Advice Requested by a Sailor with 6 ft Draft
A tall-masted cruiser with a 6 ft draft asks your advice on doing the ditch with a deep keel. This subject has been tossed around in the past and though most of you Waterway cruisers have only 5 ft of draft, please respond to Pat Chadwick’s request for guidance. Pat does not give us his air draft, another limitation to be considered.
I would appreciate some advice about the practicality of cruising the ICW from Norfolk to Oriental in a sailboat with a 6′ draft.
Pat Chadwick
Comments from Cruisers (7)
Hey …
Just saw this discussion and wondered if anyone had any experience / late intel on ICW from Beaufort to Norfolk with 8 ft draft (C&C 41 – also a tall stick, still getting accurate air draft measure on her, just bought recently). Trying very hard to avoid CH and to avoid having to stay in VA / Chessie for the winter because will have to heat her …
Thanks,
Joyce
Easy to do, just hang around until a tug pushin barge goes in your direction,then follow him close. Also make sure you have a danforth hanging on the stern rail ready to toss if you hit and a zodiac with an outboard to quickly drag the anchor back another 50 feet to winch your self off.
I’ve done it 10 times my sail 6 ft wing. Good to NC, SC, GA and FL. Stay in mid channel according to channel mrkrs, don’t follow your majenta line on plotter. at line observe other sailors in front of u.
Tony Pozun
Good point on bridge clearance. Once you're past Great Bridge, that section of the ICW does not have lunar tides, so it doesn't seem that there's any sense in talking about "timing passage for low/mid tides" to get better bridge clearances. However water levels can be affected by persistent, strong winds. We've been told that a persistent, strong W or SW wind can raise water levels at the NE end of the Pamlico/Pungo area, and therefore reduce bridge clearances, at the Wilkerson. I haven't experienced this, but it's something to watch out for if you've got a tall stick.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Great to hear from someone who's done it. We haven't decided which route to take, but would be interested in why you have always avoided the Dismal Swamp route.
We had more trouble with mast height than depth. Our mast was right at 65.The ocean was more friendly for us.
Assuming that you are talking about the Virginia Cut route rather than the Dismal Swamp (I have no experience with Dismal Swamp), that stretch is one of the least problematic parts of the ICW for 6' draft. We've done it over a dozen times with 6'. Pay attention to staying in the channel in Currituck Sound, and the height of the Wilkerson Bridge.