The Intracoastal Waterway Marinas Pender County New Hanover County Wrightsville Beach Carolina Beach Wilmington Downtown Wilmington Waterfront Bald Head Island Southport-Oak Island South Brunswick Islands
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The Intracoastal WaterwayFor residents and visitors alike, part of the pleasure of life along North Carolina's southern coast is boating, and there is no more immediately accessible or friendlier setting for boaters than our portion of the Middle Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Built during the Roosevelt years, the ICW was created as a commercial waterway to move goods up and down the coast. Secondarily, but more importantly now, the water trail known affectionately as "the ditch" is a protected, scenic route for pleasure craft. The ICW runs from Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida, and is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It links sounds and rivers into the most extensive system of inland waters in the country and provides charted cruising waters for every kind of boater. The Cape Fear region portion of the ICW -- quite different from the broad sounds to the north that flank the Outer Banks -- generally lies close between the mainland and the barrier islands. It's shores are largely undeveloped throughout the southern North Carolina coast, so boaters can get great views of coastal wildlife. The area's mild temperatures make pleasure boating on the ICW comfortable from March until the latter part of December, so there is a very long season in which to enjoy this special part of the coast.
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