Located south-southeast of unlighted daybeacon #27, Titusville Municipal Marina is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
We had a GREAT stay at Titusville Municipal Marina. They are running a fantastic special right now that is buy 1 night, get 1 night free so it ended up costing us $.80 cents/foot/night (plus $6 a night for 30 AMP electric). The docks are fixed docks but because there is almost no tidal flow here, it didn’t matter. Clean shower facilities. Laundry is ridiculously inexpensive ($1 wash, $.50 cents dry!). There a a public bus ($1.25) that picks up at the corner of Marina Rd and US 1 that runs to Wal-Mart on the hour. LOTS of manatee in the marina, we had about 3 drinking the dripping water off the dock when we were filling our water tanks. Fun to watch them. Special note to dog owners, there is a brand new dog park located at Marina Park adjacent to the marina (north side). It has a big and small dog park and is a nice facility. We definitely recommend a stop here, the staff were friendly as were the boaters who live at the marina (invited us to their Saturday night pot-luck), we have on occasion not received a friendly vibe from the live-aboard communities at some other marinas but here, the folks were extremely welcoming. Nicole
Well, these pictures speak for themselves, and we sincerely thank Captain Benton for passing them along to the Cruisers’ Net! And, let’s also note that Fort Pierce City Marina is a much valued SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!!!
Claiborne Here’s proof that the Fort PIerce City Marina has a ” Full Service ” fuel dock Bill Benton aboard ” Courtship”
Many of you have asked for more info on the “vehicle” pictured in the photos below. We queried Fort Pierce City Marina, and Catpan Bill Benton was kind enough to respond:
Claiborne Anne ( at the Fort Pierce City Marina) asked me to send you a synopsis of what occurred with the seaplane that landed out in front of the marina. As you probably recall, this is an older seaplane built in 1947 that left on June 15 from Nassau intending to land at the St. Lucie County Airport. He almost made it but due to a fuel leak, was forced to land on the water in front of the city marina. The plane engine was designed to run on regular gasoline as opposed to Avgas and was refueled by Craig Kilgore at the city marina fuel pumps. The plane was equipped with a variable pitch propeller which was stuck in reverse causing him all kinds of problems trying to taxi out of the marina. I towed him out into the area in front of the marina and, frankly, was scared to death when 30 yards or so out in the Indian River and still under tow he started the engine up and began to increase the RPMs. I didn’t realize it at the time but in order to shift the propeller from reverse into forward he needed the engine at increased RPMs and oil pressure. I had visions of my 14 foot Edgewater dinghy ` Jester’ being run over by an airplane and was more than a little bit nervous. The propeller shifted into forward and I quickly disconnected the tow line and began backing away as fast as I could. The tip of the Port wing actually passed over the bow of my dinghy. He tried several times to take off but was unable to for some reason. He finally shut the engine down and I towed him back into Moore’s creek, backed the plane into the launching ramp and a good Samaritan with a pickup truck tied a line to his Tailhook and pull him backwards up into the parking lot. The plane sat there until Sunday, June 19 while the owner/pilot dealt with all of the Government agencies involved. Customs and Border Protection, FAA, Coast Guard, County Sheriff, City Police, Parking Enforcement ( parked a plane in an area reserved for vehicles with trailers) and hundreds of admirers. The pilot and I were involved in a number of conversations over the days and he asked me to tow him out of Moore’s creek and into the area in front of the marina early Sunday morning. In the interim, he used borrowed 5 gallon gas cans to add additional gasoline to the plane’s tank and at about 7:30 Sunday morning I towed him out to the area in front of the marina. He taxied for a few minutes out in front of the marina during which time he apparently checked his gauges and instruments, finally taking off southbound where he got airborne quickly. He made a slow circle around the Marina area and on his second pass wiggled the wings to say goodbye. He called me about 10 minutes later and told me that he had landed safely at the St. Lucie County Airport, was topping off his fuel tank and was ready to head home. He called me again early in the afternoon to thank me for my help and advise me that he was safely at home in Bell, Florida, about 30 miles west of Gainesville. So ends the story. Bill Benton aboard ” Courtship”
Being an old airplane driver, I believe this is a Republic Aviation `SeaBee’ Republic Aviation of P-47, F-84, F-105 fighter fame went into the civil aviation business after WW II. Good to see some are still around Reginald Holden
Hey, that looks just like the one I carry around on my seaplane catapult on the fantail just aft of turret four. Rich Gano
Gee!, Does the airplane have right-of-way over a sailboat when its taking off??? Al
Wow. I never cease to be amazed at the `wonders on the water’’¦’¦’¦ Is that a officer of the law or USCGstanding there looking at the `aero-aqua craft’??? Winston Fowler
Middle River, the site of the anchorage described briefly below by Captain Nicole, cuts west from the AICW, between markers #3 and #4. I am very familiar with these waters, having operated out of Middle River a couple of years ago while researching a new edition of “Cruising Guide to Eastern Florida.” Heretofore, I’ve always shrank from recommending anchorage on these waters due to consistent reports that cruisers dropping the hook here were being hassled by the local water cops. However, with the new Florida anchoring law hopefully protecting us all, perhaps these waters can be considered as an overnight anchorage. Of course, as Captain Nicole notes, on weekends in particular, all the jet skis and Cigarette boats can make for a very bumpy stay!
To save even more cash in Fort Lauderdale there is a GREAT anchorage in the Middle River. Gets a touch wakey on the weekends but weekdays and at night, this anchorage is well protected and has awesome dinghy dock access on a floating dock in a public park. Nicole
If you have been following Cruisers’ Net, you almost certainly know there is an issue about whether the newly rebuilt Bridge of Lions that crosses the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in St. Augustine, Florida, has less than its charted, mean high water, closed vertical clearance of 25 feet. Since the completion of the bridge in 2010, many cruisers have questioned the charted height and as a result, Cruisers’ Net has recommended counting on only 22 feet at MHW.
There has been controversy of how much clearance there really is. Today we traversed south to north at high tide (2:15 pm). Depth marker read 19 ft. Plus 4 ft. at center. We need 22 and cleared easily. No more issue. 23 ft at high tide. Larry Monty aboard Seaclusion
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! Cocoa Village Marina is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
We highly recommend Cocoa Village Marina for a night or two. It is within easy walking distance to downtown. The docks are new and there is pump out service at each slip at no extra charge. They offer discounts to MTOA members. The restrooms, laundry and lounge are clean and first rate. Aubrey and Jan Vaughan
Below is a note about Nettles Island Marina, an Eastern Florida facility that lies directly off the AICW, between Fort Pierce and Stuart.
Nettles Island Marina SM 979.3 Very nice stop. Minimum 8′ approach depth, 9′ at docks. Good restaurant on site and several others within walking distance. Marina has a well-stocked convenience store and small shopping plaza, Publix Market a short cab ride. 10% discount for Boat US. Does not answer VHF. Phone them at 772-229-2811. Bill Root
We visited Nettles Island Marina on 5/19 and found it be a very nice place. It’s not a 5 star resort but is clean and the dockmaster is extremely friendly and helpful. There are quite a few transient slips and several large boats were there. The only `negative’ is they are fixed docks and several boards need replacement. Other than that, we were very glad to have stayed there. The Landings restaurant was open during our visit for dinner only & the food was fine. I was more impressed with the other services on site like the fully stocked market. If you are in the area and would like a clean, secure berthing for a day or more, you should definitely check this out! Jack & Temme Peterson
Our good friends at Boat/US have asked the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net to help get the word out that they have just released an updated statement of Florida Anchoring Right, which are specifically designed for the use of cruisers, while they are underway. Boat/US has rendered the Cruising Community a GREAT service by formulating this document. May we humbly suggest that one and all make as much use of it as possible!
The Canaveral Barge Canal Extension departs the Waterway/Indian River at statute mile 894 east through a well marked channel at AICW marker #67, just north of the Florida A1A Bridge and continues east across the Banana River to Cape Canaveral Inlet. Port Canaveral Yacht Club is on the south side of the Inner Reach of the Canal.
Helping to deliver a friend’s sailing cat from VA to FL we entered the Port Canaveral Inlet, stopping at a wonderful facility between the Ocean Club and Cape Marina – the Port Canaveral Yacht Club for a night. They are open to transients, have incredibly reasonable (almost cheap!) rates – especially when compared to their neighbors. They have a bar onsite and a restaurant too (not always open – check in advance). We came in at around 5pm and were welcomed by the dockmaster (who is also a cruiser). We didn’t have a hose for water so he grabbed one from somebody for us. They then invited us up to the bar where we drank Guiness and Margaritas and partook of some food they had laid out for club members (most excellent stuffed baked potatoes, salads and brownies!). The bartender, Jeremy, most graciously drove us to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Afterwards, we took the opportunity to stretch our legs (after 3 days offshore) and walked the 3/4 mile or so back to the yacht club. They also have nice shower facilities. Anyway, good facility, good location, excellent rates and really nice people. What more do you need? Skipper Chris aboard s/v/ Pelican
Cruisers’ Net Bridge Directory has this bridge listed as 62ft and care needs to be taken at high tide as Almost Heaven relates below. The Broadway Bridge (E International Speedway Blvd) crosses the ICW at Statute Mile 830.5, south-southeast of unlighted daybeacons #33 and #34.
This Bridge is 62′! on a high tide we would not clear this bridge.(63.5 + Antennas) The Markers on the bridge clearly showed 63′ with the tide down 1 foot. Please consider the tide range when passing under the Broadway Bridge. The chart is INCORRECT as it shows 65′. Almost Heaven
This bridge needs a proper clearance board. ie: measurement. I crept under this spring with the board reading 63. My antenna usually hits at a 64 reading. Antenna did not hit. Skipper Paul Eckenroth
Our mast height is also 63.5′ + antennas, we passed under this bridge @ 8pm Sunday May 13th, 2012. The Bridge clearance guage showed 62′ but as we had previously cleared this bridge in the fall we gave it a very slow go weaving between the nav light. As far as we could tell not even our antenna touched (unlinke many other bridges on the AICW) which means there is at least 66+’ in the middle of the span. Andrew
The clearance boards indicate MINIMUM height. Run down the middle of the span and you add at least 1 1/2 feet. We confirmed this on October 11, 2013. After waiting seven hours to pass under using the range board, going under the center our ant. did not even touch.
The South Channel departs the Ponce de Leon Inlet and intersects the Waterway at green/red marker east of red marker#18 at Statute Mile 843 near New Smyrna Beach, FL. This anchorage lies just north of the South Channel – AICW intersection. We rate it as having poor foul weather protection weather rating. I suspect the shallow depths encountered by Captain Mason are part and parcel of the shoaling that has been taking place here for some time at the South Channel/AICW intersection. Deeper water would probably have been found a bit farther to the north, BUT you still have to bypass the unmarked shoals, and the tidal currents Captain Jason notes below are very much for real!
Tide moves too fast and there is bad shoaling. Boats go through sideways during a flow. Hit bottom 2 times with 5.8 keel, then finally got through with local help. You would be safer crossing the gulf stream with a north wind. Skipper Jason
Port Salerno Marine is west of green marker #1 near the south end of Manatee Pocket, departing west and southwest from the intersection of the AICW and Okeechobee Waterway in Stuart, FL. For the many cruisers who pass through Stuart, Fl. every year, this will be of interest to you. I recently had my 1985 Albin 36 trawler hauled at Port Salerno Marine for renovations. Jack Sharp runs the yard (772-223-5022) and, unlike some yard managers I’ve encountered, is friendly, welcoming and very helpful. This is a do-it yourself yard and you can do whatever you wish to bite off yourself, but independent (not yard employees) skilled professionals of every discipline at very reasonable prices are readily available in this Manatee Pocket location. I had the entire boat painted, Awlgrip above the waterline and bottom paint. The boat looks like new. Danny Cabrera (772-521-2732) and his crew did a flawless and detailed paint job at a very reasonable price. I also had a new genset and air conditioner installed with 3 new thru hulls and associated electrical panels. My mechanic, Bob Downey (772-485-4292) did a first class installation and really gave a lot of thought to locations, access, maintenance and aesthetics. A real pro, in the process he also caught a few unrelated electrical and hull issues that certainly will help the wife feel more secure on the way to the Bahamas or crossing the Gulf. Bob maintains a long term relationship with his “clients” and treats the boat like his own. The yard is located next to Finz restaurant with Walmart and many boating support companies in the immediate vicinity. Skipper Jim Tracey aboard Albin 36 “O’Dea” MTOA # 3919
The Jacksonville waterfront is 13 miles off the AICW on the St. Johns River and Jacksonville Landing is a downtown shopping mall/food court with a stage area for special events and concerts. The city marina Wade mentions is the Metropolitan Park Marina located northwest of St. Johns River flashing red marker #82.
This morning the tides/current were in our favor, so Shady Lady cruised about 19 miles up the St. Johns River to Jacksonville, stopping at the “free” dock downtown at Jacksonville Landing. As we approached we smelled coffee, then saw the Maxwell House factory near the river. “Free,” I say? Well, we walked around for a good part of the day, and at 5pm the monthly art festival and fashion show began. Many establishments feature the work of local artists, and some offer wine and snacks as well. The fashion show was kind of tacky, but the art displays got better after the 3rd glass of wine. Unfortunately for me we then went into a jewelry store to look at the art displayed there. Susie saw a necklace she “loved,” and the “free” dock suddenly became kind of pricey. One of our walks today took us down to the football stadium, where there is a city-run marina. If you have bikes on board, or like to walk, it’s a great deal! Free floating docks, free pump-out and free water. If you want electricity, there’s a kiosk that accepts your credit card and you purchase (for around $8 for 24 hours) electric power. The place was absolutely empty. Of course, there’s a charge if an event is going on. Back to Jacksonville Landing. The sign says rafting up to 5 deep can be required. There are only 3 other boats tonight, though, with plenty of empty dock space. The potty/manatee police also came by; very friendly and informative, but he carried a bottle of blue dye to test your holding tank if he became suspicious. The plan for tomorrow is to continue cruising up the river for a few hours, then turn back and dock for the night by the stadium. Wade Ehlen aboard MT36 Shady Lady
This anchorage is on the easterly waters of Peck Lake, east-southeast of flashing daybeacon #19.
We anchored at Peck Lake 5/3/11. We entered just south of Green 19 and saw nothing less than 13 feet. Head straight to the sign on the shore. We then anchored in 9 feet. Good holding. No bugs and no wind. It can be bouncy from the ICW. A great spot from which to head either north towards Vero or south to West Palm.
These two anchorages are on the waters of extreme southern Banana River, north and south of the charted Mathers 7-foot swing bridge departing the AICW at statute mile 914.
We spent several days here this April, anchored between the abandoned home on the Point and the yacht club in 15+ feet, in windy conditions. Great holding. Although Anchorage Yacht Basin, the marina directly at the entrance to the anchorage, no longer offers a dinghy dock because of misuse by cruisers several years ago, we used a sandy beach just east of the marina, with no problems from law enforcement. The marina said this spot is used all of the time. Must be because there is a well worn path up to the street, right past the No Trespassing sign. Captain David Power
Anchorage Yacht Basin lies on the east side of the Waterway in the shadow of the Eau Gallie Causeway north of Melborne, FL.
Although not a fancy marina, it is the friendliest and most helpful marina we have used when cruising. We first anchored at Dragon Point because of a leaking raw water pump. The marina answered a phone call after closing and offered to help. It did not have a replacement and spent a morning trying to locate one. It allowed us to use it as a shipping point for delivery of a new one I ordered. The marina also has the most complete ship’s store I have seen. It also gave us a discount on dockage for us to bring the boat in to make repairs. The owners are there 7 days a week. Captain David Power
Here’s a well thought our review of what sounds to be Captain home marina.
We’d like to clarify the reports about the conditions of the docks here at Harbortown. Overall the conditions are acceptable. And certainly the staff is very courteous and helpful. My beef with Harbortown is the design of their docks. These are designed for big sport fishing boats that back into the dock with their twin screws. The pier, per se, only extends 15′ or so NOT the full length of the slip. So a sailboat or any boat for that matter, that pulls in bow first, has a high step off the bow to climb on to the dock. Moreover, the pilings at the stern of the dock (if you are bow in) are excessively high if you are sitting in a cockpit a few feet off the water. I’d speculate they are 12′-15′ high and make for a very hard piling to lasso from the cockpit, so you get blown to the windward side. While painfully functional, the design is old and tired compared with modern, floating docks. Jeff Graham
Seven Seas Marina and Boatyard is located east-northeast of unlighted marker #56, just north of the Port Orange high-rise bridge.
Nice small operation. VERY helpfull staff! Nice and quiet. Easy access from ICW and great breakfast restaurant on site. No glitz (a good thing !!), and the price is unbeatable for around here. Off Our Rocker
The recently rebuilt and enlarged facility has garnered a host of favorable comments here on the Cruisers’ Net. Below, Captain takes a look at both side of the proverbial coin.
Lots of good comments regarding this marina and staff here. I moved over here in January from another local marina with intent on making this my permanent home port but am leaving after 4 months. Some good points to be aware of ‘¦ some not so good. Sunsets are to die for here. Locals and tourists line up on the seawall by the restaurant to watch and photograph them. Pricing was considerably more expensive here for a lift slip than where we came from. But given the resort-like feel, the proximity to my house, nice ship’s store for sundries, cleanliness and the comments here about staff we felt this was a good move and that the $250 more per month we would pay would be worth the cost increase. The lifts are brand new and there are 10 or 12 of them at the marina. I had to adjust the bunks to my specifications after the staff told me that the bunks could not be tilted (they can be). They are a bit slow and have no automatic raise/lower feature enabled, but there is a good 8 feet of water under them. The current happens to run in-line with the lifts so getting on and off even in a cross-wind is easy. For transients, this is definitely one of the better marinas in Stuart in terms of facilities, boat access and nearby amenities. Note the comments above with other posters really reflect and center around the transient and live-aboard populations. Fuel pricing is competitive with the other local marinas. The problem of boats running the Okeechobee waterway at speed parallel to the fuel dock has been resolved with a `Slow, Minimum Wake Zone’. For locals, parking is incredibly limited and gets way worse during weekends when the Sailors Return restaurant gets wound up. The marina started using a valet parking service in an attempt to deal with what they even admit is a very poor parking lot design with small spaces and too few spaces. At first the valets were best described as rude and confrontational with the paying marina partrons and restaurant customers but that seems to have been ironed out. A parking permit sticker is made available to marina patrons and we get priority handling without the attitude from the valets. My experience with the staff was mixed. Some were among the most customer-oriented and customer-friendly people I have conducted business with. Others not so much ‘¦ with some pretty surprising authoritarian and uncaring attitudes toward the paying customer from a few. Once in a while is just a bad day but there are a couple of guys there that just do not get it and it is recurring enough to be noticed. One example of staff not meeting my expectations: We had one recurring issue with dock people driving their three wheel electric scooters at high speed on the narrow docks. Even after repeatedly asking the offending staff guys to slow down, the behavior continued. The Harbormaster did tell me after complaint to him that he would slow them down, but it did not happen. After nearly being hit on the narrow dock while getting some supplies from my dock box once too often, we decided to move on. You cannot hear these scooters coming so be aware of this safety issue especially of you end up on the `A’ dock that has the fuel dock at the end. Be told `coming through!’ as the dock boy flies by is just not acceptable. Another example of staff not meeting expectations: Last weekend while I was not there, my son was reportedly told by one of the staff that he was not allowed to wash our boat due to South Florida Water Management District regulations forbidding water use. I was not there to see who actually said this but that was incorrect. When I talked to the Harbormaster about this and to point out that SFWMD does not have a rule forbidding boat or car washing, he agreed and stated that he did not ask people to not wash boats. He did state that the marina has high water bills and that they are asking people to conserve water. I suspect something got lost in interpretation with one of the staff when this issue was discussed with them. So’¦ *some* staff is great and `gets’ it. Others I am not so sure I would say do. Ultimately, we just did not feel we were getting the value and service expected for the *premium* price charged us. Granted there are a good 300 slips here and our experience needs to be taken in light of how many seem happy. We were disappointed to have to leave but decided it was for the best for us. I hold no ill will with Sunset Bay Marina and wish them luck. They just have a few things to work on as I suspect they have back-slid a bit since opening. Bill Barrett
As I’ve always said, experienced recommendations from fellow cruisers are worth their proverbial weight in gold!
Have used this very competent and professional surveyor in the past. Price Marine Services Inc Tom Price 772-546-0928 9438 SE Sharon St. Hobe Sound, FL Martin Veiner
I agree, in this business I think word of mouth of any marine vendor (including marine surveyors) is the most reliable source. As a marine surveyor and boat owner, I have seen the best and worst of them here in south Florida. Capt. John Banister
Recommendations from fellow cruisers of this type are the best data anyone can possibly have in their hip pocket!
I just had an insurance survey done in that area (Lantana). A very knowledgeable friend referred me to the surveyor, and I was very satisfied with the outcome. The surveyor’s name is Mark Rhodes, of Rhodes Marine and Consulting. His business address is in Port St. Lucie. His contact cell phone is (954) 646-3760. Mark is certified, and I found him reasonable and easy to work with. Turnaround for the report was very timely. The focus of a pre-purchase survey is different from an insurance survey, but I would definitely use him again. Jim
Located south-southeast of unlighted daybeacon #27, Titusville Municipal Marina is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Broadway Bridge
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