Product Review

If you're thinking about doing a boat trip down the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, this is a book to add to your arsenal of information.

What's Up Ditch is a personal perspective based on observations and the navigation logs of Chris DiCroce, an avid sailor who has traveled the ICW on his sailboat six times. He walks you through many of the situations you might encounter along the waterway, and includes protocols and ideas on everything from hailing a bridge to maximizing a budget over the course of this 1000 + mile trip. He discusses how much boat you really need, how to figure out fuel usage, VHF radio protocol, tides, currents, and more.

What's Up Ditch! is not a "waterway guide." It's not meant to take the place of, but rather complement, the many great resources available to boaters today.

The ICW is "back-alley America at six miles an hour" and can take sixteen days or sixteen weeks. It's a trip full of challenges and learning opportunities, and this book addresses a lot of what you'll need to know. From the Dismal Swamp to the Virginia Cut, you'll get a viewpoint you may not have read in the past. The Atlantic ICW will test your navigation skills, boat-handling skills, and your patience, but in the end, it will reward you with gorgeous scenery and an experience you'll not soon forget.

If you've ever thought about doing the ICW, or even if you've done some or all of it, there's something here for you. It's a no-nonsense approach with Chris' usual bad jokes and some well-placed sarcasm. Beware you magenta line hugging boaters... there's something in there about you as well!

What's Up Ditch! will challenge you and encourage you. It will break down and dissect some of the issues that might be keeping you from doing one of the coolest trips we have right here in America.

(Special thanks to John Kretschmer for writing the Foreword.)