When transiting the ICW in the area of Mile Marker 44.5 - Mile Marker 46 the helmsman will need to pay special attention to the boats relation to the center of the channel. It's important to study the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) surveys and the layout of the AIDS to Navigation through this section of the ICW.
Where most vessels get into hazardous water on this stretch is the area on the opposite side of the channel from Red Marker 118. The reason for this is because here is not a green marker on the inside of the turn and this causes vessels to misjudge how close they need to get to Red Marker 118.
Red Marker 118 is placed close to the edge of the navigable channel. It is best practice on this turn to stay approximately 50ft to the channel side of this marker when making this turn. For north bound vessels this means going into what would be considered the oncoming side of the channel. It's recommended to adjust speed +/- to insure you are not meeting when making this turn.
The narrowest part of this 1.5 mile stretch is only about 130 feet wide. This area is around Green Marker 115. Again it's best to be left of center channel through this stretch due to a more gradual decreasing of depth on the Red side of the channel.
There are frequently larger yachts and barge traffic on this section of the ICW. It's recommended to listen for a security call or make a security call of your own. Channel 13 and 16 are best for this.
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