This excellent report by Skippers Valentine comes to us via the AGLCA Forum. The entrance channel to Daytona Marina runs west-southwest from the Waterway south of marker #39A and the southerly entrance cut for Halifax Harbor Marina.
I would like to report excellent service that we received at Daytona Marina and Boatworks (http://www.thedaytonamarina.com). After an unplanned meeting with the bottom we limped into their yard with damaged running gear. Both Kevin Mooney, the manager at Daytona Boatworks and Mark, the owner of Tomoka Propeller were very responsive and efficient. They were also considerate of our status as transients, and went out of their way to keep us floating while work progressed, including a couple of short hauls. We can’t say enough about how pleased we were with this facility and with the entire staff. If you are a cruiser needing some maintenance do yourself a favor and consider having it done here. They did what they said, when they said, and, even with a couple of surprises, stayed pretty darn close to the estimate. The transient docks are in great condition- fixed wooden lay alongs, the laundry and showers are clean and the dockmasters are efficient and helpful. If you need repairs or maintenance consider this your stop. If you just want a nice stop, with a restaurant on the premises and a short walk from the downtown area, give them a try. Larry & Theresa Valentine m/v Lauren Grace
One of three municipal docks in Fort Lauderdale, the Las Olas docks lie off the Waterway’s eastern shoreline immediately north and south (mostly on the north side) of the Las Olas bascule bridge. Skipper Finley’s report is in contrast to other reviews posted on SSECN. However, with municipal budget cuts, it is possible that conditions at the marina have deteriorated in the last year or so.
This facility is not being maintained in accordance to the prices being charged. The restrooms are NASTY and not being cleaned regularly. Feces on the toilet seats for 3 days now. toilet paper out. Security I have seen 2 times in 10 days.. People come in at night by walking in with paying customers. Boats come in after dark and leave before dawn. I had a guy urinating off the bridge behind my boat and called security, he was at the fisheries and I never saw him that night. Boaters communicate through the web. I like to be persistent to foster change for a better future for the mariners. I cannot agree I paid $1500 to park a 34ft. boat for this kind of treatment. We need to do better people! Scott Finley
Scott’s comments are over board. I have been into Las Olas many times over the years and know that the facilities are excellent. The Dockmaster is excellent, attentive and if, and I say if, those conditions were true, a simple comment to him would have had an immediate response. Scott is simply bashing here. Not nice!
USPower and Sail Squadrons provide valuable local community services with their public boating safety inspections and boat handling courses, as recognized here by BoatUS, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
NEWS From BoatUS Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
(L to R) C/C Robert Baldridge; Cdr. Sterling Wyland, Ocean City; Lt/C. Bonnie Kanoy, North Strand; Cdr. JB Bagby, Ft. Macon; Cdr. Dick Todd, Lake Norman; Cdr. Jim Strothers, Sanibel-Captiva; D/C Mary Dodd, USPS District 8: Ted Sensenbrenner, BoatUS.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
MD, NC, SC and FL United States Power Squadrons Bestowed With Honors
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., February 5, 2015 — At the US Power Squadrons (USPS) Annual Meeting held recently in Jacksonville, Florida, five Squadrons from across the country and one District were honored with Distinguished Civic Service Awards. Sponsored by Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the awards are given annually to the USPS District and Squadrons in recognition of exceptional service and public boating safety education and service to the boating community.
`While America’s recreational boaters are enjoying the water with friends and family, Power Squadron members work hard giving up their own time to help make boating safer. They offer boat owners free vessel safety checks, provide boating safety instruction, and more. We greatly appreciate their commitment to ensuring everyone has a safe day on the water,’ said BoatUS Foundation for Assistant Director of Boating Safety Ted Sensenbrenner.
Top Squadron honors went to Sanibel-Captiva Sail and Power Squadron, Florida. Some of their activities included: participating in an on-water wreath laying ceremony honoring lost members of the armed forces, helping a local food pantry, and working to increase safety for paddlers. `They showed how difficult it can be to see kayakers at dusk and in times of limited visibility, and how simply adding white reflective tape to paddle blades can be a real lifesaver,’ said Sensenbrenner.
Second Place for Top Squadron went to Lake Norman Sail and Power Squadron, North Carolina, for their work with youth and bringing a new Sea Scout Ship to the area, as well as support of the `The Dolphin Project,’ a local non-profit that performs surveys to monitor the health of dolphin populations.
Third place went to North Strand Sail and Power Squadron, South Carolina, which hosted shoreline clean up events, collected donations for their local Helping Hands charity and Sea Haven, a residence for homeless teens offering crisis services.
Runners up for Top Squadron included Ocean City Power Squadron, Maryland, for their community participation in parades, clean up events and their work with a respite care home to take families fishing and sightseeing. Another runner up was Fort Macon Sail and Power Squadron, North Carolina, for their work with the local visitors center to spread safety message as well as publishing boating safety stories and reaching out to boating families.
Top USPS District Award, which recognizes the collective efforts of all of the squadrons within a region, went to USPS District 8, which includes South Florida and the Keys. The award is based on the amount of classroom hours logged, community outreach hours and number of vessel safety checks performed. These voluntary and free safety reviews are designed to educate boaters about recommended and required safety equipment aboard recreational vessels and to assess the condition of the safety equipment they have aboard.
US Power Squadrons began with the efforts of Charles Chapman, who in 1914 realized that owners of recreational powerboats needed instruction on how to operate safely and with confidence. Today, the USPS has over 400 regional Squadrons for owners of both sail and powerboats.
About United States Power Squadrons:
Organized in 1914, United States Power Squadrons (USPS) is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship, navigation and related subjects. Our members are boating families who contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. We enjoy participating with our fellow members on the water and in the classroom. USPS has nearly 40,000 members organized into over 400 squadrons across the country and in some US territories. USPS is America’s largest non-profit boating organization and has been honored by three US presidents for its civic contributions. Each squadron’s activities involve the three primary objectives of USPS: community service, continuing education, and enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of our fellow members. For more, go to USPS.org.
About BoatUS and BoatUS Foundation:
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its over half-million members with government representation, services such as 24-hour dispatch, on water boat towing as well as roadside assistance for boat trailers and tow vehicles, feature-packed boat insurance programs, money-saving benefits and vital information that improves the boating, fishing and sailing lifestyle. Its 501(c)(3) nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating, and provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America’s waterways and keeping boating safe. For more, go to BoatUS.com or BoatUS.org.
Our thanks to Captain Wright for this first hand report from USCG public hearings concerning the proposed All Aboard Florida railway service from Miami to Orlando, as described earlier this month in /?p=146374.
I attended and spoke at the USCG hearings in Stuart re: St. Lucie River RR Bridge [/?p=5739] closings issue. While the USCG did state that they have no jurisdiction over the railroad, and therefore cannot take a position on the viability (or not) of All Aboard Florida’s (AAF) attempt to add 32 highs speed trains per day to the tracks between Miami and Orlando, USCG did say they are responsible and have jurisdiction over the waterways in so far as safe navigation is concerned. They can (and did in CT at the CT River Amtrak bridge in the 80’s) limit the closing of RR bridges if they interfere with the safe passage of vessels. The proposed AAG 32 high speed trains between Miami and Orlando would increase the `bridge close time’ to a total of 75 minutes every hour (greater than one hour for those not mathematically inclined) which represents not only a navigation safety issue, but is in actuality a `BLOCKADE’. To be successful with the USCG in this matter, we must focus on what the USCG can affect, which is the impact of the bridge closings on safe navigation of the waterways. Capt. Ken Wright, North Palm Beach, Florida
Skipper Starling’s report comes in response to an earlier posting on the heavy-handed practices of some FWC patrol officers, /?p=133874. Despite numerous complaints filed by experienced and law abiding boaters, Florida seems unable to control the over-zealous enforcement present in the FWC enforcement division, practices definitely not limited to the Keys.
Predatory practices by FWCC toward boaters in Key West Being shadowed by a boat with no lights while underway to the dock at sunset is unnerving , but when it turns out to be FWCC , it is worse. Now pulled over by FWCC, they mention running lights so I mention the sunglasses they still have on. No matter that it is literally moments after sunset. Their intention is to write a citation and generate income for FWCC and at the moment I have become that revenue resource. Minor infractions that should warrant a verbal warning are tickets. Worse yet , a few weeks later I receive a certified letter from FWCC . Inside, a citation for a non operational anchor light , which was issued in my absence from the vessel. It was issued at 6:32 , just after sunset when the ambient light was bright enough to keep the photo cell on my Davis auto anchor light from activating. This anchor light is an industry standard and turns on and off automatically . My vessel was not anchored in State waters but Navy bay bottom and not in navigable waters. I have lost any respect for the newly inducted Officers, as they lack the skills necessary to gain the confidence of the Citizens and form relationships that would benefit the FWCC and boating community. Older Veteran Officers do not operate in this manner and know that it creates animosity and results in the boating community not helping FWCC in investigations of serious violations due to bad experiences and distrust. FWCC wonders why the boating community doesn’t trust them , and refuses to cooperate . This is one example of their perception of boaters as a income revenue resource. Lee Starling
Share:
Comments from Cruisers (1)
Rick Emerson- January 30, 2015 - 7:29 pm
Sorry, but never ever not ever tell any officer something like “you’re wearing sunglasses after sunset”. Your ticket for the anchor light was, no doubt, payback for the comment.
Skipper Sonny Reeves is exploring the St. Johns River and, while we normally excerpt his marina reports as posted on his blog, this one is just too complete to edit, so open the link below and enjoy. Boathouse Marina overlooks the shores of the St. Johns River west-southwest of Palatka City Marina and marker #1. Cruisers docking here are within walking easy distance of the shops and restaurants in downtown Palatka.
Huckins Boat Yard is located on the northern shores of the Ortega River off the St. Johns River, just upstream of the Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge with a 45ft vertical clearance. Skipper Reeves joins other skippers in praising Huckins Boat Yard. See /?p=128570
FYI, I can’t say enough about how nice the experience at Huckins was for us. Sonny Reeves
Huckins is the best. We had a fuel tank replaced by them and some more work done to the Leprechaun 440 EB Sea Ray and I can’t say enough about them they are the top of the line service and very reasonabe on there price Richard and Justin were the best and PJ was on top of everthing and Trishia in the office could not have been better. If you need repairs get it there you will not be sorry.
Ditto this positive review of the Huckins Yard. They are a longtime custom boat builder with extensive facilities and equipment. They have weathered the down market in custom new-builds by cultivating their service operation. The workers are high-skill and conscientious, and management is on-site and responsive. Huckins has a reputation for being pricey, but their hourly rates are in-line with many yards, they go the extra mile to serve a customer, and their quality is such that you get full value for every dollar. They have worked on my boat several times, and I always leave satisfied. Alan Bliss
This charted spoil area is on the eastern side of a narrow Waterway channel abreast of Lake Park at the southern end of Lake Worth. As with all narrrow channels in the Waterway, care must be taken to stay in the channel!
FLORIDA ‘“ AICW – PALM SHORES TO WEST PALM BEACH ‘“ LAKE WORTH NORTH: Hazard to Navigation/Shallow Area The USCG received a report of a shallow area of approximately 4ft in position 26-47.652’N/080-02.701’W located in the Spoil Area east of the Intracoastal Waterway just north of the Florida AIA Bridge in West Palm Beach, Fl. Mariners are advised to use caution while transiting the area. Chart 11472 LNM: 02/15
If you are a charter boat or know someone who does captained charters, let us hear from you. We have to assume that Ms Olsen is referring to the St. Johns River as “north central Florida.”
We are looking for a 3 or 4 nite trip in the waterways of north central Florida. There would be 2 coupels who would like to entertain the idea of a captain with sleeping quarters for us and stops and picturesque towns for food and exploration. Can you give us some ideas of how to arrange such a trip? Thank you Pam Olsen
Share:
Comments from Cruisers (1)
Thomas Bonnett- January 16, 2015 - 2:26 pm
I am a charter captain and own a 60′ Hatteras convertible that we do use for charters such as your request. Moviing boat to st Augustine February 1, will be in Jacksonville Beach till then. We customize the trip to your wishes. My ph # is 612-251-4436. My business is Seahorse Charters&Cruises LLC. Regards, Capt Tom Bonnett
Access to Dania Beach Marina from the ICW is restricted by a fixed bridge with 18ft vertical clearance, but the marina is well protected and located on the beach. The entrance channel is on the east side of the Waterway just north of the Dania Beach Boulevard Bascule Bridge. Skipper Mahler’s comments are from the AGLCA Forum.
Try dania beach municipal marina. It Is 2 miles south of port everglades inlet. Brand new marina, concrete floating docks. $750 per month annual I think $900 monthly. The price is by the slip not by the foot, slips can handle up to 50×17. Edward Mahler
Lake Park Harbor Marina is on the west side of the Waterway, one mile north of Lake Worth Inlet. These comments from Skipper Pattison are from the AGLCA Forum.
Unless you can find a private home with available dock space, rates for most places in SE Florida are pretty silly. The farther north you go, the better the rates. We’ve used Lake Park City Marina for several years and find it to be a good place to keep a boat. Their amenities are not great but the rates are better than most and they have great floating docks. Here is the link to their website: http://www.lakeparkmarina.com/ Dockmaster Ken is knowledgeable and a great help for anything you might need. Tell him we said hi if you go there. Jim Pattison m/v Samba & Island Bound
As described in Jim Flannery’s article below in Soundings Trade Only Today, the USCG got more than they bargained for when they requested comments on three railway bridges, see /?p=145271
Florida boaters flood Coast Guard with comments on bridge openings Posted on January 7th, 2015 Written by Jim Flannery
The Coast Guard gathered around 3,000 comments in hearings in November about the navigation needs of mariners at three railroad drawbridges that run over the New River in Fort Lauderdale, the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter and the St. Lucie River in Stuart, according to Barry Dragon, chief of bridge administration for the Seventh Coast Guard District.
Half to two-thirds of those comments registered concern with the All Aboard Florida high-speed passenger service proposed for the 128.5-mile Florida East Coast Railroad corridor from Miami to Cocoa and a new 40-mile east-west rail corridor on state-owned right-of-way from Cocoa to Orlando. But Dragon said that wasn’t the hearings’ purpose. The purpose was to gather information on how mariners use those waterways and what their `reasonable navigation needs’ at the bridges are ‘” today.
`The hardest part was getting mariners to tell me what their needs are, not what they think about All Aboard Florida,’ Dragon said.
I attended and spoke at the USCG hearings in Stuart re: St. Lucie River RR Bridge closings issue. While the USCG did state that they have no jurisdiction over the railroad, and therefore cannot take a position on the viability (or not) of All Aboard Florida’s (AAF) attempt to add 32 highs speed trains per day to the tracks between Miami and Orlando, USCG did say they are responsible and have jurisdiction over the waterways in so far as safe navigation is concerned. They can (and did in CT at the CT River Amtrak bridge in the 80’s) limit the closing of RR bridges if they interfere with the safe passage of vessels. The proposed AAG 32 high speed trains between Miami and Orlando would increase the “bridge close time” to a total of 75 minutes every hour (greater than one hour for those not mathematically inclined) which represents not only a navigation safety issue, but is in actuality a “BLOCKADE”. To be successful with the USCG in this matter, we must focus on what the USCG can affect, which is the impact of the bridge closings on safe navigation of the waterways. Capt. Ken Wright, North Palm Beach, Florida
This article and video by David Flesher from the Sun Sentinel will be of great interest to the divers in our cruising community, particularly those of you located between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale.
The off-shore locations of the coral are listed in the article.
Our thanks to our good friend, David Burnham, for sending in this item from the Palatka Daily News. This reopening is certainly good news for all our trailering compadres. The new launch ramps are part of a waterfront development project begun earlier this year.See link below. The ramps are a feature of Riverfront Park just southwest of the Hwy 17 Bridge.
Palatka, FL has reopened the City Dock Launch Ramps in time for the Christmas Holidays. Although the new restroom facilities have yet to be built, the four new launch ramps with floating docks next to the Palatka City Dock are now available for use. The new landscaping and picnic areas look attractive and are similar to the overall waterfront improvement proposal.
The new signs say that mooring for more than 48 hours at the dock requires prior approval by the City if you call (386)329-0100. The older signs still say that the Dock facilities close at 9PM and reopen at 5AM which implies that overnight docking is not permitted. So it is a good idea to call ahead as usage policies may be flexible as construction and improvements continue. David Burnham
Located on the eastern shore of Biscayne Bay, Crandon Park Marina at 4000 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne, FL, is a Miami-Dade County facility associated with Crandon Park Beach. The location looks very inviting and they do take transients on a space-available, no advance reservations, basis.
We live on Key Biscayne. Just a tip. There is good provisioning in Key Biscayne on Crandon Blvd in the village. Take the bus, every 20-30 minutes southbound right at the marina. Every third bus goes down Harbor Drive and is less convenient. There is grocery, restaurants and every sort of shopping just 5 miles away. Best beaches in Crandon Park and Bill Baggs State Park. I believe moorings are only for sailboats. Enjoy. Gregory Han
Definitely no trawlers on the mooring although they were half empty when we tried to get in 2 years ago. They do not monitor VHF and were very unfriendly towards us. Very disappointed after going right up the channel and nowhere is it clear that sail boats only on moorings. Expensive to dock so we went to Dinner Key. Would not bother there again.
The entrance channel leading to Fort Pierce City Marina, a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, runs to the west, just south of the Fort Pierce high-rise bridge, and well north of unlighted daybeacon #188.
Subj: The First Set of New Docks Are Now Open! 12/17/2014 09:43 AM 1600 Linear Feet of new dockage is now available!!!!!
Anne Maurer Fort Pierce City Marina 772-464-1245 FPCM@city-ftpierce.com
The two St. Augustine mooring fields are north and south of the Bridge of Lions in the heart of St. Augustine. The northern mooring field is nearest the St. Augustine inlet and is more often subject to wind and wave action. Skipper MacKay is responding to inquiries about maximum vessel length in the mooring field. St. Augustine Marina states that the field is designed for vessels up to 120ft.
Anchored just [south] of the Castle last week (Nov, 2014) at the advice of harbor staff since there were no moorings available. No problems. As for size in mooring field, I’ve seen some 60 plus foot boats in there. Shouldn’t be an issue. John MacKay
The Melbourne Harbor Marina entrance channel cuts west, abeam of unlighted daybeacon #6, south of the Melbourne twin, high-rise bridges.
We tried to get into the harbour last night and hit bottom in the middle of the channel with our 5 ft draft. We had told them we were 5 ft and was told that there was plenty of water. The marina response to our telling them that we were aground was `Call Sea Tow or Boat Tow’ it was late afternoon and blowing 18-20. Eventually we got off and were told to keep to the red markers.. We said no thank you and asked for the nearest marina south which was 15 miles so we went four miles back to Telemar which was very welcoming. Paul Robson
We attempted getting in there last spring, but were reading very low water. We draw 5’6 and also told by the marina “no problem”. Bull!! We ended up bailing after some very tense moments. Debra Bryan
Murphy Island is on the south shore of the St. Johns River, south of Palatka. In addition to the free dock described by Skipper Gorham, there are two recommended anchorages in Murphy Creek (see links below). For more on Murphy Island, go to: http://www.sjrwmd.com/recreationguide/murphycreek/
Free dock stopover on the St. John’s River at Murphy Island We came upon a nice little stopover on our recent river cruise. On the river between Dunns Creek and the railroad bridge at Buffalo Bluff, the St John’s River Water Management District has built a nice little floating dock that allows access to Murphy Island and its picnic area and several miles of nature trails. The dock is right next to marker 22 at 29 degrees 35.756′ N by 081 Degrees 39.292’W. There is very deep water on the approach and about 6 feet along the 40 foot long floating face dock. We found it a nice quiet spot to overnight, and it is also a very quick and easy stop for both human and canine crew to stretch their legs for a bit on the trails. Jonathan Gorham
Maybe it is all the “gunk-holing” we used to do in the Chesapeake or the river-running we did in coastal Georgia, but this is the kind of boating adventure my family loves. And as Skipper Gorham attests, unmarked waterways like Dunns Creek are often very beautiful and just require slow travel and a sharp lookout. Good for you Skipper Gorham! Dunns Creek exits the St. Johns southward between Murphy and Rat Islands, south of Palatka.
A St. Johns side trip down Dunns Creek to Crescent Lake Crescent Lake is the third largest Lake in Florida, and is connected to the St. Johns River by Dunns Creek. It doesn’t get many visits from cruising size craft, probably because Dunns Creek is a bit intimidating, but we recently took an overnight trip to the charming town of Crescent City, and it was worth the trip.
Dunns Creek joins the St. Johns near marker 16 upstream of Palatka and winds for about 5 miles through beautiful hardwood swamp to the north end of Crescent Lake. Most of the creek is quite deep at 20 to 40 feet, but there are no navaids, and in places the depth rises very sharply to shallow sandbars that you cannot see due to the tannin stained water, which can cause a little anxiety. By favoring the outside of the creek bends and paying attention to the very accurate bathymetry on our Navionics chart chip, we never saw less than 6 feet. There is a broad shallow area at the north end of the lake, but we also never saw less than 6 feet crossing that.
Once in Crescent Lake, there is a uniform depth of 10-12 feet all the way to Crescent City. At 29 degrees 25.822’N by 081 degrees 30.338′ W, there is a public ramp and landing with about 6 feet of water and a 50 foot face dock. Also here is the restaurant 3 Bananas, which has docking for dinghies and small craft. We had a fine dinner there and were allowed to overnight on their dock. Just offshore within dinghy distance to the docks is Bear Island, which has 7-10 feet of water 360 degrees around the island and good holding in sandy mud for an overnight anchorage.
The town of Crescent City is very pleasant to walk around, with huge live oaks and a lot of antique stores. Also don’t miss the 600 year old white cypress right behind 3 Bananas – it is one of the largest and oldest trees of its kind in Florida. Jonathan Gorham
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Lake Park
Be the first to comment!