Friday, January 26, 2018

Key West - Big Announcement Today

I expected to see palm trees devoid of frons and shrubbery without leaves, no so. Everything looks normal. 
Today was another successful day at Key West. We started it of with a morning walk. I was a nice morning but windy. The wind got worse around 9:00am. We went to the store in the after noon to get groceries. I got Nutter butters (: so that was good). We started schoolwork around breakfast. But got done around 12:00 pm. We sadly did not take Hoolie to the dog park because Nana was pooped. That’s all I got for you today. 

I am now the Waterway Guide editor for the Atlantic ICW.  I will be working with Ed Tillett, the General Manager of Waterway Guide, on the 2018 edition of the Waterway Guide and the Waterway Explorer app accessible on their website. The goal is to bring their guide up to date on ICW hazards.

 Okay, so what changes as far as what I've done in the past outside of the Waterway Guide? In a word, nothing. I will continue to update Active Captain as I go up and down the ICW as well as continue to publish my yearly ICW Cruising Guide. There is no way all the detail of the ICW Cruising Guide I publish could be folded into the Waterway Guide. However, I will be adding and editing the ICW hazard information in the Waterway Guide and on their Waterway Explorer app on their website. I will endeavor to keep that information up to date based on my own experience and from ACOE surveys of the key inlets. I view the Waterway Guide as yet another source for cruising sailors in enjoying their trips on the ICW. From my viewpoint, the more the merrier as far as information is concerned. My own guide has a laser focus on hazards while the Waterway Guide is much more general and covers everything along the way including all the marinas and things to do in ICW stopovers. I think we complement each other.

There is still a hardy group anchored out, this area is known as "The Bowling Alley", think you know why?
Of course, I'll keep doing my blog as I move along, there's nothing like first hand experience on the ICW. So I hope your'll continue to follow along. The ICW looks to be very exciting this coming spring with all the shoaling at Lockwoods Folly and Shallotte Inlet not to mention the other famous places.

 Here in Key West, the winds continue to blow, up to 32 kts! Any reduced winds are beyond the forecast window so we're in for a spell. If you haven't gotten here yet, you will have the ride of your life if you try now.

7 comments:

captainwjm said...

Bob,

Regarding the comments on vegetation, Key West was spared the worst of Irma's winds, being on the back side. Here in Islamorada, we did experience the stripping of leaves from most of the trees and shrubs, although the palms survived as evolution has designed them to. What surprised me, as a non-Florida native, was how quickly the non-palm trees and shrubs regrew. When we were allowed to re-enter the Keys, these trees looked like Tennessee in mid-winter, all bare limbs. But, not more than a week later, they were all covered with new green growth; Tennessee in the spring! To me, that was the most amazing thing about my Irma experience.

Hope this wind abates soon!

Regards,

Bill
Plantation Yacht Harbor
Islamorada, Fla. Keys

Bob423 said...

Bill, so there were areas that were stripped of leaves, just not in Key West.

Anonymous said...

Hi Bob423,
My husband Andrey and I just bought our first sailboat and will be planning to sail to Key West some time in March. Very excited! Also, so happy to have found your blog! We've registered at Active Captain, but so far a little confused as to where to find your information regarding sailing down ICE there. Any guidance is really appreciated!
Andrey & Natalia
SV Bella Vita

Bob423 said...

Andrey and Natalia, there are two sources for info on traveling the ICW and avoiding hazards. The 2017 ICW Cruising Guide published on Amazon.com comes in two flavors: a paperback for $34.95 and a Kindle edition ebook for $9.95. Both are identical in content.

Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/2017-ICW-Cruising-Guide-navigating/dp/1973976781/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Ebook:
https://www.amazon.com/2017-ICW-Cruising-Guide-navigating-ebook/dp/B074KJ1H9K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Other than that you could look back through past posts on the areas you'll be traveling through and see my experiences along the way. I post at almost every Active Captain hazard marker, you can look in the list of comments for Bob423, for an active area, my comment may be down aways.

Welcome to cruising the ICW, it's a great experience!

Anonymous said...

Thank you!
Natalia

SV Puffin said...

Congrats on working with the Waterway Guide. You are right, I use both in my travels.
BTW the Indian river near Cocoa is shallower than usual. Probably at least 1 foot down from normal and over 3 feet down from levels after Irma.

Bob423 said...

Puffin, is it shallower everywhere (north wind?) or in spots?