Atlantic Yacht Basin, A LONG-TIME CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located just south of the Great Bridge lock and bridge at Mile Marker 12 in Great Bridge, VA. If you have wood damage or need a few modifications with the interior or exterior of your boat, Atlantic Yacht Basin has the team to fix it right.
I have used them many times for both repairs and short-term storage during my ICW trips. AYB has a great location and can perform any repairs you may require.
Chesapeake Restaurant Week October 12th – 18th Explore Chesapeake’s vibrantculinary scene. Participating restaurants are serving a variety of offerings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from $15 and up increasing by $5 increments.
Click here to discover more about Chesapeake: events, things to do, restaurants, trip planner and more!
Everything you need is within steps of the waterway!
Click here to download a walking map of the Great Bridge Village. Click here to download our Visitor Passport for our Waterway Guests.
Stock up on provisions at the Kroger grocery store. Enjoy a meal at one of our partner restaurants: Lockside Bar & Grill (casual waterfront dining), Woody’s Raw Bar & Grill (casual waterfront dining) or Vino Italian Bistro (upscale Italian). Or, shop in our locally owned shops, chic boutiques and funky retail shops, antique dealers, national retailers and premium outlets.
Feel free to contact us for personal assistance. No request is too small or impossible. Hello@GoChesapeake.net 757.296.3404 GoChesapeake.net
Marker 12 Pop-Up Happy Hour & Dinner Excursions
The popular Pop-Up Happy Hour hosted by GoChesapeake is held on Tuesdays and Fridays in May and October. Learn more »
Visitor Passport
The Visitor Passport is your guide to dining, shopping, events and experiences. Pick up your copy at the dockmaster’s office or download a digital copy from the GoChesapeake website. Download a copy »
GoChesapeake Waterway Concierge Services
Let us help you make your visit memorable and uniquely yours. No request is too small or impossible. Contact us today with your request! Hello@GoChesapeake.net or 757.296.3404 – Option 1
A Kroger Supermarket is located in the Great Bridge Shopping Center providing our waterway guests convenient, one-stop shopping within steps of the waterway. Learn more and get hours >>
A Community of Partners Devoted to Supporting Our Waterway Guests
Everyone has the right to utilize their property as they wish, but it cannot be to the detriment of thy neighbor.
Every day, in every way, we all SPAR WITH MOTHER NATURE: our health, environment, winds, rain and sunshine. Thanks for helping this publication grow. ~J
If you have just joined our engaging little community, please read SPARS & SPARRING as an introduction to my watery world. I’m glad you climbed aboard!
Friend and fellow writer Elizabeth Beggins asked a question that led to some serious contemplation about history repeating itself on any number of scales, in any number of places, about David and Goliath, right and wrong. She saw this photo of my little Colorado farmhouse and wondered if I knew who now resided in those hallowed walls. I most certainly do.And it was a fight. A fight that changed everything.
Refresh on last week’s image, my home for 15 years.
We’re delving into a life farthest from the water, fifteen years of high desert.
In my mind, that little farmhouse represents politics, greed, and power, people doing things regardless of the consequences to others.
My view encompassed farmland, adobe hills, and then the magnificent 14,000foot peaks of the San Juan Mountain range. This photo is elevated, but you get the gist. Spectacular, even over the backs of my adversary’s Black Angus Cattle.
San Juan Mountains from near Montrose, Colorado. Credit Circled Thrice.
Jokingly the property was christened The Ranch—a crooked-floored rambler on one acre with no record of even when it was built, 30s or 40s maybe, with two out-buildings and a log cabin, the only remaining part of Fort Crawford, an 1870s military outpost to ‘control’ Native Americans, in particular the Uncompahgre Ute.
Purchased in 2000, the whole vision was a beautiful challenge (NOTHING like owning a wooden boat, mind you…). My partner (at the time) and I started a catering business while running local golf course concessions, added a clawfoot tub bathroom to the cabin for use as a historic guesthouse. I eluded to some of this history last week; when I got organic gardening figured out my acre fed most of the people in that region at one time or another, from the Cattlemen’s annual dinner (oh yes, I fed them) to wedding receptions in those gorgeous mountains. The garage held a commercial kitchen; there were beehives and a greenhouse, grape vines, a chicken coop, flowerbeds overflowing with hollyhocks and everything else I could grow while I experimented with llamas, goats, lambs and a raccoon. I was thrilled to tell people that I had grown the vegetables on their plate. (This was before it was trendy! Before businesses charged prohibitive prices for farm to table.)
Belle Star the beagle is the only one on the dead-end road, as usual…there was only one neighbor west of us, they raised Quarter Horses and hay. Moonlight Mesa, gravel pit site, is the backdrop.
That partner didn’t last, and on a sunny day in February of 2013 I was wandering, as I’m prone to do, to the west end of our mile-long dirt single lane. There was a sign flapping there, tied to a cattle gate. An omen, of sorts, as it turned out. A call to action. I proceeded to research the foreign terminology, the meaning, the threat it seemed to be. The threat was real. 180 trucks a day, dump, concrete, asphalt and tractor trailer, the dust, the noise, the property value impacts, the life impacts.
Round One.
My neighbor was asking for commentary on a gravel pit with concrete and asphalt plants on my peaceful road. Asking whom, I thought, since the sign was designated a ‘Public Notice’ but located in a spot only a handful would ever see, facing the field and not the road. I found it by luck and I don’t believe in luck.
The landslide had begun.
I gradually understood that the rancher didn’t care how his plans damaged the lives of people who were already there. His family reportedly acquired hundreds of acres after the resident Uncompahgre Ute tribe were driven from their homelands; Natives resided here for thousands of years. His land (and most of Western Colorado) was ‘given’ to the Utes in 1868, an agreement rescinded just twelve years later when the natives were relegated to the barren lands of Utah. Some, I imagine, never saw the official notice. Some stayed and fought. I’ll wager none wanted to leave. (Let me be very clear that I am not comparing what happened to me with the magnitude of what happened to the Ute.)
I almost didn’t see that Notice, almost didn’t have the opportunity to fight it, but I had Albert Stowell to guide me. With the incredible assistance of that motivating neighbor/developer/genius/friend, I began to oppose and expose their gravel pit plan. I became the proverbial thorn, and they did not hide their scorn.
A few of my neighbors joined forces after I stuffed notices in every mailbox I could find. We wrote the newspapers, organized local meetings, enlisted the controversial survival of the Gunnison Sage Grouse, spoke at City Council meetings, engaged at our County Commissioner level. I even went to Colorado’s capitol Denver to request denial. Most folks told me I was going to lose, lose business, lose friends, lose my home’s value, and to what end?
We prevailed. I can still hear the utter, stunned silence when the permit application was denied by the County on October 7, 2013.That gravel pit was the only one in the history of Colorado that was not granted a permit. I was grateful for the caution of David White and Gary Ellis, Montrose County Commissioners, along with an act of God which you may never find recorded. The system worked. We all have rights.
I demonstrated that the wealthy would not always be able to simply crush their opponents, and I can assure you it came as a tremendous surprise.
ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
We stopped a multi-hundred-million dollar endeavor with a few hundred flyers, letters to the editor, grit, communication and passion. We convinced people that what those wealthy ranchers were asking to do wasn’t right. It was right for them but it wasn’t right for everyone. People took sides. It was big sparring. It was important.
The victory was short-lived. My opponents changed tack and in January of 2014 there was a knock on my frosty farmhouse door. As I think they knew it would be, their proposal was an offer that I could not logically refuse, a price far above the current property value. They were reapplying for the permit with concerns addressed; chances were good it would be granted. I knew that to be true. Their contract also required that I cease and desist my public opposition. Our fight cost them a substantial amount but just a drop in the bucket compared to the profitability of their 105-year venture. A year delay for them was negligible; their actions changed the trajectory of my life.
The email I wrote to my fellow anti-gravel pit activists was one of hardest I have ever constructed. Most did not reply; those who cared about me supported the gut-wrenching decision to leave my home. It was hard to take their money after all was said and done. Hard to call it a victory, although I still think it was.
The rancher’s son-in-law, his representative, the operator and part-owner of the Uncompahgre Pit, as it was deemed, has been residing in my little farmhouse with his family since I relocated. He was my most vocal, condescending adversary.
The following year, for an assortment of reasons, I sold my business and left Colorado permanently. That move was something I absolutely could never have foreseen. My keyboard rocks gently with the motion of the sea beneath me as I write this, and I could never have foreseen that, either.
Until next week, keep standing up for what you believe is right, even if there’s chaos, wouldjya? ~J
HEAD TO THE ARCHIVES AND READ ALL THE GREAT STUFF YOU MISSED!
Then, of course, if you’re not subscribed, you’ll want to be for sure!
And you’ll want to pass this along to everyone else who likes a good fight.
The talented Elizabeth Beggins writes some seriously wry contemplative commentary.
The City of Gulfport and Gulfport Municipal Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, always has a full calendar of events for all ages. The marina and harbor, found on the northern shores of Boca Ciega Bay, are easily accessible from the Western Florida ICW, just north of Tampa Bay.
The TimeWeaving series kicks off this month with the opening of the Millennium Time Capsule! Join us for more once-in-a-lifetime experiences in November, supported by Creative Pinellas Art Everywhere.
Chronos: A Community Art Exhibition
Opening Reception: October 30th @ 5pm – 6:30pm Show Dates: 10/30/26 – 12/5/26
Join us for the opening reception of a new group exhibition at our studio centered around the theme of “time.”Chronos is the ancient Greek personification of time, and is the root of words like chronology or chronicle. As a part of the 2026 community project TimeWeaving, we asked local artists across all mediums to consider this theme in their work and they delivered in creatively portraying the passage of time as well as the relationship between past, present, and future.
October 2026 Art Workshops
All workshops listed are FREE and all materials are provided!
Registration by email or phone is REQUIRED in order to participate in adult workshops as space is limited. Registration for kids workshops is encouraged, but not required, otherwise space is first-come-first-serve.
Spooky-Cute Found Object Boxes – Adult Workshop TUESDAY, 10/6 @ 12:30 PM – 2:15 PM Craft a Halloween-inspired mixed-media found object box with an assortment of small embellishments, old toys, jewelry, collage ephemera, and more.
Etching Prints – Adult Workshop FRIDAY, 10/9 @ 2:30 PM – 4:15 PM Learn how to create a etching from start to finish. Each participant will get to carve an original or traced design into a clear etching plate and use our etching press to produce as many editions as they like.
Halloween Masks – Kids Workshop FRIDAY, 10/23 @ 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM TUESDAY, 10/27 @ 12:30PM – 1:45 PM Using paper plates as a base along with construction paper, felt, and other craft supplies, kids will make wearable masks of their favorite Halloween creatures.
Join us for an afternoon of collage-making with all materials provided, completely FREE! Bring your own ephemera to share or swap with others and get to know like-minded creatives in a laid-back atmosphere.
Email us at ArtsCenter@mygulfport.us to be added to our optional RSVP list and receive bimonthly reminders.
Open Studio Hours
Anyone 13+ can use our studio space to work on their own personal art projects during open hours. Studio space is provided on a first-come-first-serve-basis, reservations are prohibited. Artists must bring their own supplies.
Elizabeth City sits at the southern terminus of the Dismal Swamp Canal and has the well-earned reputation of being a transient-friendly town with free dockage for 72 hours.
Cruisers Net is proud to be a member of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, whose lobbying work is crucial to keeping the Waterway navigable and safe. Your membership dollars directly support their vital work. Please join and encourage your boating neighbors to do the same, regardless of their home port.
AIWA Annual Meeting in Atlantic Beach, Florida
The AIWA Annual Meeting is six weeks away! Join us to learn from a distinguished group of speakers, and network with fellow waterway stakeholders. In addition to confirmed speakers, we are expecting leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. DOT Maritime Administration, and NOAA.
Hotel:Group rate of $294 per night (inclusive of all taxes and fees) ends October 19. Visit thisbooking linkfor theDune Housein Atlantic Beach, Florida.
Sponsorships: Sponsor opportunities are still available! Visit theconference webpage.
We are pleased to highlight corporate member and sponsor of the Annual Meeting, Brennan & Company. We asked Brennan & Company to share a brief introduction, as they are a preferred insurance provider for many of our commercial stakeholders. Learn more about Brennan & Company, and make sure to connect with Owen Brennan in Atlantic Beach.
With decades of marine insurance experience and strong relationships with leading marine insurance carriers, Brennan & Company develops customized insurance programs designed to protect dredging contractors, terminal operators, tug and barge operators, marine construction, shipyards, marinas and many other waterfront businesses. The firm’s approach combines industry knowledge, responsive service, risk management guidance, and in-house claims support.
As a preferred insurance provider for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA), Brennan & Company is proud to support the organizations and professionals who keep our nation’s waterways safe, productive, and moving.
The AIWA is a national non-profit organization with the mission of securing funding and support for the maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We are the only organization dedicated to ensuring the future of the AIWW and proudly represent all stakeholders of the waterway.
Here is an informative newsletter to which you may subscribe. Its abundant harbor information will be useful as you travel the East Coast this fall, by boat or by car.
Harbormaster Day – October 8th
Thursday, October 8, is National Harbormaster Appreciation Day. When a storm like this recent nor’easter comes through, harbormasters are the ones checking moorings before it arrives, answering calls while it’s here, and sorting out the damage once it’s gone. Most of them won’t ask for thanks. So this October, stop by your harbormaster’s office, or send a note, and share a story about your harbormaster. They’ve earned it.
Ask any harbormaster and they’ll tell you a storm plan has three distinct phases: preparation, adaptation, and restoration. Making proper preparations while a storm is days away is essential to minimizing damage, but adapting to a changing storm track can be even more important — it’s that resiliency that gets mariners back on course. And swiftly restoring any damaged infrastructure or equipment is what differentiates a major disaster from a minor inconvenience. These three phases were on full display over the weekend of September 25–27, when a rare early-season nor’easter swept up the East Coast and impacted harbors across the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England. US Harbors was there through the storm providing boaters and other coastal residents with the data and resources necessary for managing each of the storm’s three phases. Whether it was NOAA’s marine and onshore forecasts critical for developing a storm plan or the real-time buoy reports that showed those in the path of the storm how reality lined up with the predictions, the data on our coastal intelligence platform helped people make sound decisions. And when the storm passed, the local business members on US Harbors helped get people back on track, whether they needed the nearest TraveLift for an emergency haul-out or a marine electrician to troubleshoot a soggy VHF.
Walking on the Breakwater, Rockland, Maine with high winds and high tides during the September 2026 nor’easter storm. Photo by Stacey Keefer
In the Pacific, Hurricane Nolo passed south of Hawaii’s Big Island in late September, bringing heavy rain, high surf and wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph to parts of Maui, Hawaii and Honolulu counties. Nolo never made landfall, but schools and government offices closed on the Big Island and Maui, shelters opened, and flights were canceled at Hilo. The Hawaiian Islands often appear on our Monthly High Tide Flooding Outlook, where high tides and low elevation can mean frequent flooding. Knowing those dates ahead of time is part of being ready when a storm like Nolo approaches.
Hurricane Nolo approaching Hawaii’s Big Island in late September, as seen on the advanced radar map launching later this year with US Harbors Membership. The shaded cone shows the storm’s projected path, and the highlighted areas show where watches and warnings were in effect. Weather map powered by Xweather.
Send us a note and let us know how our data helped you, and tell us if there’s anything more we can add to our coastal intelligence platform to make it even better for all of us.
Harbormaster Day – October 8th
Thursday, October 8, is National Harbormaster Appreciation Day. When a storm like this recent nor’easter comes through, harbormasters are the ones checking moorings before it arrives, answering calls while it’s here, and sorting out the damage once it’s gone. Most of them won’t ask for thanks. So this October, stop by your harbormaster’s office, or send a note, and share a story about your harbormaster. They’ve earned it.
— Jamie and the US Harbors Crew
October High Tide Flooding Report: October 2026
Seasonally higher sea levels carry into October, and this month higher tides can be expected around the new moon on October 10 and the full moon on the night of October 25–26. Expect the elevated water levels to persist for a day or two after each. The full moon window is the one to watch, with most harbors seeing their highest flood likelihood between October 26 and 29. Using the National Ocean Service’s minor flooding threshold, measured against the Mean Higher High Water datum, 43 harbors show some chance of flooding this month, up from 25 in September, and every coastal region in the outlook is represented. Twenty harbors reach a Medium Chance (a 20–60% likelihood), including most of the Mid-Atlantic coast. The Southeast, the upper Texas coast, Hawaii’s Big Island, and western Long Island Sound have the highest individual likelihoods, between 40 and 60% around the full moon. The rest of the Northeast and Gulf Coast see mostly a Slight Chance (5–20%), and the West Coast, quiet in September, has harbors on the list from Southern California to Washington. We use the NOS minor threshold as our benchmark, as we have in previous reports, because its nationally consistent formula makes it the best basis for comparing flooding risk from one harbor to the next. Each harbor is rated by its highest daily flood likelihood for the month, using the National Ocean Service’s threshold levels:
Least Chance: below 5%
Slight Chance: 5–20%
Medium Chance: 20–60%
Greatest Chance: over 60%
The report can also be generated using the NWS minor threshold, which local forecasters and emergency managers calibrate to reflect where flooding causes problems in a specific community. NWS minor is not available at every station. NOAA predicts that flooding is either unlikely in other harbors, or else it does not have a sufficiently validated model to make an accurate prediction (or the local topography makes such a prediction impossible).
Newport is always a good idea, especially during Boat Show Week
The Hood 42 LM took the top award, the Hunt 56 made her debut, and we caught the sunset at Castle Hill. Here’s a look at our visit to this year’s Newport Boat Show..…
NOAA scientists returned from American Samoa and the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument after conducting coral reef monitoring surveys. Check out their interactive story…
Photo credits (top to bottom): Rockland Breakwater, Maine during the September 2026 nor’easter storm. Photos (2) by Stacey Keefer; Palm Beach Yachts display at the 2026 Newport International Boat Show, Photo by Jamie Bloomquist, US Harbors; A scientist capturing digital images to build a 3D reef model. Credit: NOAA Fisheries; A map of the Atlantic Ocean and East Coast of the USA showing no hurricanes by September 21, 2026. Digital illustration created by US Harbors using Claude AI and NOAA hurricane data; Yellowfin tuna are more commonly seen and caught off California during El Niño periods. Credit: Shutterstock
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