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Yellow Background Articles Below Are Navigation Alert Postings
Inlet Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, flanks the eastern shores of the AICW, a short hop north of St. Augustine Inlet, and hard by the southern side of the high-rise Vilano Beach Bridge. There is newly opened restaurant on-site, and a new Publix supermarket within walking distance. You can easily provision while filling up those hungry fuel tanks!
Claiborne:
As promised, we stopped at Inlet Marina in St. Augustine Thursday. We checked out the prices on fuel at Comachee Cove, Conch House and the Municipal Marina. Inlet’s price with the usual discounts was .10 – .20/gal less than the others. They do have the best price of any St. Augustine marina on the ICW. Still, it was .15 higher than the price in Jacksonville.
The fuel dock is located on the east side of the ICW between the Villano bridge and the fishing pier, which makes entering look somewhat intimidating. However, there is deep water all the way in and out to both bridges, so maneuvering with our 54′ boat was relatively easy. Dockmaster Jay and his staff are on hand to assist. I would not hesitate to take anything up to 80′ into the dock, although I would be sure to have adequate help on hand if the tide is running or there is a strong wind with a westerly component.
The Publix supermarket is within walking distance, as is the Villano beach on the ocean. There is a good restaurant with Tiki bar on site, and the entire place is dog friendly, which was very important to us. Although the marina does not have transient slip Jay will allow boats to tie up at the fuel dock overnight for $25. There is no electric. There is water, but it does have a strong sulphur odor. The town of Villano provides a free 100′ floating dock located just south of the fishing pier next to Inlet Marina. There are no services, but boats are allowed to tie up all day to visit the town and the beach. Overnights are not technically allowed, but Jay says it is not enforced.
In my opinion, Inlet Marina and the town of Villano Beach are a good place to stop for a day to take on some fuel, re-provision and relax on the beach or at the restaurant.
Bill Root
Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Inlet Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Inlet Marina
Marina Jacks - Click for Chartview
Marina Operations/Marina Jacks abuts the east-northeastern shores, to the northeast of red unlighted daybeacon #8A in Sarasota Bay, in the heart of downtown Sarasota, Florida.
The mooring field, which is the subject of Captain Power’s report below, has been controversial, first, because it displaced a very popular anchorage, and secondly, some claim its cost benefit ratio to the city of Sarasota is very much a negative concept. On the other hand, there was a legitimate problem with abandoned and derelict vessels in the old anchorage.
Sarasota IS one of the Florida Pilot Mooring Field Program sites, so the regulations surrounding their mooring field are legal, at least according to Florida state law. Federal law is another matter entirely, but that’s another discussion for another day!
After much controversy in Sarasota, Marina Jacks opened its mooring ball field about a year ago. We recently used the field. The marina management, staff, and facilities are first rate. It is located right downtown with numerous restaurants nearby and a Whole Foods within easy walking distance. The only drawback is that out of the 35 balls, only 3 are set aside for transients. They do take reservations but you will have to move on if your ball is reserved before you want to leave. The daily rate is $20. You can still anchor outside of the field boundaries but it is a lengthy ride to the dinghy dock.
David S. Power
s/v Two If By Sea
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Marina Operations/Marina Jacks
Staging Area - Click for Chartview
This equipment staging area is in a narrow portion of the North Carolina AICW, immediately south of Carolina Beach Inlet. According to the original LNM, the dredging was scheduled to be completed by May 20, but from Cpat. Yount’s report, it sounds as if it will continue for awhile. Watch for future Notices.
NC –MYRTLE GROVE SOUND TO NEW RIVER (AICW) – DREDGING EQUIPMENT STAGING AREA
Starting 26 March, 2013 and continuing until 20 May, 2013, WEEKS MARINE will have tugs, barges and floating pipeline along the east side of the AICW channel between New River-Cape Fear River Daybeacon 159 (LLNR 39750) and New River-Cape Fear River Buoy 155A (LLNR 39735). Equipment is in conjunction with the Carolina Beach/Kure Beach dredging/beach nourishment project. The tugs will monitor VHF-FM channels 13 and 16. A NO WAKE transit is requested of all vessels. Chart: 11534.
Skippers should be aware of extensive ICWW dredging operations in the area extending from the Carolina Beach inlet nearly all the way south to the entrance to Snow’s Cut. Portions of the channel will/may be blocked as a result.
Noted today, May 18, 2013, were multiple barges, tugs and a rather large dredge, along with associated piping, floats, etc.
Exercise caution.
Gregory Yount, SV Intermezzo
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Staging Area
Bald Head Island Marina - Click for Chartview
Beginning Thursday, May 24, Bald Head Island is hosting a full-blown, five day Memorial Day Celebration. From surfing lessons and paddleboard excursions, to a reptile roundup and a turtle trot, there is certain to be an activity for every member of your family. Evening events include a Howl at the Moon party and food booths of international cuisine. The celebration ends with a Memorial Day Observance on Monday. For the full schedule of acrtivities, see the link below.
Of course, your best bet for a waterside view of the celebration is Bald Head Island Marina, found hard by the seaward mouth of the Cape Fear River, within sight of the “Old Baldy” lighthouse! Naturally, they are A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! What a great long weekend!
http://www.baldheadisland.com/uploads/2013MemorialDayBrochure.pdf
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Bald Head Island Marina
This sounds like a wonderful adventure. Contact Kacie Wallace at the email below to determine what requirements are needed to be a support vessel.
Cruising News:
On June 8, World Oceans Day, YOLO Board team rider Kacie Wallace and friend Kimberly Sutton will begin paddling up the North Carolina coast, from the South Carolina state line to Virginia. The two are making the trip to raise awareness of plastics pollution in the ocean. And they’re looking for a support boat to accompany them. kacie.wallace@gmail.com, or visit http://www.supthemag.com/features/industry-news/yolo-board-team-rider-to-paddle-300-miles-for-plastic-pollution-awareness/
You may also reference this website: http://paddleforthenccoastline.weebly.com
HB Koerner
Yea! we have a volunteer, but as Capt. Koerner suggests, stay in the loop and we will post progress reports as they come in.
May 19
I have contacted Kacie, and she has accepted the use of my boat for the support vessel. Having said that, I would like to keep other cruising sailors in the loop on this because, as we all know, stuff happens.
I have a 2007 Pacific Seacraft 31 cutter, Take Five, and will be traveling at about the same speed as the Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP’s). I will have Kaycie’s brother to assist me as crew. We have berths for everyone, and room for the boards on deck, albeit a snug fit at night.
I shall keep you up to date on our progress. I need to use the Cruisersnet website to locate a marina closest to the SC/NC border, and make reservations to that we may depart on or about June 8.
HB Koerner
Captain Watson’s April 27th report confirms further shoaling in this area. Captain Briskman’s message from 12/2012 refers to the Longboat Pass (Inlet) channel, running between south Bradenton Beach and north Longbeach, allowing access from the Gulf of Mexico to Sarasota Bay.
April 30, 2013
I saw a nice sailboat go aground here on Saturday, April 27, 2013 attempting to enter the channel from the north between the MO(A) “LP” and Green 1. The chart shows plenty of depth there, but it is incorrect and that area is severely shoaled. To safely enter the pass from the north, the MO(A) “LP” should be treated as a green marker, or, in other words, when approaching from the north, round “LP” before heading toward the bridge. I understand that the channel is slated for dredging eventually.
John Watson
Cruising News:
Shoaling at Green Marker #1 in the approach to Longboat Key bridge from seaward. Shoal has moved south into channel. Stay well south of mark to find deeper water. I ran hard aground just past high tide with a 5′ draft.
Joel Briskman
May 17, 2013
You aren’t kidding, I ran aground even after reading this post. 4.5 draft not even low tide right in the channel. 3 ft waves slammed me across. Stay as far south in the channel as you possibly can at marker 1. The Bridge Tender was very nice though.
Cambren Davis
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Longboat Pass
Fort Pierce Inner Harbor - Click for Chartview
Fort Pierce Inlet pierces the Eastern Florida coastline between Dynamite Point and Hutchinson Island with an entrance range and an inner range which intersects the Waterway at statute mile 966. The destroyed marker, described below in this article cherry picked from the latest Local Notice to Mariners, lies in the northeast corner of the intersection of the Inlet channel and the Waterway.
FLORIDA-FORT PIERCE HARBOR-FORT PIERCE INLET INNER HARBOR: Hazard to Navigation.
Fort Pierce Inlet Inner Harbor Light 16 (LLNR 9970) is destroyed. A TRLB “WR16” displaying Q R characteristics has been set in position 27-27-42.235N 080-19-06.285W channel ward of the destroyed structure. Mariners are advised to use caution while transiting the area. Chart 11475
New River Channel - Click for Chartview
The Waterway classically shoals either immediately north or south of the four-way intersection with New River and New River Inlet. Dredging at this intersection was begun in November of 2012 and was to have been completed by February of 2013.
However, shoaling is once again beginning to rear its ugly head at this perennial AICW Problem Stertch. On 5/16/13, long-time contibutor and experienced captain, Bruce Franz, cruising aboard “Hemisphere Dancer,” took the time and effort to telephone the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net and pass along specific advice as to where the best depths are currently to be found at this intersection. The whole cruising community owes a debt of gratitude to Captain Franz!
May 15, 2013
At marker #72A and marker #72B on the west side of the Waterway, favor the red side.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Earlier in 2013, we have had consistent reports of shallower depths at the AICW/Shallotte Inlet intersection at St. M. 330. Well, it’s not a surprise that we are now hearing the same thing about the AICW/Lockwoods Folly intersection, just a hop, skip and jump farther to the north. After all, we haven’t designated both these intersections as “AICW Problem Stretches” for nothing. And, with no dredging planned at either of the these spots in the near future, we can only conclude that things are going to get worse, until and if dredging occurs!
Long-time SSECN contributor and experienced cruiser Bruce Franz passed along the important information below by telephone on 5/16/13. Many, many thanks to Captain Franz for taking the time and effort to share this data with the cruising community. And thanks to Captain Yount who reports similar conditions during his passage on May 17.
I came through Lockwood Folly intersection with a 5ft draft at dead low tide and bumped hard three times. I spoke with a local waterman who said that the intersection channel has changed markedly just during the the past three weeks. I strongly recommend that anyone whose vessel has a 5ft draft or greater, wait for mid to high tide before attempting to navigate this intersection.
Transited this area May 17, 2013. Noted minimum depths of 8.1 ft. Note that this was at high tide.
This area has tidal ranges of 3.5 to 4.5 ft. so that depths at low water will approach 4 ft. or less.
Observations made at center channel of marked passage.
Fortunately, eyeball navigation is very useful at both this inlet and Shallotte Inlet, providing weather conditions are accommodating. Deeper water is readily visible.
Gregory Yount, SV Intermezzo
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Even many veteran Western Florida cruisers have never known that the “official” path of the Western Florida ICW, across the mouth of Tampa Bay, cuts east-northeast under the huge Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and then takes a LONG curl back around to the north and west before passing under the Skyway’s northernmost section (known as the Misner Brige), and eventually rejoins the “official” Waterway just west of the Misner span. We don’t know of any cruiser who actually follows this route consistently.
The vast majority of captains continue north from the Waterway’s buoy #1A, through what the NOAA charts call the “Sunshine Skyway Channel,” rejoining the Western Florida ICW at marker #15. As alluded to above, many mariners think this is all part of the “official” Western Florida Waterway.
Not so, and that means that the Sunshine Skyway channel is not as carefully maintained as the Federally sponsored Western Florida ICW. And so, the shoaling reported below by Captain Davis is actually a long standing problem between Sunshine Skyway Channel markers #3 and #2. If memory serves, which sometimes it does not, while performing research here in 1992, for the first edition of “Cruising Guide to Western Florida,” we found less that ideal depths between #3 and #2.
So, if your vessel draws more than 4 1/2 feet, try to time your passage through the southern foot of the Sunshine Skyway Channel for mid to high tide. And, note Captain Davis’ advice to favor the eastern side of the passage.
In any case, proceed with caution. Once #3 and #2 are in your wake, the Sunshine Skyway channel soon deepens all the way north to the juncture with the official Waterway.
Cruising News:
Shoaling at marker 3 in the Yacht Channel [Sunshine Skyway Channel] just North of the Main Span of Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St Pete. Shoaling extends midway through channel, stay towards the Eastern (red) side. Hit bottom with 4.5 foot draft at mid tide.
Cambren Davis
There was a temporary red [marker] more to the east of the shoal spot a month ago. We favored the west and bumped with 4’5 draft at mid tide too. Next trip I’ll favor the east temporary red marker as suggested.
Roy Cucchiara
"Blue Run Springs Park Manatees – St. Johns River"
by: Glen and Jill Moore
