{"product_id":"icw-quick-reference-cruising-guide","title":"ICW Quick Reference Cruising Guide","description":"\u003ch2\u003eStop Rebuilding the Same List Every Night\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe ICW Cruising Guide is a fast-lookup reference for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk, Virginia to Miami, Florida, organized first by what you need to find and then by location, north to south by mile marker. Cruising the ICW runs on a nightly ritual: once the anchor is down, you plan tomorrow. Which bridges, and when they open. What tide window clears the shallow spots. Where to fuel, find a pumpout, and anchor with protection from the forecast wind. This guide does that work for you, putting the answers in scannable tables so you build the next day's plan in minutes instead of cross-checking apps, books, and notes by hand. The same tables work again at the helm the next day, when you need the next bridge's schedule right now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a supplement to your charts and chartplotter, not a replacement: the fast-answer layer for the questions you ask most. Anchorage names match Active Captain, so what you read here overlays directly onto the navigation app you already use. It is not a chartbook and carries no lengthy descriptions, just tables you scan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBridges and Locks: the Timing That Runs Your Day\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the ICW, bridge timing sets your schedule. Many bridges open only on a restricted schedule, and missing a window means holding station in a current until the next opening, sometimes half an hour or more. For taller rigs, the guide also flags bridges known or suspected to be under 65 feet, so you can plan your passage around the tide. The Bridges and Locks tables list every bridge and lock in order with the facts you need to time it:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClearance\u003c\/strong\u003e and the tide at that location\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOpening schedule\u003c\/strong\u003e and restrictions, with bridges known or suspected to be under 65 feet flagged\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVHF channel\u003c\/strong\u003e and contact number to hail the tender\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNotes\u003c\/strong\u003e on each crossing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAnchorages by Wind Protection\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Anchorages and Mooring Fields tables are built around the decision you make every afternoon: where can I sit safely tonight in this forecast. Protection is broken into separate N, E, S, and W columns, so you run your eye down to the wind direction you care about and stop at the anchorages marked for it. No reading through paragraphs. Each entry shows:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProtection\u003c\/strong\u003e by direction (N \/ E \/ S \/ W), with depth at mean low water, tide, holding, and current\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWake\u003c\/strong\u003e exposure and \u003cstrong\u003edog-walking\u003c\/strong\u003e access\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStorm hole\u003c\/strong\u003e as its own column, so you can find a place to tuck in when heavy weather is coming\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eActive Captain name\u003c\/strong\u003e for every anchorage, for overlay on your nav app, plus directional notes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe storm-hole column is the kind of detail that is genuinely hard to find laid out this way: when a system is forecast, you can scan for protected spots to shelter in rather than piecing it together from scattered sources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eServices, Free Docks, Inlets, and More\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eServices:\u003c\/strong\u003e for each stop, VHF, phone, and depth at the fuel dock, plus coded columns for diesel and gas, slips, moorings, laundry, showers, restaurants, groceries, water, pumpout, and marine supply. Propane refill locations are called out in the notes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInlets:\u003c\/strong\u003e each inlet rated for ease of use (from all-conditions down to not recommended), with tide, current, distance to all services, and clearance notes for vessels over 65 feet of air draft, so you know where you can safely duck outside or come back in.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFree Docks:\u003c\/strong\u003e location, name, depth, tide, and notes including time limits, maximum boat length, and dock specifics.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNavigation Alerts:\u003c\/strong\u003e caution areas and shoaling spots that change constantly along the ICW, with notes explaining each hazard.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHaulouts and Boat Yards:\u003c\/strong\u003e phone, depth, travel-lift capacity, maximum beam and length, whether DIY is allowed, whether you can stay aboard, and notes including other restrictions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe guide also includes quick-reference extras for life underway: a Dredging Operations section on how to pass a working dredge safely and which side to take, and a Horns and Whistles reference for sound signals between boats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eEvery Edition Fully Re-Checked\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery entry is fully re-verified for each new edition, not just reprinted from the last one. Information is confirmed through firsthand cruising experience, company websites, charts, verified reports from other boaters, and direct phone calls to marinas, boatyards, stores, and bridge tenders. Because the ICW is the most likely of any route to get a last-minute change, the door stays open for late corrections right up until the edition uploads to the printer, so nothing known to be out of date goes to press. This matters most for the time-sensitive data: a bridge schedule or restriction is only useful if it is current. A banner on the cover shows when the information was last confirmed, so you can see at a glance how fresh your copy is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFormats\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpiral-Bound Print:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.5\" x 5.5\", lay-flat design with bright section tabs for fast flipping. Approximately 0.6 lb.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDF Download:\u003c\/strong\u003e available immediately after purchase, no shipping address needed. Includes clickable section tabs, a searchable bookmarked table of contents, and clickable links for phone numbers and marina websites. Loads onto multiple devices on the same boat, so one person can plan on a tablet while another reads the cockpit copy. Best on a tablet or computer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrint + PDF Bundle:\u003c\/strong\u003e both formats together, with the PDF discounted 50%.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAlso available in a Kindle edition.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoverage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Atlantic ICW, Norfolk, VA to Miami, FL, organized by mile marker, north to south\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrganized by:\u003c\/strong\u003e category first (bridges, anchorages, services, and more), then location, for fast lookup\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSections:\u003c\/strong\u003e Anchorages \u0026amp; Mooring Fields, Inlets, Free Docks, Bridges \u0026amp; Locks, Services, Navigation Alerts, Haulouts \u0026amp; Boat Yards, Dredging Operations, Horns \u0026amp; Whistles\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAnchorage data:\u003c\/strong\u003e protection by N\/E\/S\/W, depth, tide, holding, current, wake, dog walking, and storm hole, with Active Captain names for nav-app overlay\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrint dimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.5\" x 5.5\", spiral-bound, lay-flat\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrint weight:\u003c\/strong\u003e approximately 0.6 lb\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2025 (4th edition)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUpdated:\u003c\/strong\u003e every entry re-verified for each new edition; cover banner shows the last-confirmed date\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormats:\u003c\/strong\u003e spiral-bound print, PDF download, print + PDF bundle, Kindle\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMade in the USA:\u003c\/strong\u003e designed and printed in the USA, with minimal packaging\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest for:\u003c\/strong\u003e cruisers who anchor out, plus those relying on marinas and shoreside services; sail and power; first-timers and veterans; used alongside a chartplotter and Active Captain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"The Boat Galley Store","offers":[{"title":"Spiral Bound","offer_id":50599849230588,"sku":"TBG-ICW-9\/2023","price":35.28,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0805\/9043\/8652\/files\/ICW_2025_Main_Image.jpg?v=1784827740","url":"https:\/\/shorelinesocietyco.com\/products\/icw-quick-reference-cruising-guide","provider":"Shoreline Society Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}