On the west coast "up here", we've got tons of coastal cruising opportunities --from Vancouver, BC all the way up to Glacier Bay, Alaska --1,000 miles away as the crow flies, and many, many, many more as the salmon swims . There are uncounted places to get "lost" along the very rugged and complex BC mainland coast (and Vancouver Island)...coastal cruising here is hard to beat. And short offshore hops are an option too. (And it's one of the best places in the world for sea kayaking, next on my list of things to check out...imagine sea kayaking and being able to stop in coastal hot springs along the way.)

Going south, however, is another story, so I see your point (especially from down there in Oregon) --the ICW would be a pretty damn handy thing to have going south if you don't want to go offshore. One of my ideas one day, health and finances willing, is to retire in the east to be able to do the snowbird thing in autumn down the ICW/islands.