A call by city officials and the local populace to further restrict the opening schedule at the Bridge of Lions has been under consideration by the USCG for most of this year. This decision not to restrict the opening schedule is good news for boaters. See Schedule Controversy from April of this year.
At the intersection of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Okeechobee Waterway, Martin County, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is a hub of boating activity and of events of interest to boaters.
See /166809 for warnings to navigation in the Keys.
9/26 UPDATE: Unified Command continues assessment of vessels affected by Hurricane Irma, prioritizes displaced vessel removal
MIAMI — The Emergency Support Function 10 (ESF 10) Florida, consisting of multiple state and federal agencies, is continuing efforts to assess and remove hazards in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission members are conducting assessments of damaged and sunken vessels in the areas most affected by Hurricane Irma. These assessments assist in providing an overarching image to the unified command of the effects of the storm, allowing for the effective placement of assets, expediting the response process.
“The response to Irma is a collaborative effort,” said Benjamin Franco, Environmental Protection Agency Incident Commander for the response. “Every member of this team, both local, state and federal, is bringing to bear all of their expertise, experience, and the assets necessary for an expeditious conclusion to this response. Our hearts go out to those citizens impacted by Hurricane Irma and we will make every effort to ensure their needs are being addressed.”
“This command has found that all sunk and derelict vessels resulting from Hurricane Irma are a threat to the environment and our mission is to remove this threat,” said Cmdr. JoAnne Hanson, Coast Guard Incident Commander for the response. “The first priority is to remove actively polluting vessels. Second to that are the vessels that aren’t actively polluting, but where a potential for pollution exists.”
The following list represents an approximate number of vessels impacted by Hurricane Irma currently being assessed by each ESF 10 Branch Hazardous Material Assessment Team as of Sept. 25, 2017. These numbers are subject to change as more owners salvage their vessels and additional vessels are discovered in the affected areas and offshore assessments are conducted.
Miami
Vessels assessed: 200; Vessels removed: 43
St. Petersburg, Florida
Vessels assessed: 182; Vessels removed: 42
Jacksonville, Florida
Vessels assessed: 134; Vessels removed: 26
Key West, Florida
Vessels assessed: 336; Vessels removed: 1
Due to the complexity and scale of operational requirements, the Unified Command for ESF 10 Florida has established a Joint Information Center. Media members are requested to call 305-985-2867 to receive the most timely and accurate information concerning the on-going response to Hurricane Irma.
The Unified Command consists of U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. JoAnne Hanson serving as Incident Commander, Mr. Benjamin Franco, Environmental Protection Agency Incident Commander, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Capt. David Schaffer as State On-Scene Coordinator and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Administrator Kent Edwards as State On-Scene Coordinator. Currently, response teams are conducting assessments of the most affected areas to include the ports and waterways from Jacksonville, Florida to Miami, Key West, and around to St. Petersburg.
The ESF 10 is the framework by which federal support is coordinated with state agencies in response to actual or potential oil spills or hazardous material releases. Partner agencies, including Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, are contributing expertise and experience to the assessment efforts.
Don’t you wish everyone would use and respect those safety limits!
There is an app called WakeWatch that maps out all of the no wake zones in FL. It also tells what type of zone – i.e. slow speed minimum wake, no wake, speed limits, etc. with the associated time restrictions. It also has all of the bridge heights and opening schedules.
Our thanks to Thomas Dove for forwarding this Executive Order on navigation limits on the southern St. Johns River. No date given for the rescinding of this executive order.
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.
9-12-17:Greetings from Harbortown Marina Canaveral. The majority of our team is on site today and we are working diligently to get the marina put back together and customer ready. As it stands now, we plan to officially open the office and the boat yard on Wednesday at noon.
Today we are focused on replacing damaged and missing dock boards to ensure our customers and team members are safe. We will then move onto collecting debris and addressing any downed trees around the property.
In the slips we only saw one boat with substantial damage and we are reaching out to the owner personally. In the rack storage we saw some boat covers that were damaged and we will also be contacting those owners as well. All in all though, there was limited damage to the vessels.
We have power in the main building but due to the water levels, power to the slips is still off. Unfortunately, we have no running water at the marina. We are hearing this is a part of an outage affecting more than 82,000 Brevard residents.
The port is still closed as of now but we have heard it may open up this evening. The barge canal is actually port property, so it is officially closed right now as well. We are certainly hoping that the port traffic will lead to the water levels receding quicker. Once again, please continue to follow our social media pages for continual updates. We promise to provide you with updated information as it comes.
At the intersection of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Okeechobee Waterway, Martin County, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is a hub of boating activity and of events of interest to boaters.
Overall we did well, most power has been restored. TV & internet service still spotty. Fuel has been an issue, most facilities are coming back online. Boaters should be cautious of debris in the water both in & off shore, floating & partially submerged. Most boats did well with damage occurring mostly to a few vessels moored at exposed docks. American Custom Yachts reported yesterday that they hauled over 300 vessels and sustained NO damage
We did much better than many other areas of the state and have real concerns for the keys and west coast.
I hope this helps and will fill you in on any new details.
Our thanks to Sue Morgan for this update. A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Old Port Cove is located on the western shore of the northern Lake Worth channel, near unlighted daybeacon #7.
> Old Port Cove Marina- The marina remains evacuated. No power, phones or internet. Minor dock damage, some electric pedestal damage. Restaurant is open. > > North Palm Beach Marina-Little to no dock damage. Some minor vessel damage. The marina remains filled with local boaters who evacuated to this Hurricane safe Home. No power yet. No phones or internet. > > New Port Cove Marine Center-Hurricane stored boats were being put in the water today. There is no power, phones or internet. Can not take in any vessels yet. Marina sustained some damage to the floating docks but is easily repaired within a week or so. Several vessels anchored out in Lake Worth broke their moorings and drifted in. Boaters, do not anchor out there in a storm please! With the Lake Worth Inlet across the Intracoastal, it becomes a wash tub. There’s no where for the water to go. Other boats were sunk or were washed up on a private homeowners beach to the north. > > Sue Morgan, Marketing Director
We hope that you, your family and friends are safe following the destruction caused by the recent hurricanes.
We’re experiencing outages and are forced to close our office. Rest assured, we are committed to reopen our office as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by email. You can find our contact information on our website.
Please be patient as our internet and phone services are down. We will try to reply to you all as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
The Yacht Group Team
About The Yacht Group
The Yacht Group team of products includes Yacht Controller, Yacht Thruster, Yacht Graphx, Yacht Protector, Yacht Command and Yacht Beam. We bring the highest quality products, expertise, professionalism and support to the yachting community. This is the hallmark of our brands through “innovative technology for the marine industry”. Our marine products enhance the boating experience and improve control and safety afloat on thousands of yachts of all sizes on more than 180 brands and counting!
Fort Pierce City Marina, a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is located west of the Waterway, just south of the Fort Pierce high-rise bridge, and well north of unlighted daybeacon #188.
Hello all, Hope everyone faired well during our massive storm. The Marina fared really well. All boats stayed in their slips and the docks rose and fell with the waves. We are still without power unfortunately. The substation that reacts with the Marina is still out. As soon as they get the substation up and running we should hopefully get the docks and building up and running. I will continue to keep you posted as FPUA keeps us posted.
AS OF RIGHT NOW THE POWER IS UP!!!! WE ARE REQUESTING THAT YOU GIVE US SOME TIME TO CHECK ALL METERS AND TRANSFORMERS BEFORE PLUGGING IN YOUR BOAT. WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO FINALIZE EVERYTHING.
WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD STAY AWAY FROM THE MARINA UNTIL TOMORROW.[Wednesday 9/13]
TIKI BAR AND COBB’S LANDING WILL ALSO OPEN UP FOR NORMAL SERVICE BEGINNING WEDNESDAY 9/13/2017.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING.
I AM ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK TO WORK TOMORROW.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME VIA E-MAIL. THERE IS NO ONE IN THE OFFICE TO TAKE ANY CALLS.
Please post that we will be open for dockage and fuel beginning 6:30 tomorrow morning. [Wednesday 9/13] Anne Maurer Fort Pierce City Marina 772-464-1245 amaurer@city-ftpierce.com fortpiercecitymarina.com
Jacksonville, FL – Curfews have been imposed in many parts of Northeast Florida because of Hurricane Irma.
The curfew for Jacksonville’s beaches started Saturday night at 10PM and continued through 6AM Sunday. That will continue until further notice. Alcohol sales have also been prohibited until further notice.
Fort Pierce City Marina, a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is located west of the Waterway, just south of the Fort Pierce high-rise bridge, and well north of unlighted daybeacon #188.
These notes from Anne Maurer, Dockmaster
As of Thursday, 9/7, Fort Pierce City Marina is pumping fuel 22 hours a day to assist cruisers fleeing north in the path of Hurricane Irma. Gasoline is limited to 200 gals and diesel is limited to 500 gals.
We have no space for overnight dockage but will accommodate fuel bunkering.
Fort Pierce City Marina 1 Ave A; Fort Pierce, Florida P:772-464-1245 F: 772-464-2589 www.fortpiercecitymarina.org
At the intersection of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Okeechobee Waterway, Martin County, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is a hub of boating activity and of events of interest to boaters.
Winston,
I received your voice message. Below is what we are sharing out, please feel free to use or edit- Nerissa
South Florida is currently in the 4-day forecast cone for Hurricane Irma. As we prepare for Hurricane Irma, please be advised that www.discovermartin will have a weather advisory scrolling across the top of the page. Additional information and numbers are listed below:
Florida Emergency Information 24-hour Hotline: 800-342-3557
Local Martin County Public Information Line: 772-287-1652
Find current updates on social media by following and using #FloridaNow
You can also text “FLPrepares” to 888777 to receive Alert Florida notifications.
Visit Florida in partnership with Expedia have activated www.Expedia.com/Florida to provide accommodations availability information for visitors, residents and first responders.
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. This fine facility has now expanded their ship’s store and now has a new on-site restaurant!
Harbortown Marina – Canaveral | Merritt Island Port Canaveral Boat Storage & Fuel
Full Service Marina with Fuel in Merritt Island – Port Canaveral, Florida
Press Release: Harbortown Marina Welcomes New On-Site Restaurant
Island Dockside Grill at Harbortown Opening Soon at Local Marina
Merritt Island, FL (March 23, 2017) — Harbortown Marina, located in Merritt Island, Florida, near Port Canaveral, is excited to welcome the “Island Dockside Grill at Harbortown” as its newest on-site amenity. The restaurant space on the property has recently undergone extensive renovations, and the new restaurant plans to open in mid-April. Island Dockside Grill at Harbortown will be open to the public, and is the sister location to Merritt Island’s “The Island Waterfront Bar and Grill”. All are invited to meet and greet with restaurant staff at the upcoming CFFW Marina Flea Market, to be held March 25-26, 2017, at the marina. The Island Dockside Grill at Harbortown will be cooking out and offering a limited menu.
The original The Island Waterfront Bar and Grill is located near Banana River Park on East Merritt Island Causeway. A favorite among Merritt Island residents, the local restaurant is known for its menu offering of waterway favorites. Whether it’s seafood, burgers, salads or quesadillas, the Island Bar and Grill offers a traditional oceanside menu that is proven to be a success. Tie in a quality menu with the restaurant’s variety of live music, theme nights, and special events, and you have the makings of an instant local favorite.
The Island Dockside Grill at Harbortown has been undergoing renovations by local construction company, Rush Construction, Inc., and is scheduled to open in mid-April.
“We are delighted to have the owners of The Island choosing to open their second location here at Harbortown Marina. One of our most beloved amenities has always been having an on-site restaurant,” said Jan Chnupa the owner of the Harbortown Marina Canaveral. “With renovations, we’ve provided more space for bar seating and live music. We are hopeful that our customers and the public will be pleased.”
Those wishing to catch a sneak peek at the upcoming restaurant food fare can do so at the annual CFFW Marine Flea Market, which will take place on Saturday, March 25th, and Sunday, March 26th, from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM at Harbortown Marina. Admission and parking for the event are free.
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. This fine facility has now expanded their ship’s store!
Harbortown Marina – Canaveral | Merritt Island Port Canaveral Boat Storage & Fuel
Full Service Marina with Fuel in Merritt Island – Port Canaveral, Florida
Harbortown Marina – Canaveral Continues with Expansion, Hires New General Manager!
Harbortown Marina – Canaveral has recently undergone several on-site expansion and construction projects, including the renovation completion of the on-site restaurant for new tenant, “The Island Dockside Grill at Harbortown”, which opened in April 2017. Other on-site projects include a complete office remodel, the addition of a larger marina store, offering a variety of everyday and boating specific items for sale, new landscaping, plus dock and resident-amenity improvements, including bathroom renovations. In addition to these updates, Harbortown Marina – Canaveral has also brought on board a new general manager for the property, Central Florida’s own, Bill Friedrich.
Bill Friedrich has a history in customer service, spending the majority of his professional career in the Orlando tourism industry. A board member for both the Central Florida Lodging and Hospitality Association, as well as the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce, Friedrich is no stranger to Florida hospitality. In total, Bill will be bringing over 17 years of hospitality and tourism industry experience to the marina, which is expected to bring more welcome changes to the Harbortown Marina – Canaveral site soon.
“I am truly excited to be part of the Harbortown Team and appreciate the warm welcome to the community.” Bill says. “During my first month at the marina, I saw that we do a lot of things really well. However, continuous improvement in all aspects of our daily operation will be the key to our future success.
I have been delighted with the facility upgrades, which were one of the first steps to enhancing both the customer and the team member experience at Harbortown Marina – Canaveral. I can definitely say there will be more enhancements to come as we strive to be the Space Coast marina of choice.”
About Harbortown Marina – Canaveral:
Harbortown Marina – Canaveral is located in Merritt Island, FL and is a full-service marina offering covered rack storage, long term dry storage,wet slips, and outdoor cradle storage. Public amenities include on-site restaurant & bar, marina store, and ethanol-free fuel on-site. The property is a naturally protected harbor with minimal tidal changes, and provides access to both the Indian and Banana rivers, with deep water access to the ocean via the Canaveral Lock.
In July of 2016, several popular Miami area anchorages, including Sunset Lake, were declared to be Banned Anchoring Areas by the FWC. See Bill Murdock’s article and chart on these banned zones: /163814
Cruisers’ Net would like to know if any of you south Florida cruisers have attempted to anchor in Sunset Lake and, if so, what were the results? Is the ban being enforced? Let us hear from you.
We anchored north of Sunset Lake near Mount Sinai Hospital for three weeks last spring. The only boats we saw anchored in Sunset Lake were local motor boats stopping in the calm water for the afternoon to swim, sit in the sun, or frolic. We saw no cruising motor or sail anchored there and nothing anchored overnight.
I assume all anchoring spots not shaded on Waterway’s chart are still open to overnight anchoring.
Dinghy access is problem. The only two ‘legal’ spots are the dock at the police station with its 20 minute limit and the dock at the older Publics store on Collins Canal. We have been told that the Publics dock now has a time restriction. Bill Murdoch
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. This fine facility has now expanded their ship’s store!
Upgrades, Updates, and More!
Here at Harbortown Marina – Canaveral, we are dedicated to providing a beautiful, comfortable marina for our residents and visitors to enjoy. Harbortown Marina – Canaveral has undergone several improvement projects, including new landscaping, bathroom renovations, a new marina store, and more! These changes, and the changes that are still to come, are all part of why Harbortown Marina – Canaveral is the place to be!
Introducing New Harbortown Marina – Canaveral General Manager: Bill Friedrich
“I am truly excited to be part of the Harbortown Team and appreciate the warm welcome to the community. During my first month at the marina, I saw that we do a lot of things really well. However, continuous improvement in all aspects of our daily operation will be the key to our future success.
I have been delighted with the facility upgrades, which were one of the first steps to enhancing both the customer and the team member experience at Harbortown Marina – Canaveral. I can definitely say there will be more enhancements to come as we strive to be the Space Coast marina of choice.”
Stick on a decal to show support for Florida’s manatees, sea turtles
There are more manatees and sea turtles in Florida than in any other state. More than 6,000 manatees swim in its coastal waters, rivers and freshwater springs, and thousands of sea turtles nest and hatch on its Atlantic and Gulf coast beaches.
It’s easy to show support for these iconic Florida species by sticking on a decal.
Every July the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) introduces new manatee and sea turtle decals available with a $5 donation.
The colorful, waterproof decals are designed to look great on a vehicle’s bumper or the side of a boat. Get them when registering or re-registering a vehicle or boat at local tax collectors’ offices across the state.
“Florida is home to more manatees and sea turtles than anywhere else in the U.S.,” said Carol Knox, who leads the FWC’s Imperiled Species Management Section. “Public support has been critical in helping us conserve these imperiled species. So please ‘stick on a decal’ and show support for our manatees and sea turtles.”
Decals generate funding for research, rescue and management efforts that help Florida’s manatees and sea turtles survive. For instance, when someone calls the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) to report an injured, entangled or sick manatee or sea turtle, FWC staff responds with efforts to rescue and rehabilitate the animal.
The decals also address important conservation issues:
“Look out for manatees” is the message on the new manatee decal, which shows boaters in the distance as a manatee mother and calf swim along with only her back above water.When boating or using a personal watercraft in Florida waters, it is important to look out for manatees. Mature manatees grow to 1,000 pounds or more, but can be difficult to see when they’re swimming, grazing or resting underwater. Wear polarized sunglasses, and then watch and listen carefully to detect the signs of manatees nearby. Look for circles on the water’s surface indicating their underwater movement and snouts sticking out of the water as they surface to breathe. You may also hear huffing noises when they come up for air.
“Helping sea turtles survive” is the message on the new sea turtle decal, which shows a green sea turtle. Green sea turtles nest on Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coast beaches, and until recently were classified as endangered. Now after years of conservation efforts, the number of nesting green turtles has increased substantially. This species has been reclassified as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. That’s a major step in “green” recovery. Remember, “Hands off” is the best policy for beachgoers encountering any species of nesting or hatchling sea turtles. Watch from a distance, do not disturb them and never use a cellphone or camera to shoot flash photos.
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