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. The report below is from the AGLCA Forum.
We stayed at Las Olas [Municipal Docks] when we passed through Ft. Lauderdale. We really like the facilities, and the beach was a walk or easy bike ride away from the marina. I needed diesel oil and had a ride of about 15 miles round trip to find it. We rented a car for a couple days and enjoyed Ft Lauderdale. We tried to leave for the Bahamas from there on a good day, but came back to tie up because our radar stopped working as we left the harbour. Dave Sea Ya – Tolly 44 M/Y
Cooleys Landing is one of three City of Fort Lauderdale owned and managed dockage facilities. Cooleys Landing is the most upstream (on New River) of these three facilities. A host of restaurants (including the memorable “Shirttail Charleys”) are within easy walking distance!
Las Olas Municipal Docks - Click for Chartview
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. The report below is from the AGLCA Forum.
There are two centers for marinas in Fort Lauderdale. You have to decide if you prefer to stay near the beach or downtown which is two miles up New River. Cooley’s Landing is the municipal marina downtown on the New River. I believe Cooley’s Landing has a 50 foot limit and may be tight for your 49 foot boat. Las Olas is the municipal marina on the ICW near the beach. Las Olas can accommodate larger boats on the ends of their Tee-docks. Las Olas has gated security on each dock. The Water Taxi stops close to both marinas. We have stopped at both of these marinas. Of course, there are dozens of other marinas! Alan Lloyd Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes http://www.NavigationNotes.com
Broad Causeway Bridge, located just north of Miami, and with a closed vertical clearance of 16ft and a horizontal clearance of 80ft, crosses the Waterway at Statute Mile 1081.5, south of marker #13.
The Broad Causeway bridge south of Baker Haulover inlet, south of MM1080, has only one span operational. I was told by bridge tender if you need full opening you need to give them a THREE hour notice. He also said repairs on bridge would last a month or two. Denny DeRanek
Flagler Memorial Bridge, with a closed vertical clearance of 17ft, crosses the Waterway and Lake Worth at Statute Mile 1021, south of unlighted daybeacon #10. The former openings were twice hourly. Royal Park Bridge, with a closed vertical clearance of 20ft, crosses the Waterway at Statute Mile 1022.5, south of unlighted daybeacon #14. The former openings were on the hour and half-hour. Southern Boulevard – S.R. 700 Bridge, with a closed vertical clearance of 14ft, crosses the Waterway and southern Lake Worth at Statute Mile 1025, south of unlighted daybeacon #20. A big Thank You to Captain Healy for alerting us to these schedule changes. Now, even these schedules seem to be changing almost daily. See /?p=127999
Flagler Bridge (StM 1021.8): As of early November, 2013, bridge restrictions have changed. WORSE! MUCH WORSE! The bridge now opens hourly at the top of the hour. That’s it. Massive construction involving foundation rehabilitation is taking place at this bridge. Much heavy construction equipment is on scene. Saturday, 11/16/2013, the span was continuously open. Not sure if that’s the case all the time. Plan very carefully in this area!
Royal Park Bridge (StM 1022.6): As of early November, 2013, bridge restrictions have changed. Hopefully temporary. WORSE! The bridge now opens hourly on the quarter hour. Weekdays, it skips the morning opening at 08h15 and the evening opening at 16h15. This works well for Southbound traffic, but not at all well for Northbound traffic. That’s it.
Southern Boulevard Bridge (1024.7): As of early November, 2013, bridge restrictions have changed. The bridge now opens twice hourly on the hour and half-hour. Jim Healy
The North Lake Worth anchorage dinghy landing (just a small beach north of Little Lake Worth bridge) was the cause of much discussion in August of 2012 (see /?p=93324). Captain Kat is asking for advice from anyone who might have used the landing recently.
Hi everyone, What is the current status of this dinghy landing? We will be heading that way soon and it is a very important spot for last minute stores. What if anything is the alternative? Kat
As of Nov. 17th, 2013, the beach in the creek which flows into the North end of North Lake Worth anchorage, remains the same as it has been, a reasonably good dinghy landing. Probably best to lock your dinghy. Publix close by and a BIG West Marine just 1 block South of PGA Blvd (moved from old location North of PGA Blvd). Regards, Mike, Carolyn & Catcher the cat On NAVIGATOR
The Titusville mooring field lies south of the Titusville harbor entrance channel leading to Titusville City Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
This is not a great place in a Norther . We were working on our boat in Westland Marina and on the morning of the 13th of Nov saw that 3 sailboats had been blown ashore and the rest on the moorings and in the anchorage were having a wild time of riding the storm . So if you have to be in Titusville, when a Norther is forecast, anchoring is not a good idea; picking up a mooring is safer, but the The Westland Marina would be your best choice for comfort since even the Municipal Marina can be a bit rolly facing the channel entrance. Galley Slave Kat
Captains Mike and Maura Mulcahy have had a wonderful, quiet southern migration until the last two stops, see /?p=127292 and the report below. Our tall masted readers are sure to enjoy this latest episode of the Mo and Mike saga. Lake Sylvia lies to the south, southeast of marker #13, itself just south of huge Bahia Mar Marina.
Update – we BASHED out of the Palm Beach Inlet in heavy swells two days ago – headed south into what we read were to be 2/4 ‘ waves and 12-15 kt winds… WRONGO! We had 6-8 EASY and 17-22 kt winds. The winds were great but the occasional 9′ swell/wave on our port after quarter were nasty! Some friends said the gulf stream is real close / narrow here and we may have encountered it. It was a bumpy arse ride for 9 hours. Not pleasant. Our water pump crapped out just as we approached Port of Everglades inlet. We were sailing just fine – closer to sure and the waves subsided. However, we did call TowBoat US (Mike’s a TowBoat US Captain) and they were kind enough to tow us to Lake Sylvia – Sylvia Lake. You have to hug the seawall to the north to get in but once you are in here it’s wonderful. 7-10’ depths. Nice protection (especially for this week as we are holing up here til Sat/Sun). We are one of 6 sailboats here. Quiet so far aside from a party in one of the mansions ashore last night which ended early. Nice thing about this anchorage – we can dingy to the Southport Raw Bar in 15 minutes. Anchor our dingy and hit up a Winn Dixie, Walgreens and there is also a couple nail/hair salons and a dry cleaner. Not sure if it’s a laundromat also. Southport Raw Bar DOES NOT ALLOW DOGS ANYMORE. Girl there said a wait staffer had been bitten… stinks! :-(( For $20 we can head North to the City Marina and do laundry, showers, wifi etc. or we can check out the Cabana Club nearby where Mike just walked the dogs today. Ok, that’s the report so far. Finally recovering from the 9 hour beating. Guess I’m a wimpy sailor – we were safe, just stressful and physically demanding. Peace, Mo
Lake Worth Inlet Anchorage lies in the deep water south of the Lake Worth Inlet approach channel’s flashing daybeacon #11. Loggerhead Riviera Marina is a dry storage facility located north of Riviera Beach Bridge (Blue Heron Blvd) on the western side of the Waterway, southwest of Marker #36. See http://www.loggerheadrivierabeach.com/contact.htm
Greetings! Anchored here now. Been gusting to 30 plus NE most of the night and lots of freighters coming in and out. I’d prefer we anchored south more further from the inlet but we found a spot with 13′ and liked it. Holding well with 85 or so feet of chain out but bouncy (which is why I’m writing this at 12:44 but that’s just me. Further south about 20 vessels. Near us 5 and 3 appear to be locals. We dingied to Loggerhead Marina ‘“ just beyond Blue Heron bridge and bought drinks and used their dock to walk 2 mins to Publix. It was a wet dinghy over but saved us from going to Riviera Marina, paying $10 and walking a mile to Publix. Moving to a more protected area today or just more south. Mo and Mike
Be wary of in the main Lake Worth anchorage when you have strong S or N wind, which will set up wind-against-tide. I have dragged (and watched others drag) after a day or two of piouretting around the anchor in such conditions. What happens is that the motion wraps a chain ball around the anchor’“any kind of anchor’“and then off you go. This is the only anchorage where I routinely anchor bow-and-stern for exactly that reason. Larry Shick
Seven Seas Marina & Boatyard lies east-northeast of unlighted daybeacon #56, and just north of the Port Orange high-rise bridge. And $1.00 per foot is almost unheard of these days!
A `GREAT’ marina!! The set up is nice and so are the people. Lots of beautiful flowers and trees, they give you rides to Publix to stock up, found everything I needed in the [ship’s] store up front to do a few repairs to the boat, Pats Cafe for a delicious breakfast, and OMG’¦ the sunsets. Went for a nice walk on the beach (close by). Cheap rates too ($1.00ft). Very happy!! Marina Mike
The Titusville mooring field lies south of the Titusville harbor entrance channel leading to Titusville Muncipal Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!. This report and photos came to us from Captains Mo and Mike.
We just cruised down from Ponce on the ICW – nice easy cruise (sans some giant powerboats that were kind enough to share giant wakes with us, then proceed to stop in the middle of the ICW at the turn, then cut in front of us at the bascule bridge!) Ok, enough venting. We traveled on to Titusville and after reading info here and on another site, we learned that the anchorage now has a mooring field HOWEVER, you can anchor North of the mooring field if you draw around 4″6″ as we do. I suspect some boats here draw more. At low tide (.8) we had 5.5″ or better. We just felt our way in and found a nice spot. A tad bumpy in a blow – it’s NNE about 15 today and bumpy but not uncomfortable. You’ll get damp on the way back out however… It’s a bit of a dinghy ride to the marina and about 1/4 mile walk to the little grocery store which was very clean but limited selection. Restaurant under the bridge is Crackerjacks and the fish tacos were great! Monday night is Trivia night – good crowd and very friendly staff. Enjoy – anchor and save your $15/20 [mooring fee] for your cocktails! 🙂 Mo S/V Mi Amante
Titusville Anchorage - Titusville Municipal Marina in Background
Rockhouse Creek is just north of New Smyrna Beach and northeast of Marker #12. This anchorage is not listed in our anchorage directory, but we have received a number of favorable reports. Our thanks to Mo and Mike for their report and the excellent photos.
Greetings, heading down to meet friends in Vero. Currently had a bit of a bumpy ride down from St. Augustine Inlet from Sebastian and we are now anchored in Rockhouse Creek. Great spot, thanks for the advice. Looking to provision between here and Vero and/ or anchor if we just poke along and make it a two day trip. Mo and Mike
Not always the best on weekends. Frequent high speed local traffic. Folks `day anchoring’ often anchor badly given the current and with stereo blasting. Chris and Janet
“One and Only Anchorage” lies on the eastern shore of the Waterway, south of flashing green daybeacon #17, and just north of the San Pablo Bridge. It is considered the only safe anchorage in the Jacksonville Beach area, thus its unusual name.
Anchored here now, Tuesday the 22nd of October. We found the 15′ ish spot that was referenced. It’s on the NE side about 200′ yards away from the bridge near the marsh. We were (well, my husband Mike was) able to walk the dogs for a much needed stop. Yes, the traffic from the bridge is not serenity but it’s a nice spot. Only one abandoned sailboat here on the other shore near the docks ‘“ little Cat 22’ if I’m not mistaken. Men on the bridge (lower bridge) are fishing for trout after work. Current is quite strong it seems. That is the report from here. Day two of our adventure on our new boat ‘“ a 39’ Allied Mistress who’s been so well maintained it’s insane. God bless the prior owners, the Diechtrich’s from Canada! Mo & Mike (or Mike & Mo) from S/V Mi Amante
Just be sure not to anchor too close to the marsh ‘“ it drops off like a cliff! Mo and Mike
River City Marina lies on the southerly banks of the St. Johns River between the Main Street lift bridge and the fixed, high-rise Acosta Bridge. This report comes from our friends of the AGLCA Forum. When I last visited this facility, about two years ago, it had a definite “down on its luck” atmosphere, but at least Captain Kuemmel’s report below indicates the adjacent restaurant and micro-brewery are well worth your gastronomical attention!
We stumbled upon another Jacksonville craft brewery. Directly across the river from Jacksonville Landing, between the Acosta Bridge and the Main St Bridge, is the River City Marina and the adjacent River City Brewing Company. The marina floating docks show quite a bit of wear & tear, and you have to deal with the 2-4 kt river current, but the dockmaster Lee is extremely helpful. The slips have 40-50′ boats staying as liveaboards. We topped off fuel before heading up the St Johns River, so we stayed on the T-face while we ate lunch. Their restaurant has been around 20 years, serves excellent food, and is popular with the business crowd. The brewery is only a couple years old, and their current license allows them to sell their beers only at their restaurant/bar. They are now trying to expand both brewery capacity and distribution. Overall, a very good lunch stop. Jim Kuemmel
Cocoa Village Marina occupies the mainland side of the Waterway, just north of the Cocoa bridge and only a few quick steps from the downtown Cocoa business district!
The folks at the marina are easy to deal with, BoatUS discount and the best Thai food you will ever eat. Thai Thai Sushi restaurant has the best Pad Thai and Yellow Chicken Shrimp Curry you will ever eat. Fun town to visit. Don Brown
Captain Bell provides information concerning a discussion of vertical clearances of Daytona’s Waterway fixed spans that has been ongoing for the past year. See /?p=105885
The clearance gauges for the fixed bridges in Daytona read “Minimum Clearance”. It is the shortest distance measured down to the water within the bridge span between the opposing piers. In other words if you pass through at the center of the arched span you can add the additional clearance the arching beam provides. Example. The Twin Bridges gives you at least another 1 1/2 feet at the center. Safe cruising. Dave Bell
The Titusville mooring field lies south of the Titusville harbor entrance channel and this report was copied from Cruisers Forum ( http://www.cruisersforum.com/)
The Titusville moorings are sitting in the middle of the river and it can get pretty rough when the winds blow from almost any direction. That makes it pretty tough to get in and out of a dinghy and makes for a very wet ride to shore. Chuck
We think all of you computer savvy folks (note that we didn’t say “nerds”) will appreciate this website that has webcam still shots of St. Lucie Inlet and Manatee Pocket. http://www.stlucieinlet.com/ A spokesperson for the webpage relates that they have been having some problems with the website and with the cameras, including an irregular updating of the webcam pictures. They hope to have all issues resolved soon and can post a schedule of picture updating. Note: checked the website today, 10/16/2013, and it seems to be updating the photos properly.
For years now, a debate has raged here on the SSECN, and virtually EVERY other nautical web site and forum, about the so-called “Magenta Line” which appears on NOAA charts covering the various Southeastern USA waterways (and probably in other USA regions as well). The “magenta line” is SUPPOSED to show the best path to take, in order to keep to the best depths. HOWEVER, as many have pointed out, that is NOT always the case. In fact, sometimes, following the magenta line can leave your vessel high and dry! Now, apparently due more to budgetary considerations than complaints that the “magenta line” does not (at least in places) properly portray the correct channel, NOAA is considering dumping this chart feature entirely. NOAA is asking for comment and input from the cruising community concerning this deletion. See linked article below for URL’s and e-mail addresses where your point of view can be recorded. Our thanks to Captain Quinn for sending us the latest official bulletins from the Department of Commerce re the status of the Magenta Line. And our thanks to Captain Jim Healy for first passing along this question from the SW Florida district of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. All boaters should respond to Federal sources given below, or to Mr. Michael Henderson, S. Florida and Caribbean Navigation Manager, OCS, at southflorida.navigation@noaa.gov. And, by the way, this proposed deletion has brought a FLOOD of comment from the cruising community, both on the SSECN, and on other nautical web sites and forums. Follow this link for LOTS MORE information on this subject, and a sampling of cruising community reaction and input:
Latest NOAA Chart 11472 Showing New Marina Entrance Channel
Fort Pierce City Marina (a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR) has been undergoing a massive improvement project for many months now. In an interview conducted by the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net with our good friend, and Fort Pierce City Harbormaster, Captain Dean Kubitschek, on 10/1/13, we learned this undertaking is almost finished. While there are still a few “punch list” tasks to perform, the many construction barges and cranes have largely departed the scene, and all will be gone, and the artificial island building project fully complete, within a week. Among many other improvements, a series of artificial barrier islands have been constructed east of the marina dockage complex (see photo below). These isles will act as a wave break during foul weather, and will be a huge improvement over the old, open to wind and wave, arrangement. Next, the Fort Pierce entrance channel has now been dredged to a minimum MLW depth of 7.5 feet, with typical MLW soundings of 8.75 feet. That’s really GOOD news for skippers who pilot vessels drawing 6 to 6 1/2 feet. And, the channel is now newly marked and FINALLY correctly charted, providing much easier access to this first-class facility! Throughout this entire renovation project, transient wet slip space has been available, and THAT IS STILL VERY MUCH THE CASE! Fort Pierce City Marina is looking to welcome a host of visiting cruisers as the fall, 2013 transient season progresses!
New Fort Pierce City Marina Barrier Islands
Two other improvements well worth noting are upgraded Wi-Fi internet access throughout the harbor, and seriously upgraded men’s bathrooms, complete with NEW, climate controlled showers. The women’s facilities, which were in much better shape originally, will be improved within the next several months! Next up, construction of new floating docks will begin in February, 2014, with construction being complete in approximately 14 months.This will allow Fort Pierce City Marina to accommodate any size vessel. About the only less than positive news is that the marina’s fuel tanks are in the process of being replaced, and neither gasoline nor diesel fuel is currently available. This situation will be resolved within the next six weeks, and skippers can once again fill their hungry tanks at the Fort Pierce City Marina fuel dock.
The renovations and improvements at Fort Pierce City Marina are a clear case of the best just getting better. Going back to the days when I wrote my paper, “Cruising Guide to Eastern Florida,” we have noted time and time again that never will you find a better managed municipal marina that the Fort Pierce operation. May we be so bold as to strongly suggest that all cruisers heading south for this fall and winter cruising season give their highest priority to a Fort Pierce City Marina visit! You won’t be sorry!
Melbourne Harbor Marina features a well sheltered harbor, and it’s within a very quick step of the community’s downtown business district. I have not heard of “The Mansion” restaurant (see below) before, but you can bet we’ll be checking it out the next time our bow finds its way to this facility!
The admiral found a quaint British shop in downtown Melbourne on the Internet and made the decision for us to stop in Melbourne, FL. We found the harbor marina to be a great location within walking distance to the downtown area. We found several unique shops including a homemade soap store, but the real highlight was a new restaurant called The Mansion! It has been recently remodeled, is clean, great food (from sandwiches to steaks) and it has a wine market and liquor store within a block of the marina. The best part for me, was the 73 craft beers on tap and available on the shelf to purchase and bring back to the boat. Dean & Beth are the owners, 1218 East New Haven Ave is the address. Hope you like it as much as we did. http://www.thebigmansion.com Bill Borchert
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