Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
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Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) - (Norfolk, VA to Florida)
Description and Background
The AICW, also called "The Ditch", is a protected all-season waterway consisting of sections of dredged canals linking natural rivers and waterways. The controlling depth is eight (8) feet (2.44 meters), although some places can be shallower. Maintenance of the waterway has been somewhat less diligent in recent years with demands on tax dollars being diverted elsewhere. It is well-marked.
Because the ICW is a coastal route that intersects ocean passes and navigable rivers heading in various directions, the US Coast Guard adopted the following clockwise convention for the ICW: moving in a southerly direction along the Atlantic Coast, then in a northerly, then westerly direction along the Gulf Coast, is considered returning from seaward. You can remember this rule as “red, right, returning to Texas.”
Also because the ICW crosses, follows, and intersects other marked and navigable waterways, ICW marks are distinguished from other marks by a yellow reflective triangle on the red marks, yellow reflective square on the green marks.
There are other marks that serve dual duty, as ICW marks and for other destinations. Where the marks of a channel serves as an entry channel from the sea as well as an ICW channel heading in the "opposite" direction, occasionally one will see a yellow square on a red mark, to show that it's "red right returning to port" but not "red right returning to Texas" and a yellow triangle on a green mark indicating that the mark is to starboard if you are heading towards Texas but portside if you are heading into port. Therefore, it is probably better to say it's "triangle right returning to Texas." Just to keep things interesting and everybody on their toes.
Bridges, schedules
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| N & PBL RR | 6' | Usually open. | Closed for RR traffic. |
| Jordan Highway lift bridge | 15' | Opens on Demand. Closed Mon.- Fri. 6:30-8:30am & 3:30-5:50 pm | |
| N&W RR | 9' | Usually open | Closed for RR traffic. |
| Gilmerton Highway Bascule | 11' | Opens on demand. Update 9/2009: No Openings Weeksdays from 7:00-9:00 AM & 3:30-5:30 PM | |
| Gilmerton RR Bascule | 7' | Usually open | Closed for RR traffic. |
| I-64 High Rise Bridge | 65' | As of June 2008 following regulations observed: Draw shall open on 24 hour notice only. Call Smart Traffic Center 1-800-305-5799 | |
Deep Creek & South Mills Locks (Dismal Swamp Canal) | Locks open at 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM | |||
| N & PBl RR Swing Bridge | 7' | Usually open | Closed for RR traffic |
| Dominion Boulevard Steel Bascule (Rt. 104) | 12' | (Update 9/2009) OPENS: Every hour on the hour from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, EXCEPT NO OPENINGS WEEKDAYS from 7:00-9:00 AM & 4:00-6:00 PM. Weekends and federal holidays opens on the hour 6 am to 6 pm. Monitors Ch. 13 VHF. NOTE: 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM opens on demand | |
| Great Bridge Lock | 6 am to 7 pm daily opens Northbound on the hour and Southbound on the 1/2 hr. Bridge and lock openings synchronized | ||
| Great Bridge Swing Bridge | | Opens every hour 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. On demand after 7:00 pm. Bridge and lock openings synchronized, Monitors VHF 13 | |
| NS RR Bascule | | Usually open. | Closed for RR traffic. |
| Centerville Turnpike Swing Bridge (Rt. 170) | | Between 8:30 am & 4:00 pm opens on half-hour daily. NO OPENINGS: Weekdays between 6:30-8:30 AM & 4:00-6:00 PM. Monitors VHF 13 | |
| North Landing Swing Bridge | | 6 am to 7 pm opens on the hour & 1/2 hour daily, Monitors VHF 13 | |
| Alligator River Swing | | Opens on demand | |
| Fairfield Bridge | | ||
Trent River Bascule (New Bern) | On demand Memorial Day to Labor Day. NO OPENINGS: 6:30-8:30 am & 4-6 pm. Opens at 4pm if boats are present. Sunday, NO OPENINGS: 2-6pm, Except Opens at 4 pm if boats are present | |||
| Morehead City RR Bascule Bridge | | Usually open | Closed for RR traffic. |
Beaufort/Radio Island Bascule | | Opens on demand. Closed 6am to 10pm. Opens Every hour & every 20 minutes | ||
| Onslow Beach Swing Bridge | | Opens on demand except when Marine Corps closes the ICW. June 2008 under repair, be alert for ferry on north side of bridge. | |
| Surf City Swing Bridge | | Opens on the hour 7am - 7pm year round | |
| Figure Eight Island Swing Bridge | | Opens on hour & half hour year-round | |
| Wrightsville Beach Bascule | | | |
| Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge | | | |
| Little River Swing Bridge | | Opens on demand. Monitors VHF Channel 9 (not 13 as most bridges on the ICW do) | |
| Socastee Swing Bridge | | | |
| Ben Sawyer Swing Bridge | | | |
| Wappoo Creek Bascule Bridge | | | |
| John F. Limehouse Bridge | | ||
| Ladies Island Swing Bridge | | appear in the Local Notice to Mariners effective January 11th 2010. The temporary regulation will read: Due to ongoing construction of the new McTeer Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 539.0, Port Royal, South Carolina; Beaufort County has requested that the federal regulation on the Woods Memorial (Lady's Island) bridge be changed to: The draw need only open at the top of the hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the exception of between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. when the bridge need not open. This will be in effect Monday through Friday except for federal holidays. Tugs with tows, vessels in distress and public vessels of the United States shall be passed at any time. On weekends and federal holidays the bridge will open on demand." | |
| Causton Bluff Bascule Bridge | | | |
| Skidway Narrows Bascule Bridge | | Opens on demand. | |
| Kingsley Creek RR Bridge | | Usually open | Closed for RR traffic |
| Sisters Creek (SR 105) | | Opens on demand | |
| McCormick Jacksonville Beach (US 90) | | | |
| Palm Valley Bascule (SR 210) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine | | | |
| Crescent Beach Bascule Bridge | | Opens on demand. | |
| Bulow, John Anderson Highway | | Opens on demand. | |
| Main St. Daytona | | Opens on demand. | |
| Carlton Black Daytona | | Opens on demand. | |
| Memorial Bridge Daytona | | | |
| New Smyrna-Coronado Beach | | Opens on demand. | |
| Allenhurs-Haulover (SR A1A) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Jay-Jay (NASA RR Bascule) | | Usually open. | Closed for RR traffic |
| Titusville (SR 402) | | | |
| Addison Point Space Ctr. Causeway | | | |
| Ft. Pierce Bascule (SR A1A) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Jensen Bch. Bascule (SR 707A) | | | |
| Ernest Lyons B. Stuart (SR A1A) | | | |
| Hobe Sound Bascule (SR 708) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Jupiter Isl. Bascule (SR 707) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Jupiter (US #1) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Indiantown Road Jupiter (SR 706) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Donald Ross Bascule Juno Beach | | | |
| PGA Blvd. Bascule P.B. Gardens | | | |
| Parker Bascule N.P. Beach Rte. 1 | | | |
| Flagler Bascule Palm Beach | | | |
| Royal Park Bascule Palm Beach | | | |
| Southern Blvd. Palm Beach (SR 700) | | | |
| Lake Worth Bascule (SR 802) | | Opens on demand | |
| Lantana Ave. Bascule | | | |
| Ocean Ave. Bascule Boynton B. | | Opens on demand. | New Bridge under construction. |
| S.E. 15th Ave. Woolbright Rd. | | Opens on demand. | |
| George Bush Blvd. Delray Beach | | | |
| Atlantic Ave. Delray B. (SR 806) | | | |
| Linton Blvd. Bridge, Delray B. | | Opens on demand. | |
| Spanish R. Blvd. (N.E. 40th) Boca | | Opens on demand. | |
| Palmetto Pkwy. Boca (SR 808) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Camino Real Bascule Boca R. | | 7am - 6 pm opens every 15 minutes | |
| Hillsboro Blvd. Bascule Deerfield B. | | | |
| N.E. 14th St. Bascule, Pompano | | 7am-6pm opens on the 1/4 & 3/4 hour. | |
| Atlantic Blvd. Bascule, Pompano | | 7am-6pm opens on the hr. & 1/2 hr. | |
| Commercial Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale | | | |
| Oakland Park B., Ft. Lauderdale | | | |
| Sunrise Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale | | | |
| Las Olas Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale | | Opens on demand | |
| SE 17th St. Brooks M Ft. Lauderdale | | | |
| Dania Beach Blvd. B. | | Opens on demand | |
| N. Hollywood B Sheridan Ave. | | Opens on demand | |
| Hollywood Beach B. (SR 820) | | | |
| Hallandale Bch. Blvd. (SR 824) | | 7:15am - 6:15pm opens on the 1/4 hr. & 3/4 hr. | |
| Sunny Isles (SR 826/NE 163rd) | | 7am-6pm - opens on the 1/4 hr & 3/4 hr. | |
| Broad Causeway Bay Harbor | | Year-round, 8am-6pm opens on 1/4 hr. & 3/4 hr. | |
| J.F.K. Causeway (79th St.) | | Opens on demand. | |
| Dodge Island RR Br. | | Usually Open | Closed for RR traffic |
| Jewfish Creek | | | |
| Snake Creek Bascule betw. Hawk Channel & Florida Bay at Plantation Key | | Opens on demand |
Radio Nets
Also see World Cruiser's Nets
Radio Nets for the region?
Weather
General weather conditions?
Sources for weather forecast information:
Timing
Best times to traverse?
Popular Stops (Listed North to South)
(A page will be made for each)
- Mile 10-50 alternate route via Dismal Swamp and Elizabeth City
References
Books, Guides, etc.
Forum Discussions
Links to discussion threads on the CruiserLog Forum
External Links
Personal Notes
Personal experience
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