All Boaters Must Know This! ~ How To Navigate the ICW | Boating 101 Navigation Tutorial
Navigating the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) in Florida requires an understanding of channel markers and the rules of navigation. Here's a general guide on how to navigate the ICW and read channel markers:
1. **Understand the ICW**: The Intracoastal Waterway is a network of canals, bays, rivers, and sounds that provides a navigable route along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. It is marked by a series of channel markers to guide boaters along the route.
2. **Consult Navigational Charts**: Before setting out, obtain up-to-date navigational charts of the area you will be traveling through. These charts will provide essential information such as water depths, navigational aids, hazards, and other important details for safe navigation.
3. **Learn the Channel Marker System**: The ICW is marked by a system of red and green channel markers, similar to those used in traditional navigational aids. Red markers are kept to the right (starboard) when traveling in the direction of increasing milepost numbers, while green markers are kept to the left (port).
4. **Understand the Meanings of Channel Markers**:
- Red markers typically indicate the starboard (right) side of the channel when heading in the direction of increasing milepost numbers.
- Green markers typically indicate the port (left) side of the channel.
- Square markers denote junctions or turns in the channel.
- Triangular markers with a point facing up indicate that the preferred channel is to the right of the marker.
- Triangular markers with a point facing down indicate that the preferred channel is to the left of the marker.
- If two channel markers are close together, it indicates the center of the channel.
5. **Observe and Follow the Markers**: While underway, maintain a lookout for channel markers and navigate accordingly. Keep red markers on your right (starboard) side and green markers on your left (port) side. Use caution when passing markers and be aware of any changes in the direction of the channel.
6. **Monitor Depth and Tidal Conditions**: Pay attention to water depths, especially in shallow areas, and be mindful of tidal currents that can affect navigation.
7. **Use Navigation Aids**: In addition to channel markers, use other navigation aids such as buoys, lights, daymarks, and GPS/chartplotter systems to assist in navigation.
8. **Maintain Safe Speed and Distance**: Operate your vessel at a safe speed, especially in congested or narrow areas, and maintain a safe distance from other vessels, structures, and navigational hazards.
9. **Stay Informed and Updated**: Keep abreast of any changes or updates to navigational aids, hazards, or regulations affecting the ICW.
By understanding the channel marker system and following safe navigation practices, you can navigate the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida safely and efficiently. Additionally, consider taking a boating safety course to enhance your navigation skills and knowledge of local waterways.
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In the ICW instead of trying to remember North-Green-Starboard (which is actually false on the west coast of FL) and a lot to remember even for me, I just remember that the red triangles always are on the mainland side of the channel. Red is dark and looks like sand/clay so it reminds me that red represents the mainland side of the channel and I should stay on the ocean side of that marker in the ICW. Green is a lighter color and the color of ocean up here in stuart sometimes so that represents the ocean side of the channel and I should be staying on the mainland side of that marker.
The only place where you have to think twice about this otherwise rock-solid trick is in the keys where the 'mainland' is actually the everglades and not US1/civilization
Winner! Please email Mike AT reelreports DOT com with your size and address.
Square daymarker should be on your right side when traveling North.
Some folks dont know what is starboard and which port. Remember port has 4 letters and left has 4 letters. I have talked to boat owners that dont know this! Scary!!!
Red, you're dead
Great video Mike- Here are some other tips- The Numbers on the markers indicate how close you are to open water. The lower the number, the nearer the open water is. So, for instance, if the first marker buoy that you encounter has a 44 on it, you should see numbers decreasing until you enter open water.- The green marker buoys should always have odd numbers on them and the red ones should have even numbers on them. These three factors - color, shape, and number - will tell you everything you need to know about navigating through a channel out to open sea and back again.
Smarty-pants.
Thank You
Much appreciated!!
Thanks from New Zealand, I see a large number of the videos, can't believe how many boats are aground, and the trucks that are DUNKED. NZ over & out. Ps we are off beach straight into surf / Ocean here. Deep water straight down...
I built almost all of the channel markers during 2005-2009 while in the US Coast Guard.
You’re a damn liar
Generally good information, however, you should remember that on the Intracoastal waterway (ICW), the boater follows the yellow color markers - not the color (red or green) of the channel marker. There are channel markers and then there are ICW channel markers. ICW channel markers always have a yellow rectangle or square, and in the event two markers offer conflicting directions, the yellow colors supersede the colors of the actual red or green marker on which they appear.
Traveling north the square green markers will be on your starboard side. It would be worth mentioning that the red triangle markers will always be on the land side of the ICW. Great video as always.
I am really glad that you mentioned the fact about running over seagrass and how it harms the enviorment! Thanks
Great video, wish there's more informational videos for beginner boater like myself. Thank You!!
Thanks I recently moved to Merritt Island, FL. I knew the Red, Right, Return and understood what it means. When I would go up and down it Intercoastal I was always a little unsure as to what side the Red was supposed to be on. Great job pointing that out.👍
Knew all of this before but came for the excellent ReelReports camera work and B-Roll as always. Beautiful day on the water, decent job on the video.
square goes on starboard side when heading north, which means according to your video when out in open water the square is always the furthest shape from land while the triangle is the closest which would by port side for your question. glad you made this video cuz i am in process of searching to buy my first boat and did not know how to navigate the markers. but i do now, thanks capt. keep up the how to and other vids
That was helpful and something new to learn . Going north from Miami keep the green on the right. Going South green on the left. Go, Green, Left / Red, Right, Return for most situations- Thank you
Great video for traveling the ICW. Clear explanation and easy to understand.
Thank you for doing a video on this! Im new to boating and this is very helpful! Starboard side.
Awesome video brother. I remember riding with my Buddy and running into shallow water getting stuck, luckily I jumped out and wiggled the boat loose and back to the deeper water. It was a lesson learned once we got back to the Boston dock.
Square on the right heading north! Awesome Vid.. Mike! Safe boating to all!!
Starboard side. Appreciate all the great videos!! 👍
appreciate this video especially with the description of the channel markers along the greater seaboard.
Me and spouse are learning, thank you for taking time to make these videos.
Sqaure on the right when traveling north on the ICW. This was new information for me, thanks!
Great information Mike, Thanks, Hooks regulation is a very important topic no body talks about, could be interesting some info about hook regulations in the south east area.
Freeking Awesome ! Glad i came across your channel. The square marker is on your right or starboard side. I will be passing this along for sure! Thank you 👍
Great video! Thanks for the info. I just found your channel so, I'm sure I'm late for the contest but I wanted to answer anyway. Heading North the channel marker should be on the starboard side to keep you inside the channel so you don't run-aground or tear up the grass.
Right side, starboard. Thanks for the video. I never had paid attention to the stickers before. Thanks again, Captain
Square on the right/starboard side and f heading North. Thank you for teaching us this potentially lifesaving information.
Very informative Capt Mike. Thanks.
Thank you. I'm just learning waterway naviagtion and this vid is just great for learning the basics.
Nice Video. The single sentence to remember, I've always used is.... Red, Right, Return and Clockwise. That's all of it. If you are going clockwise around the US Reds are on your right. South on the East Coast, West in the panhandle and North on the West Coast Reds are on your Right. Also that returning markers have precedence over ICW markers.
Heading north, the square/green channel marker should be on your starboard (right) side. My understanding is that the triangle/red marker is always on the inland (Continental US) side. Before I began spending my winters in Miami 4yrs ago, I never knew this. Thanks to the Intracoastal waterway, I sure as hell do now! Thanks for always further educating us Capt. Mike 👍
And the Green is always on the ocean or Gulf side
Great informative video for new boaters
Heading north square will be on your right Great video!
Hey Capt Mike. Nice video! Channel marker 15 with a yellow square (ICW Marker) located just S. of Broad Causeway. Because you are proceeding N. (towards NJ) in the ICW (yellow square on marker) you are "leaving" port. A Green buoy is to port when returning and to starboard when leaving. Marker 15 should be on your starboard as you pass. Although not in your video, it would be just about here where you would radio the bridge tender (Channel 9) to request the next scheduled opening of the drawbridge if your vessel is too tall.
NB ICW, sq day marker on the strbd side. Thank you, Mike, for this important message. A few years ago my family moved a boat down from NY to FL. The captain explained all this and a few times when I was navigating he would ask me, “is that our marker?” Sometimes it was yes, sometimes no. He was teaching me how easy it is to confuse the actual ICW when you get to crossing channels, using nav-aids and missing those little markers and how dangerous it can be to enter a non-ICW side channel thinking you’re in the ICW and you’re not and now outside the channel in a boat that drafts 5-ft. It woke me up quick.
I liked this video Mike very instructive.Thank you.
Starboard! Very nice video. Next video...sober Captains !!!
Thank you for the valuable information!
As a towboat captain running both ICW and the LMR. Ohio river, tenn-tom this is on point to the fullest. We push 6pk from new Orleans to Brownsville, then 12 to 15 up north
Traveling north, square marker to starboard. Triangles to port. I know this now thanks to this video, and have more confidence to navigate the ICW. Thanks
be careful this is only in the ICW and only on the east coast. West coast of FL and the US is different. And while not in the ICW you can be going north (back into a marina, harbor, channel, etc) and have to follow 'keep the reds on your right wile returning to big land'
Right on Mike, Red right return to texas is what they told us in capt school!
So, leaving is Green- (right/starboard) go away from the bay.
I would say starboard side going north. That was a great lesson. Thank you.
Traveling back North the square will be on your (right) starboard side. Great informative video 👍 #getoutthehousegofish
Northbound marker should be Stbd side of boat ! Good video Mike thx for mentioning the potential damage on seabed important! Thx!
Thanks for the Nav educational tip - - “Starboard
ICW...Green is to the sea. Good reminders! Thanks
ocean side, great video as to i am learning the icw myself
You can also remember “ green ocean”. For no matter where you are in the intercostal waters going north or south the green maker is always on the ocean (Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico ) side of the boat. So now you have “red and green stay between “ , .”red right return” for entering and leaving a harbor and now “ green ocean” for traveling the intercostal water ways
I tell people I teach To use Go Ocean. The G in Go reminds you Green markers. Green Ocean works too, so whichever you remember is best.
Just curious, where is the "intercoastal" waterway?
@@berndog3 it would have took you less time to Google it then it would have been to ask the question
@@n40tom You may have noticed that intercoastal was written in quotes because there is no intercoastal waterway. It was not a question. It was meant to point out that it is the -intracoastal- waterway. It's a common mistake. BTW, *took should be *taken.
@berndog3 Oh so you are just here to be the English professor. Well Teach Bight me . I'll take an f for this course and you can have an F U .
On the starboard side. Great video
Great info 👍🏾
Good information. Starboard side.
awesome job!!!
Very helpful thanks
The square marker will be on your starboard side. Triangle on the port. Thanks!! Very helpful!
Great video, my Dad taught me long time ago…. RED ,RIGHT ,RETURN!
Right side! Starboard.. I also learned the red will always be on the mainland side and the green to the water side when in the Intercostal!
Bro this is exactly what I needed to see
Great video I want to get into boating. I haven't been on a boat since I was 15yrs old. Im now 52 I love fishing but never had a boat. They need boating school 😆 Ive seen a lot of craziness in FL water ways.
Starboard side. Intercostal Red dirt / Green ocean. In the intercoastal red is always on the land side, green always on the ocean.
Great how you mention all! Brilliant to mention shape and way and colour way not. This presents of yours condition of how to be unlikely to caused danger in navigation in port and how to built port with safety of navigation. As well as enchanged by a body of ruls coverting issue are like you present and also construction of ships but as well of port., i. c. Good presentation how to ima gine path of navigation and how to start constructing - for me is first to see general points in sea / ocean adding later offshore waves. Excelant to see in real ! 👍
I have my 100 ton Masters license i run a crew boat in the Mississippi river i liked the video good info for people just starting boating
Good information.
That would be on your right side, just like if you are leaving port. Thanks for the info.
That marker should be on your right (starboard side) of the boat. The way I remember for the ICW is that the red markers are always on the mainland side and the green are always on the ocean side.
I just remember red right returning
Thanks for a great channel
Hey Capt. Mike, 1st of all thank you for the video, it was well put together. Secondly, I'm a 100 tn. Master And just wanted you to reinerate the importance of daymarker's, slow zones, no wake zones and the differences between them.. Please explain to your viewers.. Boaters are terrible out there!!
Mike, a little hack I used to remember the ICW : RS = Red South - Red Right South And the abbreviation of Green - GRN = Green Right North.
Marker on the right starboard heading North. Thanks!!
Took Power Squadron here. Couple little tricks I learned. In addition to red, right, return.....should be red, right, return, rising. If you are on the wrong side of the red marker, and it's on your right and going down in numbers...you are on the wrong side. Also, those little reflectors (yellow) on the markers actually will change. Meaning if you have a crossing channel going perpendicular to the ICW, rather than adding a conflicting marker, the symbol that is yellow and either a triangle or square, can be opposite. So a green marker could have a triangle on it, if that marker is in a spot at a crossing channel where a red marker would be.....so the green becomes a red when it falls in along the line of where a red marker would be on a crossing channel. Make sense? Although I am here in the Fort Myers area, I haven't seen an example of this, but it was in the class and on the test.
Thank you! Very informative video and short and easy ways to remember these main rules. And red, right return...so that green marker should be on the port side. This is Mel but i dont neee a gift, just an "atta girl" for paying attention. 😊❤
Heading north in the icw; Starboard side!
I’m relatively new to boating. I have a smaller 25 foot vessel and I have a question about operations in the channel. I have noticed some boats coming from the oppposite direction creating a big wake. Is it not a courtesy to slow down when passing. Just curious. Great video
Cptain Mike the green square should e on the right when traveling north. Thank you for this video.....
Red right returning south green to the sea. Easy to remember in usa waters though overseas its other way
Starboard side of the boat should be closest to the square marker while traveling north, put it on the port side while headed south. I didn’t realize the shape in the ICW meant something until seeing this. I just thought the Red markers were on the side of the mainland which was home port. Thanks for the new knowledge.
No you had it right the first time, the starboard-north-green only works on the east coast ICW. You had it right the first time, red represents mainland in channels that are parallel to land.
@@SFROutdoors Thanks for the clarification! Makes sense.
That channel square should be on your starboard side going north, triangles are always inland and squares are opposite 😎👍🏼
Traveling north from your inlet, green marker is on your starboard side 👍🏻
There are 200 countries on the planet. In 198, green is starboard for inward bound, red is port. In merica and the phillapines (due to dumbmerican influence), they are the other way around. The priority is for vessels that have been at sea and require the best information to navigate home. What does 'international' mean in the mirriam webster dictionary?
thank you
When you go north it will be on your right hand side starboard or on the east. When you go south it will be on the left hand side port or on the west. 👍
That's fine as long as you're on the East Coast. Better to remember triangle looks like a mountain and (visible) mountains are on land. My all purpose mnemonic is stay in between the red and green and when meeting a bigger boat get tf out of its way.😂
Red n green stay in between. Is that a international guide ? Is it the same in Australian waters ?
Have you actually taken that boat from Miami to Virginia? If so that would be an epic video.
Good video! Answer is Starboard
Another phrase to remember regarding the Intracoastal Waterway is that we are “Returning to Texas.” Therefore, keep red on the right as you are heading to Texas.
Nice
Simple. Right red returning from sea. In the intercoastal it is RIGHT RED RETURNING TO TEXAS. The ICW runs from Point Pleasant NJ to Brownsville Texas
ON MY RIGHT BUDDY !!!!!
Right side, because Capt Mike says so!
Headed home from the keys green is on right because of the inner coastal water ways
when traveling north on the icw the green marker should be kept to your starbord
How about when you only Have one of the channel markers? I’ll cross a bridge in Hilton Head and see only one marker. How do you know what side to keep it on? Not concerned with coming In or out of port but more with running aground. The tide swings big there and don’t want to ground myself.
In Australia it's the opposite. Coming into port the red markers are on the left (port) side and green on the right (starboard side).
Yep.... I thought the rules were the same world wide, THIS IS BAD !
In Australia dogs are laid back and cats Chase sticks
@@maxburt7150 😉😄
Not to mention the hilarity in... eg, the Gold Coast Seaway, where if you are coming from Moreton bay, and pass the Seaway, and head further down, as you pass the seaway you have to remember that you're now entering port, not leaving it, and the channel markers swap over
@@BaradineAllawa Yeah. That's correct.
So I am on the great loop heading south from Chicago to Mobile on the Gulf - is there a nav aid to show me where the colours change?
Thank you. Too many CRAZY people driving Botes in MIAMI, it is CRAZY Situacion!!!
So, for Red, Right, Return, how do you know what your "home port" is, and thus which starboard side is the correct side... :)
Answer : starboard side, right side of the boat. Thank you for the videos captain, always good to share the knowledge. Tight lines!
Right side of the boat if facing the bow.
I have a green marker on my right. Way up in the distance I can see a red marker. Do I keep the green marker on my starboard side and head to the red marker, keeping it on my port side?
On Starboard (right) when traveling north. Lars
Yep i had no clue what all those markers meant i spent years running my boats on the Connecticut river and Otis reservoir having almost no channel markers when i moved to fortlauderdale and gave the ICW a go it was nerve wracking and really no fun so i moved my boat over to my parents house in Punta Gorda and did my boating/fishing in Charlotte harbor so much more fun than that ICW in fortlaud.
Red right return!!!
I don’t know ALL the markers from decades ago. 1 very important I recall is RIGHT/RED/RETURN.
on the right or starboard side
What happens if two boats are approaching each other between a red and green marker? You said to be always at the middle in order not to run aground.