Historian David Cecelski: Carolina coast still worth the fight
From Coastal Review – Historian David Cecelski: Carolina coast still worth the fight.
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The recent shackling of the Environmental Protection Agency “foreshadows the breathtaking descent back into the worst days of our coastal past, when our estuaries, our beaches, our fisheries and the sources of our drinking water were a free-for-all, open to plunder, pillaging and poisoning.”
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Beachfront Grand Prix Festival to make Fort Lauderdale pit stop – South Flordia Sun Sentinel
From our friends at South Florida Sun Sentinel, if you are near Fort Lauderdale this weekend consider spending time at the Beachfront Grand Prix Festival.
Don’t Miss
It’s an auto racing weekend! The Beachfront Grand Prix Festival to make a pit stop in Fort Lauderdale
Who says Formula 1 and sand don’t mix? The Beachfront Grand Prix Festival is coming to Las Olas Oceanside Park (aka The LOOP) this weekend. Plus, check out other car-related events happening throughout South Florida.
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Rise of the Robo-Boat – Peter Swanson
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Rise of the Robo-Boat
Each Generation of Sailors and the Breakthroughs That Changed Cruising Forever
∙Guest post
Today: Power in the palm of a hand. The author and his wife are cruising the South Pacific on an Amel 53 named Cream Puff. This story was originally published on their an award-winning blog Cream Puff-Life’s Sweet Treat. It is reprinted here with permission.
Let’s face it: sailors are a rare breed. Adventurous, resourceful, and often stubborn as a jammed halyard. But every generation of full-time cruisers has had its own “game changer”—a breakthrough that redefined life afloat. So hop aboard as we sail through time, tech, and tangled cables.
1970s and Prior: Dead Reckoning and Guts
Back in my younger, wide-eyed days, sailors set out on small boats with little more than a stack of paper charts, a sextant, and a healthy dose of optimism. Navigation into reef-strewn waters often relied more on luck than precision. You might catch a weather update from a passing ship—if you were lucky enough to see one.
Old-school movies like The Dove and Tania Aebi’s memoir Maiden Voyage inspired a generation. Take another look sometime—you’ll notice a glaring lack of GPS. Loran-C was around but only near shore, and you were on your own if you were aiming for that lonely dot in the middle of the Pacific.
Electronics? Minimal. Most boats had a VHF, maybe an SSB radio. Systems were mechanical. Days ran by the sun. There were no solar panels, no lithium batteries, and no LED lights. And honestly, no complaints.
At the time, this was space-age stuff. A solid-state computer with a satellite phone modem Sailors took the weather in stride. Most had no idea what lay ahead and dealt with storms as needed. Keeping a close eye on the barometer was a necessity on any ocean passage.
1980s: GPS Enters the Chat
Suddenly, a sailor could get a reliable position with GPS. You still had to plot it on a paper chart, but dead reckoning started to… well, die. Sextants didn’t disappear—they stuck around like old friends who still had your back in case of electronic failure.
Then came EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons). These magical little boxes broadcast your location until help showed up. Cruising got safer. Not easier—just safer.
Boats became more complicated. Electronics became essential. Troubleshooting moved beyond duct tape and crossed fingers.
1990s: The Digital Awakening
By now, GPS was in everyone’s cockpit. Chartplotters arrived, blending GPS with electronic charts. No more paper plots (unless you were nostalgic or cautious). The onboard tech stack started to rise.
SSB radios got upgrades with modems. You could now send emails from mid-ocean. Weatherfax gave you weather maps—even if it took an hour to print one. Autopilots, electric windlasses, refrigeration—all powered by early solar panels and wind generators. Boats weren’t just boats anymore—they were systems.
2000s: Integration Nation
The tech floodgates burst open. Integrated systems let you overlay radar onto charts, track vessels with AIS, and trust autopilots to follow a route. Satellite phones gave you a line home from the most remote anchorage.
Chartplotters? Check. Weather downloads? Check. Blog updates from your lagoon in Bora Bora? Of course.
And comfort? LED lights, solar arrays, smarter batteries. Cruisers were cutting the cord from shore power, and nobody missed the extension cord.
2010s: Always Online, Never Alone
Enter the “connected boat.” Tablets and smartphones started replacing dedicated nav systems. Apps rivaled chartplotters. Connectivity became the new currency—Starlink was on the horizon.
Cruising culture shifted. Word-of-mouth gave way to Facebook groups, YouTube vloggers, and real-time updates from paradise. Boats got sleeker, smarter, and more apartment-like.
Watermakers, lithium batteries, electric winches, induction cooktops—today’s boats were floating condos with better views and no annoying neighbors (except that one guy on the catamaran who always anchors too close).
2020s and Beyond: AI, Starlink, and the Rise of the Robo-Boat
Today, cruisers are part sailor, part systems manager, and part IT specialist. Starlink made remote internet reliable. Cruising couples now Zoom into meetings from mid-ocean and stream Netflix while swinging on anchor.
Autonomy is the new watchword. Smart systems let you monitor and control everything—battery levels, bilge pumps, weather forecasts—from your phone. AI is sneaking aboard too, powering smarter autopilots and adaptive routing software.
Let’s talk AI for a minute.
Our Upgrade Saga: AI rescues Cream Puff
Harvesting organs soon after death–computer surgery When we bought Cream Puff, she was ahead of the curve thanks to her original owner—a tech-savvy guy who’d wired her like a small submarine. Every system ran through a NMEA-0183 network into a navigation computer powered by TimeZero software. We had GPS, AIS, radar, weather overlays—all on a large screen at the nav station. It was glorious and way ahead of instrument suites offered by major manufacturers.
Soon after we purchased the Puffster, we updated the original computer to a custom-built PC that was, for its time, very state of the art. It had no moving parts, a SSD hard drive, low power consumption at 24VDC and didn’t mind the tropical heat. We also upgraded the TimeZero software to a new version. I wrote about the installation here.
That system ran flawlessly for 13 years (that’s like 110 human years). Then—cue the sad music—it died. The motherboard gave up. The data survived. I salvaged the SSD, tossed the chassis, and poured one out for the fallen.
Cue my entrance as the “old guy who doesn’t get the new stuff.” Remember folks who couldn’t stop their VCR from flashing 12:00? That’s me now with computers. I haven’t kept up with trends. I didn’t need to. Now, I have to rebuild the heart of our network.
Rebuilding from the Bilge Up
USB hubs replace older DB9 com-ports and serial cables – This means the NMEA network device now needs to end in a USB plug Ports changed. Com-ports and DB9 plugs? Gone. Now it’s USB or nothing. My old Windows 7 install disks? Useless. Enter ChatGPT.
AI walked me through the upgrade process like a virtual IT support line with patience and zero judgment. It helped me source parts, debug connections, and—get this—even explain why my Furuno compass was acting like it had a grudge.
Cindy managed to decode Furuno’s cryptic manuals (think IRS forms written in Klingon), and together we got the heading sensor talking to TimeZero again. Success!
Windows 11 is a learning curve. I already hate it. While some things are a little easier like getting into port configurations, Microsoft operates under the assumption that all computers are connected to the internet at all times and data is free. It took hours to figure out how to get control of updates and stop the constant barrage of ads (this can eat up our expensive data while at sea). AI kept me on the straight and narrow, solving connection problems and port configurations.
This was my first deep dive using AI for technical support, and I’m sold. It’s like having an engineering intern aboard who never sleeps, never eats your snacks or steals beer, and doesn’t mind dumb questions.
All done and state of the art, once again. The Timelessness of It All
Yet, despite all the tech, the sea remains unchanged. The stars still shine. The winds still blow. And there’s something eternal in plotting a course, raising the sails, and letting the boat carry you into the unknown.
I don’t think sailors of the 1970s and prior could ever imagine the boats of today and the complexity of the systems aboard. And vice versa, most of today’s sailors don’t know how to plot with a sextant and can’t imagine being disconnected.
Conclusion: The Sea Doesn’t Care About Your Wi-Fi
Each generation of sailors faces its own tools, its own frustrations, and its own marvels. Whether you’re navigating with a sextant or a satellite-linked AI, one truth remains:
The ocean doesn’t care how fancy your gear is—it only cares that you respect it.
Fair winds, and may your firmware always update correctly and may your cables always be compatible.
Note: We do carry complete mirror backup systems should the computer ever fail during a voyage – we can switch over in a jiffy.
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April 28, 2025 Weekly Email Newsletter, City of Gulfport, Boca Ciega Bay, FL
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.
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April OBX Park News: Celebrating Our OBX National Parks!
Your April e-news preview: 
Hello, friends! I’m thrilled and honored to join Outer Banks Forever as its next Director! This organization has been doing great work in our community since 2019, and I’m excited to join with Outer Banks national park supporters like you as we work together to protect and enhance these special places – Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial – now and forever.
My career as an executive spans more than 30 years. My nonprofit experience includes serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Chestnut Foundation in North Carolina and serving on the executive staff for the National Wild Turkey Federation in South Carolina. I’ve also had diverse experience working for state fish and wildlife agencies in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and as a wildlife instructor and research assistant for The Pennsylvania State University. I hold an Associate Degree in Wildlife Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Science from The Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from Frostburg State University. While we await 2024 data for our Outer Banks national parks, did you know that in 2023, our national parks served nearly 3.5 million visitors and generated approximately $926 million in economic output in the gateway economies surrounding our parks? It’s a privilege to partner with people like you who understand the value (which extends far beyond economic value!) our Outer Banks national parks add to our community and, more broadly, to our nation and our world. I look forward to getting to know many of you and spending time in our national parks in the days ahead! Please feel free to reach out to me via email at bryanburhans@obxforever.org or by phone at 717-585-9643 (cell) or 252-423-4545 (office) if you’d like to say hello or set up a time to chat. Gratefully, 
Bryan Burhans
Director
Outer Banks ForeverSupport Our Parks 
We’re thrilled to introduce you to Bryan Burhans, our new Director! Bryan comes to us from Pennsylvania with a background in wildlife and fisheries science and biology, extensive experience working with both nonprofit and state agencies, and a passion for philanthropy. And he’s passionate about our Outer Banks national parks!
In his free time, Bryan enjoys turkey hunting, saltwater and fly fishing, hiking, backpacking, flying, and public speaking.
Meet Bryan 
This content is brought to you to by our National Park Service partners.Did you know that Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is located within a dense evergreen maritime forest on the north end of Roanoke Island?These forests are so named because they are located near the coast and are dominated by tree species that stay green all year.
To learn more about the trees and many other plants that make up Fort Raleigh’s evergreen forests, read on! Learn More We’re celebrating Spring in our Outer Banks national parks! National Park Week kicks off this Saturday, April 19, and runs through Sunday, April 27. Wright Brothers National Memorial will offer a fee-free day on Saturday – yes, you can visit our park for FREE! As a reminder, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site are always free to enter.
We encourage you to get out and explore our parks (and parks closest to your home!) this weekend and throughout next week. Please remember to recreate responsibly and thank our park staff and volunteers!
An since Spring has sprung, that means Bodie Island Lighthouse climbing and ranger programs are starting up again! Make sure to check out these exciting opportunities and mark your calendars for these upcoming ranger programs: Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Bodie IslandBodie Island Lighthouse Climbing (beginning April 18): Climbing tickets are required. Ticket sales are begin online at 7 a.m. starting the day of the climb, with climbs available every 20 minutes from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Bodie Island Lighthouse: Lighting the Way for Over 150 Years (beginning May 5): Join a ranger to discuss the details and history of this beautiful sentinel!
Life on a Barrier Island: Bodie Island (beginning May 5): Wars, hurricanes, winds, and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras. Join a ranger to learn about the forces of change and the captivating world of life on an island.
Hatteras IslandThe Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Reflect on the Past, Preserve for the Future (beginning May 5): Join a ranger to discuss the details and history of this beautiful sentinel and learn about current restoration efforts. (Picture at right pre-restoration)
Life on a Barrier Island: Hatteras Island (beginning May 5): Wars, hurricanes, winds, and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras. Join a ranger to learn about the forces of change and the captivating world of life on an island.
Ocracoke IslandThe Ocracoke Lighthouse: Celebrating Over 200 Years of Service (beginning May 5): Join a ranger to discuss the details and history of this beautiful sentinel and the keepers that kept the light burning.
Life on a Barrier Island: Ocracoke (beginning May 5): Wars, hurricanes, winds, and ocean currents have all had impacts on the shores of Cape Hatteras. Join us to learn about the forces of change and the captivating world of life on an island.
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Civil War Touch Table (available through April 27): Join volunteer Duane in the Visitor Center at his touch table of Civil War history items. With items ranging from uniforms to silverware to family photos, he will talk about the day-to-day life of a Civil War soldier and the the Battle of Roanoke Island in 1862. Ranger Program (through May 3): The programs will vary between a Lost Colony Walking tour and a Civil War/Freedmen’s Colony Talk each day based on staff availability. Call the park Visitor Center at 252-475-9001 in the morning to learn the program topic each day.
The “Lost” Colony – Walking Tour (beginning May 4): Delve into the history and mystery surrounding England’s first attempt to establish a colony in the new world. This easy walk follows paved sidewalks and is .25 miles in length. The “Forgotten” Colony – The Civil War on Roanoke (beginning May 4): During the American Civil War, Roanoke Island became a haven for formerly enslaved people. Discover the successes and challenges of the Freedmen’s Colony and the Civil War battle that shaped it. This is a 25-minute program beginning in front of the Visitor Center.
Wright Brothers National Memorial
Wind and Sand (daily): Step back in history during this short walk to the actual site of the Wright brothers’ first heavier-than-air, powered flights! Discover why the Wrights chose Kitty Hawk for their flight experiments and what life was like in the Outer Banks, learn about the events that led to the first flight on that cold December day, and the lasting impact their first flight continues to have on the world today.
Our Outer Banks national parks continue to face challenges like adapting to a changing coastline, preserving the many historic structures they manage, and budget and staffing cuts at a time when they continue to see high levels of visitors. Our parks need your support now more than ever. When you make a gift to our new Parks Forever Fund, you will be supporting important initiatives like: - Education and preservation through the creation of internships that engage the next generation in protecting our parks and the stories they tell, increasing our parks’ capacity to provide amazing experiences for you and your loved ones.
- Restoration and conservation of our unique barrier islands through much-needed invasive plant species removal.
- Enhancing the visitor experience by funding projects that address the needs of visitors of all ages and abilities, so everyone can learn about and enjoy the rich history and beauty of these places.
We’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to these generous donors who have helped us raise more than $13,000 for our new Parks Forever Fund!
Zara Anderson
Sally & Charles Ayers
Susan & Jim Bacon
Betty Beamon
Barbara Benwell
Dr. Deborah Best
Malcolm & Patty Brown
Tony Bruno
Thomas & Debra Cafferty
Sarah Campbell
Martha Caswell
Brenda Cummins
Carolyn Driggs
Robert Elkins
Nicole & Levi Erickson
Richard Ghione
Christie & Mike Graf
Nick Graham
John & Lynn Hasteadt
Mary Hickling
Carol & Nev Jackson
David Johnson
Dennis Jones
Stephen Jones & Rebecca Burcher Jones
Lisa Joyner
Friends of Kitty Hawk Rotary
Ronald Knur
Marianne Krzywicki
Cat & Charlie Lineberry
Stephanie MadalenaPaul & Robin Mann
Jim & Betty Mast
Eddie Masterka
Donna McCaslin
Greg & Sally McDaniel
Jack & Paul Mertens
Shelley & David Olsen
Dr. Paul & Mrs. Amy Orser
Helen Pierce
Rodney Poole
Sandra & Ed Potocki
Michael Reddy-Miller
William Pendleton Sandridge, Jr.
Jean Scott
Cathy & Thomas Shirley
Leslie Skowronek
Rebecca Stiles
Nikki Stevens
Marie Sullivan
Sun Realty
David Tannahill
Joseph Temming
Monica Thibodeau
Peggy & Bruce Wackelin
Anne & John Walker
Shannon Winakur
Kathy Wisiackas
Elaine WoodMake Your Gift Today We send a printed newsletter each spring and fall with more in-depth project updates, behind the scenes stories, and special announcements. If you are not currently receiving our printed newsletter, please sign up via the button below to be added to our list! Sign Up Photo Credits: Bryan Burhans, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Wright Brothers National Memorial.Connect With Us!
Copyright © 2025 Outer Banks Forever, All rights reserved.
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Tropical Atlantic Weather Briefing
The Sunday, April 27, 2025 edition of the Tropical Atlantic Weather Briefing is now available at: https://youtu.be/SZ0gS3sfql4?
si=N5VKC_YUm9RBajKJ Summary of Hazards:
• No Gales or Tropical Cyclones Expected
• No Very Large Swell Expected—
Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch
National Hurricane Center
National Weather Service
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May/June Events at Toucan’s Grill in Oriental, NC (Statute Mile 181)
Oriental is a wonderful place with friendly people and good food. And, if you do stop here, by all means, eat at our good friends at Toucan’s Grill and stay at Oriental Marina, a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
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Nature’s Power in a Spray Bottle!
Kanberra, a Salty Southeast Cruisers Net sponsor. provides All-Natural Tea Tree Oil Based Products For Healthy Living.
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Southern Boating – Some of 2025’s Most Impressive RIBs and Tenders
Southern Boating just published an article entitled:
“Some of 2025’s Most Impressive RIBs and Tenders”
The first boat shown is from Cruisers’ Net sponsor Highfield Boats.You can view the article here: https://southernboating.com/boats/best-ribs-boats-tenders-2025/
I can attest that Highfield produces great tenders – I own one myself!
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Riding the Solar-Coaster with Maxeon
Our friends at Sun Power Yachts provide an update regarding the CBP detention of Maxeon solar panels, the planned New Mexico factory, and what this all means for projected inventory this year. More affectionately known as the ‘solar-coaster,’ because solar always seems to be in flux, and certainly has its share of ups and downs. Sun Powered Yachts Has Limited Supply of Maxeon 330w Panels.
Riding the Solar-Coaster with Maxeon
We hope this finds all of you happy and well and enjoying the start of spring. Read on for updates regarding the CBP detention of Maxeon solar panels, the planned New Mexico factory and what this all means for projected inventory this year. More affectionately known as the ‘solar-coaster,’ because solar always seems to be in flux, and certainly has its share of ups and downs. We’re buckled up and have been on this ride for many years so we’re able to navigate the changes.
Since 2022, Maxeon has successfully made over 8,000 shipments from Mexico into the U.S. in full compliance with UFLPA (Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act). However, a large shipment of panels (156 containers full!) was detained by CBP in July 2024. Maxeon has submitted compliance paperwork but the CBP continues to detain the panels. Maxeon’s latest press release provides an update on their appeal with the U.S. Court of International Trade. Maxeon has taken extraordinary measures to ensure a clean and traceable supply chain, free from forced labor.
CBP’s decision does not prevent Maxeon from making future imports of the same or different solar panels with modified supply chain traceability documentation, as each shipment is evaluated independently. We continue to hope for a timely resolution and in the meantime are doing our best to keep panels in stock.
Looking ahead, in 2025 we’re excited to be back exhibiting at the Annapolis Boat Show in October. We look forward to catching up with so many of you and helping new boat owners go solar too. Katie will be in Newport Beach next Thursday May 2nd to check out the Newport Beach Boat Show. Hope to see some of you at the shows or out on the water this year!
Aloha, Katie & Lyall
Maxeon Panel Supply
Due to the CBP detention, no one in the USA has been able to purchase new Maxeon panels for many months. We have varied supply while we wait the release of the 435W, 470W and 475W panels which should be tariff free. Please check our shop for the most up to date fixed frame panel options. As yet, we have no plans to raise our prices because of tariffs.
Made in USA
Ahead of building a factory in Albuquerque, Maxeon is leasing a factory there to jump start panel assembly in the USA. George Guo, Maxeon CEO stated:
“We are committed to working with the Trump Administration as well as leaders in New Mexico to deliver our cutting-edge, high efficiency solar products to our residential and utility-scale partners active nationwide. Domestic manufacturing is the right thing to do, regardless of tariffs. Bringing our unique, patented technology together with a diversified and resilient supply chain is the recipe for Maxeon’s long-term success.”
Maxeon Air 330W
We were able to import a second pallet of these large format flexible panels to our Arizona warehouse. We have not been told when Maxeon will go ahead with another production run of these. So if you have your eye on this specific panel, get yours before they sell out.
The 330W panels are sold individually or as 1x and 2x panel bundles in our shop. If you would like a custom quote please contact us with more details on your project. With a zipcode for delivery we can put together a freight quote and also size MPPT controllers & other system components.
Send us your install photos and we will share them on social media and add to our install gallery and install list too. Your installs help guide owners with similar boats as to what’s possible aboard.
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Brilliant Energy Inventor Began With a Drug Smuggling Submersible – Peter Swanson
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year and you may cancel at anytime.
Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for moreWhen all else fails, try journalism.
Brilliant Energy Inventor Began With a Drug Smuggling Submersible
Prison Gave Herb Williams Plenty of Time To Think. Then Riches Came His Way
Juan Castro was arrested in Colombia and extradited to the U.S. for trial. This is one of his boats during a Coast Guard interdiction. Earlier this month, Juan Carlos Castro Vasquez of Colombia was sentenced to 20 years in a U.S. federal prison. “Juanca,” as he liked to be called, was a boatbuilder for a drug cartel, having overseen the construction of at least five semi-submersibles designed to deliver cocaine for American buyers. That’s one of Castro’s creations in the photo above.
Authorities say there are more than a hundred such craft in service at any given time nowadays. Not so in the late 1980s. Back then, the smugglers preferred “Miami Vice” go-fast boats. Not until around 2006 did “narco subs” enter the picture.
But there was one guy—from Florida, of course—who would provide today’s generation of South American sub-builders with proof of concept. His name is Herbert Williams, and he is extraordinarily clever. By the time he had retired, Williams had become a wealthy man and a legend in the world of alternative energy. He has 22 patents, not counting any that may have been kept off the books for reasons of national security.
Williams always attributed his success to the 4 1/2 years that he spent in federal prison, where another inmate taught him technical drawing. When he got out, he had a roomful of plans for a variety of inventions, including a re-imagined cruise ship.
In 1987, he had launched an honest-to-gosh, semi-submersible, Detroit Diesel powered, wave-piercing beauty built in the woods of North Central Florida. At seatrial, her 8V-71 Detroit propelled Lady Jessica (after Williams’ young daughter) through the water at more than 30 knots, faster than a Coast Guard cutter at wide-open throttle.
“It was beautiful…something from Star Wars,” Williams once told a writer for Bloomberg.
Coast Guard crew wait on the Juan Castro vessel they had just intercepted in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It probably looks much like the Herbert Williams prototype from 35 years earlier. Alas, police were waiting when he returned to port. They pounced as the 40-footer was clearing the jetties. Both Williams and Lady Jessica were taken into federal custody.
Years Later
Boris Kirolof is a naval architect working in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Williams walked into Kirolof’s office one day and became a client. As they worked together on a floating wind-turbine project, Williams confided in Kirolof, telling him his life story.
According to a published report, Williams was born in 1943 in Pahokee on the shores of Lake Okechobee. He spent the first 20 years of his working life as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, probably influenced by his dad. Williams told Kirilof that his father had built fishing boats somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
It was a good thing that Kirolof was interviewed because his account provided a reality check for some of the fantastical claims in the Bloomberg article. For example, Bloomberg’s reporter wrote that the vessel had been a 96-foot catamaran, which would have made it difficult to trailer to the sea, as it would be both too long and way too wide.
Besides, Williams had shown Kirilof a photograph of Lady Jessica, and his keen naval architect eye can surely be trusted to distinguish between a monohull and a cat.
Recalling his client’s storytelling, Kirilof said Williams was first approached by a Spaniard who found him in a bar and appealed to his sense of the outlandish. A deal was made. Those were the days before supermarkets had switched to plastic, and Williams got paid with paper bags from Publix packed with hundred-dollar bills.
That and the stealth design criteria made it difficult for Williams to maintain the fiction that he was unaware of what the boat was going to be used for. The prosecutors didn’t buy it. As he explained his deniability defense to the Bloomberg writer, Williams recounted his rationale, “I’m building a boat. Chevrolet doesn’t ask customers what they intend to do with its cars.”
Florida photographer Tristan Wheelock took this picture of Williams with a turbine to accompany a story published by Bloomberg. It is reprinted here with permission. Becoming an Inventor
Several of William’s patents involved the concept of a rim-drive turbine which eliminated the need for a central shaft, keeping the center of mechanism open like the hole in a donut. Bloomberg takes up the story:
Prison was horrible, of course. But it also turned Williams into a full-time inventor. “Prison set me down, allowing me to stop and think,” he says. Williams’s brainstorms eventually produced a design for one of the first commercial-scale turbines meant to convert tidal energy to electricity. Irish company OpenHydro later bought the patents Williams secured for his design and used them to create the first and still-biggest source of tidal power sold to consumers through the U.K. grid. In 2015, OpenHydro was sold for $173 million to DCNS Group, a French military contractor. The parent company is deploying massive 300-ton, 52-foot-high versions of the Williams design in Canada’s Bay of Fundy as well as in Brittany, France.
Kirilof recalled visiting William’s office and being shown a room full of the designs that he had put to paper while incarcerated. The rim-drive turbine was brilliant because the rotor wheel floated inside a “ducting shroud,” aligned by the placement of magnets inside the shroud assembly. OpenHydro paid him several million dollars for the patents and put him on its board of directors.
OpenHydro’s tidal turbine is deployed in Bay of Fundy in July 2018. The company purchased the patent from Herbert Williams. When a news media outlet revealed that Williams was a felon, he was forced to resign from the board. OpenHydro dusted off Williams old plea of ignorance: He didn’t know the boat was going to be a narco-sub:
Herbert was unaware of the vessel’s purpose at the time of taking the commission, and it was impounded by U.S. authorities prior to ever being used. Herbert pleaded guilty to conspiracy and received a custodial sentence.
Eventually, tidal turbine projects in France, Scotland and Nova Scotia came to an end after break-downs and corporate money problems, but by then one had pumped power into the Orkney electricity grid steadily from 2008 to 2024.
Uncle Sam Comes A’Calling
At some point, the U.S. Navy came knocking at Williams’ door. Despite access to engineering talent from MIT and NASA, the Navy needed help from an ex-con with a talent for tinkering. The relationship began when Navy team flew down in a King Air and landed at the airstrip at William’s R&D facility in the woods.
With a newly minted security clearance, Bert Williams went to Washington and worked with the Navy to help solve its open-center turbine challenges. Mainly he sorted a problem that its scientists were having with magnet alignment. This is where, according to Kirilof, more millions of dollars and perhaps an unrecorded patent changed hands.
As it happens, the U.S. government can keep ideas secret under the Invention Secrecy Act. Why would anyone want to keep a shaftless turbine secret? Kirilof noted that a floating turbine creates no friction and therefore can be very quiet, a quality highly valued by the Navy’s “Silent Service.”
Maybe this time Williams really didn’t know to what purpose his talents were being applied, but he told Kirilof that whatever they were making had been tested in Scotland. The U.S. Navy has had an off-and-on submarine presence in Scotland for decades. And, after all, what is a turbine but a type of propeller?
According to Kirilof, one of the best things about Williams’ relationship with the Navy was access to experimental data from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, especially if applicable to the other projects back in Florida.
Liquid Air
Which brings us to the reason that Williams needed help from a naval architect—his last major initiative before his retirement involved another cutting-edge energy concept—liquid air.
When air is compressed 700 times more than the normal stuff we breathe, it becomes liquid, storing the energy that got it to that state. Liquid air can be used like fuel to generate electricity. Like liquified natural gas (LNG), liquid air must be stored in special tanks to keep it supercold. In the case of liquid air, stored cryogenically at -321°F.
Liquid air hasn’t become a useful fuel because of the energy needed to power a compressor. Talking to a reporter in 2014, Williams said that using fossil fuels to liquify air produced “no winner.” He had a better idea.
Working from an industrial lot on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida, Williams set about to test a theory about how to liquify air using wind turbines. He called his company Keuka Wind.
With Kirilof and a cryogenic expert as advisers, Keuka Wind built a V-shaped barge that would act as a platform for five wind turbines. The turbines powered compressors and filled storage tank incorporated into the hulls with liquid air from the compressors.
According to Kirilof, the test barge they built was a success. Floating on the St. Johns River, free wind energy filled the barge’s tanks with liquified air, which researchers say is a better long-term energy storage solution than lithium batteries.
Keuka Wind’s small scale turbine platform successfully filled a tank with liquid air. The choice of backdrop was no accident—the oil fired power generation plant on the banks of the St. Johns River at Palatka, Florida. Williams’s plan called for full-scale Keuka Wind platforms, each with a pair of 100-foot-diameter wind turbines, would be stationed in the ocean. There would be a pier between the legs of the V-shaped to allow tankers to come alongside and top off from seven 600-foot cryogenic tanks. Each of the two legs of the V would be 2,400 feet long.
Using ships would be a solution to another perceived drawback—how to transport large quantities of liquid air from their source to the energy grid.
Last of the Small Inventors
Back in 2020, the Palatka Daily News reported that Keuka Wind was soliciting investors to build a full-scale wind barge with a $64 million matching grant from the U.S. Energy Department. “As far as we know, and as far as the Department of Energy knows, we’re the only company on the planet that has actually come up with a way to store wind energy on a global scale,” Williams told the reporter, Wayne Smith.
“It’s too big a project for me to do on my own,” he said. “Every day, we’re plugging away and contacting people. We’ve got to get the wind machine out in the ocean and show what it can do.”
Williams is 81 now, and no longer active in business, but his ideas continue to rebound in alternative energy circles and scientific research.
DARPA, the Pentagon’s genius farm, is working on a magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD) system that would propel ships without using a conventional prop. Powerful magnets would act like an invisible jet to push a vessel through water.
According to DARPA itself, the technology “builds on research stretching back to the 1960’s, when academic, commercial and military researchers thought technology for propulsion at sea could use magnetic fields to enable high-efficiency pumps to replace a propeller and drive shaft.”
It sounds like the old guy was playing in this ballpark. Not bad for a Florida boatbuilder and ex-con with no formal training as an engineer.
Rob Hovsapian was a research faculty member at Florida State University when he first met Williams in 2004. Hovsapian worked with Williams again when the former was a research advisor to the DOE’s National Renewal Energy Laboratory. He described Williams as a disappearing archetype.
“Herb is a very humble guy who doesn’t speak much on his accomplishments,” Hovsapian told the Daily News. “He’s a visionary guy, a man of science. We have very few small inventors left, and Herb is one of those guys.”
This watercolor by Tom Hedderich shows Coast Guard boarding team members from the Cutter Valiant climb aboard a suspected smuggling vessel. The ship had intercepted this drug-laden 40-foot semi-submersible in the Eastern Pacific Ocean carrying approximately 12,000 pounds of cocaine with a street value of more than $165 million. 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.
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The information contained in the linked post (“Content”) represents the views and opinions of the original creators of such Content and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Salty Southeast Cruisers Net (“Cruisers Net”). The mere appearance of Content on the Site does not constitute an endorsement by Cruisers Net or its affiliates of such Content.The Content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. Cruisers Net does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the Content. Cruisers Net does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in any Content.
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Making Vanuatu Great Again – Peter Swanson
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year and you may cancel at anytime.
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Making Vanuatu Great Again
Trump Tariffs Are a Boon to the Foreign-Flagging Business
APR 9Disclaimer
The information contained in the linked post (“Content”) represents the views and opinions of the original creators of such Content and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Salty Southeast Cruisers Net (“Cruisers Net”). The mere appearance of Content on the Site does not constitute an endorsement by Cruisers Net or its affiliates of such Content.The Content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. Cruisers Net does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the Content. Cruisers Net does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any sites listed or linked to in any Content.
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek the advice of your professional advisors or other qualified source with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on the Site.
Cruisers Net hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the Content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
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Huge Discounts on Kanberra Bundles!
Kanberra, a Salty Southeast Cruisers Net sponsor, has limited-time bundle deals available now!
Limited-time bundle deals are here!
Our Kanberra Bundles are now at unbeatable prices, giving you more freshness for less!Strike out odors, not your budget.Check out these top picks:- Auto Bundle – The perfect set to keep your car from odors. Was $164.99 – Now just $134.99!
- Medium Boat Bundle – Enjoy crisp, clean air while out on the water. Was $234.99– Now only $209.99!
- Refill Bundle – Keep your containers full with this money-saving refill pack. Was $275.00 – Now $206.00!
Stock up now and enjoy all-natural freshness at unbeatable prices—before these deals disappear!Best Regards,Team KanberraKanberra Group, LLC 800 Commerce Parkway Lancaster, New York 14086
Comments from Cruisers (1)
- Reply to C
We discovered Kanberra odor reduction products years ago for our boat. Then an application occurred in one of our vehicles to reduce diesel odor and WOW it worked great. Today we have Kanberra liquid soaps in all the bathrooms of our home; odor control products in closets and other storage areas of the home. If you don't try it you will never know the magic.
Tips for visiting Charleston County’s Beach Parks this Spring and Summer
Salty Southeast Cruisers Net Sponsor Charleston County Cooper River Marina has provided this helpful information for your visit to Charleston County’s Beach Parks this Spring and Summer
NEWS RELEASE
Public Contact: 843-795-4386 / www.charlestoncountyparks.com
Media Contact: Sarah Reynolds / (843) 762-8089 / sarah.reynolds@ccprc.com
Read this online: www.ccprc.com/newsreleases
Make your visit to the Charleston County Beach Parks a Breeze! Tips for a great beach park experience
(CHARLESTON COUNTY) – With spring break upon us and summer just around the corner, many locals and tourists will soon flock to the Lowcountry’s beaches. Charleston County Parks encourages beachgoers to familiarize themselves with important information and best practices to ensure the most enjoyable and safe time at our local beach parks.
The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) operates Folly Beach County Park, Isle of Palms County Park, and Kiawah Beachwalker Park. From spring break through September, the beaches are quieter on weekdays, with Fridays, weekends and holidays seeing large crowds. CCPRC encourages beachgoers to take note of the following tips and important information:
Park Capacity
While approaching the islands, CCPRC encourages drivers look for digital highway signs denoting beach parking capacity. The status of the parking lot for CCPRC’s beach parks will be updated in real time by staff, so guests know before they reach the park if parking is full.
Kiawah Beachwalker Park has 150 parking spots and usually fills to capacity by 10:30 a.m. in the summer. The Town of Kiawah prohibits vehicles from idling or parking outside the entrance to Kiawah Beachwalker Park. When the park is full, staff can add guests to a virtual line. Text notifications alert customers as they move to the front of the queue. Parking for buses, RVs and campers is not guaranteed.
Isle of Palms County Park has 445 parking spots and usually fills to capacity by 10:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays, with spots often becoming available again in the late afternoon. When parking is full, police will allow up to about 20 vehicles to wait in line for spaces to open. Once the turn lane outside the park is full, police direct vehicles to move to other parking areas not operated by CCPRC. Be aware of City of Isle of Palms parking ordinances. And note that there are only two lanes of traffic leaving Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island. On a crowded day, if weather or another event causes many people to try leaving the islands at once, traffic will back up, and it could take up to two hours for the park to empty. The free CARTA Beach Reach Shuttle is another way to access Isle of Palms County Park.
Folly Beach County Park has 225 parking spots and usually fills to capacity by 10:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays, with spots often becoming available again in the late afternoon. When the parking lot is full, look for City of Folly Beach parking lots on West Ashley Ave. to prevent blocking roads and driveways. Review City of Folly Beach parking ordinances in order to avoid being towed or ticketed.
The beach surrounding the Folly Beach Pier can be a troublesome location for rip currents. Staff at the pier frequently respond to emergencies when patrons swim too close to the pier and get caught in rip currents. When swimming in the vicinity of a pier, stay at least 200 feet away from the structure. Also, learn how to spot a rip current and how to escape them by swimming parallel to the shore. Learn more on the USLA website at https://www.usla.org/page/RIPCURRENTS.
Pets on the Beach
Pets must always remain leashed within the beach parks, but are not permitted on the Folly Beach or Mount Pleasant Piers. Each municipality has their own ordinances pertaining to dogs on the beach:
City of Folly Beach, City of Isle of Palms, Town of Kiawah Island
Alcohol & Smoking
Possession of alcohol, consumption of alcohol, and smoking, vaping and tobacco use are prohibited at CCPRC beach parks.
Additional beach park rules and information can be read on the parks’ webpages: https://ccprc.com/3222/Beach-Parks
Other safety tips
- Swim near a lifeguard when possible and obey their commands
- Watch children at all times
- Seek shelter when lightning is in the area
- Take a photo of your group when you arrive, so if anyone were to get separated (child or adult) it could help aid in the search.
- Bring water and stay hydrated.
Other Resources
Keep up to date on the latest beach traffic reports by downloading the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Government’s Beach Reach app, available for Apple and Android. Also consider taking the free CARTA’s Beach Reach Shuttle to Isle of Palms County Park.
For more information on Charleston County Parks beach parks and safety, call 843-795-4386 or visit CharlestonCountyParks.com (direct link: https://ccprc.com/3222/Beach-Parks).
High Resolution Photos Available Upon Request
861 Riverland Drive / Charleston, South Carolina 29412 / (843) 795-4386
Sarah Reynolds Public Information Coordinator Headquarters 861 Riverland Dr , Charleston , SC 29412 Office: +1 8437628089 Sarah.Reynolds@ccprc.com | CharlestonCountyParks.com Be the first to comment!
Lady’s Island Swing Bridge Advice
Russ on M/V Twin Sisters has this helpful advice for cruisers: While at the marina in Beaufort, SC & listening to the Lady’s
Island Bridge on channel 9, it appears most sailboats have the incorrect opening schedule of (the old) openings on the top of the hour.
Per the bridge tender on weekdays (weekends may be different):
NO openings between 6:00 – 9:30 AM or 3:30 – 7:00 PM.
Between 9:30 – 3:30, openings at every :30 (on the HALF hour).
Before 6:00 AM & after 7:00 PM on request. This is pretty extreme & may change, so if in doubt, the bridge tender can be reached at (843)521-2111.ALL VESSELS: Pass thru the northern (Beaufort town side) opening ONLY as the other pass has serious damage to the fender system which could damage your hull. The height boards on both sides were also damaged & now missing.
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Removing Derelict Boats In Charleston SC Area
From Post & Courier newspaper’s facebook page: Abandoned boats are a growing problem in Charleston’s rivers, creeks and waterways. A local nonprofit teamed up with county and state agencies to remove and destroy two from the Stono River.
Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/4dpn2nmt or https://www.facebook.com/reel/594512623496684
Comments from Cruisers (2)
- Reply to Justin
Harbor clearance plays a critical role in maintaining the safety, efficiency, and ecological balance of maritime environments. Whether following natural disasters, vessel groundings, or routine dredging operations, harbor clearance ensures that ports and shipping lanes remain navigable and free from hazardous debris.
Modern clearance operations use a blend of traditional diving techniques and advanced technologies such as sonar mapping, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and specialized salvage equipment. These tools allow teams to quickly assess underwater obstructions, prioritize removal efforts, and minimize disruptions to port operations. Precision is crucial—not only for the restoration of maritime traffic but also for protecting delicate marine ecosystems.
Strategically, harbor clearance is essential to global trade and national security. Blocked ports can cause significant economic losses, delay critical supplies, and pose threats to environmental health if hazardous materials are involved. As such, clearance operations often align closely with government compliance standards, environmental protection regulations, and maritime safety protocols.
Today’s harbor clearance teams are multidisciplinary, combining expertise in commercial diving, engineering, environmental science, and logistics management. Innovations in salvage technology, such as high-capacity lift bags and hybrid-powered underwater vehicles, are enhancing capabilities and reducing operational footprints.
With increasing climate risks—such as stronger storms and rising sea levels—harbor clearance efforts are becoming more frequent and complex. Forward-thinking strategies that integrate resilience planning and sustainable practices are critical to ensure the longevity and safety of the world’s maritime infrastructure.
Source: https://resolvemarine.com/services-capabilities/government-relations
- Reply to David
Alas, blocked by a paywall.
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Dowry Creek Marina – Fuel Dock
A longtime CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Dowry Creek Marina is owned by the Zeltner family who want to roll out the red carpet to transients, offering whatever you might need during your visit. This highly praised and transient friendly marina lies off the AICW/Pungo River north of Belhaven, NC.
Dowry Creek fuel dock is open every day. Call for early or late arrival VHF 16/71 or (252) 943-2728.
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Lake Worth Inlet – Temporary Closure April 9 7-11 am
The dredging contractor will need to remove the pipe and other equipment from the mouth of the inlet beginning April 9, 2025 from 7:00 am to 11:00 am.
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Latest Events at Toucan Grill in Oriental, NC
Click Here For More Information On Oriental Marina and Toucan Grill
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South Carolina Targets Derelict Boats – ABC News
Derelict boats are an ongoing issue in almost all states. Below is a link to an ABC News article on how South Carolina targets derelict boats with new legislation to protect waterways
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