What is a good boat for the Intracoastal Waterway?
The best boats to travel down the ICW are motorboats or sailboats with a mast no higher than 64′ or a keel not too much deeper than 5′. There’s a stretch of the ICW that will, however, allow boats with tall masts (over 64′) and deeper keels (7′ or so) running from Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale.
How big of a boat do you need for the Great Loop?
between 28 and 38 feet
Experts advise that no matter whether your vessel is a sailboat, cruiser, sportfish or trawler, a good boat size for the Great Loop is in the range between 28 and 38 feet. The size of your vessel is a decision that will depend on what you are most comfortable in and what allows you to maintain the lifestyle you prefer.
How long does it take to go down the ICW?
three to four weeks
To optimize the time, most cruisers have the lines in at “crack of dawn” (COD) and plan to be off the water with an hour or two of daylight left. This allows them to travel between 40 and 70 nautical miles each day. At that pace, completing the ICW would take three to four weeks, provided you do not stop.
How big of a power boat can one person handle?
Well, a sailboat measuring between 35 and 45 feet (10.5 – 14 meters) with a draft of about 2 meters, plenty of sail area, easy reefing, and well-working assistive equipment can be ideal for one person to handle.
Can you boat from NY to Florida?
There are round trip cruises from New York to Florida (Norwegian Caribbean Lines / NCL does them) with a stop in the Bahamas on the way, they are round trip and if you can debark in Florida and not return to the ship they probably will still charge you full price as they cannot rent out that room.
Can you anchor on the ICW?
The anchor you use on the Chesapeake is the best one for the ICW, too, but be sure to have a second anchor of a different style. In the ICW you will often anchor with swifter currents and less protection than we are used to here on the Bay.