ICW Ft Pierce to Jacksonville?

[Auspicious]

It is only 225 sm. Days however are short.

1. Get TowboatUS or SeaTow. Don't even think about it. Download the app for your phone, log in, and put all your info in. If you need them this is the absolute best way.
2. Be sure your VHF works.
3. Change your fuel filters and drain water separators.
4. Have a diver clean the bottom for you.

The key to making progress is to start at first light. Coffee and breakfast are for people who are moving.

Fuel stops are time killers. Fuel docks open too late and close too early for long days. Plan fuel stops (if you need any) for midday or early afternoon. Be organized. Start water, fuel, pump out. If you have someone with you don't have two people do a one person job. One is water and pump out, one is fuel.

I do recommend a second person. Long days are tough. A 30 minute lie down and someone to put meals together is a boon.

No reason not to be able to do this trip in four days on a Catalina 30. Three days would be a push but you might make it.

Get yourself organized before hand, particularly with a list of all the bridges. Waterway Guide or Carolyn Shearlock's Cockpit Guide.

[Cynara]

We did the ICW years ago. 50 miles a day was about right. The thing is there may not be a place to stop every 50 miles, so careful planning is required.

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by Seighlor

Captain Bill is spot on. However, the Ponce Inlet area he mentioned is not a problem at this time though frequently, it is. Passed through there just three weeks ago. Good water all the way but do pay attention to the markers.

Note: Dredger @ Ponce Inlet can be working on either side of the newly extended north jetty

[Cheechako]

Yes, get towing insurance and get the higher end plan not the cheap one!
Be very careful going through that Ponce Inlet area as mentioned.
Opening bridges takes time. You can time it well for an opening once you get used to it. No point in rushing along only to circle around waiting.
Ft P North you wont have quite so many to open IIRC. Plan your stops. 50 miles a day may be optimistic.

If you really want to get it done faster, outside.... the Gulf Stream will hurl you along!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Kngunn

Since the boat is new to you and you will be doing a lot of motoring, you need to go thru that Universal diesel with a fine tooth comb.

1. check fuel system from tank to injectors. Look for sludge/biologics in the tank, water separator, and filter. Get extra filters for the trip. Lots of motion after sitting for a long while can stir up junk that will clog filters and stop the engine at the worst possible time.
2. change oil/filter in engine.
3. Go through the raw water side of the cooling system from through hull to water lift with a fine tooth comb. Clear stainer, put in a new impeller and get a spare, check the heat exchanger for salt/mineral deposits, change the pencil zinc. Those Cat 30s have small Heat exchangers, so any restriction will cause overheating.
4. Have fun. Should be a good trip.

Good advice. Mid-80's C30 most likely has an M25 or M25XP. The M25 had the 2 inch HX, the XP had the improved 3 inch HX. If it is an M25, make sure the alternator bracket has been replaced.


Fuel system should also include a check of the check valve on the primary filter if you have the ubiquitous R24 series filter housing:
Fuel Starvation and The Obscure Check Ball Valve
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,10681.0.html
and
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/th...l%20Starvation


Here are some other helpful links for you boat systems from our C34 Forum and tech wiki, we have identical systems and equipment:


Engines 101 - The BIGGEST & BEST collection of M25 Series Universal Engine Information on the Internet, plus some M35, too This includes a link to the Critical Upgrades topic which has more engine information please read it too.

http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Diesel_Engine




Critical Upgrades http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5078.0.html




Safe Journey.

[CHM]

Good advice here. I live in Ponce Inlet. The main channel for the ICW does not run past the inlet. You actually jog left in New Smyrna to the west of disappearing island to stay in the main channel. The east channel is a secondary route and there’s a good chance of running aground if you don’t know this area. Do not trust your chart plotter map in this area. The current rips through the inlet and shoaling is a huge problem.

Please also be wary of the current when approaching the draw bridges. There aren’t many but Haulover Canal is the narrow transition between the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon where current is very strong. The north causeway bridge in New Smyrna is pretty easy but the Bridge of Lions in St Augustine is NOT. You can easily be swept into the bridge there and be dismasted. Safe travels!

[sailingharry]

About color of marks on the ICW. They jump around a lot! Come into an inlet, start heading north, the reds are on the right. But at some point, you are heading toward the next inlet, and the reds are on the left. Where the ICW crosses a river, you can have the same color on both sides! (imagine a river going inland, greens on the left -- the ICW comes into the river with a green both inshore and offshore of the ICW!).


The most important thing to watch is the YELLOW marks! These are little stickers on the main red/green marks. Yellow triangles are on the mainland side, yellow squares are on the ocean side.

[R Hutcheson]

Suggest you get the AquaMaps app (or suitable substitute), and an Active Captain subscription. Also a Waterways Guide covering that section. There's way too much information to try to cover in this thread.

[gillesgiv]

Dear friend, look for active captain application. You will get a lot of feedback. Good luck.

[sailingharry]

Active Captain is OK. Used to rock, but I'm finding many reviews are several years old -- marinas change, shoals move, old reviews get, well, old. But it still is useful. I have over 500 "points" so I used to really contribute.



But, unless you own a modern (<5 years old) Garmin chart plotter, the app is worthless (it uses your chartplotter wifi connection to grant chart access -- and my old 545 doesn't qualify). It provides a background chart that is so vague that you can't see where the marina is. Even if they only provided Google Maps as the background, it would be useful. But if you go to activecaptain.com, it's much better. You don't even need an account -- just load the site.


I'm really trying to engage with Waterway Guide. And where you are, that's their core knowledge (Hint, it is the "Waterway" Guide!). A decent way to get it for free is the free version of Aqua Maps. You can also go to the Waterway web site. The problem with Aqua is they only give you a single "tile" (about 50 miles square) for free, and you have to unload it and load the next as you move. And for me, the line is 5 miles away from my slip, so it's a constant issue!

[ZITIBOAT]

ICW markers have yellow reflector border around them. Sea bouys and inlet/river markers do not.

[Cloroxbottle]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

Active Captain is OK. Used to rock, but I'm finding many reviews are several years old -- marinas change, shoals move, old reviews get, well, old. But it still is useful. I have over 500 "points" so I used to really contribute.



But, unless you own a modern (<5 years old) Garmin chart plotter, the app is worthless (it uses your chartplotter wifi connection to grant chart access -- and my old 545 doesn't qualify). It provides a background chart that is so vague that you can't see where the marina is. Even if they only provided Google Maps as the background, it would be useful. But if you go to activecaptain.com, it's much better. You don't even need an account -- just load the site.

I'm really trying to engage with Waterway Guide. And where you are, that's their core knowledge (Hint, it is the "Waterway" Guide!). A decent way to get it for free is the free version of Aqua Maps. You can also go to the Waterway web site. The problem with Aqua is they only give you a single "tile" (about 50 miles square) for free, and you have to unload it and load the next as you move. And for me, the line is 5 miles away from my slip, so it's a constant issue!

Waterwayguide has an app that work pretty well, and Aquamap's integration of it is decent. Aquamap actually has a lifetime subscription that you can buy, which I did which lets you download multiple tiles. I'm pretty happy with that. Noforeignland and navily are also pretty good.

[MicHughV]

Here's the thing...I did the ICW going south one time and swore I'd never do it again.
Going offshore is by far and away the easiest, fastest and most relaxing way to travel either north or south of the Florida east coast.
For the life of me, I don't understand why people that have a "sail" boat chose to motor the ditch.

[Kettlewell]

For the life of me, I don't understand why people that have a "sail" boat chose to motor the ditch.

It doesn't have to be one or the other. Sail outside when the sailing is good, then use the ICW when it isn't good sailing. I like to keep moving, so will use whichever route makes the most sense for the conditions. I'd rather be anchored in some cozy spot or in a marina when the weather turns nasty.

[MicHughV]

Might work for you, but I do not like the ICW.

I have travelled up and down the coast of Florida dozens of times on my boat and on others in most every kind of weather, and will admit I have, on occasion, ducked in to Cape Canaveral and Ft. Pierce when the weather really turned to snot, but left again the following morning after things had settled down.

A trip down the coast of Florida takes me about two days. Doing the same thing on the ICW can take a week, barring any groundings, etc.

I've had some relatively smooth trips, and others were....er...boisterous...not overly bad, but wet, but that is sailing for you.

It's just my preferences as I find it overall more relaxing allowing the autopilot to do most of the work.

Usually, try to time my arrival for daytime, but have made some night time arrivals, which require a little more caution.

But...each to his own I guess, just trying to voice an alternate way of doing the trip.