Outside or in the ditch? The Great Debate

When sailing the east coast of the USA, you have the choice of going outside in the Atlantic Ocean (or Gulf of Mexico along Florida’s west coast) or travelling on the inside via the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW).  Which way to go has been the subject of many great debates, including between Nick and I.  The answer depends on what you prefer.

On the Gulf Side of Florida

We traveled both inside and outside coming down the gulf coast from Clearwater to Sanibel Island and both were pleasurable experiences.  We went on the outside from Clearwater to Bradenton as the weather was good and we made good time.  From there to Longboat Key we went down the ICW because it was a shorter trip.  There are two bascule bridges along that stretch but you can time it pretty well and avoid waiting long.  From Longboat we went on the outside to Venice because we needed to avoid the bridge at Sarasota.  We tucked back into the ICW at Cape Coral and continued down to Sanibel on the inside.  No bridges at all there until you go out into the Gulf at Sanibel and that bridge is 70 feet high. It is pretty along that section and sparsely populated.  Lots of small islands and vegetation, wide channels and several good anchorages.

Florida’s East Coast

What a dramatic difference we found on the east coast!  When we left Biscayne Bay we had to go on the outside because there is a bridge in Miami that we can’t get under with our 64-foot mast.  The weather was good and we sailed some before motoring into the pass at Fort Lauderdale.  We timed it to avoid the comings and goings of the big cruise ships (early morning and late afternoon) but there is still a lot of traffic around that busy port.  The entrance was pretty smooth and the channel is big.  After coming around the corner into the ICW, we met with the bridges again.  This section of the ICW predominantly opens on set time schedules.  If you can do around 8 knots, you could probably catch all the bridges without waiting.  That gets hard on our engine, so we slowed down on the longer stretches.

Bridges, Bridges, and more Bridges….

I hated waiting at the bridges.  Sometimes we had to sit in one place for 10 minutes with several other boats around.  There is some current which pushes you around, but not a lot.  There are also other boats around that make wakes that you have to account for. Nick doesn’t mind it, but he is much better at manipulating the boat in small spaces.  I’m always afraid I’m going to hit someone.  Then when the bridge does open, you have to move quickly to get through.  I am always mindful of all the traffic waiting on me!

Fort Lauderdale to Lake Worth ICW

The channel is literally the width of the waterway in most places, with docks and seawalls on each side.  The mansions are gorgeous and we liked looking at all the unique architecture along the way.  There is very little breeze because you are blocked by the buildings, so I imagine it would be really hot in the summer.  There are lots of marinas, restaurants and shops along the way.  Anchorages were limited with our depth (5.5 feet), so we had to plan ahead.  Trying to estimate travel time was difficult because we knew we would have to wait for some of the bridges, so we tried to plan out two or three potential anchorages and see how we managed for timing.

The ICW at Night

The downside of travelling the ICW is the bridges, along with constant steering at the helm (no autopilot on the inside!), navigating tight spaces and contending with boat wakes that push you around.  We selected this section of the ICW because all the bridges opened, but one bridge was under construction and had an opening height of 65 feet at low tide.  We anchored and waited until midnight.  Passing under the bridge at 12:30 am we went really slow and nothing touched but it was scary knowing we had a foot above us at most!  We really didn’t want to hit our new wind vane either.  That night we continued down the ICW to Lake Worth and anchored about 2 am.  With a bright spotlight and the chart plotter we didn’t have much trouble finding our way but I’m much more comfortable in open spaces travelling in the dark.

Going on the Outside

We spent a day in Lake Worth resting up and getting some shopping done.  The next morning, we went on the outside to St. Lucie inlet.  Sails up, motor off, no more diesel fumes…. YES!!!  This is relaxing for me.  It’s quiet.  We can get the sails set then take turns keeping watch.  I managed to get HOURS of online education done despite the four-foot seas that made reading the computer screen a wee bit difficult. The autopilot is good at keeping us on course and it is very relaxing out there.  No more crab traps to worry about.  We actually ended up in the Gulfstream for a while, which moved us north pretty quickly.  Our depth finder gave up after we hit 385 feet of water. 

I love watching the dolphins as we sail.  They love to keep pace with our bow.  I also saw schools of flying fish.  They just cruise across the waves by the hundreds at a time!  It is just beautiful and peaceful.

In the Atlantic: St. Lucie to Fort Pierce

The next day we sailed from St. Lucie inlet to Fort Pierce inlet.  The seas were bigger, around 5-6 feet and the winds were stronger which gave us more speed.  We cruised around 7 knots in 15-18 knot winds all day.  The inlet was really rough.  We aren’t used to that because on the west coast they really stayed pretty calm.  Here, you can be surfing the waves to get in or out going against the tide.  If you are going with the tide, you fly through the inlet.  That part is scary and I’m really glad I have a strong captain that brought us through. 

We are settled at The Dockside Marina & Resort, anxiously waiting for a visit from my son.  The current here runs strong and the tides are big with the full moon, so Nick is constantly managing our dock lines to keep us from bumping the dock.  I hope it calms down some with the waning of the moon or we are in for a very uncomfortable few months.