Negotiating the ICW through Georgia

---Blogpost written by Bob

Georgia’s portion of the ICW is 138 statute miles long, from MM 576 to MM 714. The high tidal range and areas of shoaling (plus the alligators) make this portion of the ICW notoriously undesirable.  Most ICW cruisers either bypass Georgia by going outside in the ocean (Charleston to Fernandina Beach is 218 nautical miles or 250 statute miles) or get through it quickly—we are in the latter category.

Between the southern border of South Carolina and the northern border of Florida there are three major areas of shoaling on the ICW: Hell Gate, Little Mud River, and Jekyll Creek (plus a few minor problem areas to keep you on your toes).  

      South Carolina-Georgia border (MM 576)

      (25 statute miles between South Carolina border and Hell Gate)

      Hell Gate (MM 601 to MM 602) - 1 statute mile long

      (51 statute miles between Hell Gate and Little Mud River)

      Little Mud River (MM 653 to MM 656) - 3 statute miles long

      (25 statute miles between Little Mud River and Jekyll Creek)

      Jekyll Creek (MM 681 to MM 684) - 3 statute miles long

      (30 statute miles between Jekyll Creek and Florida border)

      Georgia-Florida border (MM 714)

My experience has been that negotiating the three major areas of shoaling during the upper half of the tidal cycle (mid-tide and above) and making time between the critical areas during the lower half of the tidal cycle (mid-tide and below) greatly reduces the chances of going aground while minimizing the total transit time through Georgia.

In this typical tide chart, the times to transit the areas of shoaling
would be between 7 AM and 9 AM, as well as between
2:30 PM and 5:30 PM.  The remainder of the tide
cycle can be used to transit less critical areas.
(Screenshot from "Tides Near Me" App)

I strongly recommend the "Tides Near Me" App--it is a great tool for using the tidal cycle to your advantage in transiting the ICW.

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