ICW Week 2 (Plus a Few Days): Beaufort, NC to Charleston, SC
Getting to know the landscapes of the Carolinas through waterway navigation and memorable shore visits
One of the best parts of this stretch of the ICW is the variety of landscapes we’ve seen. Since departing Beaufort, NC on November 13th, we’ve felt the scenery shift multiple times—taking us from the sandy barrier islands of North Carolina, through lush cypress forests, and eventually into the Lowcountry marshlands of South Carolina. Navigating the waterways and taking twice-daily shore visits with our dog, Maisie, has given us a small glimpse into these ecosystems and their accompanying cultures.
Before getting into the details, here’s a bird’s-eye view of the ~260-mile route we’ve taken since our last post:
Sunday 11/8 – Wednesday 11/12: Zero days in Beaufort, NC, exploring and hiding from the chilly and windy low front
Thursday 11/13: Beaufort, NC → Sloop Point anchorage on Topsail Island
Friday 11/14: Sloop Point → Southport, NC
Saturday 11/15: Southport, NC → Calabash, NC
Sunday 11/16: Calabash, NC → Bull Creek off the Waccamaw River
Monday 11/17: Bull Creek → McClellanville, SC
Tuesday 11/18: McClellanville → Charleston, SC
Changing Landscape
Beaufort, NC is a charming coastal Carolina town featuring seafood restaurants, several cruiser-friendly marinas, a fairly spacious anchorage, and the gorgeous Rachel Carson Reserve. It was a cozy place to wait out a cold front that brought temperatures into the 30s—entirely too cold to be on the hook without heat.
Before the front hit, we spent Sunday exploring the beach and bog at the Reserve. Maisie enjoyed sniffing around, and we enjoyed our first proper glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. We even spotted a few wild horses grazing in the early morning sunlight.
Once the cold set in, we tucked into a marina to enjoy a few days of shore power and the ability to run our heater. After the front lifted, we said farewell to Beaufort and began a two-day stretch of the ICW that felt like a real estate tour of popular beach towns.
Michael and I knew Thursday would take us past many beach towns along North Carolina’s barrier islands, but we were still surprised by the sheer density of housing. It seemed there wasn’t a single acre untouched by development. Over our first two days, the ICW cut straight through the backyards of countless vacation homes, with the exception of the undeveloped sandy banks of Camp Lejeune Marine Base.
That evening, we enjoyed a stunning sunset anchored in Sloop Point off Topsail Island. On our way back from Maisie’s evening shore visit, we met two cruisers traveling from Canada to the Florida Keys. We plan to stay in touch with them via one of the sailing social media apps we use (more on that later).
The following morning we continued our real estate tour through several affluent beach towns, including Ocean Isle Beach which seemed to offer each resident a waterfront home via alleys of manmade canals. We ended the day in Southport, NC, where we spent a night at a marina to catch up on laundry, refill fuel and water, and empty our blackwater tank. The next day, we crossed into South Carolina, bringing us to the threshold of a more natural landscape.
Our anchorage that evening was just barely on the South Carolina side of the border. The town of Calabash, NC, lay just a mile away, so we dinghied over for Maisie’s evening walk and to pick up a few pounds of fresh-caught North Carolina shrimp. We got a kick out of knowing our boat was anchored in a different state—even though it was just a five-minute dinghy ride away. The local shrimp was incredible: sweet, fresh, and a real treat.
Free from the densely populated beach towns, we entered one of the most beautiful portions of our journey so far: the Waccamaw River. We left behind the narrow man-made canals of North Carolina and entered a wide river flanked on either side by cypress forest.
Our anchorage that night was stunning and secluded, tucked around a bend in Bull Creek within the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. In the morning, birdsong was everywhere. Using my bird call identification app, I identified about 16 unique species—including several owls and woodpeckers. The autumn foliage, soft morning light, and glassy still water created what felt like a dream world.
Cypress forest gave way to Lowcountry salt marshes by midday the next day. After an unexpectedly messy shore visit with Maisie the previous afternoon (more on that later), we chose Monday’s anchorage specifically for its easy shore access in the nearby town of McClellanville, SC.
In addition to delicious seafood, McClellanville is known for its Deerhead Oak Tree, a 1,000+ year-old live oak said to be the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi River. We marveled at its scale and beauty, Maisie had her first encounter with Spanish moss, and we picked up a few dozen littleneck clams harvested that very day. One of the highlights of this trip has been dinghying to small towns, buying incredibly fresh seafood, and cooking it aboard Osprey.
From McClellanville, we made our way to Charleston, SC. While in Charleston we hope to pick up a few supplies we had delivered, complete a few boat maintenance items and tour around the city for a few days before continuing our southbound journey.
Shore Visits for Maisie
Living on a boat with a dog has its rewards and challenges—one reward is it helps us to get to know each area better because we are forced to go ashore daily. Maisie is not yet trained to use the bathroom aboard, so we take her to shore morning and evening each day. In places like the anchorage outside Calabash, NC, it’s a delight—and a great excuse to pick up local seafood or grab breakfast at a cozy spot like The Bagel Dock. In more secluded places, like Bull Creek off the Waccamaw River, things can get… messy.
As we pulled into Bull Creek on Sunday afternoon, we knew getting Maisie to shore would be tricky. I scanned the banks with binoculars and spotted what looked like a small beach. After launching the dinghy, all three of us headed for it.
As soon as Maisie hopped off, we realized it was not a beach at all—it was a sinking mud pit. She sank up to her elbows almost immediately, looking at us with an expression of confusion and disappointment. I jumped out to help her (nearly losing my boots to the suctioning mud), and we slowly made our way to the edge of the woods where there was solid ground. Maisie handled her business quickly, and we dinghied back to Osprey to rinse the mud from the dingy and ourselves.
Learning from that experience, we deliberately chose our next anchorage for its boat ramp and park—ensuring a far less dramatic dog walk.
A boat is not a natural place for a dog. Then again, it isn’t a natural place for a human, either. Life on the water is a stretch for all of us—yet it comes with great rewards. Seeing boat life through a dog’s eyes is a true joy, like watching Maisie’s expression of wonder as she saw dolphins playing in our bow wake for the first time near Isle of Palms.
Tools of the Trade: Navigating the ICW
Another way we are getting to know the ICW and the surrounding landscape is through a variety of tools.
The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a series of connected inland waterways running down the East Coast of the United States—from Boston, around the tip of Florida, and into the Gulf Coast of Texas. Across the 3,000-mile route, waterways range from bays and sounds to winding rivers and skinny man-made canals. Osprey is a sailboat, but much of the ICW requires motoring—it’s often too narrow, too shallow, or too busy to safely sail.
In addition to our engine, we rely on several tools to help us know and navigate these dynamic waterways—and one specific tool that we wish we could use right now.
GPS and Digital Charts
Traveling the ICW is more akin to hiking through a forest than driving down a highway. It’s essential to use navigational aids to stay on track and avoid hazards like shoals or shallow water.
Unlike early generations of cruisers, we have the advantage of GPS and digital tools:
Chartplotter: Similar to a car GPS, our chartplotter shows the boat’s position relative to land, waterways, other vessels, and key features. It also displays wind speed, water depth, boat speed, and AIS data from nearby vessels.
Bob’s Tracks: Bob423 is a legend among ICW boaters. He shares downloadable GPX files showing the precise line he takes down the ICW—avoiding shoals, shallow spots, and other hazards. Following Bob’s Tracks makes it nearly simple enough for a novice sailor (Jen here!) to safely steer the boat.
Army Corps of Engineers depth surveys: These are frequently updated and show current depths along the ICW, helping us avoid known shallow areas.
Michael’s iPhone shows Bob’s Tracks and the Army Corp of Engineers depths survey; the larger screen is the charplotter with our GPS and additional data
Guidebooks
The Waterway Guide—often called the “cruising authority”—offers robust, annually updated guidebooks with information on navigation, anchorages, marinas, and things to do ashore. Each evening, we read about the next day’s section of the ICW so we’re aware of anything that might affect our timing, like bridge-opening schedules.
Social Networks
The sailing community is a treasure chest of information and support. I could dedicate an entire post to this (and maybe we will in the future, but in the meantime, here’s a quick look at some of our go-to networks:
ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423 (Facebook group): Real-time updates on waterway conditions, hazards, bridge schedules, and anchorage tips.
No Foreign Land / Sea People: Social media apps that allow boaters to share locations, meet up with nearby cruisers, and find information on anchorages, shore access, and local amenities.
Totem Raft-Up: Before we even bought Osprey, we connected with Jamie and Behan Gifford of Sailing Totem. Through their coaching and mentorship, we’ve joined a community of sailors—many taking similar routes this year. We chat daily via WhatsApp for questions, stories, and moral support.
YouTube: We’ve learned a lot from cruising channels. One recent favorite is Abroad Reach Travel, whose ICW series is outstanding. We often watch their video for the next section of our route as part of our planning.
Autopilot
Ask any sailor who the most valuable crew member is, and the answer is always the same: the autopilot. A good autopilot acts as an additional helmsman, steering the boat to a set compass heading—or, when sailing, a wind angle. A well-functioning autopilot allows the crew to “set it and (mostly) forget it,” maintaining watch while freeing up hands for other tasks (or cat naps).
Unfortunately, Osprey’s autopilot broke on our first day on the ICW. Michael removed it, shipped it to a specialist in New England, and we’re now waiting for the repairs to be completed and returned to us at a future port of call.
Needless to say, we are very excited to have a functioning autopilot again!
Next Steps
While in Charleston, we plan to wrap up a few small boat projects, catch up on cleaning and laundry, and enjoy being tourists for a few days. After that, we hope to make it to Brunswick, GA, where we’ve heard there’s a big cruisers’ Thanksgiving potluck.
From there, we’ll face a big decision:
Do we continue down the ICW through Georgia—a notoriously winding and secluded section—or do we make an offshore jump into the Atlantic to make faster progress toward Florida?
There are pros and cons to each. We hear the Georgia ICW is gorgeous but slow, adding several days to the trip. Going offshore would be a first for the crew of Osprey, and would require the right weather window. Plus, we’d miss the beauty of Georgia’s marshlands.
Stay tuned to see which route we choose!
Until next time,
-Jen, Michael and Maisie
Great post!! Beyond following your progress, reading your posts is an education.
Great post, thanks! When around Charleston, maybe go see the Hunley. Just off the Cooper River.