Snowbird season is upon us. For many boaters, that means an annual pilgrimage south on the Intracoastal Waterway. An ICW veteran gives us the skinny on some great stops.
My first trip on the ICW was in April 1985, when my husband Jim and I delivered our “new to us” Beneteau 35 sailboat from Fort Lauderdale to our home on the Magothy River in the Chesapeake Bay. We made an ocean run from Florida to the Outer Banks, and entered the ICW at Beaufort Inlet in North Carolina. As we cruised through pretty towns, I silently thanked our forefathers for linking the natural inlets to provide a navigable route along the Eastern Seaboard, avoiding many of the hazards and discomforts of the open sea. I’d been seasick for most of the ocean voyage and all but kissed the ground when we stepped ashore at Morehead City. Read More
