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Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
Marker # 18 and the AICW stretch described below lie along the Tolomato River between charted Booth Landing and Spanish Landing at mile 764.
Sounds like the key to avoiding the below described shallows, is to not approach marker #18 closely.
We just ran aground at low tide about 15′ east of Red 18, around MM 766 and we draw only 3 feet! Boats behind us said deep water was 50′ east of the mark. Fortunately, we got off quickly with with no apparent damage.
Barbara and Barry Kipnis
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Marker # 18
Palm Cove Marina’s marked entry channel cuts into the western banks of the AICW, just north of the B. B. McCormick/Beach Boulevard Bridge. We have personally visited this facility twice within the past twelve months, and can attest it’s a first class facility in every sense of the word.
Well, of course, these good folks are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
Palm Cove Marina at the ICW and Beach Blvd. Bridge Jacksonville has fuel, full service yard, pool, nearby restuarnts, shopping, good fuel prices, and a short bus ride to the beach.
Bill and Barbara Reed
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Palm Cove Marina
The “One and Only Anchorage” lies south of the Waterway’s intersection with St. Johns River, south of unlighted daybeacon #15 and just north of the San Pablo Bridge.
Anchored here to-nite and the depth is 24 plus. Could not find the 10 -15 ft water. Noise from the bridge but other wise OK.
Sonny
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of One and Only Anchorage
Palm Cove Marina lies south of unlighted daybeacon #31, off the western shores of the Waterway, in the heart of Jacksonville Beach. These good folks are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
Can someone give a fairly accurate depth of the entry channel at low tide for Palm Cove Marina? I’ve wanted to stop here but have heard conflicting responses regarding the depth. Thanks! Rick
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Palm Cove Marina
Palm Cove Marina lies south of unlighted daybeacon #31, off the western shores of the Waterway, in the heart of Jacksonville Beach. These good folks are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
We came to Palm Cove Marina a week ago and we will be here for another week. Have been here several times before. The service is consistently great. Friendly and helpful staff. Fuel prices are one of the best in Florida. Within walking distance to Publix and Drug store. Next door is Marker 32, one of the best Restaurants on the ICW.
Claudia Young
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Palm Cove Marina
Well, of course Eve-Marie & crew had a good experience at Palm Cove Marina. After all, these good people are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!!
Palm Cove Marina flanks the AICW’s westerly shores, in heart of Jacksonville Beach, north of the new McCormick high-rise bridge.
We stayed at Palm Cove Oct 26, 2011 and echo others in saying this is a great stop. Easy to get into the well-marked channel. Staff are helpful; Publix and Starbucks minutes away. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Marker 32 restaurant adjacent to Palm Cove as well.
Eve-Marie & crew
s/v Flash
Beneteau 361 Draft 5′
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Palm Cove Marina
Small, but super-friendly Inlet Marina (A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR), overlooks the eastern shores of the AICW, just north of St. Augustine Inlet, and only a hop, skip and a jump south of the Vilano Beach Bridge. While Captain Jay lacks transient dockage, Inlet Marina boasts some of the best fuel prices around, and when it comes to enthusiasm for welcoming cruisers, these good people are in the very top tier!
Good Morning
My goal is to offer cruisers the very best fuel prices in St. Augustine. Please call prior to your arrival, and we can be sure to be on hand to greet your vessel and assist in any way possible. We hope you will remember us for our old fashioned good will and a really caring attitude. Sounds soapy but it’s true.
This is the first time since the USMC that I’ve had a boss but they let me run the marina and fuel dock as my own.
In addition to our on-site restaurant , Beaches, we have signed a tenant that will provide live theater. I recently called the owner of a viking 65 that came thru when we first started and just said hi and thanks-he remembered us ,appreciated the call and I said If I can be of assistance on your southbound trip to give a call.
Hope to see many of you soon as you travel south this fall on the AICW!
Regards.Jay
Click Here To Check Out Inlet Marina’s Fuel Prices
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Inlet Marina
The hard to find entrance to this interesting marine lies east and south of the AICW between markers
#58 and #60, a short hop south of the Port Orange Bridge and Daytona Beach.
Wow, I have never had the opportunity to try the on-site restaurant, Boondocks, which Captain Ted speaks of so lovingly below. Looks like we all need to remedy that oversight as soon as possible.
We have become regulars at this out of the way marina with its rickety docks and funky restaurant known as Adventure Yacht Harbor. We had become friends with Jim Boren who has been nursing the marina through
bankruptcy. This is another hard to get into marina, but we like it. Jim reported that the marina has new owners, so things are expected to improve.
We’ve mentioned Boondocks Restaurant before, and it is at least half the reason we like to stop here. Where else can one find a restaurant and bar (wine and beer only) in a marina parking lot under a tent? The food
is good, too, and reasonably priced. One hears boat talk around the bar, and the dining room (for want of a better name) has both conventional tables for four along the walls and long picnic tables in the center where diners mingle. 
The staff is cheerful, friendly, efficient, and each appears to be enjoying her job. When someone leaves a generous tip, the waitress rings a bell. Signs permit smoking only when the tent flaps are rolled up (they were not this time because it was winter and the space heaters were on). Last spring (tent flaps up) kids were along the outside walkway feeding french fries to the fish, who gobbled them up. I told the woman bartender that this was the funkiest restaurant on the ICW assuring her that this was a compliment. I challenged her to name a another restaurant in a tent on a marina parking lot. She thought about it for a long time, and could not come up with anything like it. “And we’re bikers”, she said. “We see lots of places.”
Ted Jones
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Adventure Yacht Harbor
The entrance to Palm Cove Marina lies along the western banks of the AICW, south of marker #31. These good folks are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, and are highly recommended by the SSECN bunch.
Also, note Captain Ted’s good experience at the adjacent Marker 32 restaurant. Really have to give this place a try SOON!
This was our third stop at Palm Cove Marina, hard to get into but well worth the bother. It has excellent facilities, good showers (maybe among the best), and a friendly staff. Richard, from the office gave us a ride
to West Marine so Malla could buy a duffel for the upcoming trip.
We had been rather overdoing dining out, but we couldn’t resist one more meal at Channel Marker 32 adjacent to the marina. We decided we’d not get fancy and eat at the bar and that it being a Thursday night in mid January, that shouldn’t be a problem. The place was packed, but the hostess seated us at one of several high tables near the bar. In addition to a usual evening crowd, some sort of group was dining there, which accounted, in part for the crowded bar, but people kept coming and coming. The majority of diners were young and attractive, and we had a ringside seat for people watching. And, every meal we saw going by on a waiter’s shoulder (we were seated up high) looked interesting. Malla had field greens with a Georgia peanut dressing, and a vegetable roll with a soy glaze and sweet Korean chili. I had scallops and grits. Both dinners were as outstanding as our Italian dinners at Fernandina Beach were disappointing. The service was excellent and prompt despite the crowd, and the total bill was only five bucks more. We’ve lucked out the three times we’ve dined here as walk-ins, but a reservation is definitely recommended.
Ted Jones
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Palm Cove Marina
A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Palm Cove Marina is in a channel west of the Waterway departing at flashing marker #32.
We stopped by at Palm Cove in my 38′ tug on our way down to the keys. We had no problem entering the channel and the fuel dock and pumpout were easy to get to. The staff was excellent with helping us dock and gave me a t-head on C-dock, which was very easy to leave in the morning. Clean restrooms and showers plus good food nearby. We enjoyed our stay and will definitely plan on stopping back there on our way back home.
What you tuggin bout?
As a new cruiser to the cruising community,I found PCM [Palm Cove Marina] a great place to stay. I have a 42 Whitby Ketch that draws 5′. I had no problem getting in to the Marina. I requested a deep slip, so the Dockmaster found me one @ slip D-14. I only wanted to stay for a day, but these people working here were throwing a Christmas party not to miss. What a blast!
I found this place different as the Dockmaster lent me his SUV to run some errands. I needed some parts as well as I had to buy a small toy for their party. They also suggested I check out Marker 32 which they provided a nice Coupon for as well.
I can’t wait to come back, thanks Pcm crew!
Princess
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Palm Cove Marina
Not a marina we would recommend. They wouldn’t accommodate a 50 amp splitter and then charged us for two 30 amps. $16. Also pump out was $16. All in all not worth the stop!
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Beach Marina
Palm Cove Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISER’S NET SPONSOR!, is in Jacksonville Beach, FL on the western side of the Waterway, south of unlighted daybeacon #31.
Stayed at Palm Cove last night (28 OCT 10). Entered an hour after high tide with a 5’3 draft – the channel was no problem – and was docked on their “S Dock” (just past their fuel dock). Great staff and facilities – HOWEVER… from mid-to-low tide Retriever was sitting on the bottom. At low tide so much so that she actually listed slightly. Luckily today’s run was a short trip to St Augustine so I didn’t have to leave at first light (as usual) and I had to wait until 11am (low tide being at 0800) to even get off the dock. Just FYI…
Retriever
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
For real AICW veterans, you may recognize Palm Cove Marina’s location as the old spot where Jacksonville Beach Marina once resided. That goes back a LOT of years though! The channel leading to this facility cuts west, a short hop north of the new B. B. McCormick high-rise span!
The present day incarnation of Palm Cove Marina is a first class facility in every respect, AND they are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
Just wanted to comment about this facility [Palm Cove Marina] as this is our second time staying here. Good price with the MTOA discount $1.50 per foot + 7% tax ; $11/50 amp; eatery onsite; heads/lounge/laundry; nice pool.
Don & Rebecca Roman
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Palm Cove Marina
The Pine Island Loop Anchorage lies off the eastern flank of the AICW’s run through Tolomato River. Be SURE to enter ONLY by way of this loop’s southern entrance. In spite of depths shown on the NOAA charts, the northern mouth is shoal.
When we arrived on 4/20/10, we found 3 sailboats and a trawler already there and all the prime spots taken. We took the last spot, out near the channel. Two other trawlers came later, looked for a spot, but finally gave up and proceeded back down river looking for an anchorage.
Some shoaling at entrance. Buggy if winds are calm and especially if you turn lights on inside. Good holding.
Dick Litchfield
Beach Marine guards the AICW’s eastern banks, immediately north of the new B. B. McCormick high-rise bridge.
15 May 2010.
We stopped only for the night, a Saturday, and found it to be a pleasant stay. We didn’t eat at the restaurant in the marina although there is a 10% discount for marina stayers. It had live entertainment that was not intrusive from our boat, located near the fuel dock. We came in at low water during a big spring tide – 6.2 feet! – and dragged through a soft mud bottom coming into the slip. They were aware of our 4’6” draft when assigning the slip so may have other deeper ones available further out.
There were plenty of lights on and no evidence of rough trade in the marina. The floating docks looked new. The washrooms were clean and spacious but worn. There were at least three sets of them available at various locations.
Overall, it was a first-class operation although I declined paying $8.00 for 30-amp service, offering to make a deal for our expected $.30 electrical usage but it wasn’t taken up. There was no manager available to talk to. Instead, we purchased our usual 30 lbs of ice for our icebox. The illogic of paying $8 for others’ refrigeration and air conditioning on top of our own refrigeration costs is not being acknowledged by marinas, unfortunately.
Fair winds and following seas,
Austin Whitten, s/y Discovery II
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Beach Marine
The author of the extracted log entry below is Ted Jones, former editor and co-owner of the late, great and much lamented “Coastal Cruising” magazine. Ted is being kind enough to share his log entries with the Cruisers’ Net as he works he way north and south on the AICW!
Log April 25, 2010 ~ St. Augustine to Jacksonville:
0900: We pried the anchor from the mud in St. Augustine’s anchorage (south of the Bridge of Lions) and motored to the fuel dock as planned to take on ice and pick up our mail.
0930: A call to the bridge brought an immediate response to open. As we usually do, we watched for the automobile traffic to stop and the gates to be lowered, then headed toward the bridge anticipating its prompt opening. We were too early. We were being set toward the bridge by the current and went into reverse to try to hold our position. However, the current set us outside of the fenders requiring more backing up and a quick 360 to get us back between the fenders and through the bridge which started to open as we were starting our 360. It was an inauspicious beginning to what turned out to be a stressful day on the ICW. It was Saturday, what else could we expect with all the yahoos out in their overpowered motor boats?
To reach the ICW once passed the Bridge of Lions, one must enter the inlet channel, then turn sharply west into the ICW. As we entered the inlet channel, the ocean was calm and very inviting. Very briefly, we considered changing plans and going outside, but decided to stick with the plan to stay on the ICW and not wing it. It was a good thing that we stuck with the plan which was arrived at for good reason ~ an unfavorable weather forecast.
But! The current was ebbing and turned strongly against us as we turned north. We kept waiting for it to turn in our favor, and we found back eddies as the flood began in the Tolomoto River, but we remained just ahead of the flood and made good barely over 4 knots instead of over 5. It took us until we reached a point where the current flows from Jacksonville inlet for the flood to begin, so again, we were bucking a strong current.
1400: South of Jacksonville, the ICW is narrow and shoaling has been reported, so the cruising guide recommends staying in mid channel. As the right of way vessel by virtue of deep (relatively) draft and restricted ability to maneuver, we took our half in the middle with the result that many powerboats passed us close by at speed in both directions. At least twice we were rolled so heavily that the contents of the starboard settee was deposited on the cabin sole. Our only revenge was to ignore their cheerful waves, but we did give one Carver an earful on 16.
1600: Weekday traffic on the ICW is invariably less, and powerboat skippers are invariably more courteous and considerate. Weekend traffic is a nightmare, so we sought refuge at Palm Cove Marina, where we had stopped on the way south and which is very complete and hospitable with a reasonable transient rate.
1630: We have decided to spend another night and see if we can go outside from here on Monday. If not we will stay on the ICW minus the weekend yahoos.
Ted Jones
The Pine Island Loop Anchorage is about the only spot to reliably drop the hook between southern Jacksonville Beach and the Tolomato River. Even so, be SURE to check out this haven’s entry in our “Eastern Florida Anchorage Directory” BEFORE attempting first time entry. There are some navigational concerns on these waters!
Good anchorage, but anchor farther in if your concerned about the occasional wake. Quiet, no traffic after sunset.
Captain Sterling
<a href=”http://www.CruisersNet.net/pine-island-loop-anchorage”><span style=”font-size: normal;”><strong>Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Anchorage Directory Listing For the Pine Island Loop Anchorage</strong></span></a>
The author of the note below, Ted Jones, is the former editor and co-owner of the late, much lamented “Coastal Cruising” magazine. We are pleased that Ted is now sharing regular reports with the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net about his cruises.
There’s a whole passel of useful cruising news in Ted’s note below. Let’s all “go to school” on what he has to share!
Note Ted’s less than happy experiences while cruising NE Florida with water levels much thinner than usual, almost certainly the result of “wind tides.”
We arrived here from St. Augustine late yesterday afternoon after a difficult slog through waters which were as much as two feet below normal levels. We met a tug pushing a barge at the narrowest part of that section of the ICW with two “S” turns. I called him on 13 and suggested a port to port pass and said we would stay out of his way. On the starboard edge of the channel we had a depth sounder reading of 4.5 feet (actual 6.5) and were crowded cheek by jowl with the barge. We passed within 20 feet of the barge. A few minutes later I looked back, and the wind had pushed the barge further to the south and it had run aground. When last seen, the Island Pilot (tug) was trying to pull his charge back into deeper water.
It was a stressful day of watching depths in mid channel get down to 3.5 feet at times (we run aground at 2.5 feet), and the NW wind continued to increase to force 7. When we got to Fernandina Beach, we sought shelter in a back creek where the current is strong, but we rode okay with both anchors out.
This morning we came into the marina, washed our laundry, and plan to leave in the late morning, heading offshore as we did in early January sailing in reverse from St. Mary’s inlet and on up to Beaufort, SC,
which should take us 24 hours give or take. The forecast is for the NW winds to diminish tomorrow, remaining up to 10 knots, then on Thursday, the wind should go around to the south and blow us up St. Andrew’s Sound to Beaufort.
Several of our companion reverse snowbirds have dogs aboard, so do not have the option of avoiding Georgia by sailing offshore.
Tomorrow, we leave Florida behind with mixed feelings. It might be a great place to visit in the winter time, but we surely wouldn’t want to live here year around.
Ted Jones
"Ladys Island Swing Bridge Opening for Sailboat (Beaufort, SC)"
by: Bob Schwerzel
