ICW from Ft Laurderdale To Ft Pierce

Todd M Caldwell

Active Member
Oct 7, 2018
145
Port St Lucie, FL
Boat Info
1998 290 Sundancer
Engines
5.0 Alpha
Getting ready to make our 1st trip in our 290 Sundancer and 1st time navigating the ICW.
Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank You,
Todd
 
Check the water level, bridge heights, and what time the bridges are tended. Make sure your VHF radio is working. Know the height of your boat. Locate places for fuel, and know when they're open.

We did the trip 4 years ago from Ft. Pierce to Clearwater. Great times. That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure others will have more to add.
 
Ft lauderdale to Boynton is slow going - you should only have to worry about 3 bridges with your height - in and out of lake boca (Camino Real & E Palmetto) and George Bush Blvd IIRC....all others should be OK - Castaways in Jupiter is a good stop for Fuel if you need to top up. If you are going to stop for the night, there is a great anchorage north of blowing rocks (I think it is near ICW marker 46 or so).....Peanut Island just inside LWI is a great stop for the day too - Have a great trip and take some pics for us!
 
Pack a lunch! Will be slow with traffic. Great trip on your boat, minimal if any bridges to open. Just expect heavy traffic till you get north of Stuart.

Google ICW bridge schedule, download it. Not that you have to worry about bridges, but it will give you bridges by Statute mile, you can measure where you are and distance remaining.

Are you thinking 1 day trip? Would be a very long day even without bridges.
 
Pack a lunch! Will be slow with traffic. Great trip on your boat, minimal if any bridges to open. Just expect heavy traffic till you get north of Stuart.

Google ICW bridge schedule, download it. Not that you have to worry about bridges, but it will give you bridges by Statute mile, you can measure where you are and distance remaining.

Are you thinking 1 day trip? Would be a very long day even without bridges.


Yes we are trying to make it in one day... Learning new waters is always fun.... especially the ICW seems like a challenge.

Todd
 
Ft lauderdale to Boynton is slow going - you should only have to worry about 3 bridges with your height - in and out of lake boca (Camino Real & E Palmetto) and George Bush Blvd IIRC....all others should be OK - Castaways in Jupiter is a good stop for Fuel if you need to top up. If you are going to stop for the night, there is a great anchorage north of blowing rocks (I think it is near ICW marker 46 or so).....Peanut Island just inside LWI is a great stop for the day too - Have a great trip and take some pics for us!


Thanks for the info it is very appreciated

Todd
 
Just a little overview of our trip.... we left Anglers Avenue Marine Center and started our journey, our very slow journey thru some very narrow areas, after about a hour we finally made it the Fuel dock at Harbour Towne Marina and filled her up, another 30 min to Port Everglades and I decided to check the weather (again) and took a look at going out the inlet, everything looked good a little choppy but not to bad so out we went.... pushed the throttles forward to about 3400 RPM 30-32 MPH, We stayed about 1-3 miles off the coast (a little smother water) 4 hours later we made it to Ft Pierce. The boat did great considering she sat for about a year. Ohhh we used about 3/4 of a tank of fuel. Could of done better if i slowed down...LOL

Thanks to everyone's advice!!!!
 
i kept my boat at sundance, just past the I 95 bridges so i know that part of the dania canal well - at high tide i cleared the rr bridge by inches - going under us1 it gets really narrow and the current rips through there - always had to hope no boats coming the other way as most small boats up that far dont have or monitor the vhf....glad you had a safe trip and the weather cooperated
 

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