US East Coast to the Caribbean - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 163

The Intracoastal Waterway: Not Just the
Means to an End
Heading south from the Chesapeake Bay to Panama and ultimately, the Pacific, our minds
were very much on blue horizons. So, when ugly weather denied us an offshore run around
Cape Hatteras, it took some attitude adjustment to follow the Intracoastal Waterway for
four days instead. At first, following 200 miles of shallow, narrow waterways - a combina-
tion of rivers, canals, and open sounds - took some getting used to. By day two, however,
the ICW had become more than just a means to an end as we began to appreciate a com-
pletely different cruising experience.
From mile zero off Norfolk, the first section of the ICW is all “hurry up and wait” to catch
the opening times of nine different bridges and one lock. At peak fall season, we found
ourselves traveling in a tight pack of eight sail and five powerboats, all drawn by the lure of
a warm winter in southern climes. But the flavor and pace of the ICW gradually change
after the first twenty-mile stretch. Boat traffic spreads out, each vessel following its own
pace, and the surrounding landscape becomes ever more peaceful and wild.
From ICW mile 40 to 125, sailors are miles away from any sign of human habitation. The
shore is a wild tangle of trees, vines, and bushes. Small brown deer emerge, silently sipping
fresh water in the morning mist. Osprey wheel high overhead in search of prey, and a keen
lookout may even spot an eagle peering regally down from her nest. Smaller birds flit over
the surface of the water, spinning and diving in pursuit of insects, while long-legged wad-
ing birds step purposefully through the shallows. We had not delighted in the likes of beau-
tiful, secluded anchorages like Buck Island (mile 56) and the Alligator River (mile 101)
since leaving Maine weeks earlier.