Travel time on ICW - Fort Lauderdale to Stuart?

FootballFan

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2012
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Florida
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Marquis 59
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MTU Series 60
Working on trip plans, appreciate input.

If at all possible will be on the outside - but if weather doesn't cooperate, exploring the ICW as an option to meet a target for arrival in Stuart.

Also, if your familiar with the area - how is the St. Lucie inlet? Any input on entering there from the outside versus going on north to Fort Pierce and back down.

thanks

Mark
 
I've never done that entire trip through the ICW but I think I'd plan the better part of a day if I was you. I know from Palm Beach Inlet to Jupiter Inlet is about 45 minutes, and Jup to Stuart is another 45 due to the many no wake zones. There are some pretty long stretches south of PBI that are wake speed, but most (if not all) are capped at 25mph this time of year due to manatees.
 
Working on trip plans, appreciate input.

If at all possible will be on the outside - but if weather doesn't cooperate, exploring the ICW as an option to meet a target for arrival in Stuart.

Also, if your familiar with the area - how is the St. Lucie inlet? Any input on entering there from the outside versus going on north to Fort Pierce and back down.

thanks

Mark

They are both good passages however St. Lucie is a bit more benign. Ft. Pierce can get ripping so like all inlets time the tide. Jupiter, however is the spooky one if you should catch it at the wrong time; so is Sebastian. Simply time them at slack tide...
 
Working on trip plans, appreciate input.

If at all possible will be on the outside - but if weather doesn't cooperate, exploring the ICW as an option to meet a target for arrival in Stuart.

Also, if your familiar with the area - how is the St. Lucie inlet? Any input on entering there from the outside versus going on north to Fort Pierce and back down.

thanks

Mark

Stuart to Ft Lauderdale on the ICW will take you 7-9 hours. Beautiful trip but lots of slow no wake. St Lucie inlet is very easy. Certainly wouldn't even consider going all the way to Ft Pierce just to use the inlet. There were some shoaling issues in the past at the crossroads just inside the St Lucie inlet, but they have dredged that and there's no notable depth issues there anymore. Only ones to really avoid down this way if you're not experienced and comfortable is jupiter, Boynton and maybe Delray. Hillsboro can be tricky as there's a curve and drawbridge in the middle of the inlet, but it's very doable. It's a beautiful trip. Enjoy!!
 
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I have to disagree that St Lucie Inlet is easy. It is easy if you know the inlet and have traveled the inlet and are used to the shifting shoals. Look at the charts, they don't provide marker locations due to shifting shoals and they move the cans as needed so local knowledge is advised. Ft Pierce is a deep shipping port that is continuously dredged so no shifting shoals or cans. With that said, all inlets in FL are subject to a rough ride with incoming winds and outgoing tides and there is very little difference between Ft Pierce and St Lucie Inlets in that regard. Have used them both when fishing and no differences can be seen on a rough day. Just make sure you find the cans when coming into St Lucie and you will be fine, otherwise the shoaling may catch you. As long as you stay between the markers no problems, sometimes the markers are not where you expect them to be though.
 
Mark,

As you can imagine, staying on the inside will slow you down not just b/c of a lot of no wake zones, but also due to the fact that you'll need to open about 17-19 bridges, just in that stretch between FTL and Stuart. I think I lost good couple of hours just b/c of the bridges, and I thought I timed them well. The problem is that even if you idle just for few min waiting for every bridge to open, your AVG speed drops drastically. But, it's a beautiful ride.
 
Thank you all for the input.

If the weather is reasonable, then it is a moot point, will just go up the coast.

Looks like if the weather is not cooperative, we will go part way the afternoon before, then have a relaxing day the rest of the way in.

Regarding inlets, I will check with BoatUS after I get to Florida, get their current read. I have been in and out of Ft Pierce - as someone said deep and wide.

Once again thanks for your input - one of the things that is great about this site.

Mark
 
Are you just planning a trip to Stuart or do you plan to cross the waterway to the west coast? if so have you thought about the "southerly route"?
 
Yes, will be crossing the waterway to the west coast. May return via the Keys, haven't decided yet.

Will be our first trip across the lake - will see if we like it or not. For where we are headed first on the west coast, it is a shorter route.

Meeting friends in Stuart on a specific day, that's why I am coming up with alternatives to still arrive at the designated time.
 
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Thank you Alex.

When I was talking with the dock master at Sunset - he asked if I was coming up the ICW - I said maybe, but my preference was outside.

He advised going the extra 20 miles to Ft Pierce and coming back down. I asked if the inlet was that bad...

Feedback I have gotten was to go in St Lucie inlet - but do some research to understand current routing.

Looks like Fort Pierce is no longer an option in the short term at least. I have gone in Ft Pierce before, It is like driving on an empty interstate. Wide, clean and empty of a lot of traffic.

Hope FP is not closed down long term. It is the next stop after the Cape going south. They are rebuilding the docks at the City Marina - its a nice place to stop.

mark
 

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