SMSA ICW Seminar: Topic 8-Marinas and Restaurants |
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The ICW is our destination as we travel south. It is a wonderful waterway with lots of small towns and friendly people. While anchored out or tied up to the free docks or at a marina, it is easy to meet other cruisers that are 'southbound'.
MM 1, Norfolk. The beginning of the ICW. Everyone is heading South in the Fall.
Virginia Cut Route
Great Bridge. Free dock: tie up to south wall between lock and bridge, room for 6-7 boats. Close to shops. Free docks are wonderful places to meet cruisers.
Dismal Swamp Route
Deep Creek Lock. Free dock: south of Deep Creek Bridge on the east bulkhead, room for two boats, stores adjacent.
North Carolina Welcome Center. Free dock: 150' on the east side, boats may be rafted. This is a great place to meet boaters who are headed south.
South Mills Bridge. Free dock: Tie up to east or west bulkheads south of bridge, stores adjacent.
Elizabeth City. Free dock: 14 or more slips plus bulkhead for overflow. Stores nearby. The Rose Buddies host a wine and cheese party for boaters.
Oriental. Free dock: two free slips at head of bight in town. There is also a very nice dinghy dock for those that are anchored out. Very pretty small town. Good place to walk or bicycle.
Beaufort. Excellent Maritime Museum, the museum library has a book exchange for boaters. Try the carriage tour of the town. Lots of boaters waiting to go offshore to the Islands or down the ICW. Good holding, strong currents.
Spooner's Creek. Good holding, free dinghy dock at end of creek, shopping nearby.
Wrightsville Beach. Follow channel to the town, anchor near the bridge in 10' of water. Laundromat is next to the free dinghy dock, small grocery store nearby..
Southport. Free dock: in the basin. The Provisioning Company, a restaurant in the basin, also has two free docks. Great town! Lots of restaurants, antique stores, ice cream shops, library, river front park with swings! A great place to walk or bicycle. There are no grocery stores nearby.
Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach. Free dock: 500' of floating dock at the Mall! Rafting expected, 2-3 deep. Walk to the beach.. Grocery stores about 1/2 mile distance. Local bus, $1.00. Great stop for a rainy day.
Bucksport. The marina sells very good sausage. Rickety dock.
Georgetown. Good anchorage, big factory at one end of anchorage. Free dinghy dock. Lots of historic houses and the Rice Museum. Nice downtown area, about a mile to a grocery store.
McClellanville. Tie up at Leland Marine, inexpensive dockage, no room to anchor. Very small town, like the 1950's. T. W. Graham & Co. is a nice, small restaurant with a few grocery items.
Charleston. Wonderful city to visit! Lots of historical areas, restaurants and shops. Very strong currents, a good place to stay at a marina and explore the city.
Beaufort. 150' of free dock floating dock for your dinghy or you tie up your boat for the day (up to midnight). Good anchorage. Lovely town with historic houses, shops, restaurants, library.
Jekyll Island. Historic island with beaches and a small town, great for bicycling or walking Another place with strong currents and 7-8 foot tides, very few places to anchor, there are two marinas.
Fernandina Beach. Poor anchorage. Nice town with.two great ice cream shops!
Ft. George River. National Park, dinghy to shore (no dock) visit the park - historic houses and archaeological sites.
St. Augustine. Salt Run is the best anchorage in St. Augustine, next to the Lighthouse Museum. Dinghy dock at the boat ramp. Walk into town, about a mile, past lots of restaurants and small grocery store. The town anchorage, off the Bridge of Lions, has swift currents where many boats drag their anchor. The Municipal Marina has dinghy docks. Touristy town, but it is still a great place.
Titusville. Great place to see the space shots. Very good anchorage, dinghy to the Municipal Marina (good place to leave your boat if you need to go home, not far from Orlando, cheap flights). Try the broiled rock shrimp at Dixie Crossroads.
Jones Pier. Rickety pier and a bit of old Florida. Mr. Jones used to have a fruit stand on the ICW, now when the fruit is in season, he gives it away.
Vero Beach. Municipal Marina moorings, $435;thaiday. Free shuttle (Mon.-Sat.) to all the shopping areas in Vero Beach. Short walk to the beach. Some boaters never go further south.
Stuart. At the Cross Roads, where you either continue South or head for the West Coast. Stuart Municipal Marina, moorings $8.00/day. The moorings are not as protected at Vero Beach, but the price is right. Plus, Stuart is a nice town with grocery stores within walking distance.
Hobe Sound. Great anchorage, there is nothing there but a wonderful view.
Ft. Lauderdale. Ft. Lauderdale Municipal Marina is on the New River, in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Short walk to Las Olas shopping area and restaurants, supermarket nearby. Ft. Lauderdale is where many cruisers leave for and return from the Bahamas.
No Name Harbor, Key Biscayne. Florida State Park, $15/day. Nice cafe overlooks the harbor. From No Name it is an easy crossing, (day trip) to Bimini!
Boot Key Harbor, Marathon. Huge harbor where boaters wait for good weather for the Bahamas crossing, some boaters stay in Boot Key all winter. Best anchorage in the Keys. City moorings are available.
LaBelle. West of Lake Okeechobee on Caloosahatchee River. Free dock: town dock on south side, tie up bow or stern to the dock. Free water and electricity. Library is across the street. Short walk to restaurants, shops, Laundromat, etc. Harold P. Curtis Honey Co. is two blocks away, try the Seagrape or Mangrove honey.
Ft. Meyers Beach. Good anchorage, beach town with lots of shopping.