Finding mooring balls along the ICW

[DocMolarboater]

Hi everyone.
It's been a while!
We have begun our journey from Madeira Beach Florida aiming to do the loop. We love love, love anchoring and use Active Captian on our Garmin Bluecharts to find suitable anchorages, but just wound up at a mooring field in Beauford SC and think this works well too. The marina allows use of their bathrooms, showers and laundry.
Does anyone know of other locations along the loop with mooring ball options and marina usage? I can't seem to filter active captian to search that.
Thanks for your help!!!!
Gabi and John on the Crazylove 44 Nova Embassy

 

[caltexflanc]

Waterway Guide.

Next one on your trip north from Beaufort is Carolina Beach, NC.
There are beautiful anchorages off the Waccamaw River north of Georgetown, don't miss them! Our favorite was Bull Creek, usually spent a couple days there, exploring with the dinghy.

Mooring fields become particularly prominent if you wisely take a detour off the loop and explore Long Island Sound and New England.

 

[rwidman]

Sometimes mooring balls belong to a town or city and have no marina privileges. Other times they belong to a marina. Sometimes you can anchor and pay a nominal fee to use a nearby marina's facilities. Most of this is covered in Active Captain but I don't think there's a way to filter it. Active Captain is on Facebook and you can ask specific questions there.


Isle of Hope, GA marina will let you use the marina facilities but there's a charge. Carolina Beach, SC has moorings but I don't know if there's a nearby marina that will allow you to use their facilities. Annapolis MD has moorings and I believe they include the use of the facilities. The facilities aren't much though.


As posted above, the Waccamaw River has several nice anchorages. No mooring balls though. There are a few marinas that may or may not let you use their facilities for a fee.

 

[BandB]

Hi everyone.
It's been a while!
We have begun our journey from Madeira Beach Florida aiming to do the loop. We love love, love anchoring and use Active Captian on our Garmin Bluecharts to find suitable anchorages, but just wound up at a mooring field in Beauford SC and think this works well too. The marina allows use of their bathrooms, showers and laundry.
Does anyone know of other locations along the loop with mooring ball options and marina usage? I can't seem to filter active captian to search that.
Thanks for your help!!!!
Gabi and John on the Crazylove 44 Nova Embassy

When are you estimating you'll reach NY to start through the canals? The Erie is on schedule to open on May 1 this year.

 

[CaptTom]

I can't seem to filter active captian to search that.

I was led to believe I was just about the only Active Captain user who actually cares about "advanced" features like filtering or searching. I took that to mean I shouldn't expect any enhancements in that area.

Frankly, I don't see how anyone could use the AC web site without wanting to search/filter for whatever is of interest at the moment. Clicking on numerous little icons, opening tabs and scrolling around, over and over, just isn't all that efficient.

But I realize I'm not generally in the majority who drive development so I know better than to expect things to work the way I want them to.

 

[caltexflanc]

Yes, Carolina Beach has a harbor master who can give you the skinny on amenities. It is a classic beach resort town with plenty of places to eat and shop, and a very nice beach and park an easy walk from dinghy dock.

 

[psneeld]

I guess I plan along lines similar to how useful AC is.

I decide where I want to go, then see what is available in the way of amenities, facilities and hazards.

I don't limit myself to a special feature of boating and see where they are to plan my visits.

Sure a search feature for something specific might be nice...if it was something hot and pretty easy to do...I am pretty sure Jeff would be all over it.

 

[DavidM]

Here are some mooring fields I have used or been aware of, starting with KW and working north:

Key West- Fleming Island mooring field. includes dinghy dock.
Marathon Boot Key Harbor field- dinghy dock, restrooms, bike storage, weekly potlucks, it has it all.
Dinner Key- limited amenities, but right at Coconut Grove
Vero Beach- One of the best, dinghy dock, club house, city bus stop.
St Augustine- Not much room left to anchor now. Use of city dock facilities
Fernandino Beach, Fl
Isle of Hope, Ga.
Beaufort, SC- dinghy dock and rest rooms. Great stop in the heart of town.
Annapolis, MD- same as above
79th St Boat Basin, NYC- all that the big apple has to offer

There are dozens of nice mooring fields in LI Sound and if I were doing the loop I would spend my summer there to see it all and start again next year. Just a few:

Manhasset, NY; Essex, Ct; Hamburg Cove, Ct; Sag Harbor, NY- big$; Block Island; Newport, RI; Edgartown in Martha's Vinyard- bigger$, Nantucket- biggest$.

David

 

[DocMolarboater]

Thank you!

Waterway Guide.

Next one on your trip north from Beaufort is Carolina Beach, NC.
There are beautiful anchorages off the Waccamaw River north of Georgetown, don't miss them! Our favorite was Bull Creek, usually spent a couple days there, exploring with the dinghy.

Mooring fields become particularly prominent if you wisely take a detour off the loop and explore Long Island Sound and New England.

We just left Beaufort. A great spot to spend a few days.
Thank you for those suggestions. I will look for Bull Creek .
Long Island Sound and New England are hopefully next year.
Gabi

 

[DocMolarboater]

Thank you to everybody for all of the info.
We just left Beaufort and will anchor for the next few days.
We hope to get to The Erie Canal by early June.
I'll look into Facebook for questions. I like the idea of being able to filter Mooring and or anchorages because I have no real plans for where we will stop for a night or two. Ithe would be great if I could filter out dingy docks and anchorages for example. Then I would be able to choose one that would give me access to town when I need it.
We stopped at Isle of Hope marIna on our way up for fuel. Really nice people there.
As a wife whose arm was somewhat twisted to take this trip, it has been more beautiful than I could have dreamed of.
I appreciate your online presence and help! Safe travels!

 

[ranger58sb]

I was led to believe I was just about the only Active Captain user who actually cares about "advanced" features like filtering or searching. I took that to mean I shouldn't expect any enhancements in that area.

Frankly, I don't see how anyone could use the AC web site without wanting to search/filter for whatever is of interest at the moment. Clicking on numerous little icons, opening tabs and scrolling around, over and over, just isn't all that efficient.

But I realize I'm not generally in the majority who drive development so I know better than to expect things to work the way I want them to.

I too would appreciate a built-in filtering capability right there in AC, but I've discussed that with Jeff before... and as I interpret his responses, he seems to think its sufficient to let all the downstream electronics (that integrates AC data) provide that... or not.

I, of course, don't have much in the way of equipment or software that incorporates AC data AND provides downstream filtering, so...

My alternative for some things has been to turn to the MarineLife database... which he thinks is obsolete. It allows filtering.

-Chris

 

[timjet]

Isle of Hope is one of our favorites. Take a walk around the area, and spend a few days, you won't regret it. Borrow their loaner car and tour Savannah.
Carolina Beach is the next mooring ball chance. A typical beach town with a board walk and carnival atmosphere.
Oriental has Free docks as does Elisabeth City, N.C,
Dismal Swamp visitors center has free docks and Portsmith VA has 2.
Yorktown, a historic town on the York river has mooring balls.
Annapolis has mooring balls too.

Free docks are especially convenient if you have bikes.

If you like to anchor there are many more choices, check the guides and active capt.

 

[DocMolarboater]

Thanks Chis. I look into marine life database.
Thanks Timjet for the locations.
So grateful for the help!

 

[ranger58sb]

My alternative for some things has been to turn to the MarineLife database... which he thinks is obsolete. It allows filtering.

Thanks Chis. I look into marine life database.

Meant to type MarinaLife.


-Chris

 

[caltexflanc]

Highly recommend Ocracoke and anchoring in the harbor, a real shame if you pass it up. You can then go to another great stop, with small anchorage and rudimentary town dock (plus two nice marinas), at Manteo. Both are destinations worth spending a few days at.

 

[DocMolarboater]

Figure about June 1st so no worries

 

[BandB]

Figure about June 1st so no worries

Our goal is to leave NYC on May 2 so as to get as much time as possible on the Great Lakes. However, we will take a break in the middle and fly home so once that's considered won't have much more time available than you. We basically did a delivery type cruise of the boat to NY arriving a few days ago since we regularly cruise the East Coast. Then we flew home for two weeks.

 

[Capstan]

Hi everyone.
It's been a while!
We have begun our journey from Madeira Beach Florida aiming to do the loop. We love love, love anchoring and use Active Captian on our Garmin Bluecharts to find suitable anchorages, but just wound up at a mooring field in Beauford SC and think this works well too. The marina allows use of their bathrooms, showers and laundry.
Does anyone know of other locations along the loop with mooring ball options and marina usage? I can't seem to filter active captian to search that.
Thanks for your help!!!!
Gabi and John on the Crazylove 44 Nova Embassy

Great thread Gabi and John as this is exactly what we hope to do in the near future. So we will keep watching your progress and everyone's suggestions.
Have a great trip!
Stan and Jen