Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Watch your mast top...
Just as the novelty of following straight canal edges wears thin, the waterway opens into
the next winding river, with markers to help boats remain in the main channel. In and
around broad expanses like the Albemarle Sound, you can hoist the sails and shut off the
engine for up to forty miles at a time. Making way through this landlocked system, we
imagined what a relief it must have been for crews of cargo ships in the dangerous days of
World War II to be able to follow these secure waterways, out of the reach of lurking off-
shore U-boats. Today's visitor can visit a number of interesting small towns along the
ICW (some with free dock space), although you might find yourself shying away from
civilization, as we did.
No, the ICW isn't for everyone - and it automatically excludes any boat over sixty-four
feet in height and a draft exceeding six feet. And no, I wouldn't want to follow it any
farther than I had to. It was a great relief to finally take my eyes off the depth sounder
when at last we reached Beaufort and headed out into the Atlantic. After all, that's what
our sloop is made for. But four days of seeing coastline from the “inside” was an interlude
we will remember fondly - even after we pointed the bow for the deep blue ocean.
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