GREAT Video Shows All the Good Qualities of Cruising Crystal River (Western Florida’s Big Bend Region)
Please check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIAlogIPVhs&feature=youtu.be
Please check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIAlogIPVhs&feature=youtu.be
The Waterway typically shoals either immediately north or south of the four-way intersection with New River and New River Inlet. Dredging at this intersection was begun in November of 2012 and was to have been completed by February of 2013.
June 12. On advise from TowboatUS heading north, kept two Green markers just off to starboard, then hard right past red to my port. Went through with no problem at dead low tide. His advice, don’t inadvertently cut a green, which is mistake many make. Lowest depth I read was approx. 7 feet. I was on a Catalina 42, 5 Ft. wing keel.
Dan O’Brien
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
This reported shoaling is west of Morehead City in a long narrow channel in the open waters of Bogue Sound, where the Waterway runs east/west. Marker #7 sits on the south side of the channel opposite the mouth to Peletier Creek. If you have also experienced shallow water at this spot, let us hear from you.
Shoaling in the channel Bogue Sound, NC near mile 210 south of Beaufort, NC. Ran aground near G’7’³ today. Seems the spoil area has spilled into the channel. We were slightly right of center in the channel, mid tide rising (2.5′ above MLW) when our 6′ draft sailboat was brought to an abrupt haul. It was sand or silt and were able to get free without a problem, but the new shoal extended to near the center of the channel. A large catamaran with 4′ draft was two miles behind us, that we were unable to contact on VHF, also ran aground on the same shoal.
Recommend cruisers be alerted to favor the red side for 12′ plus depths north of mile marker 210 until past G’7’³.
Pete Peterson
We ditto the comment. We got to the green side at this same marker and were in 4.5 feet of water at near low tide.
John Winter
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Shoaling
The derelict issue, problem, controversy, whatever one chooses to call it, has loomed large and will continue to be hashed about in political and economic circles all along the Eastern Seaboard until a feasible plan is found to address abandoned vessels. We are grateful to Chris Waln for sharing his research with us. To access the Derelict Vessel map features, click Queries at lower right, select a county, then Search.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (http://myfwc.com/) as an excellent (not yet fully implemented) online tool (https://public.myfwc.com/LE/ArrestNet/DerelictVessel/VesselMap.aspx) for tracking location and essential information on derelict boats. For the Florida East Coast, when the underlying data is parsed it reveals:
66% of derelict recreational boats are Florida registered, and this percentage is slightly understated because the `Registration NA’ boats probably contain some number of Florida registered boats.
Of the derelict boats for which length data is available (87%), the median boat size (all types) is 26 feet and the mean is 27 feet (discounting an outlier). Two thirds are between 22 and 32 feet.
Across both registration categories sailboats account for 40%, cabin-power for 19%.
75% of the 170+ derelicts are in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Brevard and Broward Counties, but’¦
In Broward County 68% of the boats identified as derelict are in slips.
Most of the pictures of `Registration NA’ boats and many of the `FL Registered’ depict hulls so old that removal would entail little legal effort.
Caveats
The few commercial hulks, barges, etc were not counted.
The boat registration and length data is extracted from graphics files in the FWC tool by hand; there may have been a few errors.
What can we draw from this?
The registration data doesn’t support derelict boats being driven by out of state/foreign cruisers.
The size data doesn’t support derelict boats being driven by cruisers, period. Yes, we have taken over 500 and 1000 mile trips in a 23 footer (1976) and a 29 footer (1980), but what we see on the waters today is 35-45 footers. Although to be balanced, 18% of the measured derelicts are 35 feet or greater ‘” the same percentage as boats 21 feet or less.
From the FWC photos, the sailboats, with few exceptions, are not equipped as long range cruisers, they look to be local boats that were either uninsured or insured and totaled, and the local owners just walked away.
Broward County’s slipped derelicts should be discounted when talking about anchoring issues.
Money for removal is more of an issue than authority for removal.
Finally (well, that apparently never happens in this debate), we don’t like looking at or being anchored near derelicts or imminent derelicts any more than any other Floridian. We don’t like them clogging up our few and far between safe anchorages. We don’t like them driving municipalities to create maritime ghettos that wipe out those few and far between safe anchorages.
We believe the data above is a reason for the latest shift to attempting to ban anchoring on the basis of defamatory accusations rather than data. It’s pretty clear from the data, cruisers don’t come to Florida to abandon their boats.
Chris Waln
Derelict boats are completely different than cruising boats. It’s the difference between a car driving down the freeway, or parked at a rest stop, and one jacked up on blocks on the side of the road. I don’t for one minute believe that the people behind the anchoring restrictions can’t make this distinction, and I still believe the derelict boat problem, while a real problem, is being used as a smokescreen/false flag operation, for getting rid of non-derelict cruising boats that are messing up the views from waterfront condos of people who are used to getting their way on everything.
R. Holiman
Interesting analysis. I would add that another important factor in anchorage bans is financial. There are interests that think boaters anchoring for free are getting away with something and they should be forced to pay for the privilege. The funny thing in Florida is that this often involves creating a mooring field at huge expense that is paid for by taxpayers that then forces boaters to pay for moorings and marina space that even then is not self-supporting. The Marathon mooring field and marina only survive due to hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funds. These fields are not self supporting in Florida. I have yet to figure out why Florida mooring fields are so hugely expensive to construct, but the per-mooring cost is often four or five times what it would cost for an individual to put in the finest mooring set up. You would think that purchasing in bulk, etc. would save money. Someone is making money off of that aspect of this too.
John Kettlewell
Later we learned that Chuck and Susan had found a similar facility adjacent to the W. P. Franklin lock, the westernmost Okeechobee Waterway lock. And, as you can readily guess, we asked them to repeat the process, and they have kindly done so. The story below is the happy result!
We are once again greatly indebted to Captains Susan Landry and Chuck Baier, owners of Beach House Publications, publishers of “The Great Book of Anchorages,” (http://www.tgboa.com) for providing this superb, in-depth article and copious photographs! THANKS CHUCK AND SUSAN!
WP Franklin Lock and Dam Park
A very nice gentleman, Walt Vliet, who was out for a few weeks cruise with his wife June, came to our aid as we docked with the wind blowing us up on the finger pier. No matter how many years of experience one has, it is still difficult to dock with a single engine and a good, stiff breeze on the beam. Once secure, we had the opportunity to visit with Walt and June. Both are about to turn 80 soon and have been cruising for years. They live in Hobe Sound and often travel back and forth across the Okeechobee on either their small sailboat or their Marine Trader trawler. They were a pleasure to meet.
But the real story is the park. It is truly a beautiful little place. The RV park and marina, situated on its own little island, is located on the northeast side of the river and lock. Slow speed buoys are located at the entrance to the marina basin. There are 8 slips here as there are at St. Lucie, with 4 being first-come, first-served and the other 4 able to be reserved. Very little wake makes it into the basin. Trees and a decent size picnic pavilion are very near the docks, and a short walk west past a number of RV sites, takes you to very clean heads and showers. Recycling bins are available jus t next to the trash.
If the docks are full, no problem. Figure out which direction you need wind protection from. There is plenty of room to anchor in the east basin beyond the docks, then dinghy in to the boat ramp near the heads and showers. Or anchor in the basin on the west side of the locks tucked up near the causeway that leads over to the island for great easterly and southerly protection. On this side, dinghy into the beach near the large trees just behind the building that houses the heads. The ranger is happy to have you come ashore.
You cannot walk across the lock to the other side like you can at St. Lucie Park, so drop your dinghy in the water and visit the beach on the other side as well as the visitor center. The only downside we can see is there are no provisions nearby, so come well-stocked and enjoy this little piece of heaven.
Most of our postings dealing with Savannah speak of cruising west from the Waterway, up the Savannah to downtown Savannah, certainly a delightful sidetrip. SSECN Contributing Editor, Captain Jim Healy, gives an account of the areas around the Savannah River/ICW junction, including Thunderbolt and Tybee Island. Thank you Jim – definitely a good read!
Sail Harbor Marina is on Wilmington Island, GA. Their website is: www.sailharbormarina.com/
Enjoyed reading this post by Capt. Jim. We always enjoy visiting Savannah by boat. Bought our last boat @ Sail Harbor and had the yard haul and do some work after the survey. The bottom Job is still good now nearly 3 years later. Exceptional service and came in under estimate which is always good. Highly recommend their staff for repairs and service.
Sonny
The link below takes you to an article by Prentiss Findlay, headlined in the Post and Courier as “Low-Tide Effect Grounds Boaters,” about three of our “favorite” spots: i. e. AICW Problem Stretches at McClellanville, Breach Inlet (Isle of Palms) and Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff. Every SSECN reader can confirm the troubles brought on by lack of dredging all along the Intracoastal. It is somewhat comforting that shoaling is finally making the front page of a SC newspaper. Will something be done? Keep watching your depthfinder and holding your breath!
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140530/PC16/140539917
Skipper Divers sends good news about funds for dredging:
This morning’s Charleston Post and Courier reports that Charleston County Council has appropriated $500,000 towards dredging the ICW at Breach Inlet and McClellanville. Here is the link: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140529/PC16/140529191
Tom Divers
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Skipper Matthews sends a fresh report on a Problem Stretch south of Swansboro. The intersection of the Waterway and Browns Inlet has been the site of shoaling for some time, as well as a mysterious underwater hazard.
Prop-Eater.
Came through here on May 25, 2014 at 745am. This one spot is mentioned here as a problem. Most advice says `stay to the red side’ which I have during 4 passages without incident. However this last Sunday, going southbound, I passed a trawler going northbound a few miles south of this spot. Later on channel 16, I heard his call to USCG and his tow service with the words `engine runs but prop not turning’. As USCG was contacting him and asking him to verify his position, he did. N34,36.41, W077,13.84. The same spot.
There are multiple references which mention bent shafts and struts, and damaged props. Most shoaling reports merely mention that someone got stuck or kicked up some mud. This is one of the few that consistently mentions damaged hardware.
On a prior visit, I photoed a tug stuck here:
Notice the prop wash to the side. I hailed him but no answer. Saw him later heading south, obviously freed.
Ben Matthews
Came through that spot (Browns Inlet) at low tide with no problem. Draft 5 feet. May 30, 2014.
Raymond W. Smith – The `Firer Dog’
We went through the Brown Inlet area (marker 63) May 23 at near low tide with 10 ft at low tide. Just follow the marks. The problem is the temporary red and green are way off the normal channel and look like the are for a side channel. They are also in a straight line but they are for the intracoastal waterway marks.
Henry Booke
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
This shortcut that runs northwest from the western end of Snows Cut to the Wilmington bound Cape Fear River has been a temptation and a hazard for several years, see /?p=105372. Skipper Matthews did not leave all his good sense behind, because he went slowly, kept an eye on the depthfinder, was able to do a 180 and escape the shoal. It’s a tough rule to remember, but all charted channels are not necessarily navigable.
I left good sense behind and tried this channel Memorial Day weekend 2014. It dropped to 3 foot fast! Was lucky enough to turn around and make it back to deep water after a good barnacle scraping. I draw 3-1/2 feet.
Ben Matthews
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Non- Shortcut
The San Sebastian River departs the Waterway to the northwest at statute mile 780. The new facility will be upstream on the western shore across from San Sebastian marker #20. Land address is 255 Diesel Rd, St. Augustine 32084. For the full story, go to: http://www.staugustineshipyard.com/
St Augustine Shipyard is part of a proposed Merchant Marine Community located on the west bank of the San Sebastian River, southwest of Historic Old St Augustine. In addition to the marina, commercial development plans include a pedestrian `promenade’ offering a variety of shops, restaurants and lodging.
The Shipyard Marina is under construction with restaurants, shopping and offices in various stages of planning and approval and is scheduled to open in September 2014.
Thank you for this wonderful service.
Ron Cousino
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New Shipyard
This reported shoaling lies north of Isle of Palms bridge in the vicinity of AICW marker #117 and is part of an area declared a serious AICW Problem Stretch in 2009. For a recent survey of the area, go to /?p=125717
North of Isle of Palms bridge, SC. 3 boats 2 cruisers. 1 shrimp boat grounded in channel. CG in inflatable called me to assist. Our 42′ Chris. Frat. Easy Rider made it through barely. 4′ draft. Low tide now approaching Ben Sawyer bridge. Fran Lavigne.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
An earlier report recommended an alternate route to the Ashepoo Cutoff, see /?p=134342. Skipper Ross also reports on this slightly longer, but deeper water, with a warning about the southeast end of Combahee Bank.
Because we would have been at the Ashepoo Coosaw cut at low tide, we decided to take the alternate route out St Helena Sound before heading up the river beside Fenwick island. There is a spot where the chart is incorrect. Just off the ocean end of Combahee bank, there is a place charted as 21 to 22 ft deep. It is actually 10 ft at low tide. The rest of the charted depths are close to correct. Although this route is 5 miles farther, it is an excellent alternative to `The Cut’
Richard Ross MV Chez Nous
I second the above. You do not want to pass closer than 1/2 mile south of the Combahee Bank marker, and even then keep a wary eye on the depth sounder.
A much less stressful alternative to the cutoff at less than high tide.
Larry Shick
I should have realized when we first published the initial message above from “Chez Nous” that these good people pilot an ARGUS research vessel. As you will see below, ARGUS project leader, John Hursey, forwarded us this very useful chartlet, showing the soundings taken by Chez Nous. Note the color change in the sounding circles at the two spots indicated by the red lines. This shows soundings around 10 feet were taken at these locations!
Hi Claiborne,
This just in from M/V Chez Nous, passing southeast of Combahee Bank in St. Helena Sound:
Just off the ocean end of Combahee Bank, there is a place charted as21 to 22 ft deep. It is actually 10 ft at low tide.’
John
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Combahee Bank
Skipper Chappell’s comments follow on the heels of a lengthy discussion on a incident at specific Waterway bridge. See /?p=120963. However, the advice offered would apply to any bridge requiring communication with a bridge master.
I do not condone any rude behavior by Bridge Tenders. I can explain a few things though. He probably turned the light off in the tender house to see you better. Also, bridges open on signal. You are required to request an opening via VHF ch9, visual signal, or horn (one prolonged blast followed by one short blast). Please read CFR33 part 117. Also, he asked for your boats name and homeport as required for filling out logs. Additionally, if he felt it was an unnecessary opening (again, see cfr33 part 117) there is a form to fill out for USCG action. Always know the height of your vessel and observe the clearance gauges. Know how to request an opening. Just because you show up at a bridge does not indicate that you request to go through. Frequently vessels approach a bridge, then turn around and go the other way, doing the tourist thing.
Dave Chappell
Dave makes some excellent points. I would add that you should use the VHF radio’“skip the other signals’“use the radio. I call even if there are other boats waiting’“I want to make sure that the bridge tender knows my intentions. Never assume the bridge tender can read your mind’“communicate!
John Kettlewell
One other point I should have made above is that 95+% of the time I have had no issues when passing through a bridge by establishing communication, following the bridge schedule and regulations, being observant of other traffic and conditions (like current and wind), and using commonsense. Yes, you do occasionally encounter a bridge operator having a bad day, but usually a calm voice, saying `please’ and `thank you,’ and using a little patience will make all good.
John Kettlewell
Skipper Hart’s comments refer to a report by Jim Bertch chronicling his frightening experience with mycobacterium marinum, see /?p=118638.
I went through merca with the exact symptoms of your marinum. Doctors were wondering until the culture came back. It entered through a fishing line paper cut just below my left pinky & went right to that middle finger and set in like concrete. Thats when the highly knowledgable Dr. McCallister of Panama City, Fl. started prepping me for my left hand to be changed forever but Doc finally nailed it after 8 days in quarantine & 2 surgeries. Can this come back as marinum if it decides to ?
Jeffrey Hart
St. Lucie Lock Marina Slips
And so, I asked both Susan and her “partner in crime,” Skipper Chuck Baier, to please provide the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net with a fuller account of this facility. The below article is the happy result of my request.
We are once again greatly indebted to Captains Susan Landry and Chuck Baier, owners of Beach House Publications, publishers of “The Great Book of Anchorages,” (http://www.tgboa.com) for providing the superb, in-depth article and copious photographs, set below! THANKS CHUCK AND SUSAN!
Click Here To Read Susan and Chuck’s Excellent Article!
This video is especially useful for these waters, as they are populated by a huge collection of aids to navigation, some of which are founded in shoal water, and the channel is narrow, in spots, and changeable.
So, if you have any idea of visiting the popular port of call in Manteo, NC, may we strongly urge you to follow this link!
http://www.tinyurl.com/manteochannel
Thank you so much Claiborne and Manteo Marina. I’ve approached that turn several times with my heart in my throat because of uncertainty with all those markers. I’ll be there next week once again, but this time, I’ll be confident thanks to the video.
Dick Mills
On the morning of 5/16/14, the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net received a telephone call from Francis aboard “Easy Rider.” She reported that they were northbound on the AICW, and had just observed a larger powercraft hard aground, AT HIGH TIDE, on the charted shoal east and southeast of marker #49. She went on to say that this was the very same spot where they had a grounding problem with their own vessel a year ago.
While we cannot yet confirm this hypothesis, it seems likely that the charted shoal east and southeast of #49 has built out farther towards the AICW channel. Prudent skippers will pass #49 well to its western and southwestern side.
If anyone has any additional information about this hazard, PLEASE use the “Comment” function below and share that information with our fellow cruisers! Our thanks to Skipper Michelle for confirming the advice to favor the west side of the channel.
SeaTow mentioned this area as a problem to our group recently. I went up to check it out yesterday and it is very shallow E and NE of green marker 49. Your suggestion is spot on to stay on the west side of the channel.
Michelle
We passed 49 about 150 to the West in about 30 ft of water at just about the beginning of a rising tide without a problem on June 3 at 1140am
Diane Jack Toomey
The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net is very pleased and honored to welcome veteran cruiser, Captain Jim Healy, aboard as our first “Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net Contributing Editor.” Many of you know Jim from his participation in MTOA and various on-line nautical forums. Many are the cruisers who have sought Jim’s advice about computers, networking and wi-fi aboard.
It also occurred to the SSECN that Jim is just a really GOOD writer as well. In fact, one of the best we’ve come across in quite some time. So, after some conversation at the recent MTOA Rendezvous in Fernandina Beach, Florida, Jim has joined the SSECN team, and it’s really GREAT to have him aboard.
In his first SSECN article as “Contributing Editor,” Captain Healy guides us from the AICW/St. Johns River intersection upstream to the sprawling city of Jacksonville, and nearby Ortega River with its impressive collection of marinas and repair yards! Please check out this very useful account at:
The entire Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net “bunch” takes great pride in announcing a MAJOR upgrade to our reporting of marina services, prices and statistics. This project has been a year in the making, and countless hours of work have gone into copying and pasting, line by line, data from our old format into the new.
Behind the scenes, what we have done is to move our various Marina Directories from a document based scheme, to a database manger-like scheme! That may not mean much to you, but it allows us to present marina data in a far more readable and user friendly form. Throw in LIVE chart and satellite images of EVERY marina in our directories, and we think you will discover that SSECN’s reporting of marinas is now second to none in the marine publication business.
Rather that prattle on, an example is worth another thousand words or so. AFTER reading to the end of this section, please go to:
/marinas/030-georgetown-winyah-bay-pee-dee-river-black-river/
This link will bring up an example of our NEW MARINA LISTING FORM! This particular section covers Georgetown, South Carolina. Normally, you would get here by using our red, vertically stacked menus on the right side of this, and all other (except Chart View) SSECN pages, click on “South Carolina,” then “SC Marinas,” then “Marinas, Georgetown, Winyah Bay, Pee Dee River, Black River (AICW Statute Mile 403 to 410).”
Back to the Marina Listing Form. What you now see is a bare bones listing of marinas in the Georgetown, SC region. This is what you might call a “quick look” page.
Scroll down until you come to the entry for Harborwalk Marina. You will see a list of service icons which depict what is available at this facility, and such basic data as “Phone,” “Website,” “Statute Mile,” “Location” and “Depths.”
THIS IMAGE IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY – You must follow the link above to open a page where all features are active!
Where this starts to get really EXCITING is discovered by making use of the three large, rectangular buttons on the bottom of this (and all other) marina entries. “View in Chartview” opens a Chart View page centered on Harborwalk Marina, and “Review This Marina” is pretty self explanatory.
The “magic” begins to happen when you click the “View Full Marina Info” button.
This button loads a page filled with everything you ever wanted to know about Harborwalk Marina! Scroll up and down and look at all the data fields. LOTS of info! Pretty neat, huh!
Note that MUCH Additional Data Lies Below This Image As Seen on ALL Marina Directory Pages THIS IMAGE IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY – You must follow the link above to open a page where all features are active!
NOW, NOTICE THE TWO IMAGES BETWEEN THE “BASIC MARINA INFORMATION” AND “SERVICE DETAILS” SECTIONS! ONE IS A CHART IMAGE CENTERED ON HARBORWALK MARINA, AND THE OTHER IS A SATELLITE IMAGE OF THE SAME FACILITY. THESE ARE NOT STATIC IMAGES. THEY ARE LIVE!
Put your pointer inside either the chart or satellite images, hold down your left mouse button and drag. The chart or satellite images MOVE. You could drag the image all the way north to Maine or south to Key West. You can also adjust the zoom level by using the “+” “-” vertically stacked zoom tool, or use your mouse wheel to zoom.
Want to see a full size image of what’s in the window? Just click on the “View this Marina on a Full Sized ChartView Page” link, and, presto-chango, now you are looking at a full page image of the chart or satellite image. When you are finished with your perusal, simply click the “Return to Previous Page” button above the chart/satellite image, and now you are back to the full listing of specifications for Harborwalk Marina!
THIS IMAGE IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY – You must follow the link above to open a page where all features are active!
And, may I be so bold as to remind everyone that all our marina information has been PROFESSIONALLY RESEARCHED. All the data you see in our marina directories has been verified, in most cases on-site, by myself or the SSECN staff! You can’t get better accuracy than that!
The future of this new “database manager” SSECN capability is VERY EXCITING. Next, we will bring our Anchorage Directories” into this new format, followed by bridges and AICW Problem Stretches. A few months from now, we will offer ADVANCE SEARCH CAPABILITY where you will be able to call up every marina within, for example, 20 miles of AICW Statute Mile 400 that has showers, 50 amp power hookups and diesel fuel! How’s that for a sterling service to the cruising community.
And, of course, as always, our enhanced marina directories are usable by members of the cruising community at absolutely NO CHARGE, and without even the need to set up a user name nor a password.
Our new marina directories ARE NOW READY FOR YOU TO USE! PLEASE USE THEM, and, oh yes, let us know what you think!
One final but VERY IMPORTANT word! We could never have undertaken this HUGE project without the support of our loyal sponsors. WE ASK THE CRUISING COMMUNITY AGAIN TO PLEASE PATRONIZE AND SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WHENEVER POSSIBLE! And, when you are visiting a sponsoring marina, repair yard, coastal restaurant or other nautically related business, please take a moment to tell them how much you appreciate their support of the cruising community by way their support for the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net!
Thanks so very much for your time and attention!
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