From: Ralph Yost Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 9:21 PM Subject: NJ ICW report: Cape May to Atlantic City ICW run north from Cape May to Atlantic City -May 21, 2012 Last May I reported on our run from Cape May to Atlantic City NJ. Below is my report after our run on the same section of the ICW today. I hope it will be useful to those of you considering this option. We had received a report that a boater spoke with the USCG in Cape May this week and was told that the ICW was dredged and at datum, and that all markers were on station. Well, we'll see..... We have a Defever 41 trawler that draws 4ft, single screw. Left Sunset Lake anchorage at 7:30am on falling tide. High tide in Wildwood was 6am and there is a 4ft tide rise/fall in NJ. The tides shift about every 6 hrs. There is an advantage to traveling north before Memorial Day as some bridges go to hourly openings after the holiday. Stone Harbor draw bridge is one example. I do not recommend this run for twin screw boats with captains not familiar with these waters. Remember that deep water is on the outside of the bends. You will also see flunder fisherman in the channels. they usually fish the deep water. Watch for moving water. That is where it is deepest. There is some skinny areas north of the old Wildwood Bridge near R452. There is an Active Captain hazard mark here. THis is another place where the magenta line is wrong and takes you right over the shoaled area. G437- deep water is on the wrong side of this channel marker ! But if you go on the wrong side you will probably end up in the 3ft shoal. Stay close to it. The magenta line actually has you go on the outside of the channel. Go straight between R436 and G437 but stay wide around $436. More than 10ft of water. There is an Active Captain hazard mark here. Red Nun 424: Heading northbound approaching Nun 424: stay VERY close to the meadows for deep water. When you see the meadows falling off in chunks, that is a sign of strong current eroding the meadows and there is probably deep water right up to it, within a boat length. I was 15 ft off the meadows here. Came through at mid tide. Then as you get to nun 424, there is a deep hole as you turn between it and can 425. There is an Active Captain hzard mark here. G397-G395: shallow - 4-5 ft at mid tide SM 100, Great Sound: This is a traditional shoal area. The ICW has been shoaled here every time I have passed through it since I was a kid. Saw 4 to 4.5 ft at mid tide. Best to be here on the risiing tide. Shallow in the channel. Saw 4 - 4.5 ft at mid tide just before MM 100. After MM100, the green side was deeper. On your chart follow the EAST edge of the channel. Hug R386 and Nun386A. Then straight to G385.There is an Active Captain hzard mark here. After Townsends Inlet and R372, favor the docks. Go wide around G357. Favor the outside bank. If you go close to G357 you will run aground. R348-R346: 1.5 hrs before low tide - less than 4ft. Soft silt. Can slowly push through it with 4ft keel the entire way between R348 and R346. North of 34th Steet Bridge, Ocean City - Ran from R282 directly to R280 at dead low tide. Saw 5.5 ft then down to 4ft. then 3.5ft soft silt at R280, Slowly pushed our way through it to G277. After G277 it was 4ft then 5ft at R276. Approaching G251 (after 9th Street Bridge in Ocean City): If following the ICW, dont cut this corner short. There is a sandbar that sticks out. You will see locals in outboards running across it regularly. R246A-R246; If you come straight from the RED 246a to the R246 you will run aground on a sandbar. G239 to R238: Follow the magenta line here. North side of the magenta line is shoal. Stay on the line here. Margate Bridge: Call for your opening as soon as you see the bridge. The bridge tender has to walk out from the toll booth. Caution if the tide is incoming. You will have a very strong current northbound on incoming tide. Margate: G221: If northbound, stay close to day mark G221 then come back immediately to the magenta line. It is shoaling on the north side. Arrived in Atlantic City about 3pm. Low tide was about 12:00pm for most of this route today. Summary: I have been traveling this route for many years since I was young but not every year. This year I saw more shoals than I did last year and any year in the past that I could recall. The shoaling was worse in several spots (being less than 4ft). I do not recommend a novice take this route. I warn that any twin screw boat should avoid it until dredging occurs. Any boater who chooses this route should rely on ActiveCaptain.com and follow it as he traverses it so that he can see the exact location of the channel shoaling (called HAZARDS in ActiveCaptain.com) and the recent comments by others. The magenta line was often very wrong and in many cases would have put you in the mud. Use caution if you believe you should always follow the magenta line. The channel was very well marked but certainly not dredged to datum. Thanks R. Our Great Loop blog is <http://www.saygood-bye.com/> http://www.SayGood-Bye.com Youtube channel for the videos <http://www.youtube.com/user/ralphyost1> www.youtube.com/user/ralphyost1 Former owner of Say Good-Bye, 41 Defever