br. (wait 35 minutes for train 0710-0746, Veterans Br., Great Bridge Locks (0854), Great Bridge (0900), Centerville Swing Br. (0930), North Landing Br. (1034), Pungo Ferry Br. (1143).  After passing through all these bridges, we had made 28 SM (statute miles).  Our goal was Coinjock Marina at SM 50.  We managed this and were all fast at 1500 hours.  Coinjock Marina (36-21.0’ N; 075-56.880’ W) has a monopoly on this stretch of the ICW because there just isn’t much to be had for anchorages.  The waterway is relatively narrow and shoal outside the day markers.  Demand at the marina exceeds the dock space available so advanced reservations need to be made the day before or in the early morning during this time of year when moist yachts are heading South to warmer waters and the Bahamas.  Seizing the opportunity, they increase their prices.  They have a good restaurant and some supplies, fuel, water and pump out.  It’s a convenient place for the evening.

November 6, 2017 we departed Coinjock Marina after topping off with diesel and checking the weather in Albemarle Sound.  The first 25 SM of this trip is quite beautiful with lots of wildlife.  Albemarle Sound is a long stretch of water that is rater shallow but well marked with day markers.  There are shoal areas but they are well documented in Active Captain and on the Garmin Blue Charts which can be overlaid with the Active Captain data base.  Our goal for today was another 50+ miles to the entrance of the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal.  The weather was excellent with a light ESE wind.  At 1615 hrs, we dropped anchor to the East of Deep Pt in 10’ water depth with 60’ chain out (35-39.638’ N; 76-01.893’ W).  The anchorage is well protected from E-SW winds but exposed to anything from the North.  WE had a light ESE’ly wind.  This anchorage put us in a good position to navigate the long narrow stretch of the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal the following day.  It was a peaceful night in the anchorage.

November 7, 2017 we heaved up anchor at 0645 and decided to make as much millage as we could under pleasant weather conditions.  The Alligator River/Pungo River Canal was cut straight through by dredging in the 1950’s.  Since it was cut through cypress and pine forests, there are continuous stumps on both sides of the Canal.  Due to  erosion from vessels, the banks have collapsed and widened in many parts of the Canal.  It’s about 25 miles long and offers no possibility of anchoring anywhere along its length.  Constant vigilance is required to avoid floating debris from storms and falling trees due to erosion.  It’s a pretty area with lots of bird life.  There is a USCG station in Hobuchen, NC that gives weather reports of the Pamlico Sound.  We managed to run 65 miles to the entrance of the Pamlico Sound and at 1610 hrs,  anchored off Vandemeer in the Bay River in 10-11’ of water with 70’ chain out (35-10-676’ N; 076-39.370’ W).

November 8, 2017 we heaved up anchor at 0700 hrs and got underway to Beaufort, NC.  The Pamlico and Neuse Rivers are well known for boisterous wind conditions.  The Neuse River has been described by locals as one of the meanest rivers along the East Coast.  The Pamlico can kick up a mean chop due to the fact that it has a long fetch.  It’s shallow so the seas that build up are short and vicious.  On this day, the wind was out of the North at 15-20 kts.  Since our course was to the SW, we had a good sail under the jib.  We had an approaching Cold Front moving in so we decided to take a berth at the Town Creek Marina in Beaufort, NC (34-43.546’ N; 076-39.928’ W).  We were all fast by 1545 hrs and had made good about 25 miles.  The weather turned bitterly cold during the evening but we had CruiseAir Heating so we were very comfortable.

November 9. 2017.  The Beaufort/Morehead City Ship Channel is an excellent place to exit and take the outside route to Southport, NC and beyond.  It is weather dependent and during this time of year rough. We evaluated the outside conditions and decided it was best to stay in the ICW so we departed the marina at 0815 hrs with a goal to make Mile Hammock Bay at SM 245.  This is the Camp Lejeune Marine Base but open to boat traffic.  There are several bridges enroute:  Atlantic Beach Bridge, Emerald Br., Onslow Br.  One of the big problems encountered by boats is that many of these bridges only open on the hour and half hour.  They are fairly punctual and want the through traffic to be very nearby.  This can be difficult for sailboats due to currents and wind.  If you have an engine failure, before the bridge opens, it can be catastrophic unless you can get an anchor down in time.  I try to time it so that I’m quite near but at the back of the line of vessels transiting.  At 1545 hrs we arrived at Mile Hammock (SM 245) and dropped anchor in 12’ of water depth with 90’ chain out (34-03.081’ N; 077-19.430’ W).  This is a well-protected bay off the ICW with room for many boats.

November 10, 2017.  We departed Mile Hammock Bay at SM 245 at 0815 hrs enroute to to Wrightsville, NC at SM 285.  There is an excellent anchorage off Wrightsville Beach.  At 1600 hrs, we dropped anchor in 17’ water depth with 100’ chain out.  There are a few unattended boats in this anchorage that present a danger if they start dragging.  This happened during the morning of November 11^th when the winds picked up to 30-35 kts and one of the unattended boats started dragging.  When we are at anchor, I always leave the VHF Radio on Ch 16.  If anything threatening or worthy of comment is happening, it will be broadcast on VHF 16.  I picked up one of the boats calling the USCG  at around 0100 hrs and telling them a derelict boat had drug into them and was continuing to drag past.  I went on deck and saw the drifting boat off my port bow and monitored it for about fifteen minutes.  After that, it appeared that it presented no danger to us or other anchored boats.  Eventually, it drifted onto a sand spit and the anchor held it in place.  I increased my anchor scope to 150’ and went back to bed.  It is these situations that present the most danger to anchored vessels during strong wind and sea conditions.  Given the right Wx conditions, Masonboro Inlet is another good place to exit the ICW.

November 11, 2017.  We weighed anchor at 0848 hrs enroute to Southport Marina at SM 310.  There is one area of this passage called Snow’s Cut.  The currents are strong and there is a continuous movement of sand and mud the produces shoaling.  Snow’s Cut exits into the Cape Fear River which is known for strong tidal flows and currents in addition to Wx conditions.  I wanted to take a berth at Southport Marina because they offer the services of a former marine meteorologist and an expert on vessels transiting the ICW South and North.  A meeting is held daily at 1800 hrs in one of the marina’s conference rooms.  The information given here is the most valuable for any cruiser heading south into South Carolina and Georgia.  After seeing all the shoaling along this route, and the fact that my 6’ draft was just too much to handle it without anchoring and waiting on tides,  I decided to take the outside route and deal with the NE’ly wind and sea.  We have an ocean going yacht, have dealt with much stronger wind and seas, and the wind and seas would be on our port quarter.  A small craft advisory was in effect for NE’ly winds to 25 kts and seas 5-7’.  By setting a reefed jib, we could safely sail to Florida.