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: Drone View of Marsh Harbour
Drone View of Marsh Harbour
Marsh Harbour is home to CRUISERS NET SPONSOR Marsh Harbour Yacht Club.
The number of RR bridge closures due to increased rail service in south Florida has been in contention among boaters for several years. See All Aboard Florida and Proposed Regulations from 2015 .
Fort Lauderdale train bridge schedule under scrutiny
The Triton
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: “Personal Report from Bahamas” plus 1 more
| Personal Report from Bahamas Posted: 11 Sep 2019 02:58 PM PDT From Fr. Keith Cartwright, Anglican Arch Deacon, Nassau In order to dispel rumours and untruths, My Priest, who just got back from Marsh Habour 6 am this morning and has been on the ground every day since from the day after storm departed gave our Church a full report on the situation in Marsh Harbour and Grand Bahama. In Marsh Harbour he said that with the exception of a few souls who are still refusing to leave what little they have, the entire affected areas have been completely evacuated. There is nothing left, he said. The stench is unbearable. There are countless medical personnel there doing an excellent job. There is a clean up team on the way from the Netherlands whose function is uncovering, containment & sanitizing of dead bodies and should be there now on the ground. There are plenty dead and unaccounted for still under debris and swept out to sea. The bodies they have recovered so far are stored in large constructed coolers run by generators. The clinic and one of the government buildings left standing have been cleaned and sanitized. They are in the process of doing the same to the building that was taken over by the Haitians. He said that the clinic and the two government buildings were the only structures not damaged, which was a testament to the builder who passed away last year. Also, the uproar about the Bahamasair charging $75 was partly true. He was present at the airport when the flight came in. It was the very first flight and was a regular scheduled flight for Bahamasair. Persons had previously purchase tickets prior to the storm and before consulting with the powers that be, made the decision to charge that fee. My Priest intervened immediately and told them that will not be happening. He got on the phone with the Prime Minister himself and explained what was going on. The Prime Minister then got in contact with the man in charge and was instructed to let that be the first & last flight they charged those people as Bahamasair was the People”s airline etc. etc. Every flight after was completely free and they went above and beyond getting the people out. There was looting and unrest, and order has now been restored. As for Freeport, there is still a lot of flooding and damage although not to the degree of Abaco. He said there are plenty dead and unaccounted for there as well. He told us stories of survivors who watched loved ones die and got swept away right before them. My head is still spinning from the horrors and grief that I can’t begin to tell you all everything, but this is what I recalled. |
| NEMA EVENING BRIEFING – SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 Posted: 11 Sep 2019 07:09 AM PDT EVACUATIONS1. There is no mandatory evacuation order for Abaco. 2. Evacuation is strictly voluntary. 3. The total number of evacuees to Nassau is approximately 3,500 so far. 4. There were a number of partners running evacuations today, including Bahamas Air, Delta Airlines, Western Air, Trans Island Air, Air Bridge and other private partners. The Bahamas Fast Ferries and private boaters also did sea evacuations. 5. The number of persons presenting themselves for evacuations is diminishing. 6. Evacuees are being processed at The Odyssey Aviation Processing Centre. We thank our private sector partners who are working with Social Services to manage this center. 7. As a reminder, all evacuations should be free of charge. The public should report any aircraft that are charging fees. Civil aviation is revoking authorizations for those aircraft. 8. The evacuation plan is to provide temporary housing in Abaco to assist those persons who wish to stay on the island. 9. Several safe spaces have been identified to clear areas for temporary housing.NOTICE ON SEARCH AND RECOVERY IN ABACO 1. NEMA and its partners have not commenced any mass scale debris cleaning in Abaco. SAFETY AND SECURITY – We are confident there is adequate coverage on both islands to address safety and security issues. SHELTERS – When evacuees arrive in Nassau they are processed at the Processing Centre at Odyssey Aviation. FOOD AND WATER SUPPLIES NEMA continues to work with local and international public and private sector entities to ensure that food and water are provided to the affected communities on Abaco and Grand Bahama. As at 5pm today September 8, 2019, arrangements have been put in place for: |
Congratulations to two CRUISERS NET SPONSORS, Atlantic Yacht Basin and Windmill Harbour Marina, for being ranked among the top nine finalists for Sponsor of the Year by America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association. They are both winners in our book! Worthy in deed!
Atlantic Yacht Basin is located just south of the Great Bridge lock and bridge at Mile Marker 12 in Great Bridge, VA and Windmill Harbour Marina is located on Skull Creek on the shores of Hilton Head Island, SC.
Click Here To View the VA to NC Cruisers Net Marina Directory Listing For Atlantic Yacht Basin
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Atlantic Yacht Basin
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Windmill Harbour Marina
Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is on Abaco, Bahamas, devastated by Hurricane Dorian. Our thanks to Scott Coles for this report. See Relief Efforts.
Fellow members, Hurricane Dorian and the aftermath have devastated the Abacos. These are our friends and our cruising ground and our winter home. It is difficult to watch the videos and personal accounts emanating form the area on news outlets and social media. This area was the best place to spend the winter and will be once again. The people of Abaco need our help. The Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club faces it’s own challenges as well. If we don’t stay together as a group, we cannot help our friends with their rebuilding efforts. I implore you to renew your membership with the RMHYC. At $30 per year, the RMHYC has been, and STILL IS, the best deal in the Bahamas! The Club will be donating 100% of the renewal dues collected during this current renewal season to various humanitarian and rebuilding efforts. There is no shortage of need but we want to make sure that our donation finds the hands of those who really need it. We will try to target specific projects or organizations that align with our goal to get back to Abaco! Please don’t wait. Renew now! Essentially all of our members will be displaced for the upcoming cruising season. Many of our present and past members have a connection to or are located in the Stuart Fl. area. Therefore, we will be adopting Stuart as our home this season and as it happens to be, Stuart is also the sister city to Hope Town! Our social calendar will be severely limited this year; however we are obligated to have our Annual General Meeting. The meeting will likely be held at a location in Stuart but plans are still up in the air. Information on time and location will be made available as soon as we can. No one has a crystal ball that can tell us what is going to happen in the Abacos this year or in the years to come. The Abaconians are a very resilient and creative group. If anyone can pull the proverbial rabbit out of an empty hat, they can do it. We as a club need to remain strong so that we can help them as best we can. Hopefully, someday soon, we can get back together in the Abacos and visit the people and places we hold so dear. Abaco Strong! |
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Scott Coles Commodore Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club |
Good Samaritans at work! However, if you are considering participating, heed these Coast Guard Warnings!
SEACOR: Delivering Bahamas relief demands expertise as well as good intentions
Marine Log
Celebrity cruise ship reroutes in Bahamas to deliver food, aid after Hurricane Dorian
NBC NEWS
Florida boat owners, aircraft heading to Bahamas with relief aid
UPI.com
Hurricane Dorian: Superyachts Rally to Help the Bahamas
Boat International
Updated: Hurricane Relief Efforts Accelerate in the Bahamas
Maritime Executive
As Dorian departs, reports from marinas are beginning to come in.
North Carolina
Washington, NC
All of the boats from the Waterfront Docks which were on moorings or at anchor appear to have survived the storm with no damage.
As of this morning [9/7], the Waterfront Docks are back in business and the town of Washington is in great shape. The railroad trestle is open, our docks sustained no damage and power and water are restored. Our pumpout machine should be reinstalled on Monday. Our permanent boaters are returning to the docks this morning, and we’ve even been able to make a slip available to an out of town boater whose home marina was damaged. There was minor damage – mostly fallen tree limbs – and resulting power outages in Washington during the storm but all have been repaired and our restaurants, bakeries, West Marine, and downtown amenities are back in full operation this morning.
Rick Brass
Dockmaster
Hatteras Harbor closed for a few days
Anchorage Marina– there is no answer when I called them.
Ocracoke Island hit hard.
Bald Head Island Marina told me they are not letting anyone on island. They are having to ship supplies in to them.
South Carolina
Safe Harbor Charleston is open.
Windmill Harbour reports no damage.
East Florida
Palm Cove Marina is open.
Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor is open.
West Florida
Marina Jack is open.
Just a great big thank you for this info. As cruisers departing Chezbay area the end of October, we are of course concerned about if there are going to be any untoward after-effects on the ICW from H-Dorian.
With the scenes of devastation coming out of the islands of the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, it might be good to revisit the photographic essays of Greg Allard, especially for those of us who have never had the privilege of visiting and meeting the islanders in person. So many beautiful places, so many beautiful faces.
These links take you to the 2017-2019 photo journals, “letters,” sent from the Bahamas during Greg and Barbara Allard’s cruises.
Letter from the Bahamas by Greg Allard
2018 Letters from the Bahamas by Greg and Barbara Allard
2018 Letters from the Bahamas # 2 by Greg and Barbara Allard
2018 Letters from the Bahamas # 3 by Greg and Barbara Allard
2018 Letters from the Bahamas # 4 by Greg and Barbara Allard
2018 Letters from the Bahamas # 5 by Greg and Barbara Allard
2018 Letters from the Bahamas # 6 by Greg and Barbara Allard
2018 Letters from the Bahamas # 7 by Greg and Barbara Allard
2019 Letter from the Bahamas by Greg and Barbara Allard
2019 Letter #2 from the Bahamas by Greg and Barbara Allard
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: “US Coast Guard Warns Against Heading to Bahamas with Relief” plus 1 more
US Coast Guard Warns Against Heading to Bahamas with Relief
Posted: 07 Sep 2019 02:52 PM PDT
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — With so many people and groups looking to lend a helping hand the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary is wanting to get its message out to think hard about critical details before heading over there.
“Not only will there be no gas, but there’s no lodging, no food, no electricity, there’s probably very limited cell coverage,” said USCG auxiliary division commander Chris Haarer.
Haarer says the number of people wanting to help victims of Hurricane Dorian is remarkable, but it’s just as important you don’t become a rescue case yourself.
“We certainly would like to discourage this and have everyone think ahead just think about all the destruction that’s taken place and what’s not available to the general citizen as they go over there,” said Haarer.
Dorian death toll in Bahamas rises to 30
On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard released important information about what their crews have seen since beginning rescue missions. They report a high risk of debris in the water, sunken vessels and destroyed or missing aids to navigation and pier facilities. They also warn about the risk of chemical spills and topography in ports and marinas from the storm surge of the Category 5 hurricane.
“We can’t stop people from going out there to do this but we certainly would like to discourage this,” said Haarer.
They ask you to answer important questions such as:
Have you made the trip before?
Do you have a float plan? Who is it left with?
Do you have lifesaving safety equipment on board such as EPIRB, life jackets, flares, marine radio, food, and water?
Do you have a contact in the Bahamas?
Do you have enough gas to return?
If you can’t answer all of these questions, officials ask you instead donate to a reputable organization providing relief instead.
The USCG auxiliary also says they are increasing inspections for boats coming into inlets along the coast of Florida. They are checking for people illegally bringing back Bahamians without proper documentation.
You can call the coast guard for safety requirements: (305)415-6869.
Report from Valentines, Harbour Island
Posted: 07 Sep 2019 08:19 AM PDT
We are thankful for the outpouring of support from friends of Valentines Residences Resort and Marina during and after Hurricane Dorian. We are grateful that our property was not negatively impacted by the storm. We experienced minimal impact and are already taking care of everything without any disruption of service. However, so many of our fellow Bahamians and residents in The Abacos and Grand Bahama are experiencing devastating life-threatening conditions. Many have lost everything.
Valentines is working with Bahamas Disaster Relief Fund to provide much needed relief including food and supplies. Many of you have contacted us asking how you can help. Please donate here: www.bahamas.com/relief to help with the recovery efforts on these northern islands.
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: Royal Caribbean taking Freeport Residents to Nassau
NEMA NOTICE:
Royal Caribbean Cruise lines will be assisting further with one
way transportation Via Empress of the Seas on Saturday Sept. 7th, Sunday+
Sept. 8th, and Monday Sept. 9th to Nassau. All interested persons must register at the C.A. Smith building [in Freeport] with a Government Issued I.D. between the hours of 10 a.m to 3pm.
• Only prepare and pack essential items necessary to travel. A cabin and meal will be provided.
Read Official Notice at Facebook – Office of The Prime Minister- Grand Bahama:
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