Captain Ehlen’s comments and this reminder were prompted by a discussion of markers in St. Andrew Sound, see link below. The alternate route he mentions is the Umbrella Cut Route which takes you northbound from Mile 696 in Cumberland River through Floyd Creek, across the Satilla River and into the Little Satilla to rejoin the AICW at Mile 686 in Jekyll Sound. This is often considered the route of choice when the primary Waterway route, which passes through St. Andrew Sound and almost out into the briny blue, is kicking up. A third option northward would be to turn to starboard (ESE) out of Floyd Cut into the Satilla River and follow the markers northeast, west of Horseshoe Shoal, to rejoin the Waterway east of Raccoon Key Spit. Strong winds out of the southeast across St. Andrew would make this route uncomfortable.

There’s a second, `alternate’ ICW route that heads away from St. Andrew Sound and is shown on the charts. Longer, shallower water (go on a rising tide) but avoids going out towards the ocean in bad conditions.
There appears to also be a third option, but it isn’t as well buoyed and I don’t know if the charted depths are still correct.
Wade Ehlen
MT 36 Shady Lady
New Bern NC

Click Here To Read An Ongoing Discussion of St. Andrew Sound

Click Here To View An Earlier Posting on Umbrella Cut

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Northern End of Umbrella Cut

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Floyd Cut