Visit Logged
  •  Chart View
    • At Current Location
    • At Selected Location
    • Enter A Location
    • Enter Latitude and Longitude
  •  Fuel Prices
    • Lowest Diesel Prices Anywhere
    • Lowest Gas Prices Anywhere
    • Virgina to North Carolina
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Georgia
    • Eastern Florida
    • St. Johns River
    • Florida Keys
    • Okeechobee Waterway
    • Western Florida
  • Select Region
    • All Regions
    • VA to NC Line
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Georgia
    • Eastern Florida
    • Western Florida
    • Florida Keys
    • Okeechobee Waterway
    • Northern Gulf
    • Bahamas
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Pennsylvania
    • Washington
    • Puerto Rico
    • Minnesota
    • Maryland
    • Tennessee
    • NW Waters
    Order by:

    • CURRENT LOCAL NOTICES TO MARINERS

      Here are the latest Local Notices to Mariners and NAV ALERTS that are relevant to ICW cruising in Districts 5, 7 and 8, the OBX, AICW, OWW, Keys, GIWW and adjacent waters. Open each LNM link for the USCG notice and a chart for each location. Listed north to south to north. NAV ALERTS will also be posted on our Homepage.

      For previous Local Notices, go to the Specific State or Region on our Homepage

       

      Week 40/26

      LNM: AIWW MM:298.0, New River – Cape Fear River Daybeacon 172 Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:799.4, Matanzas River Daybeacon 104 Missing Dayboards

      LNM: AIWW MM:1,054.0, Hillsboro Inlet Entrance Daybeacon 5 Set TRUB

      LNM: AIWW MM:680.7, Jekyll Island Range Rear Light Extinguished

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:675.2, Turtle River Lower Range Rear Light Extinguished

      LNM: Off AIWW-DismalSwamp, Perrin River Junction Lighted Buoy PR Extinguished

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:671.9, Brownsville Channel Light 39 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:674.2, Brownsville Channel Light 40 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:674.2, Brownsville Channel Light 41 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:676.6, Brownsville Channel Light 44 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:677.1, Brownsville Channel Light 45 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:677.0, Brownsville Channel Light 46 Relocated

      LNM: AIWW MM:321.5, Cape Fear River – Little River Buoy 46A Offstation

      LNM: OWW MM:3.9, Woods Point Daybeacon 1 Set TRUB

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:495.1, San Antonio Bay Daybeacon 12 Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:715.8, Amelia River Lighted Buoy 8 Offstation

      LNM: AIWW MM:298.0, New River – Cape Fear River Daybeacon 172 Missing

      LNM: Off GIWW-East MM:318.9, St Joseph Bay Entrance Lighted Buoy 12 Offstation

      LNM: Off WW, Stumpy Point Bay Channel Light 2SP Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, Stumpy Point Channel Daybeacon 5 Missing

      LNM: Off WW, Back Sound Light 3 Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, Navy Air Combat Maneuvering Range Tower Light B Extinguished

      LNM: Off GIWW-East MM:133.9, Mobile Bar Lighted Buoy 1 Improper characteristic

       

      Week 39/26

      LNM: Off WW, NWS Tropical Atlantic Marine Weather Briefing -September 27, 2026 20:15

      LNM: Off GIWW-East, St Joseph Bay Entrance Lighted Buoy 17 Extinguished

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:458.6, Charleston Harbor Channel Lighted Buoy 11 Damaged

      LNM: Off WW, Situational Update – Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Western Atlantic – Sun Sep 27, 2026 10:00 Extinguished

      LNM: AIWW MM:744.2, Pablo Creek Buoy 19 Improper Characteristics

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:667.9, Laguna Madre Channel Light 28 Relocated

      LNM: Off GIWW-West MM:666.0, Laguna Madre Channel Light 21 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:668.0, LAGUNA MADRE CHANNEL LIGHT 29 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:669.1, Brownsville Channel Light 31 Relocated

      LNM: Off , Laguna Madre Channel Light 26 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:669.1, Brownsville Channel Light 32 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:667.8, Laguna Madre Channel Light 27 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:669.7, Brownsville Channel Light 34 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:670.8, Brownsville Channel Light 35 Relocated

      LNM: Off GIWW-West, Matagorda Ship Channel Light 60 Missing

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:671.5, Brownsville Channel Light 37 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW, Cooper River Lighted Buoy 73 Extinguished

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:490.0, Port O’ Connor Landcut Daybeacon 12 Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:591.3, Skidaway Narrows Daybeacon 55 Missing

      LNM: OWW MM:3.9, Woods Point Daybeacon 1 Damaged

      LNM: Off WW, Theodore Ship Channel Light 18 Destroyed

      LNM: AIWW MM:190.8, Adams Creek Daybeacon 15 Set TRUB

      LNM: Off AIWW, Oregon Inlet Cut Buoy 5 Missing

      LNM: Off AIWW, Oregon Inlet Cut Buoy 1 Missing

      LNM: Off AIWW, Oregon Inlet Buoy 22 Missing

      LNM: St. Johns River MM:6.5, Training Wall Range Front Light Reduced Intensity

      LNM: Off WW, Situational Update – Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Western Atlantic – Sat Sep 26, 2026 10:15 Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, Theodore Ship Channel Light 18 Destroyed

      LNM: AIWW MM:572.5, Walls Cut Light 42 Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:572.8, Walls Cut Light 44 Missing

      LNM: Off WW, Situational Update – Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Western Atlantic – Fri Sep 25, 2026 10:30 Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, Chesapeake Bay Southern Approach Lighted Buoy 9 Missing

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:188.0, Dawson Creek Entrance Warning Daybeacon Damaged

      LNM: AIWW MM:963.8, Indian River (South Section) Daybeacon 180 Damaged

      LNM: Off WW, Barney Slough Channel Lighted Buoy 3A Missing

      LNM: Off AIWW, Barney Slough Channel Lighted Buoy 1B Missing

      LNM: Off WW, NWS Tropical Atlantic Marine Weather Briefing -September 24, 2026 19:45

      LNM: Off WW, Cooper River Range C Rear Light Extinguished

      LNM: Off AIWW, Cedar Island Ferry Slip Breakwater Buoy 1 Offstation

      LNM: OWW MM:133.9, Caloosahatchee River Daybeacon 39 Set TRLB

      LNM: GIWW-East MM:367.3, St. George Sound Daybeacon 18 Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:583.8, Wilmington River Daybeacon 36A Damaged

      LNM: Off WW, Lynnhaven Inlet Light 1L Damaged

      LNM: Off GIWW, Bayou Grande Channel Daybeacon 24 Damaged

      LNM: Off GIWW-East MM:164.9, Bayou St John Daybeacon 13 Extinguished

      LNM: Off GIWW-East MM:355.7, St George Island West Jetty Lighted Buoy 1 Extinguished

      LNM: Off GIWW-East MM:164.9, Bayou St John Daybeacon 13 Missing

      LNM: Off GIWW-East MM:355.7, St George Island West Jetty Lighted Buoy 1 Missing

      LNM: OWW MM:133.9, Caloosahatchee River Daybeacon 39 Destroyed

      LNM: Off AIWW-DismalSwamp, Hampton Roads Outfall Warning Buoy Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:190.8, Adams Creek Daybeacon 15 Destroyed

      LNM: Off AIWW, Oregon Inlet Lighted Buoy 4 Offstation

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:1,137.8, Largo Sound Channel Daybeacon 23 Missing

      LNM: Off WW, Delaware Bay Main Channel Lighted Buoy 35 Relocated

      Expected Closure of W.P. Franklin and Ortona Locks for Major Maintenance – 1/4-3/1 2027, W P Franklin Lock, FL

      Torry Island Bridge Closure 10/12-12/22, Okeechobee Waterway Statute Mile 60

      LNM: Off GIWW-East, Pascagoula River Daybeacon 16 Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:496.8, White Point Light 108 Extinguished

      LNM: AIWW MM:573.2, Walls Cut Daybeacon 46 Missing

      LNM: Off WW, Situational Update – Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Western Atlantic – Tue Sep 22, 2026 10:30 Extinguished

      LNM: GIWW-East MM:367.3, St. George Sound Daybeacon 18 Missing

      LNM: Off GIWW-West MM:536.4, Corpus Christi Channel Light 14 TRLB

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:473.0, Port O’ Connor Channel Buoy 16 Missing

      LNM: OWW MM:12.4, St Lucie Canal Daybeacon 39 Leaning

      LNM: Off GIWW, Big Marco Pass-Gordon Pass Daybeacon 44 Destroyed

      LNM: Off GIWW-West, Matagorda Ship Channel Light 60 Missing

      LNM: AIWW MM:890.0, Indian River (North Section) Light 59 Damaged

      LNM: AIWW MM:245.9, Camp Lejeune Closed to Navigation

      LNM: AIWW MM:784.5, Matanzas River Daybeacon 33 Extinguished

      LNM: Off , Ocracoke Inlet Buoy 8 Relocated

      LNM: Off , Teaches Hole Lighted Buoy 9 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW, Teaches Hole Lighted Buoy 10 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW, Teaches Hole Lighted Buoy 11 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW, Teaches Hole Buoy 12 Relocated

       

      Week 38/26

      LNM: Off WW, Indian Creek Light 10 Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, NWS Tropical Atlantic Marine Weather Briefing – September 20, 2026 15:30

      LNM: GIWW MM:118.7, Treasure Island Light 11 Set TRLB

      LNM: Swim Around Charleston, TOMORROW Oct 20 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, AICW MM 465

      LNM: Swim Around Charleston, TODAYOct 20 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, AICW MM 465

      LNM: GIWW MM:118.7, Treasure Island Light 11 Destroyed

      LNM: Off WW, Murrells Inlet Buoy 4A Offstation

      LNM: Off , Ocracoke Inlet Buoy 8 Relocated

      LNM: Off , Teaches Hole Lighted Buoy 9 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW, Teaches Hole Lighted Buoy 10 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW, Teaches Hole Lighted Buoy 11 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW, Teaches Hole Buoy 12 Relocated

      LNM: Off GIWW-West MM:536.4, Corpus Christi Channel Light 14 Offstation

      LNM: GIWW MM:141.0, St Joseph Sound Light 11 Extinguished

      LNM: GIWW MM:147.8, St Joseph Sound Lighted Buoy 35B Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, NWS Tropical Atlantic Marine Weather Briefing -September 17, 2026 15:30

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:574.1, Lazaretto Creek Lighted Buoy WR3 Offstation

      LNM: AIWW MM:735.2, Gunnison Cut Daybeacon 73 Offstation

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:463.2, Wando River Terminal Lighted Buoy 8 Relocated

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:1,154.1, Hen And Chickens Shoal Light 40 Extinguished

      LNM: Off GIWW MM:107.2, St Petersburg Channel Daybeacon 13 Destroyed

      LNM: Off WW, Chincoteague Channel Lighted Buoy 10 Relocated

      LNM: Off , Chincoteague Channel Lighted Buoy 11 Relocated

      LNM: Off , Chincoteague Inlet Lighted Buoy 8A Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-East MM:371.3, St. George Sound Light 6 Missing

      LNM: Swim Around Charleston, Oct 20 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, AICW MM 465

      LNM: Off WW, Beaufort Inlet Channel Lighted Buoy 13 Relocated

      LNM: Off , Tacony Range Rear Light Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, Frankford Upper Range Front Light Extinguished

      LNM: Off , Torresdale Lower Range Rear Light Extinguished

      LNM: Off WW, Beaufort Inlet Channel Lighted Buoy 13 Relocated

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:519.6, Aransas Bay Light 25 Extinguished

      LNM: Off GIWW-West MM:512.6, Aransas Bay Daybeacon A Destroyed

      LNM: GIWW-West MM:519.6, Aransas Bay Light 25 Destroyed

       

      Week 36/26

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:676.5, Cedar Hammock Range Rear Light Extinguished

      LNM: Off GIWW-East MM:227.8, Choctawhatchee Bay Entrance Buoy 9 Offstation

      LNM: AIWW MM:840.9, Ponce De Leon Cut Daybeacon 7 Missing

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:480.7, Stono River Daybeacon 9 Offstation

      LNM: Off WW, Beaufort Inlet Channel Lighted Buoy 14 Extinguished

      LNM: AIWW MM:245.9, Camp Lejeune Live Firing

      LNM: Off AIWW MM:464.6, Mount Pleasant Range Rear Light Extinguished

       

      Week 39/23

      LNM: Alt ICW MM 7, Long Term Deep Creek Bridge Replacement, Dismal Swamp Canal, NC

      For previous Local Notices, go to the Specific State or Region on our Homepage

      Be the first to comment!

    • LTM Additions So Far Today: Today (Tue, Sep 29)

      0 New LTM\’s Added Today. Note this post is updated hourly so check back as the day progresses for the lastest and updated information.

      SELECT LTM Area:

      SELECT Format:
       

      0 ALL Areas LTM\’s Added on 2026-09-29

      ALL Areas List for 2026-09-29 (0 Found)

      No LTM on 2026-09-29

      Be the first to comment!

    • Southeast Marine Fuel Best Prices as of Sep 23

      This week’s lowest current marina fuel prices as of Sep 23
              Diesel Range: $1.00 to $8.00 Lowest @ Windward Sebastian Inlet Marina in (Eastern Florida)
              Gas Range: $4.31 to $4.31 Lowest @ Galveston Yacht Marina in (Texas)
      Remember to always call the marina to verify the current price since prices may change at any time. Also please let us know if you find a marina’s fuel price has changed via the Submit News link.

      SELECT Fuel Type:
      SELECT Format:
      Lowest Diesel Price in Each Region

      Fuel Price Report Brought to you by:

      Ft. Pierce City Marina
      Ft. Pierce City Marina specializes in overnight dockage and 22 hour fueling.

      Lowest Diesel Prices Anywhere

      All Regions (Price Range $1.00 to $8.40)

      Lowest By Region

      Virginia to North Carolina (Price Range $5.78 to $7.07)

      North Carolina (Price Range $4.98 to $7.90)

      South Carolina (Price Range $4.85 to $7.99)

      $4.85 Osprey Marina (09/21)
      $5.46 Cricket Cove Marina (09/22)
      $5.58 Grande Dunes Marina (09/21)

      Georgia (Price Range $5.29 to $7.19)

      Eastern Florida (Price Range $1.00 to $8.00)

      St Johns River (Price Range $5.50 to $8.40)

      Florida Keys (Price Range $5.20 to $8.25)

      Western Florida (Price Range $5.65 to $8.49)

      $5.65 Turtle Cove Marina (09/21)
      $5.78 Shields Marina (09/22)
      $5.79 Twin Rivers Marina (09/22)

      Okeechobee (Price Range $6.49 to $6.70)

      $6.49 Gulf Harbour Marina (09/21)
      $6.70 Sunset Bay Marina (09/22)

      Northern Gulf (Price Range $6.17 to $7.06)

      Texas (Price Range $5.67 to $5.67)

      Be the first to comment!

    • NHC: TROPICAL STORM CHARTS AND UPDATES

      The National Hurricane Center chart below updates automatically and shows the latest storm positions. Click the chart for the full NHC report. While port conditions are primarily for commercial mariners, they give a strong indication of the Coast Guard’s appraisal of the storm’s severity.

      Categories:
      • Category 1: winds between 74 m.p.h. and 95 m.p.h.
      • Category 2: winds between 96 m.p.h. and 110. m.p.h.
      • Category 3: winds between 111 m.p.h. and 129 m.p.h.
      • Category 4: winds between 130 m.p.h. and 156 m.p.h.
      • Category 5: winds of 157 m.p.h. or greater.
      Hurricane Season Port Condition Definitions

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 29, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      LTM Additions: Yesterday (Mon, Sep 28)

      18 New LTM\’s Added Yesterday

      SELECT LTM Area:

      SELECT Format:

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 27, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      East Coast Storm Update. – Fred Pickhardt

      Fred Pickhardt’s Substack is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you can tell Fred Pickhardt’s Substack that their writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won’t be charged unless they enable payments.

       
         
       
      Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

      East Coast Storm Update.

      Widespread coastal flooding

       
      		 
      		 
      		 
       

      READ IN APP

       

      An intense extratropical storm low off the Mid-Atlantic coast continues to drift slowly north at about 5 knots. Winds of 40 to 55 knots are producing significant wave heights of 4-9 meters within about 180 nm west and 240 NM north of the center.

         
        

      This system is expected to become semi-stationary just off the NJ coast then gradually weaken and drift northwest to near NYC by early Monday.

      Large areas of the Mid-Atlantic coast from Cape Hatteras to southern New England are being affected by strong winds and major coastal flooding.

         

      NOAA Ocean Prediction Center

      NOAA High Seas Forecast

      NOAA Offshore Forecasts

      NOAA US Coastal Waters Forecasts

      Ocean Weather Services

      Forensic Marine Weather Expert

       

      You’re currently a free subscriber to Fred Pickhardt’s Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

      Upgrade to paid

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 27, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      Why AI Has Trouble Predicting the Fury of Hurricane Intensity – Loose Cannon

      Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with

       

         
       
      Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

      When all else fails, try journalism.

      Why AI Has Trouble Predicting the Fury of Hurricane Intensity

      Tropical Storm Polo Accelerated to Category 5 in 24 Hours

       
      		 
      		 
      		 
       

      READ IN APP

       
         
      Hurricane Irma rapidly intensified before hitting the Caribbean and Florida in 2017, but intensity is still hard to forecast. (NASA photo)

      The author is an associate professor of Atmospheric Science at Indiana University. This story was first published on September 23, 2026 in The Conversation news outlet and is reprinted here with permission.

      By CHANH KIEU

      Artificial intelligence has revolutionized weather forecasting in just a few years, with global AI weather models now able to produce forecasts that rival some of the world’s best physics-based prediction systems.

      This remarkable progress has been driven by three factors: massive amounts of weather data, advances in AI models and unprecedented computational power. While most of the current discussion on improving AI for weather focuses on the models or new hardware, the data is crucial.

      At the global scale, AI has benefited from decades of climate and weather records covering the entire Earth. These datasets contain millions of examples of how atmospheric conditions evolve with time, allowing AI models to learn patterns in a way that would have been impossible a decade ago.

      But when you zoom in from the global scale to the regional scale, forecasts start to be much more challenging for AI.

      That difference matters for forecasting hurricane intensity.

      The world has seen many hurricanes rapidly intensify in recent years, strengthening from relatively weak storms into destructive monsters in a matter of hours. Hurricane Polo did it off Mexico’s Pacific coast as it rapidly strengthened from a tropical storm earlier this week, to a powerful Category 5 hurricane in 24 hours. Polo quickly became one of the strongest Pacific storms in decades, with winds reaching 180 mph.

      When rapid intensification surprises forecasters—as Hurricane Michael did in 2018 when it grew into a destructive Category 5 hurricane right before hitting Tyndall Air Force Base and Mexico Beach, Florida, in 2018—communities can be left with too little time to evacuate and prepare.

      Struggling With Detail

      Unlike global weather forecasts, hurricane intensity forecasts are often considered a regional forecasting problem. Regional forecasts are often concerned with extreme events, such as heavy rainfall, squall lines, severe thunderstorms or hurricanes.

      These extreme events often develop rapidly or move quickly over short periods of time. Capturing such behavior in AI models requires data in much greater detail than current global datasets can typically provide.

      Share

      When scientists train AI models to predict hurricane intensity, they usually rely on two sources of data.

      The first is observations, which include measurements of rainfall, near-surface temperature, wind speed and other weather variables collected from weather stations, radars, buoys and satellites. Such direct observations can be detailed, but they are often limited to near-coastal regions and unevenly distributed, while many of the most important stages of hurricane development occur over the open ocean where direct observations are sparse.

      Modern satellites can help fill some of these gaps in the open ocean, but they can help estimate only part of the rainfall, surface winds or cloud-top temperatures due to limits in satellite coverage. In particular, they cannot simultaneously scan a complete three-dimensional structure of every hurricane around the globe. At present, even the best observational systems provide only a partial view of hurricanes at any point in time.

        A satellite image with a cross section of a hurricane.  
      Scientists used satellite data to map aspects of Hurricane Matthew’s intensity as it gained strength on its way toward the Florida Panhandle in 2016. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

      The second source of training data comes from weather model simulations, which combine atmospheric conditions and knowledge of physics to provide the most complete three-dimensional picture of the atmosphere at high resolution.

      However, this simulated data is not perfect either, because all computer models contain approximations and uncertainties arising from incomplete knowledge of the Earth’s atmosphere. As such, there are always fine-scale processes that model simulations cannot capture.

      So, we simply don’t have a good full, three-dimensional dataset to train an AI model for hurricane intensity prediction at present.

      Chaos Challenge

      But data is not the only issue for AI hurricane prediction.

      Suppose in the future scientists could measure the entirety of a storm, measured every second, for thousands of storms around the world. That still might not allow AI to predict hurricane intensity perfectly. The reason: chaos. Tiny differences in the initial state of a hurricane can quickly grow over time.

      My recent research with colleagues suggests that hurricanes may contain some element of chaos that can prevent AI models from accurately predicting hurricane intensity at long forecast times.

      Once embedded in a favorable environment, a tropical storm can intensify toward a maximum possible strength. Scientists call this upper limit the potential intensity. It is determined primarily by the surrounding environment. For example, warm ocean water can fuel a hurricane’s intensity, or wind shear can slow down a hurricane’s development. If the ocean temperature rises, the potential intensity of a hurricane increases, too.

      Any small disturbances will also cause the hurricane intensity to fluctuate. The warmer the ocean surface, the more fluctuations.

       A chart shows the disagreement among models about hurricane intensity 
      Computer simulations show how forecasting a hurricane’s intensity becomes more uncertain the further out the forecast is. Hurricane intensity is measured as the maximum wind at the height of 33 feet (10 meters). The images show how much two hurricanes can differ in their physical appearance, even when they have the same Category 5 intensity. Chanh Kieu

      Recent studies have proposed that these fluctuations are not purely random but occur within what is known as a chaotic attractor—a set of possible storm states within which the hurricane can evolve unpredictably. Although the existence of such a chaotic intensity attractor has not yet been fully established, it presents a fundamental dilemma for training AI models to predict hurricane intensity.

      On one hand, scientists want AI models to make the most accurate predictions possible. Thus, during training the goal is to minimize the difference between the forecast and what actually happens until an AI model achieves the smallest possible error.

      On the other hand, we also want the AI model to capture the hurricane’s intrinsic chaos. But if an AI model can capture this chaos, then its error cannot be reduced indefinitely. So, an AI model trained to minimize forecast error may learn the most likely evolution of a hurricane while smoothing out unpredictable fluctuations. In this regard, these two goals compete with one another.

      With data always containing some uncertainty, the rules an AI model learns are only approximated. The accuracy of hurricane intensity forecast will therefore get worse after just a few days.

      Making Better Forecasts

      The challenge for AI models to predict hurricane intensity is not just about obtaining more data, building better neural networks or deploying faster computers. It is also about understanding hurricane behaviors and how chaos in intensity emerges.

      Both dictate whether AI models can learn what is predictable and what is unpredictable. That distinction not only puts a cap on our current hurricane intensity forecast accuracy but also determines the next generation of weather forecasting and evaluation systems, which should focus on a range of possible hurricane intensities and their probabilities instead of a single intensity number.

      LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.

         
         
      Use promo code LCFREESHIP for free shipping
      (which saves you $19.95). Click below.

      BUY A BOTTLE OR TWO

       

      You’re currently a free subscriber to LOOSE CANNON. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

      Upgrade to paid

       
      Like
      		 
      Comment
      		 
      Restack
      		 
       

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 27, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      VOLUNTARY SWEATSHOP – Janice Anne Wheeler, Sparring With Mother Nature

       
       
         
       
      Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

       

      Solstice brought monumental change; a not-so-gentle reminder of who’s in charge…

         
      STEADFAST is the white dot at the end of Washington

      Every day, in every way, we all SPAR WITH MOTHER NATURE: our health, environment, winds, rain and sunshine. Thanks for helping this publication grow. ~J

      If you have just joined our engaging little community, please read SPARS & SPARRING as an introduction to my watery world. I’m glad you climbed aboard!

       

      VOLUNTARY SWEATSHOP

      Learning a new skill can exponentially multiply respect for those who do it well

       
      		 
      		 
      		 
       

      READ IN APP

       
       Listen to post · 9:35

      If you prefer, you can listen to me read the story, right up there~

      There’s always something to be done. That’s life anywhere. Some of it can be put off, and some of it can’t. When one resides on a boat, any sort of boat, I believe, this boring dash of wisdom is even more relentless. Some days, I get stubborn; Virgo-esque, you might say, (there was more on that last week) and simply decide that I’m going to accomplish one of my bullet list items, regardless. Regardless of the odds against it.

      You may be intuitive enough to realize these rodeos are not infrequent. I could say, “This is not my first rodeo,” but that just makes me look defiant and once again annoyed that a skill I thought would take just a bit of practice to perfect is rather (or vastly) more complicated to cultivate. Years of practice at this stubborn method has astonishingly not quelled my need to go through this oft-discouraging process. (A giant organic garden in the high desert of Colorado? How hard could it be?…). It was really hard.

      My Colorado farmhouse—left half acre: chicken coop, greenhouse, raised beds. After years, the heirlooms loved it & 600# of butternut squash can’t be wrong…but yes, it tookyears.

      Many humans I know and like possess these mule-like qualities, and I have yet to figure out why boat tasks seem so much harder than all the other things I have attempted. I may not have the know-how, tools, equipment, location, disposition or climate to accomplish said task, but I dive head-long into the endeavor. In every instance everything takes longer than anticipated. While that may be for an assortment of reasons, it’s often because SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE comes first. Last week, it was the sweat running into my eyes regardless of sun cover and portable fan.

      Therefore, I’m calling this particular rodeo installment a Voluntary Sweatshop, an oxymoron, to be sure, and no offense is intended to anyone, anywhere, as always. My task appeared ordinarily surmountable. Every sailboat in the world has one or two and they’re not particularly interesting or exciting, simply utilitarian canvas and classically matching the style and decor of the vessel. As is often the case, STEADFAST’s are larger than most, and more complicated. Nevertheless, dive I do, but not before purchasing a demo, if you will, the Main sail cover, from the well-known sewer of all things boat, Chesapeake Sailmakers in Annapolis, Maryland. When that creator inquired, I confided that I wanted to achieve a portion of his skill and so had decided to create the Mizzen sail cover on my own. I can remember him gazing down at me and nodding his head, a cross between, “Oh yeah?” and utter amazement. My still-freshly-and-inexplicably-confidant self muttered, “I got this.”

         
      The first step, cutting 8M into what I needed.

      Years ago now I purchased a Sailrite (brand) sewing machine which is wonderful and wholly inadequate for doing anything that has any bulk whatsoever while weighing a dense, substantial and hard-to manage sixty-five pounds. Portable? Sort of, if I can get my quads under it. STEADFAST’s Mizzen Mast boom is just over sixteen feet long with an average circumference of three. There is exactly nowhere on this vessel that I could possibly lay out the original raw cloth, five feet by twenty-four(8M). So. Outside we went. Heat index 103F/39+C. Humidity 85%+. The instructional video to sew a slightly smaller version of this sail cover is one hour and twenty-two minutes. Now, of course, even as a natural grayish-blonde, I knew that was edited. I didn’t know the project would turn yours truly into an impatient little grease spot. And I don’t even think I’m impatient.

      Notice that once more the word “Feasible” appears in the background, It is the first word I see, most days. In this case “Rookie” also slipped into the image…

      On the first day, watched the video, cut fabric with hot knife, organized myself and was ready to git ‘er done! Honestly, the basics are not difficult, double hems around the edges and ends, zippered front side, I added reinforcement with Textilene open mesh plastic to reduce chafing and increase strength. Good thing, too, because this is the only one of these I am EVER going to sew **.

      On the second day, I watched video sixteen more times(at least) and I bestowed the term voluntary sweatshop. If I complained, it would have been quickly pointed out to me that I had, indeed, volunteered for this particular larger-than-me task. The six covered zippers that allow the lazy-jack lines through are stupidly complicated, in this chef’s opinion. At one point I donned the cover to test the longest zipper, appearing for all intents and purposes like Sesame Street character Snuffleupagus. I decided not to capture that moment for perpetuity.

      NOT terribly interesting truly; stick around for wry humor and self-deprication.

      I’m so pleased you’ve read this far! Late afternoon on the sixth day (yes, sixth, remember that 82-minute video…) my landlord strode around the corner into our little waterside world. I was bent over two abused sawhorses and a piece of splintering plywood, facing both her entrance point and my sewing machine, fabrics spread out from hell to breakfast, scraps and tools everywhere, sweat dripping, hair a frightening frizz, feeling too old, tired and thirsty to be trying to get one more row of stitches to line up with all the other freakin’ rows of stitches on what felt like miles of canvas. I don’t think either of us could have been more surprised.

      “You have a sewing machine. On your boat,” she said by way of greeting. Caught off guard, I nodded. As always, she was cool, calm, groomed, dressed meticulously and self-assured. Distressingly so, in this case. She is the impressive, somewhat unexpected Chair of the Board of Directors for Richardson Maritime Museum where STEADFAST is docked; with her administration we are allowed generous access to a roomy bulkhead slip and the adjoining portion of ground which we utilize for work and play, some days more than others. To my increasing dismay with a dash of amusement, I looked past my workspace to realize this was one of those maxxed-out days—there was boat gear everywhere.

      After a quick conversation where I tried awkwardly to look a little less wet, tame my curls and cover my discomfiture with what had instantly (but not previously) struck me as a completely unconventional activity, she continued on her way to a far more traditional home. FFS, I said to myself, trying to decide if I should be embarrassed or proud or just laugh at the stark differences between strong women at the same address. I laughed. Surprise can be such a reset, can’t it? We can’t take any of these things too seriously.

      My voluntary sweatshop days are over with the fast-moving, early-season, bone-chilling Nor’Easter/Tropical Storm combo just offshore in the Western North Atlantic. (Pictured at the top of your emails). A forty-degree temp drop had me digging for my Smartwool socks, and I’m wearing them as I type this to you in your vast assortment of latitudes and climates.

      Whatever will eventually happen is (nearly) always worth the wait, that cooler air is delightful, but it does seem to be an all-or-nothing world, doesn’t it?

      Until next week, enjoy your corner of it! ~J

      *I wrote about Deadrise-style FEASIBLE last year; a captivating, traditional, neglected little Watermen work boat, waiting to be saved. She most certainly has a story.

      FEASIBLE
      		 

      FEASIBLE

       
      ·
      		 
      October 12, 2025
      Read full story

      ** As always when I learn a new skill, my respect grows for those who do it well. Raise a toast to seamstresses and other masters of keeping us clothed, protected and looking good.

      Watch for the final edition of the very popular

      PenPal Series Opposite Latitudes, Parallel Attitudes !

         

      Think my work is share-worthy? Please hit the round arrow icon, a coveted Re-stack. Or maybe you have a stitcher (sewer seems weird) in your midst? Have they ever taken their task outside? I’d guess not. Life of a liveaboard!

      There is no box around this floating crewmember. Nor you fine readers, I imagine.

      Rock on!

       

      I so appreciate your support of my work. Saving a piece of maritime history is far more complicated than I ever imagined!

         

       

       
      Like
      		 
      Comment
      		 
      Restack
      		 
       

      © 2026 Janice Anne Wheeler
      HOME IS WHERE WE DROP THE ANCHOR., Annapolis, Maryland, USA
      Unsubscribe

      Get the app Start writing

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 26, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      Is That Sailor Rock? Turn It Up! – Loose Cannon

      Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with

         
       
      Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

      When all else fails, try journalism.

      Is That Sailor Rock? Turn It Up!

      ‘Resourceful Sailor’ Lists the His Top Ten Songs, and More

       
      		 
      		 
      		 
       

      READ IN APP

       
         

      The author writes the “Resourceful Sailor” series of articles on the Small Craft Advisor Substack, which first published this article on September 20, 2026. Small Craft Advisor by Josh Colvin is Loose Cannon’s bestest Substack friend, having sent more readers our way than any other single source.

      By JOSHUA WHEELER

      A professor of mine in college would say that there wasn’t music that sucked, only music we didn’t like. With that, I present a list of my top sailor songs. I would be amazed if anyone had the same list as I. Equally so, if anyone liked every song. I don’t present myself as an authority or this as a definitive list. Rather, I’ve decided to take a risk and share my personal list to inspire the reader to wonder about theirs.

      My sailor-song list stems mostly from my younger years, long before boats were even on my RADAR, therefore, I came to realize while debating this list (with myself), boat bias wasn’t why I liked most of these songs. It was because they were catchy, popular, and accessible to an audience beyond sailors. They play literally or metaphorically on a long-standing historical and communal nautical mystique and psyche that even a landlubber with little boating experience could recognize and appreciate.

      Share

      I consider these sailor songs, not sailing songs. They have some personal meaning or experience tied to them. Since my relationship to music was more prominent earlier in life, my list centers on that era and is genre-specific, which coincided with my rock-and-roll lifestyle.

      Without further ado:

      1. The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot): A haunting dirge accompanying highly descriptive verse of a heart-wrenching event.

      When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin’
“Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya”
At 7 p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said
“Fellas, it’s been good to know ya”
      1. Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills, and Nash): Yacht rock? Absolutely. This song very much came to mind when I saw the constellation on my way to the South Seas on Sampaguita, a Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. “Nineteen feet of waterline, nicely making way.”
      2. Home at Last (Steely Dan): At the time, the Odyssey reference (“I remain tied to the mast.”) was lost on me, but the imagery wasn’t. For a young, budding drummer of the 80s, this track demonstrates the legendary Purdie Shuffle by drummer Bernard Purdie. Smooth.
      3. Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) (Looking Glass): Descriptive harbor bar imagery, sailor mystique, beauty and double-meaning to highlight one’s yearning for something one can’t (or shouldn’t) have.
      4. Beyond the Sea (Bobby Darin) The driving, prevalent drum track of Don Lamond is legendary and has stood the test of time. The two bombastic drum fills setting up the ensemble sections are textbook examples for a young drummer to “make the band want to play!”
      5. Sail On (Commodores): For one, the group’s name. It is a sappy song to start, but when it finally kicks into the bridge, it releases the tension like lines from the dock. “Good times never felt so good.” And what about those bongo rolls??!
           
        (Photo by Joshua Wheeler)
      6. Sail Away (David Gray): More sap, more metaphor, more mystique. This crooner captures a vibe of desire and yearning accessible to everyone. Keep It simple, stupid. No rocket or boat science, just very catchy.
      7. Sailor’s Tale (King Crimson): What? Who? Why? An instrumental off the album, Islands, this band redefined what a rock band could be to me as a young musician.
      8. I’m On a Boat (The Lonely Island): Let’s not take ourselves too seriously. This song is hilarious on many different fronts if you let it be. Poking fun at classes, stereotypes, race, language, and perceptions. I suppose you either love it or you hate it. (You might pass on listening to this if you are sensitive to salty language.)
      9. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Iron Maiden): A bold and ambitious endeavor by an influential 80’s metal band, celebrating the prose of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The classic Maiden gallop, Bruce Dickinson’s operatic-esque vocals of Cook and the Nelson-era inspired lyrics, remind us that the Age of Sail was not so romantic.

      YouTube playlist of my favorite sailor songs
      On Spotify: The Resourceful Sailor – My Favorite Sailor Songs

      Honorable Mentions

      1. The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle (Sherwood Schwartz and George Wyle): I watched reruns of this show while eating after-school snacks before I had ever been on a boat or an island.
      2. The Irish Rover (Traditional): This is as close to an old-timey sea shanty as I get.
      3. Into the Mystic (Van Morrison): A crooner that somehow gets away with inserting five synth fog horns in one song. (The fifth is on the final note.)
      4. Tahitian Moon (Porno for Pyros): Sailing and boating themes were rare in 90s alternative rock.
      5. Cool Change (Little River Band): This direct message requires no imagination. If you know, you know.
      6. Firefly Main Title (Sonny Rhodes): For those who can imagine what sailing could mean in a far distant future.

      Boats and music are very personal things. Remember, keep your listening prudent and safe, and turn it up.

      Is that Sailor rock? “Turn it up!”

      Loose Cannon Adds

      1. Privateer (Mark Knoffler): This upbeat folk-rock ditty about an late 18th century British privateer, whose ship “is small but she can sting,” captures the sense of freedom and adventure that come with being young and standing on the deck of your own boat as she thunders over the ocean.
      2. If I Had a Boat (Lyle Lovett): This whimsical country-folk number, in which a cowboy dreams of going to sea with his pony, is about escaping from the strictures of adult life. It contains the great lines:
        The mystery masked man was smart.
He got himself a Tonto
’Cause Tonto did the dirty work for free.
But Tonto he was smarter
And one day said, “Kemo Sabe, 
Well, kiss my ass. I bought a boat.
I’m going out to sea.

      LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.

       

       

      You’re currently a free subscriber to LOOSE CANNON. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

      Upgrade to paid

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 26, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments 36.741,-76.34499999

      Find Your Fall in Camden County, Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center


       View In Chartview

      Set in beautiful Camden Count, NC, the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center provides free dockage for cruisers' on the Dismal Swamp AICW Alternate Route

      The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, a Salty Southeast Cruisers Net sponsor,  is a great place to visit any time. 

       
       

       
      There’s something special about fall in Camden County. 🍂 Whether you’re ready to wander quiet trails, explore local history, or simply refresh near the water, autumn is the perfect time to slow down and enjoy the season.
       
      Check out our latest blog for fun fall ideas & inside tips to enjoying fall in Camden County!
       
       
      See you soon!
       
       
       

      dismal logo

       

       

      		 Sarah Hill, TMP
      Director, Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center

      Chairperson, Camden County Tourism Development Authority

      2356 US Hwy 17 North, South Mills, NC 27976

      252-771-8333 | shill@camdencountync.gov
      www.DismalSwampWelcomeCenter.com

      www.VisitCamdenCountync.com

      https://68ef2f69c7787d4078ac-7864ae55ba174c40683f10ab811d9167.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/facebook-icon_16x16.png https://68ef2f69c7787d4078ac-7864ae55ba174c40683f10ab811d9167.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/twitter-icon_16x16.png https://68ef2f69c7787d4078ac-7864ae55ba174c40683f10ab811d9167.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/instagram-icon_16x16.png

      ___________________________________________________________

      E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina

      Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties by an authorized county official.

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 26, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments 33.3735,-79.28859999

      South Carolina Shellfish Harvest Season Opens October 1C – SCDNR


       View In Chartview

       

       
      SCDNR color logo and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources in text on green background

      South Carolina Shellfish Harvest Season Opens October 1

      marsh

      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

      CHARLESTON, S.C. – The 2026-2027 season for recreational harvest of shellfish (clams and oysters) in South Carolina’s coastal waters will open one-half hour before official sunrise on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The recreational shellfish season will remain open through May 15, 2027, unless conditions warrant extending or shortening the season.

      In the event of a hurricane, major rain event or pollution spill, shellfish beds may be temporarily closed by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES, formerly SCDHEC). Harvesters should check with SCDES to verify whether any closures are in effect. Closure information is available by calling 1-800-285-1618 or through an interactive map on the SCDES website. SCDES will also use these resources and local newspapers throughout the year to announce temporary closures resulting from unusual rain events or spills.

      Recreational harvesting is permitted on all Public Shellfish Grounds and State Shellfish Grounds within areas of open or approved water quality, as noted on shellfish maps. Twenty Public and seven State Shellfish Grounds are managed exclusively for recreational gathering. An additional 58 State Shellfish Grounds are managed for both recreational and commercial harvest.

      Recreational harvesters should obtain updated Public or State Shellfish Ground maps at the beginning of each season, as areas open to harvest may change from year to year. Maps of designated harvest areas may be downloaded from the SCDNR website or accessed through the Recreational Map Web Application. Printed maps may also be obtained by calling (843) 953-9854 or writing to the Shellfish Management Section, Attn: Andy Hollis, SCDNR, PO Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29422-2559. When requesting maps, please specify the general area where you wish to harvest. Maps for the 2026-27 season will be available prior to the season opening on October 1, 2026.

      Recreational harvesters must have a Saltwater Recreational Fishing License, available from SCDNR, at many fishing supply stores and online. The recreational limit is two U.S. bushels of oysters and one-half bushel of clams per day, limited to two calendar days per seven-day period. One U.S. bushel is equal to eight gallons. There is a maximum possession limit of three personal limits per boat or vehicle. Clams must be at least one inch thick.

      Additional rules and restrictions may be found in the SCDNR Rules and Regulations, available where licenses are purchased or online.

      Commercial Shellfish Harvest

      Commercial harvest of shellfish requires a commercial saltwater license, mandatory harvester training, and other licenses and permits depending on where the harvest will occur. Call the Marine Permitting Office at 843-953-9301 (Option 4) for additional information on commercial harvesting requirements.

      Shellfish Season Best Practices

      • All harvesters are encouraged to “cull in place” by breaking off and leaving dead shell and smaller oysters on the shoreline, where they will continue to grow and provide habitat for other oysters. Only harvest clusters or singles of larger oysters.
      • If you enjoy eating oysters, remember to recycle your shells! Check online or call (843) 953-9397 to find locations near you where shell can be dropped off for recycling.
      • Please note that recycled shell placed in any SCDNR receptacle becomes South Carolina state property and is illegal to take. All shell collected by SCDNR is used to restore shellfish grounds in coastal South Carolina.

      Cheyenne Twilley

      Chief of Education, Outreach, and Information

      South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

      TwilleyC@dnr.sc.gov

      260 D. Epting Lane, West Columbia, SC 29172

      		 

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 26, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      East Coast Storm moving slowly Northward – Fred Pickhardt

      Fred Pickhardt’s Substack is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you can tell Fred Pickhardt’s Substack that their writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won’t be charged unless they enable payments.

      Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

      East Coast Storm moving slowly Northward

      First Significant Nor-Easter this Fall

       
      		 
      		 
      		 
       

      READ IN APP

       
         

      A 995 storm low off the US Middle-Atlantic coast is moving slowly northward producing 40-50 knot winds and seas 5-9 meters (16-30 feet) within 240 nm northwest of the center.

         

      Gale warnings and Storm watches are in effect for offshore and coastal waters along the Mid-Atlantic coast along with coastal flood warnings for New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

      NOAA Ocean Prediction Center

      NOAA High Seas Forecast

      NOAA Offshore Forecasts

      NOAA US Coastal Waters Forecasts

      Ocean Weather Services

      Forensic Marine Weather Expert

       

       

      You’re currently a free subscriber to Fred Pickhardt’s Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

      Upgrade to paid

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 25, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      Cruisers’ Net Weekly Newsletter – September 25, 2026

      Cruisers’ Net Newsletter for this week has just been emailed via Constant Contact.
       
      If you want to view the newsletter but are not signed up to receive them automatically, you can view it at https://conta.cc/4xW1Oxa or see it below.
       
      To automatically receive our emailed Fri Weekly Newsletter and Wed Fuel Report, click:

       


      Newsletter icons created by Freepik – Flaticon

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 25, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments 33.3735,-79.28859999

      Atlantic Active, But Nothing Near SC – SCDNR


       View In Chartview

       

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 23, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments 26.7217,-81.69389999

      Expected Closure of W.P. Franklin and Ortona Locks for Major Maintenance – 1/4-3/1 2027, W P Franklin Lock, FL


       View In Chartview

      The W P Franklin Lock is the westernmost lock on the Okeechobee Waterway. Our thanks to Specialist Jeffrey Prater for this notice.

      Notice to Navigation: 2026-015 – Expected Closure of W.P. Franklin and Ortona Locks for Major Maintenance

      Notice to Navigation: 2026-015 – Expected Closure of W.P. Franklin and Ortona Locks for Major Maintenance

      US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT

      LOCAL NUMBER: 2026-015

      WATERWAY:  Caloosahatchee River, Okeechobee Waterway

      EFFECTIVE: 4 January 2027

      ATTN: CESAJ-OD-SN
      PO Box 4970
      JACKSONVILLE, FL 32232-0019

      POC: Kriss Zeller, Chief of Navigation (772) 380-6928

      www.saj.usace.army.mil/NTN

      REFERENCE:

      1. 33 CFR Navigation and Navigable Waters
      2. Notice to Navigation

      Attention all concerned boaters!

      The W.P. Franklin Lock will be closed to all traffic for dewatering and major maintenance from January 4, 2027 to March 1, 2027. No passage through W.P. Franklin Lock will be available during this critical scheduled maintenance. The Ortona Lock will be open to local traffic only from January 4, 2027 to March 1 2027.

      The Ortona Lock will be closed to all traffic for dewatering and major maintenance from March 1, 2027 to April 30, 2027. No passage through the Ortona Lock will be available during this critical scheduled maintenance. The W.P. Franklin Lock will be open to local traffic only from March 1, 2027 to April 30, 2027.

      For the current Lake Okeechobee water levels, please see:  https://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml

      1. For up-to-date Lock information, contact the shift operator 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at:

                      St. Lucie Lock & Dam 772-287-2665 or 863-662-9148

                      Port Mayaca Lock & Dam 561-924-2858 or 863-662-9424

                      Julian Keen, Jr. Lock & Dam 863-946-0414 or 863-662-9533

                      Ortona Lock & Dam 863-675-0616 or 863- 662-9846

                      W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam 863-662-9908

                      Canaveral Lock 321-783-5421 or 863-662-0298 (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

      Thank you! Jeff

      Jeffrey D Prater
      Public Affairs Specialist
      Corporate Communications Office
      U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
      South Florida Office

      4400 PGA Blvd.

      Suite 501

      Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

      Cell: 561-801-5734

      jeffrey.d.prater@usace.army.mil

      Twitter @JaxStrong

      Jacksonville District Facebook:

      https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict

       

      Click Here To View the Okeechobee Waterway Cruisers Net Bridge Directory Listing For Franklin Lock

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Franklin Lock

       

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 23, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments 36.3004,-76.2189999

      Kick Off Fall with Festivals, Films & Local Fun 🍂 – Elizabeth City


       View In Chartview

      Elizabeth City sits at the southern terminus of the Dismal Swamp Canal and has the well-earned reputation of being a transient-friendly town with free dockage for 72 hours.

      https://visitelizabethcity.com/


      Newsletter icons created by Freepik – Flaticon

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 23, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments 26.7054,-80.71289999

      Torry Island Bridge Closure 10/12-12/22, Okeechobee Waterway Statute Mile 60


       View In Chartview

      This closure effectively requires all vessels to use Route 1 since the clearance is 11 ft.  Note that the closure is from Oct 22 through December 22, 2026.

      Notice to Navigation: 2026-016 – Torry Island Bridge Closure Route 2

      Notice to Navigation: 2026-016 – Torry Island Bridge Closure Route 2

      US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT
      LOCAL NUMBER: 2026-016
      WATERWAY:  Route 2 Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee Water Way
      EFFECTIVE: October 12, 2026 to December 22, 2026

       

      ATTN: CESAJ-OD-SN

      PO Box 4970

      JACKSONVILLE, FL 32232-0019

       

      POC: Kriss Zeller, Chief of Navigation (772) 380-6928

       

      www.saj.usace.army.mil/NTN

      REFERENCE:

      1. 33 CFR Navigation and Navigable Waters
      2. Notice to Navigation

      Attention all concerned boaters!

      Torry Island Bridge Closure

      The U.S. Coast Guard has authorized a temporary deviation to drawbridge operations for the Point Chosen (Torry Island) Swing Bridge, across Route 2, Okeechobee Waterway.

      The authorization states – The Point Chosen (Torry Island) Swing Bridge need not open to navigation from 8 a.m. on October 12, 2026, through 8 a.m. on December 22, 2026. Vessels declaring an emergency will be passed as soon as it is safely possible to do so. The vertical navigation clearance will be reduced to 8 feet due to a temporary installed work platform suspended from the structure. Vessels able to pass without an opening and given the reduce vertical clearance may do so at any time.  Route 1 (Open Lake) remains available to transit Lake Okeechobee during this time.

      For the current Lake Okeechobee water levels, please see:  https://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml

      1. For up-to-date Lock information, contact the shift operator 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at:

                      St. Lucie Lock & Dam 772-287-2665 or 863-662-9148

                      Port Mayaca Lock & Dam 561-924-2858 or 863-662-9424

                      Julian Keen, Jr. Lock & Dam 863-946-0414 or 863-662-9533

                      Ortona Lock & Dam 863-675-0616 or 863- 662-9846

                      W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam 863-662-9908

                      Canaveral Lock 321-783-5421 or 863-662-0298 (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

      Thank you! Jeff

      Jeffrey D Prater
      Public Affairs Specialist
      Corporate Communications Office
      U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
      South Florida Office

      4400 PGA Blvd.

      Suite 501

      Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

      Cell: 561-801-5734

      jeffrey.d.prater@usace.army.mil

      Twitter @JaxStrong

      Jacksonville District Facebook:

      https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict

      Click Here To View the Okeechobee Cruisers’ Net Bridge Directory Listing For Torry Island Bridge

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Torry Island Bridge

      1 Facebook Likes, 2 Facebook Reactions

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 23, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments 27.7403,-82.69619999

      City of Gulfport Monday (09/21/26) Newsletter, Gulfport, FL


       View In Chartview

      Gulfport Marina includes dry boat storage, ship store, bathroom, public boat ramp, parking, fueling stations, lighted range markers and guest docking facility.

      The City of Gulfport and Gulfport Municipal Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, always have a full calendar of events for all ages. The marina and harbor, found on the northern shores of Boca Ciega Bay, are easily accessible from the Western Florida ICW, just north of Tampa Bay.

      City of Gulfport Monday Newsletter
      City of Gulfport, FL Mon, Sep 21, 2026 at 12:05 PM
      Reply-To: info@mygulfport.us
      To: larry.dorminy@cruisersnet.net
      Weekly news & updates
      September 21, 2026 | City of Gulfport, FL – Gateway to the Gulf Newsletter
      E-Newsletter: Monday, September 14, 2026

      Missed last week’s update? Click here to read it now.

      Upcoming Events

      See what’s happening this month.

      Senior Center E-news

      Click here to see what’s happening next.

      Library Calendar of Events

      Upcoming activities at the Gulfport Library.

      Recreation Center

      Click here to see all classes and activities.

      Gulfport Community Update

      Click here to read more.

      Gulfport Arts & Heritage

      Click here to see upcoming events.

      Be Prepared This Hurricane Season!

      The Atlantic hurricane season ends November 30.

      Be prepared, visit the City of Gulfport Hurricane Center for important storm preparedness information, resources, and updates.

      Hurricane Center
      Gulfport City Council

      Mayor

      Karen

      Love

      Smiling woman with short reddish hair wearing a brown top against a light blue background.

      Webpage

      Email

      Report

      826-7208

      Ward 1

      Jennifer Daunch

      Webpage

      Email

      893-1002

      Vice Mayor

      Marlene Shaw

      A smiling woman with long gray hair. Wearing a black jacket and a red blouse stands in front of vibrant pink flowers.

      Webpage

      Email

      Report

      826-7311

      Ward 3

      Jennifer Webb

      Smiling young woman. Long wavy brown hair. Blue and white striped shirt. Green plants and tree in background.

      Webpage

      Email

      893-1001

      Ward 4 Nancy

      Earley

      Smiling woman. Long straight brown hair. Black turtleneck. Arms crossed. Plain light background.

      Webpage

      Email

      269-6625

      City Manager’s Gulfport Community Update
      Gulfport Community Update: September 13 – 19, 2026

      The Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season ends November 30. 2026 Pinellas County Hurricane Guides are available at most City facilities, providing important information on evacuation zones, emergency contacts and storm preparedness. Residents are urged to review these materials and stay informed throughout the season. Visit the City’s Hurricane Center for more information.

      The City of Gulfport uses the SeeClickFix Service Request Center to receive, route and track nonemergency service requests. Residents can submit the location of a concern, upload photos and monitor progress through the City’s SeeClickFix service request page. The system can be used to report a variety of issues, including potholes, sidewalk damage, drainage concerns, traffic sign problems, graffiti, park maintenance needs, and sanitation and code compliance matters.

      Read More
      Upcoming Official Meetings
      City seal. Text reads Gateway to the Gulf. City of Gulfport Fla. Incorporated Oct. 12 1910. Illustration of waterfront with buildings pier and boat. Circular black and gold design.

      City of Gulfport: Meetings Calendar October 2026

      • October 6, 2026 – City Council Meeting – 6:00pm
      • October 7, 2026 – Planning & Zoning Meeting – Cancelled
      • October 8, 2026 – Special Magistrate – 9:30 am
      • October 14, 2026 – Board of Adjustment – 6:00 pm
      • October 20, 2026 – City Council Meeting – 6:00 pm
      • October 21, 2026 – Neighborhood Watch – 6:00pm

      All meetings are open to the public and are held in the City Hall, City Council Chambers, 2401 53rd Street South, In Person, unless otherwise noted. Meetings may occasionally be added, cancelled or rescheduled after this list is published. Please check the city’s website https://mygulfport.us for updated information.

      This Weeks Events & Meetings

      Keep Calm & Carry Yarn

      Monday, September 21st | 10:15 a.m.

      Gulfport Public Library, 5501 28th Ave. S.

      Join us for a weekly knitting and crochet group! Bring your current project, start something new, learn a new skill, and meet other crafters! Don’t know how to knit or crochet? That’s ok, we can help you get started. Call 727-893-1074 for additional information.

      “Bring Your Own Book” (BYOB) Club

      Monday, September 21st | 1 p.m.

      Gulfport Public Library, 5501 28th Ave. S.

      Join us for our weekly Bring Your Own Book book club at 1:00 p.m. Read quietly, enjoy free coffee or tea, and discuss your latest reads or all-time favorites with fellow book lovers. Participation is free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://mygulfport.us/library or call 727-893-1074.

      Mosquito Management Town Hall

      Monday, September 21st | 6 p.m.

      49th Street Neighborhood Center, 1617 49th St. S.

      Join Vice-Mayor Marlene Shaw for a Mosquito Management Town Hall on Monday, September 21, at 6 p.m. at the 49th Street South Neighborhood Center. Caroline Pickart, Senior Environmental Specialist with Pinellas County Public Works, will discuss mosquito monitoring and prevention, including simple steps residents can take to reduce mosquito breeding around their homes. Free and open to the public.

      Logo. Illustration of hand holding leaf with sun rays. Text reads Gulfport Fresh Market. Bright colors purple teal yellow orange.
      Visit our Website
      Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market

      Tuesday, September 22nd | 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

      Downtown Waterfront District, Beach Blvd. S.

      The Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market is a year-round open-air market held in Gulfport’s Waterfront District on Beach Blvd. It also offers a variety of independent shops, boutiques, galleries, its own beach and a large cluster of restaurants, all within easy walking distance. The Fresh Market offers visitors the opportunity for a relaxing day trip in a small town full of “Old Florida” charms.

      September Arts Center Workshops 

      Gulfport Arts Center, 2726 54th St. S.

      Email ArtsCenter@mygulfport.us to register

      Painted Paper Collage (Adult Workshop) – Tuesday, September 22, 12:30 – 2:15 p.m.: Participants will transform plain white paper into colorful works of art, then use their painted creations to design a one-of-a-kind collage.

      Leaf Rubbing Magnets (Kids Workshop) – Friday, September 25, 5 – 6:15 p.m. and Tuesday, September 29, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.: Kids will turn leaf rubbings into fun magnets to take home.

      Reserve A Spot
      Good Faith Rise Up

      Wednesday, September 23rd | 5:30 – 8 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S.

      Join the Florida Council of Churches and The Carter Center’s SUN100 on Wednesday, September 23, from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater for a free screening of Bad Faith 2026, followed by a community conversation about faith, dignity, collaboration and working together for the common good. Dinner will be provided.

      Living Shoreline with Tampa Bay Watch

      Thursday, September 24th | 1 p.m.

      Gulfport Public Library, 5501 28th Ave. S.

      Join us for our monthly COF Presents! This month Tampa Bay Watch will discuss their restoration projects and the importance of living shorelines. PPLC offers free passes to the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center. Check availability at the Circ Desk! Sponsored by the Circle of Friends. 

      Purchase Tickets
      Eliza Neals Brings Electrifying Blues-Rock to Gulfport

      Friday, September 25th | 7 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S.

      Acclaimed singer-songwriter Eliza Neals brings her powerhouse vocals and electrifying blend of blues, rock, and soul to the Catherine A. Hickman Theater on Friday, September 25. Known for her dynamic stage presence and heartfelt performances, Neals promises an unforgettable evening of live music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., tickets are $25, and seating is limited. Purchase tickets online and join us for a night of exceptional entertainment in Gulfport.

      Purchase Tickets
      Nan Colton as Georgia O’Keeffe

      Sunday, September 27th | 3 – 4:30 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S.

      Step into the world of one of America’s most celebrated artists as acclaimed actress and playwright Nan Colton brings Georgia O’Keeffe to life at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater. Through captivating storytelling and performance, this one-woman show explores O’Keeffe’s remarkable life, groundbreaking art, and enduring legacy. Tickets are available through Eventbrite, with all proceeds benefiting the Gulfport Senior Foundation.

      Upcoming Events & Meetings
      Logo. Illustration of sunset with rays. Palm trees. Building silhouette. Text reads Gulfport Night Market. Wavy line at bottom. Blue purple orange and teal colors.
      More Info

      First Friday Gulfport Night Market

      Friday, October 2nd | 5 – 9 p.m.

      Beach Blvd. S. (Waterfront District)

      Formally known as Art Walk on the first Friday and IndieFaire on the third Saturday, these recurring monthly events will launch for 2025 branded as the Gulfport Night Market. The night market concept unites the energy of the former events, offering an evening marketplace experience with vibrant local offerings from local makers, artisans, and small business vendors to engage the community and visitors as they shop, stroll, and sip in beautiful downtown Gulfport.

      Art Reception & Exhibit

      Friday, October 2nd | 6 – 8 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S.

      Join the City of Gulfport for the monthly First Friday Art Reception on Friday, September 4, at the Catherine Hickman Theater. Enjoy an evening of local art, conversation, and community while exploring the featured exhibit in the Theater Lobby. Beer, wine, and snacks will be available for purchase at the theater bar. Come out, support local artists, and enjoy a relaxed evening in Gulfport!

      Register
      Gulfport Community 5K Run/Walk

      Saturday, October 3rd | 8 a.m.

      Gulfport Casino Ballroom, 5500 Shore Blvd. S.

      Lace up and join the City of Gulfport for the Gulfport Community 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, October 3, at 8 a.m.! The starting line will be located in front of the Historic Gulfport Casino Ballroom at 5500 Shore Blvd. S. This family-friendly 3.1-mile waterfront course welcomes runners and walkers of all ages and fitness levels. Registration is $17 per participant and will remain open through Wednesday, September 30, at 4:30 p.m. Participants who register by September 23 are guaranteed to receive an official event T-shirt. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this fun community event! Not running? You can still support Operation Santa, which helps provide holiday gifts to local children ages 0–10, by making a donation through the race registration site.

      Purchase Tickets
      Legendary Singer-Songwriter Janis Ian Documentary Screening & Rare Live Appearance

      Saturday, October 3rd | 2 – 3:30 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave.

      The Gulfport community is invited to experience a special afternoon celebrating the life, music, and legacy of legendary singer-songwriter Janis Ian during a screening of the acclaimed documentary Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, followed by a rare live appearance and conversation with Janis Ian.

      Collage Group Share & Swap for Teens & Adults 

      Saturday, October 3 & 17 | 3 p.m.

      Gulfport Arts Center, 2726 54th St. S.

      Open to collage artists and enthusiast of any skill/experience level. Feel free to bring materials to share and swap with others. Scissors and glue sticks will be provided.

      Learn More
      Fusion 49th District General Meeting

      Monday, October 5th | 6 – 8 p.m.

      49th Street Neighborhood Center, 1617 49th St. S.

      Join us for “First Mondays: Business Activation (We Heard You Series),” a monthly initiative from the Fusion 49th District Team designed to support local businesses with practical, results-driven resources. Created in response to feedback from corridor businesses seeking greater visibility, more customers and consistent support, these monthly sessions provide real tools, actionable strategies and opportunities to help local businesses grow and succeed.

      Held on the first Monday of each month, each gathering offers hands-on guidance to help strengthen marketing, improve financial understanding, and build sustainable business systems. This series is open to all business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in starting, growing, or strengthening a business along the corridor.

      Flyer. City of Gulfport logo. Text reads What’s on Your Mind. All residents welcome. Community events at SumitrA Espresso Lounge and Wonder Works. Office hours every Monday at City Hall. Photo of smiling woman with long gray hair. Red top. Black jacket. Necklace. Contact details for Councilmember Marlene Shaw.
      What’s on Your Mind? With Councilmember Marlene Shaw – Every First Wednesday

      Wednesday, October 7th | 2 – 3 p.m.

      Wonder Works, 5314 Gulfport Blvd. S.

      Join Councilmember Marlene Shaw for casual conversation and community connection at Wonder Works, 5314 Gulfport Blvd. S., every first Wednesday from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Whether you have questions, concerns, or ideas to share, she’s here to listen and talk about the issues that matter to you.

      Councilmember Shaw also holds City Hall office hours every Monday from 2:00 to 3:00 PM at 2401 53rd Street South. Appointments are available upon request.

      Contact mshaw@mygulfport.us or (727) 826-7311 for more info.

      International Coastal Cleanup – Clam Bayou

      Saturday, October 10th | 9 – 11 a.m.

      Clam Bayou Nature Park, Miriam St. S.

      Join Gulfport Grassroots, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, and the City of Gulfport for the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, October 10, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Clam Bayou Nature Park. Volunteers of all ages are invited to help remove litter and debris, protect local wildlife and waterways, and keep Gulfport’s shorelines beautiful. Cleanup supplies will be provided. Please wear boots, long pants, and sleeves for safety and comfort.

      More Info
      A Gulfport Welcome

      Wednesday, October 14th | 6:30 – 8 p.m.

      Gulfport Public Library, 5501 28th Ave. S.

      New to Gulfport? Join us Wednesday, October 14, from 6:308 p.m. at the Gulfport Public Library, 5501 28th Ave. S., for A Gulfport Welcome, an opportunity for new residents to meet City leaders, connect with local organizations and discover the people, programs and resources that make Gulfport special. The evening will include brief introductions, a short presentation and plenty of time for open mingling and making connections.

      RSVP
      Millennium Time Capsule Unearthing & Community Luminary Labyrinth Walk

      Friday, October 16th | 5:30 – 7 p.m.

      Gulfport History Museum, 5301 28th Ave. S.

      Join the community on Friday, October 16, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Gulfport History Museum for an evening connecting Gulfport’s past and present. A time capsule sealed in 2000 will be unearthed and opened, followed by a candlelit luminary labyrinth walk. This free community event is part of the TimeWeaving Community Labyrinth, a public art and history project celebrating Gulfport’s past, present, and future. 

      Free Community Tree Giveaway

      Saturday, October 17th | 9 – 11 a.m.

      Clymer Park (Greenway), 23rd Ave. S. & Beach Blvd. S.

      The City of Gulfport invites residents to the Free Community Tree Giveaway at Clymer Park, part of our ongoing Plant a Tree initiative. Gulfport residents with a driver’s license or water bill for proof can receive free trees to enhance their property and support the city’s environmental sustainability efforts.

      For more information, please contact the Parks & Facilities Superintendent at 727-893-1092.

      Tickets & Info
      SAGES Theater presents “Grandma Rocks”

      Saturday, October 17th | 2 – 3:30 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 2

      Join SAGES Theater on Saturday, October 17, at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater for Grandma Rocks, a heartwarming comedy about second chances, family, and finding joy in life’s next chapter. The free, family-friendly performance begins at 1:45 p.m., with doors opening at 1 p.m. for community resources, prize drawings, and goody bags, followed by a sing-along at 1:30 p.m. The approximately 60-minute performance will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A. Reservations are required to guarantee seating. For reservations, contact SAGES Theater at playswithpurpose@sagestheater.org or (727) 202-2302.

      Logo. Illustration of sunset with rays palm trees and building silhouette. Text reads Gulfport Night Market. Wavy line design at bottom. Blue purple orange and teal color scheme.
      More Info

      Third Saturday Gulfport Night Market

      Saturday, October 17th | 5 – 9 p.m.

      Beach Blvd. S. (Waterfront District)

      The Gulfport Night Market operates year-round from 5pm to 9pm on the first Friday and third Saturday of each month. The Gulfport Merchants Chamber is proud to partner with the Tampa Bay Markets team to work directly with new and returning vendors and to manage the Gulfport Night Market events. Tampa Bay Markets is a local events management company that operates 13 successful local markets and special events within the greater Tampa Bay Area, celebrating its 15th anniversary year of operation.

      Reading Isn’t Ruff with Therapy Dogs

      Wednesday, October 21st | 4 p.m.

      Gulfport Public Library, 5501 28th Ave. S.

      Children can practice their literacy skills by reading aloud to a therapy dog and handler. Bring your own book or borrow one from the library! We’re excited to welcome the Hearts of Gold therapy team and their furry friends to our Read to a Dog program. Recommended for Grades 2–5, but children of all ages are welcome. For more information, call 727-893-1074.

      Gulfport Neighborhood Watch Meetings

      Wednesday, October 21st | 6 p.m.

      Every third Wednesday of each month

      City Hall (Council Chambers), 2401 53rd St. S.

      For more information, please contact Mr. Jim Wright Neighborhood Watch Coordinator at 727-893-1022 or jwright@mygulfport.us.

      Tickets & Info
      Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind: New Orleans Style Blues, Rock & Jazz

      Wednesday, October 21st | 7 – 9 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S.

      Don’t miss an unforgettable night of live music when acclaimed harmonica virtuoso Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind bring their electrifying blend of blues, rock, jazz, funk, and New Orleans influences to the Catherine A. Hickman Theater on Wednesday, October 21, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. General admission is $25. Tickets are expected to sell quickly. 

      Tickets & Info
      Improv Sandwich: Aliens at the Hickman

      Friday, October 30th | 6 – 8 p.m.

      Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S.

      Get ready for an out-of-this-world night of comedy on Friday, October 30, from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater. Improv Sandwich presents a 90-minute, interactive improv show featuring Star Trek actress Laura Banks and a troupe of seasoned performers. Set in a retro 1950s diner, the show combines Halloween fun, alien encounters and audience-inspired comedy where every scene is created live on stage. General Admission and VIP experiences are available, with Early Bird pricing through September 30.

      Halloween Bash

      Saturday, October 31st | 4 – 7 p.m.

      Gulfport Recreation Center, 5730 Shore Blvd. S.

      Join us Saturday, October 31, from 4–7 p.m. at the Gulfport Recreation Center for an evening of trunk-or-treat, games, music, and a costume contest. The costume contest begins at 5 p.m., with categories for ages 0–3, 4–7, 8–12, 13–17, and family themes. For more information, call 727-893-1068.

      RSVP
      Labyrinth Lights Dance Performance

      Friday, November 6th | 5 – 9 p.m.

      Gulfport History Museum, 5301 28th Ave. S.

      Experience an evening of music, movement, and light on Friday, November 6, from 5–9 p.m. at the Gulfport History Museum. Enjoy a luminary-lit labyrinth featuring a special dance and drum performance by Hip Expression Dancers and Drummers. This free community event is part of the TimeWeaving Community Labyrinth project and Creative Pinellas’ Art Everywhere initiative. Free and open to the public.

      Artists Map
      Gulfport’s Art in the Yard, Community Art Sale

      Saturday, November 7th | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

      City of Gulfport, FL

      Shop original artworks during the City of Gulfport Art in the Yard Community Art Sale, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday, November 7. In the event of rain, the sale will take place Sunday, November 8. This bi-annual community art sale transforms the charming City into an open-air gallery, showcasing the talent and creativity of local artists in their own front yards. A Google map of participating artists can be found at, https://mygulfport.us/gulfport-art-in-the-yard.

      Registrations Now Open!
      Register Here

      Permit Free City-Wide Yard Sale

      Registration Now Open!

      Registration is now open for Gulfport’s Permit Free City-Wide Yard Sale, taking place Saturday, November 14, from dawn to dusk throughout the City. Residents can register to have their yard sale address included in the event brochure and Google Maps. Register by Friday, October 30, at 2 p.m. to be included.

      Register Here

      Heroes Weekend Veterans Parade

      Registration Now Open!

      Registration is now open for Gulfport’s annual Veterans Parade, taking place Sunday, November 8, at 11 a.m. Join the community as we honor the brave men and women who have served our nation. Register by Monday, November 2, at 3 p.m.

      Community Outreach
      Explore Gulfport’s past!

      Click here to view digitized City records from 1920 – 1974.

      Gulfport History Museum Online Collection

      View the Museum’s online collection here.

      Latest Beach Water Quality Sampling Data

      See the latest report here.

      Gulfport Charter & Code of Ordinances

      Online access is provided at the following link.

      Bill Payment Options

      View and pay Utility & Marina Billing accounts online here.

      Employee Directory

      Click here to view the Gulfport Employee Directory.

      “Take 2 on Tuesdays” with Mayor Karen Love

      Take Two on Tuesday with Mayor Love – Common Courtesy

      In Case You Missed It!

      Last week’s Take 2 on Tuesdays featured Common Courtesy.

      Calling All Artists! – Fourth Quarter Theme: “Fish”

      The City of Gulfport is inviting artists to participate in a new quarterly exhibition opportunity featuring selected artwork in the City Hall Council Chambers. The opportunity is free for participating artists, with a different theme featured each quarter. The theme for the Fourth Quarter of 2026 is “Fish,” and artists are encouraged to submit original artwork inspired by the theme in any medium.

      To participate, email the following information to Julie Armstrong at juliearmstrong22@gmail.com:

      • Photo of the artwork submission
      • Artist name
      • Title of artwork
      • Medium
      • Size
      • Contact information

      The submission deadline is October 9, 2026. Selected artwork will be displayed in the City Hall Council Chambers during the fourth quarter.

      Flood Safety Reminder: Turn Around, Don’t Drown

      Heavy rainfall can quickly cause flooding on roadways. Drivers are reminded to never drive through flooded streets or around barricades. Water may be deeper than it appears, and driving through standing water can create wakes that push water onto nearby homes and properties.

      Please obey all posted signs, road closures, and No Wake restrictions. If you encounter a flooded roadway, turn around and find an alternate route.

      Help keep yourself, your neighbors, and our community safe. Be safe. Stay dry.

      Let’s Keep Gulfport Beautiful and Our Streets Clean!

      Keeping grass clippings out of the street helps protect our bay, prevent flooding, and keep roads safe. Bag, compost, or blow clippings back onto your lawn to recycle nutrients naturally.

      Every small action helps keep Gulfport clean, green, and beautiful. Thank you for doing your part to care for our community!

      September 2026 Street Sweeping

      The City of Gulfport Public Works Department conducts routine street sweeping throughout the City to keep roadways clean, improve stormwater management, and help protect local waterways, including Boca Ciega Bay. Sweeping generally takes place Monday–Tuesday in areas south of Gulfport Boulevard and Wednesday–Thursday in areas north of Gulfport Boulevard. Residents can help by keeping leaves, grass clippings, and other debris out of roadways and gutters, keeping storm drains clear, and avoiding street parking when sweeping operations are underway.

      Be Hurricane Ready: Stay One Step Ahead

      Stay one step ahead as peak hurricane season approaches. The best time to prepare is before a storm is on the way.

       

      • Download the free Ready Pinellas app to create your emergency plan, use an emergency kit checklist, and keep important info at your fingertips.
      • Sign up for Alert Pinellas to receive emergency notifications about evacuations, severe weather, boil water notices and other urgent situations.

       

      Get started today:

      Ready Pinellas – https://pinellas.gov/ready-pinellas

      Alert Pinellas – https://pinellas.gov/alert-pinellas

      More Info

      Gulfport Residents: Take Extra Precautions Against Mosquitoes

      Pinellas County Mosquito Control is reporting increased mosquito-borne virus activity following recent rainfall. Residents are encouraged to follow the 3 Ds: Dress in protective clothing, Defend with insect repellent, and Dump or cover standing water around your property. Mosquito Control has increased treatments throughout the county. Help protect our community by checking your property for standing water and eliminating mosquito breeding areas.

      Water Restrictions Webpage

      Modified Phase III Water Shortage Restrictions Extended Through October 1

      The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has extended the Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Order through October 1, 2026, due to ongoing drought conditions and low regional water supplies.

      All Gulfport residents, including those using private wells or pumps, must continue following the one-day-per-week irrigation schedule. Lawn and landscape watering is allowed only between 12:01 a.m. and 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on your assigned watering day.

      Watering Schedule (based on the last digit of your address):

      • 0–1: Monday
      • 2–3: Tuesday
      • 4–5: Wednesday
      • 6–7: Thursday
      • 8–9: Friday (also applies to common areas and properties without a numbered address)

      Residents are encouraged to conserve water by following these restrictions and using water wisely. For the complete watering schedule and additional conservation tips, visit the Pinellas County Watering Schedule and Rules page. Questions? Email Water.Restrictions@WaterMatters.org or call (813) 856-5679 during business hours.

      1976 Bicentennial Time Capsule Photographs

      Photos from the opening of Gulfport’s 1976 Bicentennial Time Capsule are now available online. Explore this special collection and take a look back at a unique piece of our community’s history.

      Photo Gallery

      Skip the Fertilizer This Summer

      From now through September 30, fertilizer use is prohibited in Pinellas County during the rainy season. Excess nutrients can wash into storm drains, creeks, lakes, and Tampa Bay, contributing to harmful algae blooms and poor water quality.

      Help protect Gulfport’s waterways, wildlife, and coastlines by keeping fertilizer off your lawn until October 1. For more information, visit https://pinellas.gov/pinellas-county-fertilizer-ordinance.

      Scheduled Water Line and Hydrant Flushing

      The City of Gulfport is continuing scheduled water line and fire hydrant flushing throughout the City through September 2026. This routine maintenance helps maintain water quality, remove sediment from the water distribution system, and ensure fire hydrants are operating properly in the event of an emergency.

      During flushing, residents may notice water flowing in the street, a temporary drop in water pressure, air in the water lines, cloudy water, or slight discoloration. If this occurs, run cold water for several minutes, preferably from an outside faucet first if one is available, until the water runs clear.

      If you have any questions, please contact the City of Gulfport Utilities Division at 727-893-1085.

      Hurricane Center

      Gulfport Encourages Boater Safety and Storm Preparedness During Hurricane Season

      Now that storm season is underway, the City of Gulfport encourages residents and boaters to take proactive steps to protect life and property during severe weather events. Boaters are urged to relocate vessels to safe harbors or designated hurricane holes when possible, secure anchors and mooring lines, remove loose items and sails, test bilge pumps and batteries, and document vessels for insurance purposes. Staying alert to local weather updates and evacuation guidance is also essential to reducing risk and improving safety on the water.

      In addition, the City’s Hurricane Preparedness webpage provides a centralized resource to help residents prepare for, respond to, and recover from hurricanes, flooding, and other emergencies. The page includes evacuation zone details, shelter information, flood safety guidance, sandbag usage instructions, pet preparedness resources, debris removal information, emergency contacts, and links to additional county and state emergency management tools. Residents are encouraged to stay informed and prepared before, during, and after storms by visiting https://mygulfport.us/hurricane.

      Gulfport Library Bingo

      Pick up a Bingo card today!

      The Gulfport Public Library invites readers of all ages to participate in its Reading Bingo Challenge from June through September. Pick up a Bingo card at the library and complete fun reading activities for a chance to explore new books, discover different genres, and stay engaged in reading all summer long. For more information, visit the Gulfport Public Library at 5501 28th Ave. S., call 727-893-1074, or visit https://mygulfport.us/library.

      SeeClickFix – Service Request Center

      The City of Gulfport uses SeeClickFix to receive, route, and track non-emergency service requests. Residents can report community concerns, submit the location of the issue, upload photos, and monitor progress through the online portal. Use the portal to report issues such as potholes, sidewalk damage, drainage concerns, traffic sign issues, graffiti, park maintenance concerns, sanitation issues, and code compliance matters.

      Visit our Website
      Visit our Website

      A Message from the Gulfport Police Department: Keep Sidewalks Clear

      Help keep Gulfport safe and accessible for everyone by keeping sidewalks clear.

      Under Florida Statute 316.1945, vehicles and other obstructions are not permitted on sidewalks, as they can create serious hazards, especially for pedestrians using wheelchairs, strollers, or mobility aids. Violations may result in fines or towing.

      Thank you for doing your part to keep our community walkable and safe!

      Learn More

      Utility Marking: Decoding the Marks

      Seeing colored flags or paint in your yard or along the street? Those markings mean underground utilities have been located within public rights-of-way or utility easements before contractors start work. They help prevent damage and keep everyone safe.

       

      Remember, these markings show public utility lines, but private lines, like irrigation, outdoor lighting, or propane may still be underground and unmarked.

       

      Always call 811 before you dig. It’s free, it’s the law, and it helps prevent damage, outages, and injuries!

      Gulfport Public Library Story Trail Initiative

      The Gulfport Public Library is inviting community members and local businesses to help bring a new outdoor literacy experience to life through the Gulfport Story Trail. This interactive project will transform a park pathway into a walking storybook, with illustrated pages displayed along the trail so families can read together while exploring Gulfport’s parks. To help make the project possible, the library is seeking sponsors for approximately 20 outdoor reading stations. Each sponsored station will include an engraved plaque recognizing the donor, business, or honoring a loved one. Once completed, the Story Trail will promote literacy, encourage physical activity, and provide a year-round resource for families, schools, and visitors. For more information or to become a sponsor, contact the Gulfport Public Library at libraryinfo@mygulfport.us or 727-893-1074.

      Adopt-a-Drain

      City of Gulfport Adopt-a-Drain Program

      Did you know that keeping storm drains clear helps reduce roadway flooding, protects our local waterways, and keeps our community safe? The City of Gulfport’s Adopt-a-Drain Program makes it easy to make a big impact right in your own neighborhood.

      Simply choose a storm drain near your home, workplace, or favorite walking route, monitor it regularly, and remove leaves and debris as needed. After clearing debris, contact Gulfport Public Works at (727) 893-1089 for pickup.

      It’s a simple way to protect our streets and our shoreline, one drain at a time!

      Gulfport: Don’t Miss Out on Hurricane Recovery Grants!

      The People First Hurricane Recovery Programs are here to support homeowners, renters, and local landlords impacted by Hurricanes Idalia, Helene, or Milton. These programs provide funding and assistance to repair damage, prevent long-term displacement, and make housing safer and more affordable. 

      Eligible Gulfport residents may apply online at https://recover.pinellas.gov or by calling (727) 606-3307. Case managers are available by phone, at county offices, and during community pop-up events to help guide applicants through the process.

      Apply Now!

      City of Gulfport Utilities Department Online Utility Service Application

      The City of Gulfport Utility Billing – Customer Service Division provides an online Utility Service Application, making it easy for new customers to start water, sewer, sanitation, stormwater, and recycling service. The secure online form allows applicants to upload required documents and submit everything from any computer or mobile device.

      In-person assistance is still available at Gulfport City Hall for those who prefer to apply in person.

      The application can be accessed anytime at: mygulfport.us/utilities/utility-account-application-form. Applications submitted before 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, are eligible for same-day activation.

      For more information, visit mygulfport.us/utilities or contact Utility Billing – Customer Service at utilitiesinfo@mygulfport.us or (727) 893-1016.

      Register Here

      Gulfport Connects: Bringing the Community Together

      Register for Gulfport Connects, an online volunteer platform designed to strengthen connections between residents, local organizations, and City departments. The platform provides a simple, reliable way to match community needs with volunteer support – both during emergencies, and in everyday life. Nonprofits, community groups and City departments can post and manage volunteer opportunities, track service hours, and coordinate projects, while residents can sign up for activities that match their interests and log their service.

      Visit https://gulfport.galaxydigital.com or email dmather@mygulfport.us to be added to the portal. Gulfport Connects transforms lessons learned into lasting community strength, keeping Gulfport connected and resilient every day.

      Photo. Colorful shuttle bus with artwork. Text on side and front reads Welcome to Gulfport. Design includes iguana and parrot illustrations. Blue purple and green gradient background.

      City of Gulfport Special Events Trolley/WRD Looper

      The City of Gulfport Special Events Trolley/Waterfront Redevelopment District (WRD) Looper services large-scale special events and the First Friday and Third Saturday Night Markets from 5 to 9 p.m. and the Second Saturday’s at Trolley Market Square from 4 – 8 p.m. throughout the year.

      For more information and to view all of the Loopers convenient pickup spots, please visit https://mygulfport.us/trolley/.

      Logo. Text reads First Contact. Tagline reads Connecting You to Hope and Help. Design includes speech bubble with heart. Blue and teal color scheme.
      Learn More

      Improving Lives Through the Power of Information & Hope

      At First Contact, our goal is to have a community that is connected and informed regarding critical health and human service information for those who need help and those who are willing to volunteer or donate their time to local community agencies.

      Flyer. Text reads Care About Me. Support Starts Here. Your key to access mental health substance use and addiction treatment services. Care About Me is not a crisis line. Provides confidential help with identifying service providers and scheduling appointments. Steps include email call text chat speak with a caring specialist and make an appointment. Contact 1 888 431 1998. Hours Monday to Friday 8 AM to 10 PM. Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM. Holidays included. Website careaboutme.org. Powered by Unite Us. Green QR code for more information. Photo of smiling woman outdoors.

      Care About Me confidentially helps all residents of all ages, insured or not, by eliminating the guesswork or need to search for local behavioral health services by creating a space where residents or family members of individuals in non-crisis can call in, speak directly with experienced behavioral health specialists who can triage their needs, and get an appointment scheduled with a local provider.

      For more information, visit https://careaboutme.org or call 1-888-431-1998.

      Flyer. Text reads Open Hours. Gulfport History Museum. Wednesday 10 to 2 PM. Thursday 12 to 4 PM. Friday 10 to 2 PM. Saturday 12 to 4 PM first and third weeks. Closed Sunday to Tuesday. Address 5301 28th Avenue South Gulfport Florida 33707. Phone 727 201 8687. Email HistoryMuseum@mygulfport.us . Circular Gulfport History Museum logo at bottom. Background shows historic photo of pier and buildings.
      Gulfport History Museum Operating Hours

      • Monday & Tuesday: Closed
      • Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
      • Thursday: 12 – 4 p.m.
      • Friday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
      • Saturday: Noon – 4 p.m. (1st and 3rd Saturdays)
      • Sunday: Closed

      727-893-1161 | historymuseum@mygulfport.us

      Flyer. Text reads Gulfport Recycles. The City of Gulfport Recycling Guidelines. Separate curbside recycling into two groups. Group one plastic steel and aluminum. Group two mixed paper. Free recycling containers available for residents call 727 893 1089. Free mulch at Gulfport Neighborhood Center. Plastic bag drop off at City Hall and park collection buckets. Special pick up available by calling Public Works. Yard waste picked up on Wednesdays with size and bagging requirements. City of Gulfport Public Works logo. Website link mygulfport.us public works department. Background shows Gulfport waterfront illustration.

      Gulfport provides once-a-week collection of household recyclables. Curbside service is provided to all single-family and duplex homes, apartment/condo complexes, mobile home parks and smaller businesses. Items collected are plastic containers and jugs, steel cans, aluminum cans, mixed paper, cardboard and newspaper.

      A drop-off center is located at the Neighborhood Center, 1617 49th Street South, for glass containers (all colors), mixed paper, and cardboard. It is open 24 hours / 7 days a week. For more information, visit https://mygulfport.us/public-works-department/.

      Logo. Text reads Keep Pinellas Beautiful. Design includes green leaf graphic. Blue and green color scheme.

      The Gulfport Public Works Department located at the 49th Street Neighborhood Center (1617 49th St. S.) is an official collection site for rechargeable batteries!

      For more information, please call 727-893-1089 or visit https://mygulfport.us/public-works-department/.

      Flyer. Text reads Private Waterline and Private Lateral Replacement Assistance Program. 50 percent of total replacement cost up to 3500 dollars. For more information contact Utilities Department at 727 893 1085. Illustration shows house with private sanitary sewer lateral connecting to municipal sanitary sewer connection and sanitary sewer main. Brown background with underground pipe diagram.
      Learn more

      The City of Gulfport Private Waterline and Sewer Lateral Replacement Assistance Program offers financial reimbursement after the replacement of a deteriorated residential waterline or sewer lateral. City Utilities residential water or sewer customers are eligible for a rebate of 50% up to $3,500.00 after the purchase, installation, and inspection of failing waterlines or sewer lateral between the home connection and the city connection.

      Promoting Optimal Living. The City of Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center.

      The City of Gulfport Senior Center’s Telephone Reassurance Program is a free service for Gulfport Residents 50 years of age or older. Volunteers provide daily phone calls to registered members and provide comfort, security, and peace of mind to members and families.

       

      Registration is simple and free. If you or someone you know could benefit from this service during this difficult time, please call (727) 893-2237 and register today.

      A flyer titled Catch A Ride With GEMS promotes the GEMS transportation service for elderly and disabled residents of Gulfport. It highlights the service as Reliable Affordable Flexible and Convenient. The flyer states that GEMS has provided door to door transportation for over 40 years.

      GEMS door-to-door transportation has provided independence & freedom to elderly and disabled residents of Gulfport for over 40 years.

       

      Any Gulfport residents 65 & older or residents with a disability can take advantage of GEMS door to door service for a yearly membership of $70 plus $2 per one-way trip. For more information, call 893-2242.

      City of Gulfport, Florida | https://mygulfport.us/
      Facebook
      City of Gulfport, FL | 2401 53rd Street South | Gulfport, FL 33707 US

      Click Here To View the Cruisers Net Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Gulfport Municipal Marina

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Gulfport Municipal Marina

      Click Here To View the Western Florida Cruisers Net Anchorage Directory Listing For Gulfport Anchorage/Mooring Field

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Gulfport Anchorage/Mooring Field

       

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 23, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      The Forgotten Voyage: Ansel Adams on the ICW – Loose Cannon

      Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with

       
         
       
      Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

      When all else fails, try journalism.

      The Forgotten Voyage: Ansel Adams on the ICW

      Thanksgiving Along the ‘Ditch,’ and All the Photos We Cannot See

       
      		 
      		 
      		 
       

      READ IN APP

       
         
      ANSEL ADAMS SCANS THE HORIZON on a 1940 trip down the Intracoastal Waterway. The great photographer took about 50 pictures that we cannot see, though we may see some photos of him taking the photos we cannot see.

      This story was first published on May 8, 2022.

      Traumatic events mark the beginning and end of every American epoch. Their names begin with words like pre-war, post-war, pre-911, post-911 and, most recently, pre- and post-Covid.

      The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is a national treasure. Once the purview of barges and other commercial traffic, the ICW extends 1,100 miles from Virginia to Key West, Florida, man-made canals linking a collection of inlets, rivers, bays and sounds.

      Quite accidentally, the great American landscape photographer Ansel Adams documented the ICW one year before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor launched American involvement in World War II, a national trauma that changed everything. Adams photos depict an ICW at a moment before the deluge. Thereafter, as the generation that won the war ventured out in small craft, the character of the ICW transitioned from commercial to recreational.

      By autumn 1940 Adams was well established as landscape photographer, though another year would pass before he would shoot his most famous photo of all, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. As with many of us, Adams was drawn to his first boating adventure by the contagious enthusiasm of a good friend.

      The California native was convinced to go on a spur-of-the-moment cruise of the ICW aboard the schooner Billy Bones II. Naturally, he took pictures, which inadvertently documented the end of an era, but, because of draconian copyright enforcement, the collection won’t be available for viewing until 2054, 70 years after Adams’ death.

      Adams was friends with painter Georgia O’Keeffe, another artist reknown for Western imagery. In 1936, she introduced him to her friend David McAlpin, a photography enthusiast and trustee of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

      McAlpin was an investment banker credited with a key role in establishing photography as fine art, a goal he encouraged with donations from his personal fortune. He was also to become a patron and lifelong friend to Adams. In 1937 and ’38, the two went on camping trips to the western sierras, decidedly Adams’ home turf. You could look at their Intracoastal Waterway jaunt as a reciprocal gesture, roughing it in the style of the East Coast elite.

      Biographers say Adams was near the peak of his game by 1940 when McAlpin involved the 38-year-old pianist-turned-photographer in his campaign to establish a new photo department at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. “In November, having finished the first phase in setting MOMA’s new department, McAlpin suggested to Adams that they take a break to take a Thanksgiving holiday cruise,” Stephen Jareckie wrote 66 years later.

      Jareckie was curator of the exhibit of photos from the trip, displayed at the Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Museum of Art in 2007 and later at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, N.C., where Billy Bones II had stopped for fuel after the Dismal Swamp. “Ansel Adams in the East” featured 50 prints made from proofs found in the estate of McAlpin’s second wife.

         
      The Billy Bones II was a 43-foot schooner built in 1929 in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, a copy of a John Alden design.

      The captain of Billy Bones II was the late John DePeyster Stagg, a larger-than-life character on the Long Island waterfront. Stagg, 26 at the time, was a charter boat captain with all the right stuff; he was a storyteller, a fine drinking partner and with a reputation for wizardry in the galley.

      Billy Bones was a reference to the enigmatic, hard-drinking old salt introduced at the beginning of “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson—and a clue to young Stagg’s outlook on life. Stagg was always threatening to write a book: “Staggering with Stagg from Maine to Florida, a Guide to the Better Bars.”

      The Bones, 42-feet LOA, had been built in 1929 by the Casey Boatbuilding Company of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, which basically capied of John Alden’s Malabar V right down to her Scripps gasoline engine. Stagg bought her second-hand, renamed her Billy Bones II and put her to work in the charter trade, taking guests on trips along the East Coast and in the Bahamas. Unusually for her time and type, she had two heads.

      Share

      David Hunter McAlpin had inhaled the briny air while serving as an ensign on a Navy subchaser during World War I. By the 1930s, he had become a partner at Clark Dodge & Co. investment bankers. McAlpin and Stagg knew each other because Stagg had some money invested with the firm, and both were from established New York families. Stagg was a descendant of George Washington’s aide at Valley Forge, and McAlpin’s family status had allowed him to marry into the Rockefellers.

      Adams had a reputation for working hard, playing hard and enjoying strong drink. McAlpin’s pitch must have had tremendous appeal—the idea of Huck Finning it down the waterway on a schooner! Adams and McAlpin caught up with the Billy Bones II in Norfolk, Va., joining Stagg and his crew, a professional sailor named Winfield Scott, known to everyone as Scottie.

         
      Ansel Adams and the crew wait alongside after passing through a swing bridge.

      Thanksgiving, Nov. 21, 1940, found Billy Bones II in the Dismal Swamp and John Stagg in the galley cooking turkey. Curator Jareckie wrote, “Adams and McAlpin took pictures of the tree-bordered canal. Adams discovered unexpected beauty in the Great Dismal Swamp.”  (One wonders whether Stagg, like other schooner chefs before him, had to break the turkey’s backbone, squashing it to fit it in the ship’s oven.)

       Schooner and crew continued motoring on the ICW to Thunderbolt, near Savannah, where Adams and McAlpin bid goodbye after 10 days and 580 miles together.

      A tripod is useless aboard a boat, so taking his usual glass-plate camera would have been silly. Adams and McAlpin shared a new Zeiss Super Ikonta BX camera, a bellows-camera that folded and closed into compact package when not in use. Images were recorded on a big 2¼-inch-square negative. The museum exhibit images were made from 5-by-5-inch proofs, unimproved by darkroom printmaking techniques that were also part of Adams’ artistry.

      Today’s photographers process their finished works with Photoshop, but during the era of film and glass plates, the great shooters achieved some of the same effects using “dodge and burn” techniques to manipulate the light as it was projected through a negative onto photo-sensitive paper.

      As I recall, the pictures Adams and McAlpin took on their 1940 voyage contain no stunners, nothing as dramatic as Adam’s western landscapes; no “Moonrise” or “The Tetons, Snake River.”

      To a journalist, however, the Adams photos have a familiar feel. With only basic equipment and moving aboard a boat on a delivery schedule through unfamiliar territory, Adams adjusted his approach. The fine-art photographer became a documentarian.

         
      Skipper John Stagg, a larger-than-life character, takes Billy Bones II through the locks at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal.

      The photos indeed show the crew together and individually as any vacation collection would. They show the Dismal Swamp, canal locks, a swing bridge, docks and fishing boats. Commentators who saw the museum prints described the body of work as “vacation snapshots.” To be fair, however, it should be noted that Adams was working it pretty hard, scooching low for some compositions, going high for others. In fact, Adams at one point climbed the mainmast to fill his frame vertically in the face of a flat Carolina landscape.

      The docks Adams snapped are the rough-hewn province of fishing boats, not the pleasure craft that would arrive in 1950s. The barrier islands of the Carolinas would have been largely free of beach houses. Hilton Head hadn’t happened either.

      Instead, a boatman was captured rowing by the light of dawn at Thunderbolt, an image that could just as well have been painted in oils. We see the Annie D. Bell, a Chesapeake Bay lumber schooner under sail.

      Describing an image labeled “Fort Sumter, Carolina, on horizon,” one critic wrote, “The fortifications…emerge as the merest bump off in the distance. Dominating the picture are long tendrils of cirrus that seem to converge on the far-off island, like arrows—or accusations.” In another shot, Adams experimented looking for abstract imagery in the shape of the boat’s wake.

         
      At left, Ansel Adams spies a mark in the fog. He mugs for the camera at right.

      Historical significance and craftsmanship notwithstanding, the trustees of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust in Mill Valley, California, criticized the Fitchburg exhibit and claimed that Adams himself would have objected to such a display of his work. The ICW shots, trustees argued, are mere proofs. All the famous Adams photographs had been refined by the photographer’s masterful darkroom techniques. Adams, the trustees said, would never have approved an exhibition of raw proofs.

      “I think it’s unethical in terms of museum ethics and behavior. It’s something that never would be done at MOMA or the Art Institute of Chicago,” William Turnage, one of three Adams’ trustees, told the Associated Press. “But you know, what the heck? Some people are going to take advantage and try to profiteer, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

      After the outbreak of war, McAlpin rejoined the navy as a commander and used his business expertise on behalf of the government to monitor shipbuilding contracts. Adams greatest wartime contribution was journalistic in nature as he documented life at Japanese-American internment camp at Manzanar, California. Once exhibited, this collection was subtitled “Suffering under a great injustice.”

      The artist and the enthusiast remained friends for life; Adams died in 1984, McAlpin in ’85. Stagg crossed the bar that same year.

      Stagg sold Billy Bones II in 1942. The U-boat menace had sunk his charter business. The buyer was a Charles Foster (most likely the same Marblehead yachtsman and hotelier known for owning more than 60 pleasure boats during his lifetime). During the war, Stagg went to work for the Thomas Knutson boatyard, helping to build 110-foot submarine chasers for the Navy.

      The Adams trust justified its censorship by asking whether anyone would really be interested in the exhibit had someone other than Adams shot the photos.

      I would rephrase the question: Why should Americans be prevented from seeing these images just because Adams was the photographer? These photos show us a slice of waterway history. And they are proof of how a boating lifestyle connects us with nature and nurtures lifelong bonds of friendship and memory.

         
      Like an old tar, Ansel Adams goes aloft for a panoramic view of the North Carolina countryside.

      LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.

      Be the first to comment!

    • Sep 21, 2026by:   Curtis Hoff No Comments

      BoatUS Foundation and NASBLA Launch Partnership to Advance Boating Safety and Education Nationwide

       
       

      Media Contact:
      Alisha Sheth
      Senior PR Manager, BoatUS Foundation

       

       

       

      BoatUS Foundation and NASBLA Launch Partnership to Advance Boating Safety and Education Nationwide
       
      New partnership brings together two leading boating organizations to advance safety education, strengthen collaboration with states, and support America’s boaters

       

      MOU Signing - NASBLA and BoatUS Foundation Partnership to Advance Boating Safety
      MOU Signed between NASBLA and BoatUS Foundation on 9/16/2026

      SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Sept. 17, 2026 – BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water President Heather Lougheed and NASBLA Executive Board Chair Christopher Jones have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the organizations’ shared commitment to advancing recreational boating safety, education and environmental stewardship for the benefit of boaters nationwide.

      Through the partnership, the BoatUS Foundation and NASBLA will work together to identify opportunities that advance recreational boating safety and education at both the national and local levels. Areas of collaboration may include supporting the National Boating Education Standards, exploring recreational boating safety certification initiatives, and identifying opportunities for educational programs and outreach efforts that assist the boating community.

      “Boating safety is most effective when organizations work together toward common goals,” said Lougheed. “Our partnership with NASBLA creates an opportunity to explore innovative approaches to boating education, support the development of national standards, and identify proposals that help make the water safer for everyone. We look forward to combining our strengths to expand the reach and impact of boating safety education across the country.”

      The organizations will also pursue opportunities to collaborate on boating safety and education initiatives, including programs supported by the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. By sharing expertise and coordinating efforts, the partnership aims to maximize the value of programs and resources available to boaters, state agencies, and boating organizations nationwide.

      “For decades, boating education has played a critical role in helping people enjoy the water safely and responsibly,” said Jones. “As the boating landscape evolves, there is tremendous opportunity to explore new approaches, share expertise, and ensure educational programs continue to meet the needs of current and future generations of boaters.”

      For more information on the BoatUS Foundation and to take our free state boating safety course, visit https://boatus.org. For more information on NASBLA, please visit https://community.nasbla.org/home.

      ###

      About BoatUS Foundation:

      The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the more than 740,000 members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nonprofit 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 all. A range of safe and clean boating courses – including the nation’s only free online boating safety course – can be found at BoatUS.org. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a four-star charity, the highest rating awarded by Charity Navigator.

      About NASBLA: 

      The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that develops public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of the U.S. states and territories. We offer a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards, publications and more. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, we affect the lives of over 85 million American boaters.

       

      Be the first to comment!


    Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com