Customer Reviews

The Intracoastal Waterway: Norfolk to Miami

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We bought this book in summer 2002 for our trip down the ICW that fall. We bought it based on the fact it was a "Fourth Edition" ! It is SO out of date it is not funny, and in fact could be dangerous to rely on it, or at least an inconvenience. It might be somewhat useful if they updated it. After using Skipper Bob's Anchorages book, and his Marina guide, (which combined, cost less than the Moeller book) I would say these are the bible of ICW travel. They provide mile by mile anchorage info and rankings, and marina info such as types of fuel, price, slip prices, etc. VERY USEFUL and up to date info. They are updated every year, with changes to anchoranges/marina info submitted by the author, as well as the readers.

This is an excellent book for quick reference of your trip. I use it alot in the cockpit, but find more detail would be better. The layout is good for going north to south, but I find the backwards reading (South to North) a little difficult to follow. I recommend this as a companion book along with others, but not as a stand alone book unless you are the casual boater (weekender)

This book example: ABC marina turn right at bouy "1".
End of story, no info on marina size, what to do, facilities etc.
No idea what anything is like or what the location of the marinas, etc.
Another example: Anchorage to right 0.3 mile off ICW channel.
That is all in info provided.

When Margaret and I took our trip from Cleveland, Ohio to the Florida Keys and back we took and used a large collection of charts and guides, including this book. Of all the resources we had available on board, this book was the one we used constantly. It is arranged mile-by-mile as you proceed down or up the Waterway and tells you what to expect as you go. It is an excellent planning tool. We wouldn't do the Waterway without it!...

Brief factual info is here, but presented in a dry, impersonal manner with no interesting first-person commentary or helpful sidebars. Marinas are not described well, or rated, with any commentary on shore-side attractions. A disappointing product from a husband-wife team; we were hoping for a bit of entertainment as well as education.

I bot the 5th Ed 2004 in 2006 for my 1st trip down the ICW from the chesapeake Bay; Today (Jan 2010; the 2nd trip; Daytona Beach so far) I am still using it. I have found this book very valuable. I can't imagine doing the trip without it. It's spiral bound construction has held up; and the print is bold enough to see under way. The guide points out the little things like range markers, common in GA (I have a hard time seeing them on the charts); it tells you the channels used by bridge operators in various states; and the name of the bridge. I can't compare this one to other guides, since it's the only one i have; but it works for me. Happy cruising.

You can certainly appreciate the intent of the authors but the book should be classified as a nice-to-have but not mission-critical resource. Other reviewers have noted its shortcomings, typical of any cruising guide that is not annually updated. We bought a copy in 2007, along with about five other books, as a resource for our ICWW cruise from the Hudson River to Lake Worth, FL in our classic Tartan 33.

Pros: Mile-by-mile organization, factual writing style, small convenient size, nice section on ICWW cruising and how to use the guide, a few unique insights and details, some information on chronic trouble spots, and a few reasonably useful tips on navigating some portions of the waterway.

Cons: Across the board the material is dated, data on bridges and bridge openings are not current (some bridges have been replaced), some of the navigation suggestions are problematic or no longer applicable, some of the buoy identifications are not accurate, some of the "free dockage" places don't exist anymore, and it's lean on relevant/timely photos.

To be fair to the authors, it is nearly impossible for a "printed" (versus electronic) book to have all or even most of the current data on bridges, shoaling, suitability of anchorages, marinas, and the like.

In our view the Kettlewell, Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook is a must have, serving as a quick cockpit reference and supplement to electronic and paper charts. The Skipper Bob publications were also highly useful but not a "single source." Some of the other guides, those larger spiral-bound tomes, tend have limited navigation support but more current information on marinas and services. In the end, we relied heavily on Internet sources, primarily cruisersnet.net, for more current state-by-state ICWW information.

Take-Away. This should not be used as the cruiser's primary information source. Would we buy this book again if updated? Probably not. Is it helpful for first-time ICWW cruisers? Yes, the mile-by-mile orientation is useful but perhaps not compelling enough in lieu of other publications also offering similar information.

The companiion illustrative discussion for the Chartbook of maps. A must for traveling the Intercoastal Waterway. A very detailed set of information to successfully achieve your trip.