Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits. In this posting, supply needs of the local island schools are addressed. Please help if you can.
Bahamas Chatter: Long Island Supplies Needed
Posted: 13 Jan 2016 05:44 AM PST Thanks to a Long Island resident for the following information of interest to the cruising community:
“I would like to give you a broad idea of what we are replacing in the classrooms.”
New Pass is the northernmost of Sarasota’s two inlets and connects to the southern tip of Sarasota Bay at Statute Mile 75 of the West Florida Waterway. However, because of perennial shoaling, SSECN has long recommended that mariners not use New Pass!
GULF OF MEXICO – FLORIDA – LEMON BAY TO PASSAGE KEY INLET: Dangerous Shoal Dangerous shoaling in the vicinity of New Pass Channel in between New Pass Entrance Light LP (LLNR 1345 [27°18.9185N / 082°35.8861W, 27.315309 / -82.598102]/21585) position 27-18-55.113N/082-35-53.168W (27°18.9185N / 082°35.8861W, 27.315309 / -82.598102) and New Pass Channel Daybeacon 17 (LLNR 21725 [27°20.4831N / 082°33.9001W, 27.341385 / -82.565001]) position 27-20-28.987N/082-33-54.003W (27°20.4831N / 082°33.9001W, 27.341385 / -82.565001) . (Ref: LNM 17/15, 02/16) The Entrance Channel is subject to continual change. Buoys are not charted due to frequent shifting of shoals. MARINERS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID NEW PASS CHANNEL IF POSSIBLE AND EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IF TRANSITING THE AREA Chart 11424 LNM 2/16
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits. Monty and Sara Lewis are well known in this area for their personal research and reporting. Their launch of “Bahamas Chatter” and real time cruising information via their web site, www.explorercharts.com is extremely valuable.
Bahamas Chatter: looking for crossing advice or a buddy boat looking for crossing advice or a buddy boat Posted: 11 Jan 2016 03:17 PM PST At the beginning of February, Margaret and I would like to attempt our first crossing to the Bahamas. We would like to go to the Abacos on our 36′ Grand Banks trawler with a cruising speed of around 9 knots. We have considerable cruising experience, having come down from Buffalo NY a few times, and have just returned to the Punta Gorda FL area from the Keys. While we were in Marathon, we met sailors that were waiting for their crossing window. We have the waterway guide. We know we should wait until no north winds are present and the seas calmed, but we seem confused now, so we would like some advice on our plannings:
Should we return to Marathon and head for the Bahamas via the Hawk Channel? Should we cross the Okeechobee and use an east coast port? Which one and why? Should we head directly for the Abacos or go to Bimini first? Is anyone with experience going there about this time. Can we join you? Smooth waters, and thanks. Any guidance would be appreciated.
Margaret and Bob Kaine, Beyond The Sea
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Comments from Cruisers (13)
Grant Billings- November 25, 2016 - 8:33 pm
Hi I am wanting to cruise from Punta Gorda to the Bahamas in early February 2017 somewhere around the 7th. I have a Bayliner 4588 so will be cuising at 8 to 9 knots. I am presently in Australia and will be in Punta Gorda on the 2nd of February If anyone wishing to cruise as a Buddy Boat or a group of boats Please contact me on Email ( directfire.billings@gmail.com). Cheers and Happy Boating Grant Billings
My wife and I are planning our first crossing from east Florida to the Bahamas in the next week or two. We are in the Ft. Lauderdale area currently but will move to travel with others. Our boat is a powerboat and we travel at 8or 9 knots, but can adjust if necessary. Anyone planning a crossing soon? Hunter Spencer
gloria koster crawford- January 28, 2016 - 10:29 pm
We are planning a crossing from Ft. Lauderdale to West End Sunday night. Weather looks favorable. Please contact me at kostergloria@aol.com We would like to buddy with you.
Several years ago I single handed from Lake Worth to West End. I carefully plotted my course using the current current (No pun intended) speeds. I left at about 2100 and at daylight was about three miles south of the channel to the West End Marina. Plot your course and pay attention to your position as you go.
IMHO, one factor is how long a day do you want to do? To cross from St Lucie in a slow boat will take a long time as the stream moves 4-5 knots in the center and that is 50% of your boat speed. It can also be slow from West Palm as the stream can be fairly close to the coast and you have to aim south to crab across. My best trip was from Ft Lauderdale to Lucaya on a specular day going fast with the stream. If you would like to chat email me and I will send you my phone number. I live in Punta Gorda.
We have made the crossing many times and would recommend Lake Worth to Old Bahama Bay for your first crossing. Make a reservation at Old Bahama Bay when you are leaving Palm Beach. An early start will put you there early afternoon. Then Great Sale. From there you can be almost anywhere in the Aba is on day three rested and ready for fun. Don’t rush, make each jump when you are ready. You’re in for a treat.
Definitely check into Lake Worth Inlet (West Palm Beach) . It’s a straight shot to West End to clear Customs and pick up fuel, calm your nerves .his season is funky for weather so your window is short. This is your closest and best route to cross the Gulf Stream. Once you are on the Banks who cares? It’s pretty straight forward to Great Sail Key … then on to Green Turtle. There you can wait to see how the Whale Cay Channel is doing. Another weather window. Once you are on the other side of Whale…. you are free to roam.
We have been to the Abacos many times. The best route for slow boats is to leave from Lake Worth to Great Sale Cay (anchorage) & then on to Green Turtle Cay To clear customs & wait for good weather to go around Whale Cay. Short distance but you have to go thru the cut back into the ocean Next stop Marsh Harbour The Hub Of The Abacos. This is where we spend our winters at the Abaco Beach Resort, very reasonable with your Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club Membership. The RMHYC membership will get you discounts from West End to all over the Abacos. Very inexpensive membership and many benifets.
FWIW. We did the run to the Abacos from Ft Myers via the lake in May a couple of years ago. Easy enough. We’re a 35 ft sail so 6-7 knots. If you decide to cross the state maybe Punta gorda to York Island anchorage to franklin locks park docks (hang a left after you pass through the locks eastbound) (http://www.recreation.gov/camping/wp-franklin-n/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73462) Be forewarned that there will be a painfully long idle speed zone by the FPL plant in east fort myers as it is Manatee season. Then run to Clewiston on the lake- we just tied up to the huge dolphin pilings for the night. Then to St Lucie and an anchorage on the ICW south of town- Peck lake. Finally to Riveria Beach Beach Muni Marina (or similar choices in area) to await a window. YMMV. This gets you far enough south to give you a decent shot to West end. (Coming back you can shoot straight to St. Lucie Inlet via memory rocks with the gulf stream in your favor). Suck it up and pay for a night in West End and check in. Note it is still a long ways to Green Turtle and points south but at least you are out of the big seas. Be sure your GPS has Abacos detail. We updated the Garmin chip with the latest eastern US and it had the Abacos – same as the separate Abacos chip and only slightly more $. It was great. If I were to do it again I would add an AIS receiver for crossing as we crossed at night both ways and it is just hard to figure out who is going where and most importantly how far away. Obviously, radar would work. Other take aways- Indiantown Marina while funky is much better than you would think and worked timing wise coming back. I would also consider doing a loop- south to Marathon and return via St. Lucie. Certainly better to go counter clockwise than clockwise on this loop.
The most direct route would be to go through the waterway to Stuart and leave for the islands from St. Lucie Inlet. From there take a straight shot across the stream to the Little Bahama Bank north of Memory Rock and anchor at Great Sale (this will be a long day at 9 knots). The next morning you can push on and clear Customs at Grand Cay, Spanish Cay, or Green Turtle.
A more conservative approach would be to cross the waterway to Stuart, head south on the ICW to West Palm, and cross from Lake Worth Inlet (an excellent all weather inlet) to West End, Grand Bahama and clear customs at Old Bahama Bay, and proceed to the Great Sale and the Abacos the next day.
I’d recommend against going to Bimini first if your goal is the Abacos. If you do that, you have large stretches of open water to cross (the Gulf Stream and the Providence Channel) to cross in winter weather instead of just one.
Jonathan gives the right choices. For the Abacos, I’d use the Lake Worth Inlet for an easy out inlet and a direct shot to Memory Rock OR Old Bahama Bay. My preference would be the Memory Rock to Great Sale Cay route but my nuance would be to leave Lake Worth at midnite. This will put your arrival on the Bahama banks at daylight and you’ll have easy and safe navigation from memory rock to Great Sale which will be 6 hours away. Staging at Lake Worth also gives you a good chance of hooking up with others for the trip while at anchor there. You can proceed from Great Sale Cay the next day to arrive at Green Turtle Cay and check in to customs there….easy & friendly at the post office in town. Good luck!
BoatUS remains the premiere advocate for boaters and boating safety on all waters and SSECN is proud to have BoatUS as a SPONSOR!
NEWS From BoatUS Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Navigation lights like these don’t pass muster, and don’t make for safe boating (credit: Daniel Rutherford).
BoatUS Foundation: Three Safety Tips for Upgrading Boat Lighting
US Coast Guard Cautions Use of Some New Types of Lights
ANNAPOLIS, MD, January 11, 2016 – With the latest technical advances in recreational boat lights – both for navigation and aesthetic purposes – recreational boaters have more choices than ever when upgrading their boat’s lighting. However, the US Coast Guard wants boaters to know that some of the new lights aren’t up to snuff and could increase the chances of a collision. It has found that some sold for navigation purposes don’t meet regulations, and other aesthetic lighting products such as LED ropes and underwater lights may go against the light provisions of the nautical rules of the road. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water shares these concerns has these three tips when shopping for or installing boat lights:
1) Navigation lights have to be “approved”. Some manufacturers are selling navigation lights that don’t meet regulations. These lights are typically cheaper, but do not provide the proper color quality, brightness or cut-off angles that boaters rely on to avoid collision. So how do you know you are buying a good nav light? The US Coast Guard (USCG) says things to look for include 1.) USCG approval, 2.) The rated visibility of the light in nautical miles, 3.) Meets ABYC A-16, 4.) “Tested by: laboratory name,” along with 5.) Manufacturer and model #.
2) Don’t let your boat’s lights confuse. The USCG reports that some boaters have hazardously installed unapproved red and green LED strip lighting on the bow, which hampers other boaters efforts to avoid collision. Also avoid displaying any light that could be confused as another navigation light or another vessel. And do remember flashing blue lights are reserved for law enforcement – at a distance, wave action combined with the steady rocking of below the waterline high-intensity blue lights can give the appearance of a police vessel.
3) Don’t install lights that prevent the operator from maintaining a good lookout. When running between sunset and sunrise, it’s critical that those behind the wheel maintain their night vision, so the #1 goal is to keep light out of the operator’s eyes. Glare from existing nav lights may be a problem, or reflections from aesthetic lighting such as LED rope lights wrapped around a helm station hinder eyesight.
A helpful video by West Marine, “How to Choose the Right Navigation Lights for Your Boat,” can be found at http://goo.gl/o4oYoC.
About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):
BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with over a half million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We help ensure a roadside breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins, and on the water, we bring boaters safely back to the launch ramp or dock when their boat won’t, day or night. The BoatUS Insurance Program gives boat owners the specialized coverage and superior service they need, and we help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the non-profit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
We are always delighted to hear from new readers and especially when they offer assistance to be a part of our Motto: “Cruisers Helping Cruisers”! As in this recent event in St. Augustine, /154625, it is the reports from our readers that clarified the facts of the boat/bridge entanglement.
Wow! I just used your anchoring listings for the FL east coast for the first time. Thank you. Your site has been a big help in the past on the West Coast of Florida and on anchoring legal issues, but this section is really helpful. How can we help you? Fair winds and smooth seas, Rick & Donna
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits. Monty and Sara Lewis are well known in this area for their personal research and reporting. Their launch of “Bahamas Chatter” and real time cruising information via their web site, www.explorercharts.com is extremely valuable.
Bahamas Chatter: Cruising Permit The Bahamas – One Night Stay? Cruising Permit The Bahamas – One Night Stay? Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:40 AM PST In the case of an overnight trip from, let’s say, North Palm Beach to West End Grand Bahamas, is the cruiser required to purchase a cruising permit at full price upon arrival at West End? Or, is the cruising permit required only if planning to stay over a specific number of days?
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Comments from Cruisers (2)
Robert Wilson- January 8, 2016 - 12:52 pm
So many differing opinions! Based on 14 years experience IF you are ONLY going to be here one night your BEST option would be to anchor out. IF however you plan to do any fishing, you will need a fishing permit to be in compliance. SIG
I live in Freeport. I will call Customs and Immigration to confim, , but based on what I have experienced, they will make you pay. However, you can always arrive at West End after they close, and leave before they arrive. Or anchor at Memory Rock. Question is this: are you headind out to the Atlantic, or are you traveling between the islands
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits. Monty and Sara Lewis are well known in this area for their personal research and reporting. Their launch of “Bahamas Chatter” and real time cruising information via their web site, www.explorercharts.com is extremely valuable.
Bahamas Chatter: “New Responses to Fuel Survey” New Responses to Fuel Survey Posted: 05 Jan 2016 08:26 AM PST After the holidays, we have had a couple more responses to our request for updates on our monthly Fuel and Dockage Survey. Here’s what’s been added to the listing:
Treasure Cay Marina, diesel $4.24
Bimini Bluewater Marina. Diesel $4.20, Gas $4.55.
We appreciate those of you who have sent us prices as you get fuel along the way. There still are many marinas we haven’t heard from, so we hope you will send any new information that you may get on your next fuel stop. Thanks, Monty
New Responses to Fuel Survey Posted: 05 Jan 2016 08:26 AM PST After the holidays, we have had a couple more responses to our request for updates on our monthly Fuel and Dockage Survey. Here’s what’s been added to the listing:
Treasure Cay Marina, diesel $4.24
Bimini Bluewater Marina. Diesel $4.20, Gas $4.55.
We appreciate those of you who have sent us prices as you get fuel along the way. There still are many marinas we haven’t heard from, so we hope you will send any new information that you may get on your next fuel stop.
Thanks,
Monty
Garmin Charts Posted: 05 Jan 2016 04:36 AM PST Are explorer charts available for Garmin chart plotters ?
Very interesting press release from Ultra-SoniTec LLC and J-TEK Solutions LLC as posted on PR.com. Technology of the future?
Advanced Antifouling Technology Now Available on Florida’s Treasure Coast Revolutionary antifouling technology is poised to changes the way boaters deal with the nemesis of mariners, biofouling (fouling). This cutting edge technology eliminates the money-robbing fouling of the hull, running gear and raw water systems.
The recent ban on antifouling paint toxins has rendered them ineffective against marine growth and increased boaters’ costs of maintenance, increased fuel consumption, and reduced range. Just one millimeter of slime on a boat’s hull can increase the coefficient of friction by 75%.
I hope this is an improvement over “Barnacle Bill”. “Barnacle Bill” was an ultra-sonic gizmo that made the same claims the same way and then disappeared beneath the waves about thirty or forty years ago.
Interesting letter to the Editor in the Miami Herald addressing the Florida Keys Stewardship Act and its impact on tourism in the Keys which are “the highest per-capita generator of sales tax for the state.”
Keys’ assets need to be valued, protected
Monroe County is the southernmost county in Florida and includes the Florida Keys. Its coastline extends from the Everglades all the way to the Dry Tortugas, encompassing the third-largest coral reef in the world, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, three national parks, five state parks, four national wildlife refuges and three state aquatic reserves. Quite simply, the area’s environmental significance is immense.
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits. Monty and Sara Lewis are well known in this area for their personal research and reporting. Their launch of “Bahamas Chatter” and real time cruising information via their web site, www.explorercharts.com is extremely valuable.
Bahamas Chatter: “A Nassau Alternative” plus 1 more A Nassau Alternative Posted: 04 Jan 2016 04:16 PM PST For years, we have gone through Nassau Harbour on our way to the Exumas, sometimes stopping at a marina, sometimes pushing on across the Yellow Bank. This year we tried something new: We went outside of Paradise Island (it was New Years Day and the tour boats were like locusts) for a beautiful view of Atlantis and the rest of the island. We came in on the eastern end of the harbour and went around the corner to Palm Cay Marina on the southeast coast.
We were more than delighted with our stay there. First of all, after a warm and rolly day at sea across the Northeast Providence Channel, we were refreshed with a dip in the saltwater pool overlooking the Yellow Bank. The use of the courtesy car allowed us to go to the nearby locals supermarket, Super Value, and stock up for better prices than we would find on Bay Street. The staff was friendly and helpful and made our short stay most pleasant and the dockage rates were no higher than in the harbour, in some cases less expensive. There is a lovely restaurant, a tiki bar on the beach, a laundry, and a small gift shop. Exiting the next morning for the Exumas was quick and easy from there, a straight shot out and across the Yellow Bank.
Make sure you arrive before dark as a security chain blocks the entrance in the nighttime.
Berry Islands: A Not-so-overlooked Cruising Ground Posted: 04 Jan 2016 04:04 PM PST Often the Berry Islands are “fly-over” territory for Bahamas cruisers headed to Nassau or the Exumas or beyond. Yet their popularity has increased as evidenced by greater numbers of boats lingering and enjoying the beautiful clear water, the great fishing, the possibility for secluded anchorages. Indeed, many folks are spending the entire winter cruising season there, gunkholing about or extending their stay at the excellent Great Harbour Cay Marina for some reasonable dockage fees. The marina staff goes out of their way to make guests feel at home and taken care of, to the smallest details. And it is a very secure all-around protection from bad weather. The village of Bullocks Harbour has some services to offer with two excellent beachfront restaurants for special dining, in addition to the village cafes. Several flights a day come in and out of Nassau, plus several times a week from Ft. Lauderdale, making it more accessible to bring visitors in to yachts.
Of course, there is also Chub Cay Marina, which is often a stopover for boats transiting the Bank or anglers eager to catch the big fish. And don’t forget the iconic Flo’s Conch Bar at Little Harbour Cay, where Chester greets you with a smile and serves up some of his mom’s recipe of conch fritters.
For the flyfishing enthusiast, there are miles of flats where the elusive bonefish lure fishermen to try to catch them.
The string of cays from Stirrup to Chub present a number of choices for enjoying this beautiful archipelago.
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits. Monty and Sara Lewis are well known in this area for their personal research and reporting. Their launch of “Bahamas Chatter” and real time cruising information via their web site, www.explorercharts.com is extremely valuable.
Checking in at Bimini Posted: 03 Jan 2016 04:07 AM PST We are jumping from F Lauderdale to Bimini, when the weather clears, and would like to know if North or South is a more convenient check in to get a 90 day cruising permit? We’ve been told that you must go to the airport on South Bimini, and that North might make you pull into a marina to clear. We are quiet, nature loving cruisers, who prefer good holding to Bars and Marinas… But we want the fastest clearance possible. Thanks for the advice!
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
Winston fowler- January 4, 2016 - 8:16 pm
Probably a personal choice, but we always cleared very easily at Bimini North.
Skipper Cyr’s experience is not typical of past reports we have received on Sanibel Marina, see /140710, so we have a to assume that these difficulties were an exception to the marina’s normally professional service.
We were traveling with another boat and called two weeks ahead for our reservations. On the morning of our scheduled arrival we called to reconfirm and we were told everything was set, except that they could not let us in until they moved a couple of boats and that we should wait outside the harbor until notified to come in. We waited 30 minutes and heard nothing, we called the marina on the telephone, as they would not answer the VHF. Again we were told to wait. Finally, after about 45 minutes time and another VHF call, our buddy boat was instructed to come into the harbor and tie up. We were told not to come in as they were still in the process of moving a boat out of our slip space. Again we waited another 35 minutes with no communication. We called again and they finally answered on VHF and we were told they were having trouble getting the boat in our spot started and would get back to us. Another 20 minutes and we called on VHF again and the person responding said he was on the other side of the marina and didn’t know the status; he would check and get right back to us. My buddy boat called and said that the marina was lying to us; no one has been to the boat in our spot, the boat was still plugged in and tied up. It was getting late, (total wait time outside the harbor in boat traffic and wakes was in excess of one and one half hours). We needed to make alternative arrangements somewhere before dark so we left. Ron Cyr
Regarding Sanibel Marina, we spent Christmas week last year (2014) in our Nordic tug “Celebration.” I think you have to understand that this marina caters to locals and is sold out most of the time, so they may at times seem a bit more difficult to communicate with. BUT, that being said, we had an ideal stay there last year and really love the place! Each morning a newspaper and bag of fresh muffins arrived on our deck…. We then spent a month at Marina Jack’s up in Sarasota and can not say enough good things about our stay there! Moorings are very reasonably priced and if you spend a week or month at the docks the rate becomes very reasonable. We tried to return to Sanibel for another week but no slips were available.As I say, they seem to have very limited space for transients. I would suggest booking far in advance, staying in touch with them, and have a Plan B at hand. We totally enjoyed the Municipal Marina in Ft Myers as well. W & J Mann
We had a similar experience last year. We had reservations confirmed and reconfirmed. When we arrived, we were informed nobody was leaving and they didn’t have the previously promised space for us. We called Boca Grande Marina and explained the situation, they were most gracious and went out of their way to help us. We were fortunate that it was early enough in the day to make alternate plans. We were heading north toward Sarasota. Leslie Hartsell M/V /Somewhere Gold Loopers 2009-10
Candace’s questions are so broad that your answers could easily fill a book. However, choose your prime reason for initially deciding to live on the water and for remaining aboard thereafter, then let us hear from you. Thank you in advance!
I’m considering buying a boat and living on the water. I also do own a condo to stay at if I choose. How long have you lived on the water & what do you consider challenging issues? Thank you! Candace
” Buying a boat” could mean you are purchasing Trump’s old yacht for several million or fixing up an old trawler or sailboat for cheap and anywhere in between. Having a condo might mean you have a slip or not. We need more info to actually help. Suggest you hang out on some of the forums and get to know a good surveyor of the type of boats you are interested in. The surveyor we used stayed with us on each boat we looked at electronically via smartphone and was a lifesaver. We looked at over 50 boats before we found one, talked to 70 or so brokers and only met one we could trust (not the one we bought from) The pictures on yacht world and all are a fair place to start but you can’t smell cat pee on a picture. We have been aboard 17 years on sailboat and then 5 years on our trawler. we don’t own anything on land. See our blog for more info http://ontheofficewautoteacher.blogspot.com/
I suggest you review the many videos on YOUTUBE. They are very informative and pretty much answer all your questions, even some you probably didn’t or wouldn’t think of. SAIL LIFE, WICKED SALTY, SAILING UMA, LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT are just a few to get you started.
Skipper DiBelardino asks for a recommendation on a mail service in Florida. Let us hear from you!
Recommendation for a mail service in FL. Preferably, one that is familiar with the needs of boaters. Many thanks! Stephanie DiBelardino
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Comments from Cruisers (5)
Stephanie DiBelardino- January 4, 2016 - 9:47 am
I got three recommendations for the same place! Thank you all! The next e-mail I write is to SBI mail Service. If anyone needs recommendations for Freeport/Grand Bahama Island, We live here. Again, my thanks!
St. Brenden’s Isle in Green Cove Springs. They are professional and competent with many services that make long term cruising feasible. You will have the distinction (not) of having the same address as most of the other traveling, live aboard cruisers and loopers; just about everyone we’ve met uses them.
Contact St. Brendan’s Isle, Green Cove Springs, FL: http://www.sbimailservice.com. We’ve used them since 1998 and even though we no longer travel by boat and live nearby, we still use that address for some things. They are reasonably priced, offer many services that can be adapted for your needs, the staff are very knowledgeable and professionally friendly…and it’s owned by cruisers. The web site is very informative, but they’ll be happy to speak with you and have (or used to have) an 800#, but you should check the web site for that.
St. Brendan’s Isle http://www.sbimailservice.com in Green Cove Springs, FL. is the service most cruisers use in Florida. They provide different levels of service at a very reasonable price.
A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Jekyll Harbor Marina lies along the easterly banks of the AICW’s passage through Jekyll Creek, immediately south of the 65-foot fixed bridge.
If it were not for the exposure to the weather, I would have given this marina five stars. You are tied up to a face dock and wind out of the south can make things exciting. There can also be a wake problem when one of the jerks who can not understand the “no wake” sign come past. Aside from the above the place is wonderful. It is right on the ICW, has fuel, a pumpout ($15.00) and the rate is reasonable. The staff is on the ball and will be happy to help you with any questions. There is a restaurant at the marina but for serious dining you want to head for the Jekyll Island Club. In fact, if you have the time a tour of the historic district is a must. You can find out how the rich and famous lived back around 1900. They have made quite a few changes over the last few years. There is now a high end market available next to the convention center. It is well stocked and also has a few restaurants inside. Be forewarned, nothing on Jekyll Island is cheap. Public transportation is very limited, so bring your bikes or be prepared to rent a car from Enterprise, in Brunswick, they will pick you up at the marina. If you rent a car, everything that you will ever need is in Brunswick. If you like to ride bikes, the Island has over 20 miles of trails. The locals will stop for you where the trail crosses the road. Most tourists, not so. They will flatten you ass in a heartbeat. We arrived in early December and ended up staying for the entire month. We will be back in the spring. Dave Boxmeyer
First, I loved Dave’s comment about tourists and bikers. That cracked me up!
Back to Jekyll Island (JI). I am so glad that more and more cruisers are discovering all that JI has to offer. It is a biker’s paradise with lots of roads and trails and very little vehicle traffic. Groceries are available on JI in the new shopping area, which is a short bike ride from the marina.
If you are looking for beach access, then you are in for a treat with the newly built Great Dunes Park. This beach is near the Convention Center and new shopping area and have excellent facilities. Here’s a map link.
Also, as mentioned by Dave, a visit to the Historic District is a must. Photos just don’t do this place justice. My wife and I spend part of our honeymoon on JI 43 years ago, and we visit there several times a year and it never gets old.
If you are a cruiser looking for a nice layover then JI is just the place. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. From the Turtle Center, to Drfttwood Beach, to Glory Beach, Latitude 31 and Driftwood Bistro restaurants there are treasures to be discovered on Jekyll Island, GA’s “Nearest Far Away Place.”
We were there for 5+ years. The bike trails are awesome! The restaurant is closed (had a kitchen the size of a closet) Better eats at other places on island. The comment about the bikes and tourist are spot on. Georgia law DOES Not require a motorist to stop for a person on a bicycle in the crosswalk.
Peter Conway is inquiring about Hurricane Harbor on the southwestern shore of Key Biscayne. There is no charted channel into what appears to be a well-sheltered anchorage. If you have local knowledge of this harbor, let us hear from you.
What happened to the anchorage at Hurricane Harbor? Is it not still a permitted anchorage? Peter Conway
Larry, Thanks for your help. This is a pristine spot in a posh neighborhood on Key Biscayne. I have anchored there a number of times in the past and never a problem. There was a few issues with a particular homeowner who harassed some boats for anchoring off his house. This was a couple of years ago and that may have scared others from going in there. I always anchored in the middle to be as far from land as I could and never had a problem. It used to be shown in guidebooks and on your net site as an anchorage, but now I don’t see it listed. I recently completed my 46th ICW trip from Massachusetts and try to make sure that I only use allowed anchorages. Any clarification would be most helpful. Thanks again. Peter Conway Pemisu
DEC 24 2015 – Moored NW of Pumpkin to shelter from 17kts wind from SE. Initially well sheltered, but Wind swung during night to be direct from East and we dragged badly, about 400 yards before I realised at 3 am, even though we were only 150 yards from the island & I would have thought we would be better protected. Good in that I was blown into deeper water but from looking at the anchor flukes the bottom is sand/mud which does not hold well. The wind protection from Snapper is not great, there is enough open water for the wind to get up speed. However lovely location, with dolphins feeding at dusk & super quiet at night tho dawn brings some traffic from Angelfish Key. Iain
Galleon Marina will be the first marina that will come abeam to your starboard side as you enter Key West Bight. This facility has an excellent reputation, and it certainly lies right in the heart of Key West!
Stayed over Christmas . Helpful staff, patient at directing me to a berth between the riprap and the pontoons, which I didn’t think could be the way in as it was so narrow. Never did get my iPad to hook up to the wifi, which the marina staff know is an issue for Apple products. They gave me a number for tech support, but of course on the afternoon of 24 December I never got a call back before leaving on the 27th. The Windows laptop did connect, but service was slow. Can’t believe their tech guys can’t figure it out. Resort bar good for sundowners after a dip in the large pool and the hot tub. Tom Syrett
Since first posted in November, this essay by Dick Mills has elicited many lively pros and cons, all obviously with heart felt sentiment!
This essay on anchoring and the “apartment yacht” comes from our good friend and longtime cruiser, Dick Mills.
I read something in the news that made me sit up straight and think, “OMG it’s time to flip flop on the anchoring rights issue.”
The news item said that entrepreneurs in the Miami-Lauderdale area were buying up old boats, anchoring them, and then renting them out to all comers as a very affordable kind of apartment. Considering the high rents for apartments in those areas, those apartment yachts should be very popular.
Today, the apartment yacht story is merely an amusement. But then I thought back to the 2004/2005 hurricanes in Florida. Those storms left behind tens of thousands of damaged vessels that the insurance companies were in a hurry to declare totaled. Many could still float fine, and could be bought as salvage for pennies on the dollar.
I envision the years following the next big Florida hurricane when these apartment yachts by the thousands fill up all available spaces in all our favorite anchorages. (Where would they land their dinghies? The landlord may become wealthy enough to provide a launch service for his tenants.) If that happens, then I expect that it is we boaters who will be leading the charge for legal restrictions on anchoring. If we are smart, we’ll start now before the fact.
Of all the things I’ve read, one proposal seems to address the anchoring problem while making the least intrusion on cruisers. That is simply restricting the time a vessel can be anchored in one place to one week. Starting now, I am going to begin supporting that proposal.
What’s missing here is a definition of the problem we’re trying to solve. This discussion is all over the place. If the problem is “derelict vessels,” the fix needs to address derelict vessels. If the problem is “apartment yachts,” the fix needs to address apartment yachts. If the problem is “live-aboard” boaters, the fix should address live-aboard boaters. If the problem is “property damage,” the fix needs to address property damage. If the problem is “bad behavior”, the fix needs to address bad behavior. (Of course, recognize that leads to the discussion of licensing). Although I’m not convinced it’s legally necessary, the Florida House of Representatives has, for the second year, proposed a “fix” targeted at derelict vessels (HB 7025). We should all probably support that; it targets “derelict vessels” and those “at-risk” of becoming derelict, and doesn’t affect the rights of cruisers at all. AUTHORITIES IN EVERY COMMUNITY, EVERYWHERE (even Sausalito), KNOW WHICH VESSELS ARE BECOMING DERELICT WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION. That DOES NOT happen overnight. If those self-same authorities choose to allow those vessels to remain in-place and deteriorate, that’s on them. IT IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO IMPOUND THE RIGHTS OF CRUISERS AND CRUISING BOATS. The rest of the issues being aggregated in this discussion are also already addressed by law. RESTRICTING THE NAVIGATION RIGHTS OF CRUISERS should not even be considered unless an actual problem can be assigned to that class of boater and/or boat use. Those who would abrogate cruiser’s rights do not speak for me.
You’re throwing the baby out with the bath water in your thought process. See the Florida Statue, Chapter 327.02(15) – Houseboat. They can also be defined as “Liveaboard Vessels” 327.02(19). Both may be regulated by the local municipalities. And, they are being used for commercial reasons. Those of us who actually cruise are not defined by those statutes. As soon as those who think things should fit the model they see, the worse it becomes for many of us that have FOUGHT HARD to KEEP our rights to the waterways. Free access to the waterways has nothing to do with how long a vessel used navigation happens to hole up in, or is anchored in one place.
The laws are pretty clear, they are not being implemented as defined. And many times on purpose, as in this case… to provoke the ire of those who are not informed.
Those vessels would be considered liveaboard vessels, and may be regulated by the local governments. By no means, are they non-liveaboard vessels engaged in navigation.
In all the years and times we have crossed the Gulf Stream, more than 35 times, we have never waited for weather more than a day or two if at all. Our tactic, when we hit southern Florida is to go at the first opportunity, and if it is not immediate, we keep going further south on the inside. The further south you go, the quicker the passage back north riding the GS current. I concur with a time limit, one week is plenty. The people who come and stay for longer than a week, particularly when you start talking a month or more, can make i timpossible for anyone else to anchor. If you cannot do what you have to do in a week, go to a marina. For the really tight places, like Lake Sylvia, a few days should do it. Hope never to see the congestion we saw last year, when crossing conditions we so ideal, and these boats obvpusly had no intention of moving. We had to anchor on the shortest of scopes ever and only did so because we knew there was zero wind forecasted.
One should always be weary of any government involvement in an activity. It start with their just repairing a tear in your jeans and before long they own the jeans then the jean factory. Remember when they passed the seat belt law in Florida and said that they would never be able to ticket you if that was your only violation but within a year they quietly changed it so that they can now ticket for that violation alone. We need to self regulate ourselves just like the diving industry did when they all agreed that you had to have a diving card to get air.
Why shouldn’t a cruiser want to spend a month or so, or more, in the Keys if they’re having a great time? Or, anywhere else for that matter? The problem is that the laws designed to protect the waterways for free navigation are not being enforced, and are not enforced mostly to force local political issues. The derelicts and vessels not fit for navigation, or not used for navigation, may be regulated or removed according to the law. And this is provided for in Florida Statue. And, vessels used for commerce, i.e., rental properties, may be regulated also.
A one week limit on Anchoring in Any one place to me seems short and short sighted, many times the weather can pose a safe navigation problem for a period much longer than one week. Also their are many areas where anchoring for much longer than one week should not be a problem for any one, no one around, no homes, just peace and quiet!! Leave us boaters alone!! Many times the activities , and behaviors of the nearby landlubbers are so unbearable that even one night is difficult to bear!!
We have had to wait as long as three weeks for a crossing. Manybcross with other vessels, some with little experience. One week is verybshort” as there is no reason why those who want a quiet crossing should be limited by the property owners who have no real claim on the water distinct from the rest of us. Putting unrealistic limits on anchoring and passage is jist another brick in the wall.
I believe all boats should be fully insured before given registration. Then insurance company’s would have to police the boats for navigable and seaworthy. As it would be their responsibility if anything happens to a vessel. Peter
It should be ovious what were doing now is not working, by letting the insurance industry survey and insure boats before a boat could be registered would shift the responsibility from the responsible boat owner from the derelict , uninsured or negligence boat owner.
Norman Mason- December 4, 2015 - 3:32 pm
I agree with Dick Mills. Having cruised in Florida for two winters, I cannot think of anywhere I would want to stay longer than a week. It would seem that a time limitation would do much to resolve the problem of derelict vessels.
The main problem I see to cruising in Florida is how negative the government is to cruising vessels. Never mind the major impact they have on the economy of prime cruising destinations (Vero Beach, Stuart, Cocoa). If you look at Marathon and Boot Key Harbor, the 200 + vessels moored there must have a huge impact on the local economy.
Having travelled the AICW a number of times, I must say that there are quite beautiful places where wven three weeks at abchor there are barely enough, while equally beautiul places are o ly worth (in our humble opinion) only a day or two. Differ nt strokes for different folks. Why should any artificial limit be placed on navigation be the vast majority in order to appease the landowners frustration over a few idiots. The parallel to this would be to restrict d iving on freeways because a few drunk drivers cause havoc and misery. Please, let’s focus on the reasonable.
Your absolutely right. Where in cruising does it spell time limit? Too many think that maritime tradition should meet what they envision it to be. Keep the waterways clear and free for navigation. While in navigation, my anchor should be able to set wherever it is not impeding a waterway, or not spoiling a protected area. And, my vessel should be seaworthy and maintained.
Some vessels should not be on the water, nor should some boat drivers.
ted- December 4, 2015 - 2:10 pm
Time limit, absolutely. But one or two weeks? We’ve had two weeks of very high winds in S Florida with no good window to cross the gulf stream. 30 to 60 days will allow a captain to go ashore and do what they want to do and then wait out severe conditions that often hamper movement in the winter.
It has amazed me for the decades I have been following the FL anchoring issue that virtually no one ever brings up the essential point. This is the one that the boating community should be hammering, hammering, hammering home. It should be the primary talking point and sound bite because it addresses both sides of the issue and is rooted in the underlying common law. The “Second Amendment” of our anchoring rights is the freedom of navigation enshrined in maritime law. A vessel is only navigating if it is capable of movement. That means not only having propulsion but competent crew on board. Anchoring an unattended vessel is poor seamanship as anchors drag. (Attended can mean being ashore shopping and sightseeing but with an eye on the weather and means for promptly returning to the vessel.) The main point is that there should be different requirements for vessels engaged in navigation and occupied and vessels without power or which do not have crew close enough at hand to return within a short period of time. I will not anchored my vessel overnight unattended as it is irresponsible to other craft and poor seamanship. If you take a road trip, the vessel should be on a mooring or in a marina. FL should simply make it illegal to leave a vessel at anchor unattended overnight. If it is not navigation they have every right to restrict anchoring. If it is navigation, restrictions should be minimal. Navigation requires that a crew be on board or capable of being on board quickly as well as a means of propulsion. BTW, I am a former Harbormaster from Maine. Roger Long
Well said, that anchorages discussed are for boats which are actively cruising. I doubt that the city fathers want the type of messes which have plagued Key West, Marathon, San Diego, Sausalito, and a number of other cities which had boats which were not able to move.
There is also the issue of short term rental such as we see invading residential neighborhoods, such as VBRO. There is also the issue of liability to the boat owners.
Totally disagree! Maritime rights have been established. Check your ground tackle if your vessel has a tendency drag. What if you and boating buddy, steam into an anchorage, and would like to take a field trip…. that’s the point of the voyage…. not to be stuck aboard at all times. What? You mean hiring a boat boy found at Joe’s Lounge to watch your vessel while you take in the country side? What is he going to do to stop the anchor from dragging, because you failed to set your tackle correctly? What if, on your cruise, you decide to set anchor and work for the remainder of the season? Why shouldn’t you? The whole and salient point, keep your vessel seaworthy, and be responsible for her. Non-liveaboard vessels have the right of anchorage, when not impeding another’s way.
This seems to explain the crux of the matter: “The whole and salient point, keep your vessel seaworthy…” Many of the vessels we have seen would not qualify as seaworthy in the least; many are, in fact, partially submerged or even capsized. Who is responsible for keeping the waterway clear? Other boats appear to have no way to keep water from entering broken windows and hatches. Still others are blocking the navigable channels. Cars left in similar conditions along roadways are tagged and then towed at the owner’s expense.
Steve Adams- December 26, 2015 - 6:43 pm
And, Ocean Dancer, I’ll say the vessel’s owner should be responsible, or billed, to clear it away when she becomes derelict. That would mean, make sure your Bill of Sale, Documentation, or Title is clear when you buy, or sell, your boat.
Peter Colket- December 1, 2015 - 9:15 am
Owners of “apartment yachts” would have to provide a pump-out boat. They would also have to be responsible for maintenance of plumbing and other systems with which landlords are generally unfamiliar. There would also be the cost of installing and maintaining moorings. By the time all the costs are understood, the concept may not prove viable. If this scheme progresses, the boating community should make sure regulators understand and enforce all applicable safety and sanitation issues in the permitting process. Then, hopefully, this balloon will lose its air.
I think that if restrictions are necessary, a time limit on anchoring is the best and fairest solution. One week seems short to me but two weeks seems pretty fair.
There needs to be a balance between our rights to anchor our boats and fleets of derelict boats clogging the waterways until thy break loose or sink in place.
The balance, Ron, is Liveaboard v Non-liveaboard as defined by law considerate of maritime tradition. What is a fair balance? Forbidding shot guns, but allowing single load .22 cal rifles? Renting out non-navigable vessels is flooding safe harbors with “Liveaboard” vessels. Yes…. those can be regulated by local governments, but “Non-liveaboard” may not. Check the law… Maritime Law and tradition is not solely based upon personal experience or opinion. It is a matter of the rights of navigation with centuries of precedence.
See Florida State Statutes 327 (19), and, 327 (15).
We arrived in Stuart on 9/22, int nding to be in the Keys by 10/5. Well, medical and upgrade issues intervened, and we will not leave Stuart until the New Year. If we pretend to live in a free society, then limitations must be minimal, and based on real harm, and not some rich guy’s sense of injured entitlement.
We boaters must do something or the powers that be will do it for us. If we do not clean up our act and help local anchorages police the derelicts, get the non operating “Apartments” into a legal status and cleaned up then all boaters will suffer. Well not the 50 ft powerboater that passed me near Bahia Mar last year going over 40. That type won’t suffer because he does not cruise or liva board.
Sonny, you’re right. Many who should not be on the water have boats… and…. there are many boats that should not be on the water. It is so easy for some to offer opinion based on limited experience. Recently, a lot of cronyism is associated with government trying to keep the big campaign donations coming in. Those of us who are Florida Natives are getting pretty sick of Yankee-refugees trying to shape our state! Especially our waterways and maritime way of life!
OK, lets try to define what should be on the water means, and aside from safety and navigability, what should be done to thos who should not be on the water.
Steve Adams- December 26, 2015 - 6:52 pm
Rick Cass: The vessel: Seaworthy and maintained. And like wise, someone who knows channel markers, who know how to handle their vessel, and is able to assess, evaluate and set their ground tackle.
Steve Adams- December 26, 2015 - 6:54 pm
One more thing: Those who understand how not to put others in peril.
We hear so many good things about this group; they must be doing many things right! These are not the first words of praise we have received for Burkey Marine and will not be the last.
We had a great experience over the phone being walked through our problem by Big Diesel Greg Burkey. All was well and the trip was salvaged! Some people care and yes we recommend the Greg Burkey Marine Group. Several phone calls later at no charge and we were fixed! Capt J
Arriving in West Palm Beach I had realized the engine was acting up before a crossing so we called Greg Burkey and Burkey Marine Group to assist us. We were told the gasket was not seated properly on the impellor housing. After a quick snug on the screws we were off and free of charge at that, I would say my wife and I were happy and to date all is well. I would call them again given the need! I’ll list their number Burkey Marine Group 772-215-7663 A Thomason
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at New Pass
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