Boat U.S. - March 2008 - (Page 34)

Water ont Living ICW Trouble SpoTS CaughT on Tape The Atlantic Intracoastal the deepest spots, they’d punch Waterway gets a bad rap from cruisin the GPS marks, then follow that ing boaters. Although the U.S. Army course back through for filming, Corps of Engineers, boating and with Claiborne doing the on-camera commercial maritime interests labor narration.” long and hard on the waterway to Then came the fun part: film keep federal dredging dollars flowing, editing, production and “untold time and tide conspire with Mother hours of programming” to get each Nature’s occasional storm fury to video segment-ready. Each is also the point that there always seem to available on DVD for $4.95 and be reverse pot holes — shoals — in Young says he’s sold only 10, but “the Boater’s Route 66.” that’s not the point. Some reaches in particular pose “Everybody is watching the chronic problems, like Hell Gate near videos online and that’s what we Savannah, GA. But last year, ICW wanted,” he says. “Cruisers have guidebook author and cruising web computers and Internet access so Online videos can help cruisers avoid this kind of problem site moderator Claiborne Young put this is the way to go today.” on the ICW. aside his keyboard and put his local He also reports logging an ducer, Raleigh-based BlueWater Media, to knowledge of the waterway’s “difficult amazing 10,000-plus viewings in film actual passages. Filming aboard Young’s the first three months. All that web traffic half-dozen problem” spots on film. elegantly restored, shallow-draft and trailera- benefits his site and its sponsors, Young Then Young put the videos online ble 1972 Chris-Craft Lancer, the crew visited acknowledges, but for the time and effort so that snowbirds following the fall colors the six worst keel-grabbing spots. south last season could see — for free that went into the project, it truly is a The project demanded a very intensive — how to keep the deepest water under labor of love. schedule, on-the-water and on-the-road their keels through each short but tricky And judging from cruisers’ comwork, driving, researching, scripting and stretch. ments as posted on the site, the project And this spring, cruisers following the channel surveying, in addition to the actual is, indeed, restoring confidence in the filming. dogwood blossoms north can go to the waterway. Salty Southeast Cruisers Net (cruising“We played the video three times guide.com), click on the ICW Problem before entering the cut this morning,” The Atlantic Intracoastal Videos page and make each of the six wrote Bob Smith, Jr. from his 58-foot Waterway ‘Difficult Half-Dozen’ virtual passages with Young before taking Hatteras, Mary Kathryn, while cruising Carolina Beach Inlet, NC — Mile 293 their own boats through. south through Georgia’s Sapelo Sound. Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff, SC — Mile 517 Call it a confidence builder. “You were right-on and we looked like Fields Cut, SC — Mile 576 “In moderating the web site and experts.” Hell Gate, GA — Mile 601 speaking regularly to boating groups, it For this spring’s northward migration, Little Mud River, GA — Mile 655 became obvious to me that the Atlantic Young hopes to update the “difficult halfJekyll Creek, GA — Mile 683 Intracoastal Waterway had reached a critidozen” to account for any channel shifts cal point,” Young explains. “Significant that may have occurred over the winter. “I knew where the trouble spots were, numbers of cruisers were feeling nervous At press time, Young planned to shoot of course, but we wanted the play-by-play to new film in February and expected to line about their semi-annual migrations, but the question was, ‘What could I do about be as accurate and up-to-date as possible,” up sponsors to cover production costs. Young reports. it?’ But what if waterway advocates are On location he used Karen Ann II’s “I’d been posting waterway condition successful in getting additional monies to depth sounder to plot the best route, relative the Corps of Engineers for channel mainreports online and giving navigation tips to existing aids to navigation, through each but cruisers still opted to chance an offtenance? shore passage to avoid the notoriously dif- trouble spot. These short reaches are shal“As important as those new funds low and tricky enough at low water to cause are, it’s just a bigger band-aid on the ficult stretches,” he goes on. “Then it hit problems for the average cruising boat. me; let’s show them how to get through problem,” he says. “Should the time “Following the sounder, the crew felt these bad spots.” come when the waterway is maintained their way back and forth through the marked as it should be, then I’ll do something Young, who serves as guest host on North Carolina Public Television’s Cruising channel, just like you’d lace a shoe,” reports else.” Young’s partner, Winston Fowler. “Finding Carolina series, teamed up with the pro— By Ryck Lydecker When in Doubt If you are ever concerned about how to navigate any reach of the ICW or adjacent waters, hail “TowBoatU.S.” on VHF Ch 16 and ask for local knowledge. They’ve got it and love to give it, to keep you in deep water. 34 BoatU.S. Magazine March 2008 http://www.cruisingguide.com http://www.cruisingguide.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - March 2008

Boat U.S. - March 2008 Contents Behind the Buoy BoatU.S. Reports Member Forum Cap'n Drew Sailing the Sidewalk Aviators Ahoy Docking and Duffing Waterfront Living: Charleston Waterfront Marketplace Grady Right 2nd Time Around DIY: Keeping the Water Out Hot Tips Boat Smart Ask Chuck Foundation Findings Tangled Line At Your Service Good Foundations BoatU.S. Exchange Behind the Boat Where Our Flags Fly

Boat U.S. - March 2008

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