ICW

[Darco1]

My brother and I are discussing traversing the ICW from NY to Keys and are wondering what size boat to use. Due to the cost of fuel we will be using a sailboat for the time we can sail such as Ches, Bay etc.What should we look for on a boat as neccessary to make this trip

[Kechter]

The biggest concern would be draft. The depth of the ICW can run well below the designed 12''. I did it with a 33'' Ranger with a 5.0'' draft but wouldn''t want to go much deeper. You will see almost any type and size boat and your budget, comfort and sailing preferences should dictate your choice. Range under power would also be a consideration as there may be long stretches where fuel availability will be limited.

[sailnaway]

Many of the depths have changed as you get south due to hurricanes. Some areas have lost as much as four feet and some have gotten deeper. The government has cut dredge operations to a very small budget in allot of states. I would say that anything over five feet will cause you to drag bottom in some places. We draft 6''9" and comming to the keys we went ICW from Tampa to Ft Myers and in Lemon Bay drug in mid channel at the north end of the bay. Good luck and dont get to close to the markers. See you in the keys.