This destroyed ICW light is on the west shoulder of the Waterway immediately north of its intersection with Masonboro Inlet channel.
2. SEC NC BNM 348-18
3. NORTH CAROLINA – NEUSE RIVER TO MYRTLE GROVE SOUND (CHART 11541)
4. NEW RIVER – CAPE FEAR RIVER LIGHT 128 (LLNR 39625 [34°11.8130N / 077°49.4033W, 34.196884 / -77.823389]) RPTD DESTROYED. PORTIONS MAY REMAIN.
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Times have changed since we first talked about integrating all electrical systems on a boat, even a complex trawler or sailboat. The marine industry wasn’t ready for it, but that is all behind us now. For lots of reasons, 2018 may be considered The Year of Integration in recreational boating.
Monday Minute – Integrate, Innovate, or Evaporate
Twin Dolphin Marina, A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, sits perched on the southern shores of Manatee River, just short of the Highway 41 Business bridge. We get lots of praise, like these good words from AGLCA member Kathy Anderson, for this fine marina and their commitment to facility upgrades, see FOCUS ON.
Twin Dolphins marina in Bradenton is in our top 5 marinas from our western 1/2 loop in 2014. Close to downtown which has a Saturday market, and it has a lovely restaurant onsite. It also abuts the river walk which is great for walkers and runners. Plus they have fun Christmas decorations and not far from Siesta Key/Sarasota (except for seasonal traffic). They have a pool, as well as the usual amenities. When we visited on our land vacation this past winter they were making some improvements to some of the docks.
Kathy Anderson
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Twin Dolphin Marina
This article, with LOTS of comments from boaters, is by Natario McKenzie in the Tribune242.
New transport minister targets boating revenue from Miami Tribune
Our thanks to experienced sailor, Tony Pozun, for sharing sunset photos from his solo ICW voyage from New Jersey to Florida on sailboat Mystic Paradise.
Our thanks to experienced cruiser, Sonny Reeves, for sending in this report on Lake Okeechobee from weather.com.
Lake O and our fish kills/toxic beaches
This is not a new problem. Video and story of who is making money off this is from 2016
https://weather.com/news/news/florida-toxic-lake-okeechobee
Sad to mad……
Sonny Reeves
Be Salt and Light, wash feet!
on the ICW see blog for where http://ontheofficewautoteacher.blogspot.com/
Explorer Chartbooks, A CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: “New Minister proposes mooring fees” plus 1 more
New Minister proposes mooring fees
Posted: 28 Jul 2018 05:32 AM PDT
In an article published in the Bahamas Tribune on July 4th, the newly-appointed transport minister yesterday said he will look to introduce Family Island mooring fees for foreign cruising vessels. To read the entire article go to: http://m.tribune242.com/news/2018/jul/04/new-transport-minister-targets-boating-revenue/?templates=mobile
Conch poisoning on the rise in the Bahamas
Posted: 28 Jul 2018 05:15 AM PDT
The Bahamas Tribune has reported 22 confirmed cases of vibrio parahaemolyticus from persons eating raw conch in the Bahamas. Go to http://www.tribune242.com/news/2018/jul/27/fresh-water-wash-conch-or-close/ for the entire article.
Many cases of food poisoning from conch cleaned in the Potters Cay Dock area of Nassau Harbour have occurred in the past.
Our thanks to Eddie and Cara for sharing their sailing life expertise as recorded in their excellent blog, The Crabby Captain and the Sunny Sailor.
How to exercise on a boat – come watch me FLY!
The new Brightline rail service, begun in 2017, see https://cruisersnet.net/168686, has been a bone of contention and debate for boaters well before the service began due the increased number of RR bridge closings over major eastern Florida waterways.
Is Brightline bad for South Florida boating business?
Lots of good stuff about the stuff you already know.
Meet us at Mile Marker 469 by Justine at CHS Today
As a protected inland route– it provides a safe, navigable journey along the Atlantic + the Gulf of Mexico, without the hazards of traveling long distances across the open seas. And it certainly wasn’t created by accident– hello commercialization.
Click the button below to learn more about the massive waterway, and how you can take in the views or learn to cruise.
Go wherever the ICW takes you.
Longboat Key Club Moorings, A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, guards the western shores of Sarasota Bay, north of the city of Sarasota, and south of Longboat Pass. Our thanks to Tom and Julie of AGLCA Forum for allowing us to share their comments.
We have stayed at Longboat Key Club Moorings for 6-12 weeks for three winters now. Great resort facilities, beach across the street to walk, Publix and CVS across the golf course….I could go on. Great spot to have visitors and an easy bus ride or Uber into Sarasota. Great cruising grounds as well with St Pete/ Clearwater to North and Captiva/Boca Grande and Fort Myers to the south.
Tom & Julie Van Hall
Sum Escape
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Longboat Key Club Moorings
Our thanks to Eddie and Cara for sharing their repair expertise as recorded in their excellent blog, The Crabby Captain and the Sunny Sailor.
Repairing an onboard on-demand pressurized water pump
Evaluating and repairing of our water pump. Good information for sailors. Also, if you watch until the end you will see a What NOT to do. LOL
These two TowBoat US vessels will be stationed at Roland Martins Marina found on a small canal in Clewiston, Florida.
TowBoatUS Comes to Lake Okeechobee
Bringing around-the-clock assistance to boaters in need on Florida’s Inland Sea
CLEWISTON, Fl., July 23, 2018 – More than 15 years ago, Captain Michael Ammons’ professional career on the water began when he became the owner of three TowBoatUS locations, which offer 24-hour on-water towing and assistance for recreational boaters. After selling the businesses 10 years ago, he’s found his way back to the company, opening TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee earlier this year.
“TowBoatUS has always been a cut above the rest, and the boats are easily recognized on the water,” said Ammons. “When I came back to Lake Okeechobee after working a few years abroad, I knew there wasn’t anyone out here with the company, so I applied and got back into the business.”
Much like an auto club for boaters, BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for boaters and anglers for just $149 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs that average $750 per towing incident, with some paying into the thousands out of pocket.
From his years of experience boating in Florida waters, Ammons knows the types of problems boaters can face, which is why his company offers an extended service area. Not only does the company service Lake Okeechobee in its entirety, but it also provides service to transient boaters passing through the Okeechobee Waterway on their way to fish the east or west coasts of the Sunshine State.
With the lake attracting bass fishermen, saltwater sport fishermen passing through to the coasts and other area boaters, Ammons is confident he’ll stay busy year-round helping boaters get home safely, no matter what boating activity they’re partaking in. “It’s a difficult area, and there are tons of locks and restrictions around the lake,” he explained. “It’s a really chopped up waterway, and it creates a lot of issues for boaters, including hazardous water fluctuations, rocky areas, and more.”
TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee operates a 22-foot Lund Alaskan, a sturdy shallow-water vessel, and a 22-foot Angler deep-v center-console for salvage jobs. Both response vessels are kept at Roland Martin Marina. Ammons’ boats are easily recognizable by their red hulls and TowBoatUS logos emblazoned in bright white letters on their sides, and they’re rigged and ready for towing, jump starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings.
Boaters can reach TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee by hailing on VHF channel 16, by calling the company directly at (239) 600-0140, by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at (800) 391-4869, or via smartphone using the new BoatUS App. More information can be found at BoatUS.com/Towing, or call (800) 888-4869.
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Not sure why this comes up again and again, but perhaps that is a good thing if people are coming into boating for the first time and just learning. But the many rules and regulations do not alter the need for common sense. In the case of potentila encounters with commercial and military shipping, STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY.
Read on »
Monday Minute – Restating the Obvious
Our thanks to Eddie and Cara for sharing this experience as chronicled in their excellent blog, The Crabby Captain and the Sunny Sailor.
The day of our sea trial was a beautiful March day: the sun was out, the weather a pleasant 61 degrees and all we needed was a light jacket even on the water. We were ready to see how she would sail and pulled out the mainsail as soon as we got into the ICW.
CLICK FOR MORE…
Saving life of someone the first time you take out your boat is good karma, don’t ya think?!
Our thanks to Alan Marsa and Elijah Sands for this Facebook page time-lapse photo.
Underwater Time-lapse of a “Turbinella Conch” (i think) plowing thru the sand in 3 feet of water off Exuma. July 10 2018
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Everyone has a tolerance for a certain amount of clutter. On the sometimes limited space of cruising boats, having spares for every contingency must be balanced with knowing where everything is while not sinking the boat with tons of spares, consumables, and items that somehow find their way aboard.
Are You Well Equipped or A Hoarder? from Following Seas by Bill Parlatore
Banana River Marina, off the Waterway via Canaveral Barge Canal, flanks the Banana River’s western banks near unlighted daybeacon #24 . Our thanks to Cap’n Parky for this news.
You might like to advise boaters:
Banana River Marina (just south of Cape Canaveral) has been acquired by one of these Developer / Building Contractor outfits. The new owner intends building houses and possibly also sell such buyers a boat slip. Thus we lose one of the lowest priced marinas on the ICW – $7.50 per ft per month. All boats (above 100) have been told to leave by the end of July.
Mind you the Banana River has problems for many boats.
The three bridges on the river have only 43 ft clearance – much too low for many sailing boats.
The river is full of unmarked shallows – less than 4ft. Any boat with a higher draft – or have their propellers below the keel – should go very slow with maximum caution . The channel markers also are very poor and depth of the channel is at best around 5 to 6ft. Bluewater ocean sailors with 6ft or more keels should not even try it.
I’m one of those leaving soon – bound for Savannah. Evading – I hope – hurricanes 😊
Best wishes,
Arnold Parkinson
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Banana River Marina
It will be interesting to see how many boats the new owners of the marina will end up with (as in abandoned) and have to pay to have removed at great expense. I’d guess that more than 75% of the boats in that marina haven’t moved in the 16 years I’ve been familiar with the marina (and former boat yard).
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary protects Georgia’s special live-bottom wildlife habitat in the Atlantic Ocean and along the southeastern U.S. coast, an area teeming with diversity and an abundance of marine life.
GRNMS State Manager, Public Council Members and Student Internships – Apply Now!
Join the Gray’s Reef Team
Our team is growing and we are seeking capable candidates to fill a variety of positions at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Please consider the following opportunities:
Join the Gray’s Reef TeamOur team is growing and we are seeking capable candidates to fill a variety of positions at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Please consider the following opportunities: State Program ManagerThe State Program Manager supervises and manages state employees at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and serves as a liaison to NOAA. In this role, your responsibilities would include promoting team building, undertaking innovative actions to fulfill staffing needs, and assisting with partnership development initiatives and outreach efforts to further the mission and vision of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. For more information on this position or to apply, please click here. Student InternWe are seeking a “virtual” intern—meaning that you could be located virtually anywhere—to help develop and implement a communications campaign that illuminates the importance of innovative technologies for ocean conservation. The Virtual Student Federal Service projects on USAJOBS offer eight-month, unpaid remote internships for U.S. citizen students, college-level and above, who would like to make a real difference in the work of the U.S. government. See all of the available VSFS opportunities or apply directly for this Gray’s Reef NMS internship here. Applications are due by July 31, 2018. Public Council MembersThe Gray’s Reef Sanctuary Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations on the management of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The council members include community members from fishing, diving, conservation, science, education, and citizens-at-large along with state and federal agencies. We are currently accepting applications for the following seats:
Click here for more information, or contact Council Coordinator Becky Shortland at: becky.shortland@noaa.gov or (912-598-2381) |
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuarygraysreef.noaa.gov |
US COAST PILOT – SURVEY
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is conducting a review of the Coast Pilot publication and is looking for Coast Pilot users who are willing to take part of an upcoming survey. The purpose of this survey is to gain a better understanding of how the Coast Pilot is used by mariners and what information is most important to the user’s needs. The results of the survey will help guide improvements to the publication. Any interested company or individual wishing to provide comments or participate in this user survey should contact: NOAA Office of Coast Survey, Navigation Services Division, N/CS51, 315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Attn: Tom Loeper, Phone: 240-533-0068; Fax: 301-713-4019; Email: coastpilot.survey@noaa.gov.
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