Cruisers Net is not privy to any more details than mentioned in this report and cannot confirm or deny the accuracy of the report. We post this only because of the recent issues revolving around freedom to anchor. Further information should arrive soon.
Click here for Key West: FWC CAPTAIN SHOOTS LIVEABOARD ON HIS HOUSEBOAT
Once again, Jim Healy graciously imparts his experience in response to a Looper’s questions on AGLCA’s Forum with an excellent description of the Okeechobee Waterway. Jim is a true cruiser helping cruisers! Thank you Jim.
1) How many days should we anticipate to cross Florida going west at 9 knots. Currently thinking 1 day to Pt Mayaca, day 2 to Clewiston or Moore Haven, then day 3 and 4 from Moore Haven to Alva, FL (WP Franklin Lock).
“It all depends.” This trip is “Old Florida.” This is orange grove and sugar cane country. On the St. Lucie Canal, there are marinas at Stuart and Indiantown. There is a Corp Of Engineers dock at St. Lucie Lock with is $15/day with a Golden Age Pass. There’s not much/nothing to see at these stops, so one night overnights are typical for cruisers. A place to shower and sleep. So, typically, what we do is stop at the anchorage in Stuart. Then, Stuart to Clewiston. Then, Clewiston to Ft. Myers. I recognize that is a longer day than some people may want, but we do this trip twice a year, and as I said, very little to see. We stay at Roland Martin’s in Clewiston. Very nice Tiki Bar, and a relaxing place. Sammy the dockmaster is a wonder to enjoy. There are nice public docks in Moore Haven with power and water for $1.00 per foot. There are public docks at the library in Labelle. First come, first serve; Med Moorings. Good wifi. It’s the only place in the canal system to actually see a town. There is also a COE dock at the WP Franklin Lock; also $15/day with power and water. There are two locks on the St. Lucie Canal and three on the Caloosahatchee end. The highest lick is St. Lucie; around 16 feet vertical lift.
2) Where best to dock/anchor along the route?
You are permitted to anchor in the canal after closing at 1700. No one does [anchor] on the St. Lucie end except at the lock, on the north side.. You cannot anchor in the canals during the daytime hours of lock operation.
3) Is it better to cross the lake (route 1) or go the rim route (route 2)? What criteria to decide?
DO NOT TAKE THE RIM ROUTE WITH A 5′ DRAFT. PERIOD. We have never taken the Rim Route. The cross lake route is shallow enough, and even more so this year. The Southwest Water Management District has been holding the lake level down to avoid large water releases of the vile Lake O water into the canals. Not sure it’s doing any good, but check the Route 1 water depths. In the spring, we crossed when there was only 5′ of water, and the place that will affect you is the 5-mile channel from the lake into Clewiston.
4) What water level reading do we need from COE for our 5′ draft?
Five feet, of course. There are two places where the control depth is measured. One is in the channel out into the lake at Port Mayaca, the other is the channel from the lake into Clewiston. STAY IN THE CLEWISTON CHANNEL. The lake bottom is limestone, not sand. The Clewiston channel is dug, so the edges are rock. Much like the “Rock Pile” in South Carolina. There is no tide in the lake, but winds can change water levels at the north and south by as much as a foot or more. Watch winds that have been blowing for many days…
Bonus Question: What the current status of the Red Tide?
Yes. Red Tide is a problem on the gulf, not in the lake. IT IS A NATURAL PHENOMENA, NOT RELATED TO POLLUTION. It’s blue/green algae that you have to worry about in the canals and lake. Both conditions are problems in Florida. DO NOT SWIM IN THESE WATERS. They do contain nasty bacteria, but there are larger reptile hazards here, too. Big lizzagators live here. We wear nitrile exam gloves when handling lock lines.
Heading East to West consider 1) sunset bay marina & mooring field @ Stuart ( 2) transient docks at Indiantown Marina (3) Clewiston Roland Martins transient docks or Clewiston City Docks (4) Moore HAven City & (5) stop at Ft Myers City Marina at downtown There might be newer facilities since I have not crossed in many years. Enjoy.
Loved Franklin locks Campground and docks!
Bahamas Chatter is produced by Explorer Chartbooks, A CRUISERS NET PARTNER, which has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: New Fees for Cruising Permit
New Fees for Cruising Permit
Posted: 18 Oct 2019 07:50 AM PDT
As you prepare for a trip to The Bahamas, be aware of changes to the charges and length of stay given on your cruising permit.
The new policy on fees for pleasure vessels clearing into the Bahamas is:
Under 35ft–$150 for 3 months; $300 per year.
35-100ft– $300 for 3 months; $600 per year.
100-150ft–$500 for 3 months; $1,000 per year.
150-200ft–$800 for 3 months; $2,000 per year.
Over 200ft–$1,000 for 3 months; $2,000 per year.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied North Carolina’s application to provide assistance to individuals in Dare, Hyde, Carteret and New Hanover counties who suffered losses due to Hurricane Dorian, OBX Today reported Wednesday. On 10/20 Fema granted request for additional funding to the community.
FEMA Denies Individual Assistance Request
Coastal Review Online and OBX Today
10/21 FEMA Grants Request for More Assistance
Coastal Review Online
A beautiful sunset shot by Cruisers Net Team member, Winston Fowler.
Some kind of sunset last night in Palmetto, FL Winston Fowler
Claiborne,
I tried this and it worked.
Took about fifteen minutes of discussion, but the officer, after making three phone calls, said he was not authorized to sign any document. He wished me a “good day” and left.
Captain Robert Lucas
S/V Aquitaine
Bradenton, FL
VESSEL BOARDING AGREEMENT
The Fourth Amendment (Amendment IV) to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause, “The right of the people to be secure in their person, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated….”
Search and arrest should be limited in scope according to specific information supplied to the issuing court, usually by a law enforcement officer, who has sworn by it.
In Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961), the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment applies to the states by way of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
In Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967), the Supreme Court ruled that the amendment’s protections apply only when the searched party has a “reasonable expectation of privacy”.
The Supreme Court has also ruled that certain searches and seizures violated the Fourth Amendment even when a warrant was properly granted.
Oath of Boarding Officer:
I ______________________________, acting as an officer of _________________________
assert that I have probable cause to board the vessel _________________________________ for the following reasons:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
I accept responsibly, under law, that this boarding is necessary and does not violate the protections of the fourth amendment to the constitution of the United States of America and the statutes of the state of _______________________.
I waive all legal rights to defense of this boarding that the Captain of this vessel may raise under law.
_________________________________________, Boarding Officer
As agent of ________________________________
Boarding is:
Granted _______ , ________________________________ , Captain , Date :_______________
Denied ________ , ________________________________, Captain, Date: _______________
Fourth Amendment -Vessel Boarding Agreement
BRAVO! and bravo again! I always wondered just which bureaucrat or politician gave up our Fourth Amendment rights regarding unreasonable search. My guess is that printers are humming already (if you’ve got one aboard). I hope we can find some more results of this tactic!
Capt Mike
S/V Blue Skye
Captain Lucas:
In checking the regs, I found:
Coast Guard may go aboard any United States vessel at any time, anywhere to conduct a documentation and safety inspection.
A search of a U.S. vessel beyond this type of inspection is subject to limitations under the United States Constitution. If a search extends beyond this narrowly defined scope, a court may be asked to evaluate the legality of the search by balancing the individual’s right to privacy in the specific circumstances of the search against society’s interest in detecting criminal conduct.
Captain Whitney
I printed it. We’ll see!
Kevin R. Quinn
Certain officials have standing search warrants. The Coast Guard does indeed have a standing warrant for the purpose of determining the seaworthiness of a vessesl for the intended purpose(voyage). A fire fighting offical has a standing warrant to enter a building for the purpose of fighting a fiire and for rescue purposes. Why would we need to ask any official to sign anything? Just ask them for the warrant that they have!! If it is a standing warrant, they must still provide proof. If they do not have a court approved warrant, deny the boarding!
Thomas P. Sangston
Our thanks to Jim Healy for reminding AGLCA’s Forum readers about AIWC trouble spots and let us remind you about Cruisers Net’s easy to research, state by state and region by region listing of Problem Stretches from North Carolina to Florida. Open ink below for Hell Gate Problem Stretch in which dredging was completed on October 1, 2019.
There are several “Hell Gates” around (Maine, New York, Georgia), but the one this post refers to is at MM600 in Georgia, between the Ogeechee and Vernon Rivers. “Heading north to Savannah…” from – let’s say – Florida, you will have to pass through Georgia’s version of Hell Gate.”
The tides in that part of the East Coast run to 8 feet or so; there are SEVERAL known ICW trouble spots in that region that become issues at low tide and especially at celestial low tides. You WILL want to know about them. Altamaha Sound, The Little Mud River, Hell Gate and Elba Cut all come to mind. Start with Tom Hale’s great information at Sail Magazine (https://www.sailfeed.com/2019/09/icw-observations-updates-september-2019/). Join the Facebook Group run by Bob Sherer (Bob423) called ICW Cruising Guide. Facebook is so hard to use and get meaningful information from quickly that you might be better off with Bob’s website first, at Fleetwing.blogspot.com. These two guys are actively cruising the ICW seasonally, so their information is both timely and current.
If you don’t have Aqua Maps Master for a cell phone of tablet, get it. The Master add-on gives you US Army Corps of Engineers sounding information that is highly useful.
You don’t say where you’re starting, but there are several historic trouble spots in North Florida, too. READ UP ON THE ICW BEFORE YOU GO, or make sure your towing insurance is paid up… (OK. That was stupid… I lost track of the subject line. But if you’re familiar with Jekyll Creek – and the history thereof – you should understand the words “ICW Trouble Spots” all too well…)
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s AICW Problem Stretches Listing For Hell Gate
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Longboat Key Club Moorings, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located on the western shores of Sarasota Bay, north of the city of Sarasota and south of Longboat Pass.
The Resort at Longboat Key Club Voted in Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards
TOP 30 RESORTS IN FLORIDA
Click here for Pop the Cork, We Won!
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Longboat Key Club Moorings
Bahamas Chatter is produced by Explorer Chartbooks, A CRUISERS NET PARTNER, which has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: “Update from Bahamas Government” plus 2 more
| Update from Bahamas Government Posted: 14 Oct 2019 09:36 AM PDT Press Release PM Minnis opens debate on amendments to Disaster Preparedness and Response Act
The Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction is in the process of deploying temporary housing for government employees on Abaco, Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis announced in the House of Assembly on Wednesday in his second communication on Hurricane Dorian response and recovery efforts. The Prime Minister said 100 RV trailers will accommodate 300 critical government personnel, who will play an essential role in reconstruction and recovery. A protocol is being determined for the relocation of individuals back to Abaco. A land site next to the Spring City subdivision on Abaco is also being prepared to create the Family Relief Centre, which will serve as temporary housing accommodations for families affected by Hurricane Dorian. The Family Relief Centre will comprise 250 dome structures that will include plumbing, drainage, a sewer system and electricity. Each dome can accommodate four to five people. The estimated cost for this facility is $6.4 million. Land is being prepared and trenching will begin this week. Materials for the infrastructure work are scheduled to arrive on Abaco next week, said Prime Minister Minnis. “The response to Hurricane Dorian is a comprehensive and global effort led and coordinated by the Government of The Bahamas,” said the Prime Minister. “The full resources of the Government are being deployed.” Another essential part of the recovery and rebuilding effort is the relocation of schoolchildren, teachers and other education personnel, said Prime Minister Minnis. So far approximately 1,400 students have been registered and the Ministry of Education is in the process of tracking down the balance of the 2,500 students who were registered at schools in Abaco before Dorian struck The Bahamas. Some of these students are in other Family Islands, reported the Prime Minister. Some are in private schools. Some went directly to government-operated schools in New Providence, and did not come through the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium for registration as requested. Approximately 300 students remained in Abaco, not all of whom are in schools, and some students have traveled to the United States. “We know also that 50 students are at schools in Andros, and that more than 150 are being accommodated on Eleuthera,” said Prime Minister Minnis. “Tragically, it is also likely that there are some school children among the persons still not accounted for in Abaco.” In East Grand Bahama, four schools sustained significant damage, and will require extensive repairs, which will require an extensive amount of time. There was also major damage in Central Abaco. There were some schools which sustained substantial damage but have since been repaired enough to accommodate students and have been brought up to standard to receive students for classes for half of the school day, said the Prime Minister. Five schools in northern and southern Abaco are open but are operating on reduced hours as a result of self-help efforts from teachers and community members. Counselling sessions, led by staff of the Employee Assistance Programme, in conjunction with the Bahamas Psychological Services were also carried out, the Prime Minister reported. The Ministry of Education is awaiting advice from the Ministry of Works on the Scopes of Work and costings submitted by Education for the 16 schools needed to be repaired on Grand Bahama. The estimation thus far is the Ministry of Education’s Hurricane Dorian relief budget will come in at approximately $20 million. | ||||||
| Spanish Cay Update 11/14/19 Posted: 14 Oct 2019 06:51 AM PDT at the moment, we have one dock fully functioning that can probably accommodate a 100′ boat and probably 12-14 boats from 20′ to 70 ‘ with water and electric. Probably in the next month or two, our rooms will all be available to rent as well. We already have 5 or 6 rooms that are ready to rent. The restaurant and the bar, as well as the pool are all open. Of course ,we have a limited menu at the moment. Suzanne Cloutier Felix Johnson cell :242-816-4998 Suzanne Cloutier cell: 242-807-0317 Spanish Cay Cay Resorts Ltd “It’s Better in The Bahamas” Bahamas (242) 365-0083 Florida (954) 213-6195 www.spanishcay.com | ||||||
| Marsh Harbour Update 10/14/19 Posted: 14 Oct 2019 06:36 AM PDT From owner of Harbour View Marina, Marsh Harbour: Everything was completely destroyed. Our goals for this coming year are as follows. 1. Get Wally’s reopened since the building survived. 2. Rebuild the docks. 3. Have Blue Wave Rentals operational for the spring and summer season. 4. A temporary office for the Marina and Blue Wave Rentals is already on the island. 5. A long term plan for the rebuilding of the Marina buildings is being developed. Don’t know what the future holds but we are committed to rebuilding better than ever. Regards, Troy Cornea, Harbour View Marina |
Great news, Troy. Can't wait to get back over there.
Regards,
Joe Nekola
Formally 'Sea Pearl', currently 'Salty Dawg'.
Our thanks to Skipper Gene Faatz for sharing his experience crossing south Florida via the Okeechobee Canal and Lake Okeechobee.
As we all know it might be a little early to put boat back in the water after 5 months of high and dry storage with hurricane season not ending for a while yet but I have confidence that we will be safe here in South Florida. We departed River Forest Yachting Center LaBelle on Friday Oct. 11 for a 4 1/2 hr. trip eastbound in the Caloosahatchee Canal to cross Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie Canal with our final destination on the north fork of the St. Lucie River in Palm City. It was quite breezy with 10 to 15 kt. winds out of the N/NE but very warm. We only got to the Moorehaven railroad bridge for our first delay of about 20 minutes do to work on the tracks but locked through the Moorehaven Lock without any further delay. Reached Lake O without any issues and found the water depth to be the deepest I have seen in a long time do the lake level over 13 ft. and the wind blowing the water to the south end, min depth anywhere in the channel and lake was over 8 ft. The lake was rather bumpy with 2-3 ft. and an occasional 4 just for fun. Port Mayaca Lock was actually locking through with a 6 inch drop [ new lockmaster training]. Prior to arriving at the St. Lucie we were pleasantly surprised to pass the John F. Kennedy Presidential Yacht “Honey Fitz” moored on the canal. We missed the St Lucie lock by a few minutes so had to wait for westbound vessel to come through, about a 25 minute delay . Arrived safely home after another successful lake crossing.
St. Jucie Lock, but not Gene Faatz’s boat.
Comments from Cruisers (2)
Looks like more heavy-handed FWC policing, this time with a man being shot after he was 8 days late in paying a $73 citation for failure to remove an expired registration sticker (read for exact details):
https://thebluepaper.com/key-west-fwc-captain-shoots-liveaboard-on-his-houseboat/
Ava Boucher
Sorry to spoil everyone’s Sunday, but the following video about a Florida Fish and Wildlife captain shooting and nearly killing a boater is something we all need to see and respond to. Clearly, the situation in FL is out of hand. All of us as leaders in boating, in media and as leaders in the fight to preserve the rights of boaters – we need to respond to what is going on.
Even if you aren’t a Florida boater, or your business/area of responsibility doesn’t include Florida, many of those with whom you deal are, and they look to you to speak up on their behalf.
In addition to what is represented here in this video, we currently have several communities violating Florida statute 327.60 by enacting/enforcing illegal ordinances, creating permits to anchor, or seeking to create a no anchoring zone – à la Miami Beach. This is something I said several years ago would happen when the SSCA/AGLCA/MTOA capitulated on the issue and gave up the Sunset Lake, Venetian Blvd and Middle River anchorages in Fort Lauderdale.
Madeira Beach is the most recent new ordinance, and Jacksonville has been reportedly seeking a no anchoring variance from the State. There are other locations seeking restrictions, as we all know.
I recognize that this video doesn’t represent the entire story, but the situation in Florida is out of control. I understand that the individual who was shot has had ongoing issues with the FWC which involved tickets for non display of hull numbers. However, I very much doubt that an appropriate response by the FWC extends to shooting a man.
There are conflicting reports on this incident. That concerns me. We need to know the truth about what happened.
Regardless of what happened to this boater, the testimonies of the people in this video demonstrate that, even without this incident, there is a problem in Florida that needs addressing.
FWC does have a history of harassing boaters in the Keys as we saw some years ago in Marathon/Boot Key Harbor. A series of public meetings appeared to have resolved those issues, but I recall that the FWC Captain involved in this shooting was also involved in the problems in Marathon.
These problems involved overly aggressive enforcement and boats – with children aboard – being boarded at night with guns drawn for minor issues such as anchor lights.
I have asked Key West locals and others to contact me with further details on this video and its background and the people involved. I will update you as more information comes in. I have also contacted local media reporting on this story for further details and background.
Yes, I agree, a lot of these people such as the houseboaters don’t represent what we see as a boating constituency. Some of the boats are pretty marginal, and that’s being kind.
But local officials and wealthy waterfront homeowners, as we’ve seen too many times, lump all boats – derelict, transient, liveaboard and gold platers – in the same category and so we need to be concerned about these people. Their problems are, or will be at some point, our problem as Martin Niemöller so clearly showed us.
I have already spoken to several of you in Annapolis receiving this note about the need for a new organization separate from those now dealing with the anchoring issue. The approach we have used in the past is clearly not sufficient to the issues we need to deal with.
We’re not getting anywhere, we continue to go on defending – and losing – our rights.
I’ll expand on this new organization concept in a forthcoming email – in the meantime, this video will outline just how bad things have become and make clear why we need to act.
When police officers are boarding boats with guns drawn, with people being shot, we need to pay attention to what is going on.
I will close with this comment – we all must be more involved. We need to comment boldly on these incidents, we need to work together to deal with the problems in Florida, at every level. We need, most of all, to be proactive in finding solutions, not reacting constantly to problems and challenges that come up.
We need to create programs that educate the public about boating/landowner issues and work with communities to help them resolve their problems with derelicts and problem boats/boaters, show them alternative methods to handling boating/anchoring issues using laws currently in place, educate legislators at every level.
We need to work towards eliminating what are actually social welfare problems of people with substance abuse issues, mental health issues and just plain poverty issues who are choosing a boat as a place to live – as opposed to a cardboard box under a bridge.
Most importantly of all, we need to educate boaters so that these problems do not arise.
If we fail to do these things, the problems are only going to continue to go downhill, as well as migrate to other locations, as we’ve seen happening in Georgia. This battle has been ongoing for over 40 years in Florida – it’s time we took real steps towards ending it.
Please feel free to forward this email to other industry leaders you feel should be involved, and if you would, please copy me so I can include them in future communications on this issue.
I look forward to your opinions on this incident, and on how we need to proceed. Here’s the video:
https://thebluepaper.com/key-west-fwc-captain-shoots-liveaboard-on-his-houseboat/
Sincerely,
Wally Moran