A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Dowry Creek Marina, now under new management and ownership by The Zeltner family who want to “roll out the red carpet” to transients, doing whatever you might need during your visit to this highly praised and transient friendly marina lying off the AICW/Pungo River north of Belhaven, NC. Upon their retirement from shore life, the Zeltners went shopping for a trawler and ended up buying Dowry Creek Marina! Steve, Connie and their grown children, Teresa, Zac and Nicole will treat you like family!
I’ve been quite happy with the marina and staff. Josh Johnson S/V Temora
We stopped at Dowry Creek Maina for an overnight in November 2018. Quiet, friendly a very comfortable overnight. Offered a loaner car for local transport. Good fuel. Pool. Clean bathrooms. Very nice. Great sunsets and sunrises. Thank you. MV Great Adenture Ranger Tug 29
Our thanks to BoatUS, a longtime advocate for boating safety, for this USCG article.
U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization Includes Look at Improving 911 System for Boaters
SPRINGFIELD, Va., Dec. 31, 2018 – A sign of the times, the U.S. Coast Guard reports that it’s common for recreational boaters today to use cellphones to call during a boating emergency. While Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) urges every vessel to have a working VHF radio with DSC (digital selective calling), the nation’s recreational boating advocacy, services and safety group also recognizes that cellphones are firmly embedded in boaters’ lives. But what happens when a boater tries to call 911 for emergency or routine on water assistance? Will the call go to the closest, most relevant rescue agency for a swift response?
Unfortunately that’s not always the case. But a provision in the recently passed Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization of Act of 2018 aims to improve reliability of the 911 system when recreational boaters need emergency help. In an effort to ensure timely dispatch of the closest potential rescue asset or on-water assistance provider, the Act requires the U.S. Coast Guard to review its policies and procedures to “formulate a national maritime Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) policy.” There are more than 6,000 PSAPs in the U.S. – local 24/7 call centers with trained dispatchers that receive 911 emergency telephone calls and route them to the proper emergency service.
“This effort will help minimize the possibility of maritime calls being improperly routed and to assure the U.S. Coast Guard is able to effectively carry out its maritime search-and-rescue mission,” said Tina Cardone, executive director of the Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing (C-PORT). C-PORT members, made up of on-water towing industry companies from across the country, contributed to the legislative effort. This included TowBoatUS Mystic owner Capt. Jeff Dziedzic.
“This was a grass-roots effort by many and took years of working with U.S. Coast Guard and elected officials,” said Capt. Dziedzic. “We care about this because of our occasional role in responding to life-threating events as good Samaritans, as well as answering calls for more routine requests for assistance.”
In a video recently captured from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Capt. Dziedzic’s local congressman, thanked the captain for bringing the issue to his attention.
BoatUS also thanks the leadership of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.) and Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.).
Additional TowBoatUS C-PORT members joining the effort included Capt. Chad Noetzel, TowBoatUS Port Huron, Michigan; Capt. Terry Hill, TowBoatUS Potomac, Virginia, Capt. Richard Paul, TowBoatUS Cape Coral, Florida; and Capt. Chris Shaffner, TowBoatUS Palm Beach, Florida.
Tybee Island is not in South Carolina…. Tybee Island is in Georgia… It is usually called "Savannah Beach"…Please get your "facts" right before you post them to the "WWW". It just makes you look stupid when people see it. Take care.
Had one come up along side and blew a spout. Scared the hell out of me. Then it just one eyed me for a bit, and went under and swam away. Just behind Blackbeards Island in the ICW.
St Andrew Sound can kick up nasty conditions in the shallows of the Waterway’s magenta line east around infamous Marker 32. Alternative routes have been explored and suggested as long as I can remember. Robert Sherer’s alternate route below does avoid Marker 32 but is a bit longer. However, Robert’s southbound alternate route, which parallels the north shore of the sound, if continued parallel on a southwest course, would connect nicely to the Satilla River, then into Floyd’s Creek, rejoining the Waterway in the Cumberland River near Mile 690. See Jim Healy’s report on St. Andrew Sound and Avoiding Marker 32. Our thanks to Robert Sherer for this discussion via Bob423.
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers Net to share articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Will Cruising Powerboats Ever Catch Up With the Rest of the World? It’s been a long time coming but we now see tangible progress emerging to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. If the U.S. Navy can prove that it works, isn’t it about time the concept of the modern cruising boat includes hybrid forms of propulsion?
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Comments from Cruisers (2)
glenn- December 25, 2018 - 12:06 pm
Perhaps you missed the part about the six diesel generators that power the electric motors?
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers Net to share articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Monday Minute – End of Year Changes to Apps The end of the year is time to renew subscriptions and replace older apps with new ones. New technology and improved functionality promise a safer, faster, and easier user experience. In this case it is from Navionics, a Garmin Company. And General Motors.
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers Net to share articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
The Rogue Wave The fear and mystery about sea monsters and rogue waves goes back to the early seafarers. With much improved technology, computers, and satellites, we know much more about this phenomena today…and they are much more common than previously believed.
Core Sound exits the southeast corner of Pamlico Sound and parallels the western shore of Core Bank south to Cape Lookout. Portions have well marked channels and other stretches less well marked, if at all. Also, many markers have been changed recently, see Numerous Changes. If you run the sound regularly or recently, let us hear from you.
Has anyone traveled the length of the Core Sound (North Carolina) recently? If so, what is the approximate controlling depth? I am wondering if a sailboat drawing 3-1/2′ can safely transit the sound, or if not, if a power boat drawing 2-1/2′ can make it through. Thanks, David Swanson
You can most likely make it with a 3 ft. draft. However, your chartplotter will be close to useless. The markers change all the time. I do not know your routing but you may want top consider other ways to proceed. If you are going to Beauford or Morehead City the Neuse River and Adams Creek have a lot more water
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers Net to share articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Monday Minute – Another Sailor is Out Susie Goodall had a really close call, but she is safe after losing her Rustler 36 in the Southern Ocean. The 29-year-old was knocked unconscious when her boat pitchpoled end over end in rough seas and high winds. She was eventually picked up by a cargo ship on its way to Argentina.
Our thanks to experienced cruiser and longtime contributor to Cruisers Net, Greg Allard, for this report and link from the Exumas, Bahamas.
Larry – At the time of our last cruise to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park in the Bahamas, we noticed that maintenance on some of the moorings had been “deferred.” This was a disappointment, since traditionally the moorings in the Park had been excellent and well-maintained.
This article [link below] from the Bahamian National Trust which oversees the Park, is written by the new Park Warden, Brent Burrows II. For all Bahamian cruisers who consider the Park to be one of the absolute best places in the Bahamas, this is encouraging news about the refurbishment of the mooring systems.
When we visited the Park in May of 2018, we met Mr. Burrows as well as the overall Park Administrator Joe Ierna, Jr. Both of those individuals have brought a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to their positions, and this article reflects that.
Some cruisers were unhappy when the Park raised its mooring fees, and imposed a charge for anchoring. But the Park has a very limited budget, and the new fees help to improve this extraordinary facility. In my view, the value of what the Park provides far outweighs the cost. If you haven’s cruised there, it is an extraordinary experience.
We have been going there for 17 years but will pass by until they stop charging to anchor. We used to be members and donated and the park functioned fine with volunters brfore the current money hungry mgt. took over. The park is a natural wonder, just keep out the poachers. I wonder where all these fees are going? Terry
Come on, admit it…if you are locked in the snow and ice of the midwest and northeast, doesn’t this article make you drool!?! Our thanks to Southern Exposure for this delightful report.
NEWS From BoatUS Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304 Read this press release online at: https://bit.ly/2PgCk85
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com Photo Available at: https://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/1455.jpg Photo Caption: Can you find the E15 warning label? This pump is located near Cedar Lake, Indiana. (credit: National Marine Manufacturers Association)
Ethanol Misfueling Danger Laid Bare: Gas Pump Photos
“The ethanol industry doesn’t want you to see these photos”
SPRINGFIELD, Va., Dec. 5, 2018 — President Trump has officially moved to allow E15 (15 percent ethanol) gasoline sales year-round – a fuel prohibited for use in recreational boats and a decision that recreational boating groups say will needlessly put 142 million American boaters at risk. Protecting Boaters at the Gas Pump is a new website with a series of photos of gas station pumps in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin that clearly shows the challenges boaters face with poor ethanol warning labels at the pump, resulting in a greater risk of misfueling.
The effort is from the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s (NMMA), which was recently shared in “Boating United” campaign that urges recreational boat owners to tweet their members of Congress to stop the expansion of the government-mandated fuel. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) supports the effort and is urging recreational boaters to share the website with friends:
“The ethanol industry doesn’t want you to see these photos of gas pumps,” said BoatUS Manager of Government Affairs David Kennedy. “The confusion presented to consumers at the pump today is real. Putting the wrong fuel in your boat will likely void your engine’s warranty. We applaud NMMA for clearly showing the misfueling problem.”
E15 is currently banned for sale in many states by the Environmental Protection Agency during summer months over concerns that it contributes to smog on hot days. The push for more ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply is a result of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). When it was passed in 2005, RFS assumed that America’s use of gasoline would continue to grow. Since then, however, gasoline usage has not increased as forecast, which today forces more ethanol into each gallon of gas.
BoatUS has long had concerns over potential consumer misfueling with E15. Most recreational boaters refuel their vessels at roadside gas stations where pump-labeling requirements are minimal with just a small E15 orange warning label. The advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters is a member of Smarter Fuel Future, a coalition that aims to reform the RFS.
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Suggested Tweet and Facebook post:
Ethanol fuel misfueling danger laid bare: the ethanol industry doesn’t want you to see these gas pump photos https://bit.ly/2PgCk85 @BoatUS, @SmarterFuels, #BoatUSonWatch, #RFSbroken
About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):
Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with more than a half-million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We are The Boat Owners Auto Club and help ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins. When boats break down on the water, TowBoatUS brings them safely back to the launch ramp or dock, 24/7. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Program gives boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and superior service they need. We help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
If you would rather not receive future communications from Boat Owners Association of The U.S. Public Affairs, let us know by clicking here. Boat Owners Association of The U.S. Public Affairs, 5323 Port Royal Rd, Springfield, VA 22151 United States
Comments from Cruisers (1)
We stopped at Dowry Creek Maina for an overnight in November 2018. Quiet, friendly a very comfortable overnight. Offered a loaner car for local transport. Good fuel. Pool. Clean bathrooms. Very nice. Great sunsets and sunrises. Thank you.
MV Great Adenture
Ranger Tug 29