Record number of manatees in Florida killed in 2016 by boats
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida wildlife data show that a record number of manatees died in 2016 after being hit by boats, even as the overall number of the beloved marine mammals increased.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REPORT from WFTS Tampa Bay
A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Harbortown Marina lies off the southern shores of the Canaveral Barge Canal between Sykes Creek and the Banana River.
The Wait is Over
The management at Harbortown Marina is pleased to announce that the marina restaurant will soon be re-opening as Island Dockside Grill at Harbortown Marina! The new restaurant will open after a period of renovation – Stay tuned for email updates on the exact opening date. Read More!
Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Harbortown Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harbortown Marina
Green Cove Springs City Dock is on the St. Johns River between Jacksonville and Palatka. This facility should NOT be confused with Green Cove Springs Marina, which sits a bit farther upstream, in the heart of the old Navy Base. Our thanks to David Burnham for this report.
Damage to the floating docks on the Green Cove Springs City Dock has closed this access to the city until further notice, at least until repairs have returned the floating docks to a useable condition. There is no date specified when work will commence or be completed. However, NO TRESPASSING signs ARE posted. There is a locked gate across the middle of the pier preventing access to the shore from the floating docks.
David Burnham
12/7 And a follow-up to a question about the damage:
Matthew was very hard on the wood docks all along the northern portion (south of Jacksonville) of the riverfront. Most old docks were torn away by the wind and waves and smashed into the nearby docks which in turn broke apart and caused even more damage to other docks further south. The debris was piled up along the roadways for weeks as waterfront owners who lost their docks collected someone else’s dock that washed up on their shores.
David
Click Here To Read More Information about Green Cove Springs City Docks
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Green Cove Springs City Dock
St Augustine inlet, always subject to channel shifting, suffered much change during hurricane Matthew, see http://cruisersnet.net/160414. Our thanks to Malcolm Hunter for this update!
November 21, 2016… all navigation aids are back in place in the Inlet. In good conditions this remains a safe Inlet. As the local TowBoat US operator said, if you follow all the buoys, no problem. People get in trouble by short cutting buoys in poor conditions. It can be hard in poor light to see where the next one is, but if you favor the red side in, no problems in reasonable conditions.
Malcolm Hunter
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of St. Augustine Inlet
Our thanks to Wally Moran and community leaders for assisting in having a dinghy dock restored at Fernandina Harbor Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR. Fernandina Harbor Marina, heavily damaged by Matthew and offering only limited service, is right in the heart of the many wonderful things to do and see in this special port, see http://cruisersnet.net/160351 and call for latest information, 904-310-3300.
Officials in Fernandina Beach decided on Friday to put a dinghy dock in place [at Fernandina Harbor Marina], as I was advised Friday by the president of the local Chamber of Commerce, who sent me the following note she received from the marina – Read More
Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Fernandina Harbor Marina HURRICANE DAMAGE AND CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Fernandina Harbor Marina
The Matanzas Inlet/Waterway intersection has been the cause of several recent groundings, as well as an off-station marker, see http://cruisersnet.net/160628. Our thanks to Bob Poovey for this report and for his sage advice: Go Slow!
Passed through here Wednesday (11/16/16) afternoon near high tide. With the “super moon” the water level was higher than I have ever seen it. However, slightly north off marker “80” saw 12.5 feet. Compensating for the moon, a normal low tide would calculate an approximate depth of 4 to 4 1/2 feet.
I have transited this area for the past ten years in a row. And, it’s never been the same. The path through here changes on every passage. My advice; stay in the middle of the channel and “GO SLOW!”
Bob Poovey
m/v – Threadbare
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Matanzas Inlet
Doctors Inlet is on the west side of the St. Johns just south of Orange Park. If you have knowledge of these uncharted markers, let us hear from you.
Good morning – We live on the west shore of the St. Johns River (FL) just north of Doctor’s Inlet, and have just recently noticed what appear to be new flashing markers (3 red, one green) near the east side of the river, north of Mandarin Point and just north and east of the flashing green “11” on chart 11492.
They are not charted, and I can’t find them on any recent notices to mariners. Anybody know anything about them? Thanks.
Bill Healy
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of St Johns Marker #11
St. Lucie Inlet intersects the Waterway and the eastern genesis of the Okeechobee Waterway near Stuart, FL at AICW Statute Mile 987.
FLORIDA – PALM SHORES TO WEST PALM BEACH – ST LUCIE INLET: Shoaling
Shoaling has been reported inside the mouth of St Lucie Inlet. Depths as low as 7 feet have been reported in the center of the channel. Mariners are strongly encouraged to use extreme caution while transiting the area.
Chart 11472 LNM 46/16
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of St. Lucie Inlet
St. Lucie Lock, the easternmost Okeechobee lock, lies west of Stuart, FL near Okeechobee Waterway Statute Mile 15.
St. Lucie Lock
U.S. Army Corps will suspend water flows to the St. Lucie Estuary beginning Friday
WPTV Webteam
11:50 AM, Nov 3, 2016
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Thursday it will suspend water flowing from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie Estuary and reduce flows to Caloosahatchee Estuary. Read More
The Corps cited falling water levels in the lake as the reason.
It said no water from the lake will be released through the St. Lucie Lock near Stuart. This is the first time since late January that discharges have been suspended from the St. Lucie Lock after a wetter than usual dry season last winter.
However, the Corps says runoff from rain that accumulates in the St. Lucie basin will be allowed to pass through the spillway.
“Drier weather has taken hold and the lake continues to recede,” Candida Bronson, Acting Operations Division Chief for the Jacksonville District, said in a news release. “Barring an unexpected heavy-rain event, we expect the recession to continue. We can safely suspend releases to the St. Lucie and will continue reducing flows to the Caloosahatchee from 2,800 cfs to 650 cfs over the coming week.”
The water level at the lake stands at 15.40 feet which the Corps says is down .21 feet over the past week.
The changes announced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin Friday.
Click Here To View the Okeechobee Waterway Cruisers’ Net Bridge Directory Listing For St. Lucie Lock
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the St. Lucie Lock
Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a favorite destination for cruisers in the Exumas, has always been most accommodating for its guests and word of such exceptional service for cruisers spreads like a wind driven wild fire. A loyal SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Staniel Cay Yacht Club can be sampled at their booth at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show!
Like No Other Place On Earth.
Come get a taste of SCYC at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show!
November 3rd – November 7th
Bahia Mar/A1A Entrance Tent, Booth 174
Come visit us at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show and see why your next trip should be to SCYC!
If you’ve never been before, we’d love to introduce you to the unique and incredible vacation that can only be found at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. If you HAVE been before, we’d love to welcome you back!
If you haven’t visited Fort Pierce City Marina since their renovations and expansion, you are in for a treat – it is one super marina! The entrance channel leading to Fort Pierce City Marina, a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, runs to the west, just south of the Fort Pierce high-rise bridge, and well north of unlighted daybeacon #188.
JUST IN TIME FOR FOOTBALL SUNDAY!!!!!!!
The new meeting room for tenants has opened!!!! The new location is upstairs above where the old one was, and the old marina office. You now can look out from the balcony and oversee the events going on at the Marina, play cards, meet with your fellow boaters, make new friends, have a pot luck, the events are endless!!! Read More!
ALSO…
They will be replacing the coils in the transformers on the floating docks on Tuesday November 1. Each dock will be worked on individually. The power on the dock will be off for 3 to 4 hours. We don’t know which dock they will start on so please be patient and I apologize for any inconvenience.
NEW VETERANS PARK
Take a stroll down the street from the Marina and see the newly remodeled Veterans Park. While you are there go inside and see what classes are available in the Riverwalk Center. This is going to be a great Season!!!
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Fort Pierce City Marina
This unmarked piling is on the east side of the non-ICW channel in the Banana River north of the Canaveral Canal that intersects the Waterway to the west at Mile 894.
FLORIDA – AICW – PONCE DE LEON INLET TO CAPE CANAVERAL – BANANA RIVER (NORTH): Hazard to Navigation.The U.S. Coast Guard received a report of a piling in the Banana River, Brevard County, without any signs or a light in approximate position 28-26.0265/80-38.4435. Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution while transiting the area. Chart 11484 LNM 43/16
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Banana River
These excellent and informative discussions on Florida’s Sojourner’s Permit are from our good friends on AGLCA’s Forum. Thanks to them all! If you have more to add, let us hear from you!
The Sojourner’s Permit is a cruiser Florida Vessel Registration and Decal. Read More
Mike writes: “I am not a lawyer, but I slept in the parking lot of a Holiday Express once, I think.”
Which is exactly what Officer Obie may think of your arguments. We can play both sides of this for months, it’s a fun Looper topic.
The bottom line is that if you get stopped by Officer Obie on the water, there is a better than even chance (*) he’ll give you some of Florida’s finest parchment with his signature on it. Question is, are you up for a visit from Obie and a possibility of a discussion with a Judge, or do you want to buy the sticker and put it in the window and not need to worry about it.
Please note that the charge for the permit is based on boat length, it’s not a fixed fee. Sandra posted their charges, mine for a 45′ was ~$120.
(*) Florida passed a law about random boat stops, now days if you get stopped they most likely have a reason.
Foster & Susan
Ben, you are absolutely correct. There is nothing in Florida law called a sojourner’s or temporary permit. Look at the form everybody references. The title is “Application to Register Non-Titled Vessels” Nowhere do you see “sojourner” or “temporary”. Just because some webmaster in Sarasota put the words on that website it doesn’t make it so.
There is nothing temporary about this registration. When it expires you will get a notice to renew it. Of course if you are out of Florida by then you can just let it expire. I have been renewing mine for 10 years.
If you need more proof search this website for “sojourn” or any form of it:
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/
You will get no hits; zero, nada.
My guess is that some looper made up the term years ago and it has been passed down through the years as looper lore. In some county tax offices they have heard the term used by loopers so many times that they now respond with the correct form instead of saying, “What are you talking about?”
When you go in the tax office don’t ask for a sojourner’s permit. Say, “I am going to have my boat in Florida more that 90 days and I understand that I need to register it here.” That will work in every county.
Jim Barrentine
Jim, when that webmaster is working on behalf of the county tax collector, it probably does matter! Is this the website for Sarasota you’re referring to? https://www.sarasotataxcollector.com/services/other-services/vessels-boating/sojourner-temporary-registration
A quick Google search of “florida sojourner registration” found several other FL county tax assessors using the term. I’m not a lawyer, either, but laws and regulations aren’t the same thing: actual laws are usually pretty concise, but the regulations that flow from them can be quite detailed, since they need to cover so many situations that may arise. For example, Florida law includes a homestead exemption that reduces property taxes and limits their rate of increase for residents who make the state their legal domicile…but what steps one needs to take to get this exemption is left up to each county’s tax assessor. I live in Pinellas county and the hurdle is higher here than some other Florida counties even though it’s the same state! Welcome to Florida!
Alex Ertz
Alex is right, a lot of Tax offices know what you are talking about when you ask for a Sojourner Permit. They know about it after years of Loopers coming and asking for it. The people in the tax office in Apalachicola (Franklin County) knew about it and had me in and out (minus $120 ) in minutes.
When I looked at the law in 2014, it did say Sojourners Permit. Not up to digging around.
But I am up to my refrain “the purpose of the permit is to not give Officer Obie a reason to pull you over and have a long discussion when you are trying to be on the rising tide to make docktails 5 hours from then.
Foster & Susan
For those whose boats are over 30 years old. You can register the boat as an antique for $4.50 a year!
Mitch & Carole Brodkin
A while back Paradise Yachts put out this great link. It provides the instruction page and the application form. I high recommend you read the instruction page, and bring it to the Tax Office with you and all of the forms requested. Yes, some offices do not know what you are talking about, but when they see the instruction page they know how to help you. It is very easy. Here is the link.
The instructions and form are highlighted near the bottom of the article.
Happy boating,
Jim
guess we will need to revisit this topic again ~ a few months ago we followed all of the directions and tracked down/ contacted the lady in fernandina beach even though she had moved to another department ~ we were passing through on our way to the bahamas and we weren’t sure how long we would be in florida…what i heard her tell me is that the sojourner’s permit wasn’t done anymore or really worth anything – since all we had to do was leave for a day and go out into international waters and come back>>>> so if anyone can provide a mailing address and instructions for how to do this or if it is really necessary or tested and worked? it would be appreciated. our boat is registered in nc and also uscg documented and owned by a georgia llc with a georgia hailing port. we have plans to be back in florida in december and want to take our time cruising the keys etc. before we head back up the west coast etc. thanks!
Ronny Jones
If you love boat shows, this is a big one!
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2016
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the “Yachting Capital of the World” will host the 57th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show on Nov 3-Nov 7, 2016.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you consider January to April off-season boating months, then these marine flea markets are for you: Stuart, West Palm Beach and Vero Beach.
Our thanks to Captain Richard Holtz who was able to get out on the Waterway and submit this report.
Cruised this weekend 101616 from New Smyrna Beach to Daytona Beach and back.
Heavy damage noted to Docks from Ponce inlet south to South of the North Causeway on the East side of the ICW. While some of the newest ones survived, more than 80% are in shambles. The CG Station Roof had issues, however the docks seems fine. Read More!
Many commercial docks are total destroyed including Riverview Charlies and to the North of the inlet much of Inlet Harbor’s Fishing pier is gone. The floating gas dock at Inlet Harbor is OK however the restaurant took a significant hit. The floating docks at Down the Hatch seem fine, however the restaurant took a hit. The New Smyrna Marina-Outriggers Restaurant has no significant damage. In Daytona Beach Caribbean Jacks’ slips took a major hit.
Surprisingly the Halifax River has somewhat cleaned itself and has less debris than expected.
New shoaling South of Daymark Red “12” to Daymark Red “14” on the backside of Rockhouse Creek where Hunter Creek enters the ICW is significant. See http://cruisersnet.net/158393
The Green Daymark “11” at the CG station is gone. The North End Jetty Beacon Ponce Inlet is gone. Many floating markers appear off station. The area to West of inlet know as Disappearing Island has significant sand shifting occurring. With the very high tides it is hard to tell what will be once normalcy returns.
Thanks!
Captain Richard Holtz
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Ponce de Leon Inlet
The owner of Sunbury Crab Company in Brunswick, GA reports that the marina’s sign was damaged in pre-Matthew winds and a portion of the sign with their phone number was lost. Days later after Matthew, a phone call was received from a boater in Vero Beach FL who had found the broken sign part! Thanks to Carmen Salemno for relating this remarkable tale!
Good to know these folks are okay, but note they are not taking reservations! Cocoa Village Marina occupies the mainland side of the Waterway, just north of the Cocoa bridge and only a few quick steps from the downtown Cocoa business district!
Just wanted to let you know how we did here:
The staff at the Cocoa Village Marina worked days in advance, preparing for Hurricane Matthew. We are presently in the damage identification process. Restoration of power, water and internet is underway. Availability of slips will be limited until the completion of dock damage. We are presently not taking reservations for the fourth quarter of 2016.
Thanks, Ken
10/17 9:45AM Just a quick heads up letting you know we are now able to take limited, daily rate transient business until further notice. Thanks,
Ken Lunden
321-632-5445
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Cocoa Village Marina
This notice is for our friends and cruisers in south Florida.
New Zika transmission zone confirmed in Miami-Dade County
NBC 6 MIAMI , WPTV Webteam
4:20 PM, Oct 13, 2016
11:29 PM, Oct 13, 2016
Our thanks to Sandy Flowers at Port of Call for this information.
St. Augustine Municipal Marina’s fuel dock has re-opened. A few slips available for short rem – no power or cable.
ALL NAV AIDS IN THE INLET ARE GONE – DO NOT USE!!
