Much of the boating in South Florida will take you along or across the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). The ICW also known as “The Ditch” is comprised of four segments — Gulf Coast, Carrabelle, FL to Brownville, TX; a second section of the Gulf Coast from Tarpon Springs to Fort Myers; the Atlantic which runs from Norfolk, VA to Key West; and the plain old ICW which runs from Manasquan to Norfolk. The Gulf Coast Waterway is connected to the Atlantic by the Okeechobee Waterway.

The ICW was authorized by Congress in 1919. Florida, always ahead of the curve started construction in 1874. According to most sources the ICW begins in Manasquan NJ. However, the statute mile markers on the charts start in Norfolk, VA, which is the beginning of the section known as the Atlantic ICW. I haven’t found an explanation for the snub of my hometown, Manasquan.