Upper Keys Sailing Club occupies the sharp point of land, west of the twin charted “Micro Trs,” south of the charted position of Newport, depicted as facility #35 on chart 11451 (off the Florida Keys/Florida Bay Inside Route). We have visited here many times over the years, and can say with some expertise, this is an informal, but unfailingly friendly, spot to coil your lines for a day to two. Advance arrangements by telephone are strongly recommended, as the docks are by no means manned on a regular basis! Once you are tied to the piers, be sure to check out the small clubhouse on the grounds. You will probably find a very convivial gathering of fellow cruisers here many evenings, and a good time will be had by all!
These folks could not have been nicer or more accommodating. The facility is small and an eclectic mixture of weekend-use boats from J-boats to a pristine Island Packet to major-project live-aboards. The walk to stores and restaurants is about 1/2 a mile. One caution is that the gates to the marina are locked at 9pm. Rich and Helen
As a native North Carolinian, and normally proud of it, I never thought I would see the day when the Old North State would follow the example of Florida, and require state registration of Federally Documented vessels, after being in NC waters for 90 days or more. Just how that one slipped through the legislature in Raleigh, I have no idea. The very first we heard about this was when the note below from Captain Kamp was received. And, if that’s not cause enough to raise your blood pressure, NC vessel registration fees TRIPLE in price after 10/1/13! The boys and girls in Raleigh must really feel the need for more revenue. Too bad it’s coming at the expense of North Carolina boat owners, and cruisers who wish to visit our state’s waters for more than 90 days. Do note that this is NOT a tax issue. It is a registration fee issue. It has ALWAYS been the case, at least since the 1970’s, that Federally Documented vessels which reside in NC waters for longer than 90 days ARE subject to Ad valorem (property) taxes. Some tried to avoid this tax by moving their boats out of state for a time, or just hoping the state department of revenue would not realize they had a Federally Documented boat in NC waters, but over the past decade or so, North Carolina has gotten quite adept at seeking out such would-be tax dodgers. No, this is a case of some vessel owners having to pay a registration fee, and a triple fee at that, which was not heretofore necessary. Ugggghhhh! Our sincere thanks to Captain Kamp for bringing this information to the SSECN’s collective attention, and a special nod to Senior Editor, Captain Larry Dorminy, for exhaustively researching this issue. The remainder of these introductory remarks are authored by Larry! Captain Kamp’s information is correct: NC state registration IS required after 90 days, effective October 1, 2013. Since Federal regulations typically supersede state regulations, we will have to wait to see if this will be challenged in the courts. In the meantime, the fees more than triple on October 1!
I received a post card from the above agency advising that vessels that are USCG documented and occupying NC waters for over 90 days are required to be registered with that agency, effective October 1 this year, due to a new law enacted by the NC Legislature. This will effectively be a new tax disguised as a fee. Previously USCG documented vessels were not required to be registered in NC , but if they were in state waters they were placed on the tax rolls of whichever county they were slipped in if there over 180 days. I am not sure if this has changed or if the registration requirement is an attempt to identify vessels not on a county tax roll. Steve Kamp
Registering Your U.S. Coast Guard Documented Vessel in North Carolina Effective October 1, 2013, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) documented vessels that have been in North Carolina for more than 90 consecutive days, must be registered in the state. However, federal law restricts states from issuing titles for documented vessels since the USCG issues a Certificate of Documentation (COD) to owners of documented vessels which supersede a state title. To register a documented vessel you will need to submit a copy of your COD as proof of ownership, a completed and signed VL-1 Form and the appropriate fees for registration only.
Got the postcard; registered my documented sailboat yesterday. It’s $40 for three years before 10/1; apparently $150 per year after 10/1. The NC sticker needs to be displayed on your starboard bow, but your registration number does not need to be displayed if you’re documented, according to NC Wildlife, who administers the registrations. Jim Starr
Capt. Starr is correct that the fees are going up October 1st. The fees for vessels less than 26ft are $30 a year or $90 for 3; over 26ft, $50 for a year and $150 for 3. Certainly an incentive to register before October 1!
I am a resident of NC and the above information sounds like all I have heard lately EXCEPT effective October 1 the $40 fee for three years jumps to $150 for three years. I think there is also a $50.00 per year registration. Needless to say I am taking my documentation to a registration office today or Monday and getting a three year $40.00 permit rather than wait until after October 1 and pay $150.00. John Y. Jackson
On the documented vessels, between now and Oct 1, you can register your boat at the old rate of $40 for 3 years instead of $50 for one year! I and others have done it. Act fast. Sam Curry New Bern, NC
Consider the similarities of this situation and the Florida requirement. To register while in State over 90 days and or obtain a $135.00 cruising permit good for 11 months. Steve Kamp
According to the NC website (above), their state registration fee (before October 1) for documented vessels is $15 for 1 year or $40 for 3 years. There is no mention on the website about the new fees effective October 1! There is also nothing mentioned on their website about a cruising permit similar to Florida’s Sojourner permit.
I called the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and asked for a citation to the NC Genreal Statutes. All they had was a Senate Bill number and not even a Session Law number. I looked up the Senate Bill number and found that it was the budget bill! They just slipped it in without any debate that I heard. Norwood Bryan
This type of thing just makes it more and more difficult for snow-birding cruisers why might be very interested in settling down at a nice dock in NC for a stretch of time. Who wants to go through the hassle of registering and unregistering your boat every 90 days? Say you spend summers in New England, the fall in North Carolina, the winter in Florida, and the spring in the Chesapeake’“you might have to re-register your boat four times in a year! John Kettelwell
As a resident of Maryland I have been looking for a place to escape to. This is compounding my delima. Jim Davis
For a lengthy discussion on vessel registration, see /?p=106014
Melbourne Harbor Marina features a well sheltered harbor, and it’s within a very quick step of the community’s downtown business district. I have not heard of “The Mansion” restaurant (see below) before, but you can bet we’ll be checking it out the next time our bow finds its way to this facility!
The admiral found a quaint British shop in downtown Melbourne on the Internet and made the decision for us to stop in Melbourne, FL. We found the harbor marina to be a great location within walking distance to the downtown area. We found several unique shops including a homemade soap store, but the real highlight was a new restaurant called The Mansion! It has been recently remodeled, is clean, great food (from sandwiches to steaks) and it has a wine market and liquor store within a block of the marina. The best part for me, was the 73 craft beers on tap and available on the shelf to purchase and bring back to the boat. Dean & Beth are the owners, 1218 East New Haven Ave is the address. Hope you like it as much as we did. http://www.thebigmansion.com Bill Borchert
It has been almost two years since yours truly journeyed to St. Augustine, Florida by “land yacht” to speak at a public forum dedicated to considering what local anchorage regulations should be enacted in regards to this community’s participation in the Florida Pilot Mooring Field Program. I came away with the frustrated feeling, which proved to be correct, that the city of St. Augustine was going to recommend a 30-day anchorage limit for boats which dropped the hook outside of the official mooring field. Fortunately, the FWC shot down this limit, and it was never put into effect. There followed months and months of local forums and countless messages and editorials here on the Cruisers’ Net about what sort of anchorage regulations should, or should NOT, be adopted in the cities selected for the Pilot Mooring Field Program. A group in the Florida Keys, known as BARR, even sprang into being for awhile, with the sole purpose of fighting for sensible anchorage regulations in the Florida Keys (all of Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys, is one of the selected Pilot Mooring Field sites). The Pilot Mooring Field Program has been going forward in multiple Florida locales for almost a year now, and, wonder of wonders, it looks as if the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWC”) IS ACTUALLY ASKING FOR INPUT FROM THE CRUISING COMMUNITY AS TO HOW THIS PROGRAM IS WORKING! THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COLLECTIVE VOICES TO BE HEARD WHERE IT REALLY COUNTS. The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net urges as many of our readers as possible to FOLLOW THE LIVE LINK IN THE MESSAGE BELOW, AND LET THE FWC KNOW HOW YOU REALLY FEEL ABOUT THE MOORING FIELD PROGRAM!!! For those of you who have had your head in the proverbial sand for the last several years, as part of the new Florida Anchoring Law, passed by the Florida Legislature in 2009, there was a political give and take included in the negotiations which surrounded this bill. This is a vast oversimplification, but, to summarize, in return for taking away the power of Florida cities and counties to regulate anchorage, the bill included a “Pilot Mooring Field Program,” which would allow a multi-year study, in multiple Florida cities, as to how mooring fields would serve the needs of cruisers and land owners alike, and what, if any, anchorage regulations might be appropriate for vessels that drop the hook outside the official mooring field, but still within the corporate limits of the communities participating in the pilot program. The law which authorized the Pilot Mooring Field Program has an automatic sunset date in July,2014. Thereafter, the idea is that the Florida legislature will take all the lessons learned from this trial program, and ENACT A PERMANENT, UNIFORM, STATEWIDE SERIES OF ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS! Now, do you see why it’s SO important for the voice of the cruising community to be heard!!! PLEASE READ ON!
Greetings, In 2009, the Florida Legislature enacted a temporary pilot program to explore potential options for regulating the anchoring or mooring of non-live-aboard vessels outside the marked boundaries of public mooring fields. The City of St. Augustine, the City of St. Petersburg, the City of Sarasota, the City of Stuart in conjunction with Martin County, and the cities of Key West and Marathon in conjunction with Monroe County were granted temporary authority to regulate mooring in their jurisdictional waters through local ordinance. All ordinances enacted under authority of the pilot program will expire on July 1, 2014 and will be inoperative and unenforceable thereafter, unless reenacted by the Legislature. You, your partners, and interested members have the opportunity to provide valuable input on the Anchoring and Mooring Pilot Program. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking help from cruising boaters, local boaters, and residents in evaluating the effectiveness and fairness of the temporary ordinances and the pilot program. FWC has created and posted a survey at http://www.myfwc.com/anchoringsurvey which should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. The Survey will be available from September 18th until October 7th, 2013. Your prompt participation would be appreciated. There is also a survey link on our Boating and Waterways webpage at http://www.myfwc.com/boating/. Thank you for your time and effort. Sincerely, Tom Captain Tom Shipp, FWC / DLE / Boating and Waterways
It is important for cruising boaters to answer in order to counteract the claims of those pushing this anti-anchoring law. Basically, the bottom line is the law promotes the opposite of one of its stated purposes’“to promote access to the waters of the state. Obviously, if you put in moorings nobody can anchor in those waters, so unless you want to pay to play and like using a mooring, you’re out of luck. And the moorings prevent anchoring 24/7, year-round, whether or not there is someone on them. I have personally been anchored in the tiny portion of water still available in Marathon and observed the majority of mooring balls empty, while the anchorage was jam-packed full. Sure, in high season the moorings are popular, but year-round they prevent anchoring in most of the harbor. It is very simple, this law was pushed through for one purpose’“to chase away anchored boats, and it has done so. John Kettlewell
Browns Inlet/AICW Intersection - Click for Chartview
The intersection of the Waterway and Browns Inlet, south of Swansboro, NC was last dredged in December of 2012, but, as with most SSECN designated “AICW Problem Stretches,” shoaling usually reappears sooner or later. Captain Bell reports that shallow depths are occurring as expected. Past experience dictates that the channel can shift quickly and that close attention to the relocated and temporary USCG buoys is your best bet to avoid grounding.
Do not get within 60 feet of green 61a or you will be aground as was a sailboat today. David Bell
Now here’s a really super idea that has become reality thanks to our good friends and SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, at the Punta Gorda Boater’s Alliance. Talk about a “no brainer.” Each and EVERY cruiser plying the waters of Charlotte Harbor, Peace River and /or Pine Island Sound will want to have one of these card on their console or dashboard. And, note they are waterproof, and ready for use anytime, anywhere. Punta Gorda “Boater’s Alert Cards” are available without cost at all Charlotte Harbor/Punta Gorda marinas and yacht clubs, and from local, on-the-water law enforcement officers (see listing below). Furthermore, the Punta Gorda Boater’s Alliance (http://www.boat2puntagorda.com/AB/index.html) has generously offered to share what they have learned in creating their “Boater’s Alert Card” with any other boat owner’s/cruisers’ organization, or governmental entity, thereby greatly facilitating the wider availability of these very useful cruising tools. Don’t delay, pick up a card TODAY at any Punta Gorda marina or yacht club! And, CONGRATULATIONS to the Punta Gorda Boater’s Alliance on a job very well done!!!
Punta Gorda Boaters Alliance, in cooperation with on-water law enforcement agencies and the University of Florida – Sea grant program, developed a waterproof Boaters Alert card listing phone numbers to call if encountering any of the situations listed. This ongoing program is maintained by the Punta Gorda Boaters Alliance.
Cards can be obtained a the following locations:
Punta Gorda Police Marine Officers Local Florida Fish and Wildlife Patrol Charlotte Count Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Local Marinas Yacht Club West Marine (Punta Gorda)
The following copyrighted story and link were taken from the website of ABC News out of Tampa, FL. Despite all advice about waterspouts, it is apparent that there is little one can do to prepare for such sudden storms. Maximo Marina is located on the charted canal cutting into Boca Ciega Bay’s southeastern shores, east-northeast of marker #14. There is also a large, strip shopping center located within two blocks of this facility, which contains a West Marine. Anyone know if there was any damage to the shopping center as well???
SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Southport Marina has just introduced a new video showcasing this fine marina’s facilities and services. It is very definitely worth a look. Southport Marina is located in the heart of the old river village of the same name. In the 1950’s and early 60’s, Southport was my boyhood summer home aboard. I have nothing but the warmest memories of my time spent on the docks of the old Southport harbor. May you too be so fortunate. Check out the new video at:
Click Chartlet Above to Open a Chart View Page Centered on Jekyll Harbor Marina
The author of the article below, Captain Sonny Reeves, is a frequent SSECN contributor and a live-aboard cruiser at SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Jekyll Harbor Marina, located immediately south of the Jekyll Island Bridge. We always think his opinions are worth considering, even if you don’t entirely agree with his arguments. We think Captain Sonny makes a very good case for NOT bypassing the Georgia portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, IF and only if you have the time to play the tides, and are willing to take extra navigational care. In an earlier posting (9/6/13) here on the SSECN, Captain Sonny gives more good advice, AND provides a homemade video, of how best to navigate the Waterway channel through the Jekyll Creek AICW Problem Stretch (see /?p=119133) Also, don’t miss Captain Sonny’s discussion below of the shoreside Jekyll Island delights. Clearly, this is a GREAT place to visit, and access is easy enough from Jekyll Harbor Marina!
Hi Capt. Claiborne, I am seeing a lot of discussion from ICW boaters on the Georgia ICW. Please don’t fear the ditch! Yes, there is shallow water! Yes, you do have to pay attention and watch: The tides, the depth, the shore, the markers, other boaters with their head in their rear locker and currents. Our tide range runs to 8 ft. twice a day. We do have many very nice places to stop and visit: Blackbeard Island, Cumberland Island, and Darien are wonderful this time of the year as it cools off towards November. I and my wife are legal liveaboards at Jekyll Harbor Marina. We travel up to Charleston and down to St. Augustine often. http://ontheofficewautoteacher.blogspot.com/2013/05/brickhill-river-ancorage-cumberland.html Here on Jekyll Island we enjoy the miles (27 and counting) of very safe bike trails; the trail via the maritime forest to the old village is awesome!, Millionaires Village, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Driftwood Beach, fresh Georgia Shrimp, (Reds are Running!) fishing and all the amenities of Jekyll Harbor Marina: grills, hot tub, pool, free loaner car, bikes and the new ships store. Jekyll Island is a state park and very safe. Our world famous Shrimp and Grits Festival is coming up Sept 20. Please don’t fear the ditch in Georgia. Many barges with tugs that draw 8 ft pass by north and south at low tide. As long as those commercial barges get through the shallow spots the Army Corp of Engineers is not going to try and dredge. None of the states on the ICW that I know of can afford to dredge the ditch. Call Capt Wes or Capt Scott at Jekyll Harbor Marina for local knowledge Too many cruisers bypass this beautiful section of the world with its unique character because of the rumors perpetuated by those that don’t know. Enjoy! Sonny Reeves
Well, of course, the Downtown Marina of Beaufort (SC) is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR. Naturally this facility’s far seeing management comes up aces in being an environmentally responsible facility! Congratulations to Rick and Mandy Griffith on their marina’s recertification as a “South Carolina Clean Marina.”
At the same awards ceremony, Downtown Marina in Beaufort, SC received its recertification of its Clean Marina status. The marina, under the stewardship of Rick Griffin, CMM, has met the high standards of the program continually since 1998. `Becoming a Clean Marina involves using best management in all phases of the marina’s operations, SCMA President Iggy del Valle said in congratulating the recipients. `It isn’t an easy process and, in some cases, involves added expenses.’ The marinas go beyond normal regulatory requirements in managing potential pollutants, keeping their facilities as `green’ as possible and educating their customers on better environmental actions to keep our waterways clean.
Click Chartlet Above to Open A Chart View Page Centered on Wassau Sound
Over the first part of September, 2013, there has been an interesting discussion on the American Great Loop Cruisers’ Association Forum (http://www.greatloop.org/) as to the usability of Wassau Sound Inlet, which pierces the northeastern Georgia coastline a few miles south of the Savannah River inlet. From the AICW, the most practical approach to this seaward cut, is to leave the Waterway at marker #40, southeast of the Waterway – Herb River intersection (just a short hop south of Thunderbolt, GA), and then follow the wide but scantily marked Wilmington River channel to Wassau Sound, and eventually to this sound’s inlet. Personally, I wouldn’t think about attempting this passage without a well functioning chart plotter aboard, outfitted with the latest charts, and, even then, only with light winds and good weather in the offing!
My real question is, does anyone use or are the inlets between Thunderbolt and Brunswick usable for a 5 ft draft? Assuming a calm day. I see many are marked by buoys, but does that mean that you can follow the charts and not have a problem ? I would like to run out of Delegal Creek and run to St Simons. I realize St Simons entrance is not a problem as it is a shipping channel. Bob and Libby
I used Wassaw Sound inlet last about two years ago. Beyond G9 and R10, I had trouble finding the movable marks over the bar to R2. Latest chart shows the channel bending quite sharply to the south and that is how I recall we found the movable marks. Take it slow in good visibility at half tide or higher the first time. There is plenty of water once you know where the channel really is. My first time through in a sail boat 10 years ago didn’t work out so well, spent about four hours at the bottom of the tide cycle with our keel on the bottom. Chuck Gorgen ODYSSEE
Olivia, To get the latest information you might contact Sea Tow or TowboatUS for that area. The buoys are constantly being moved because of shoaling and if there are steep seas running, they are hard to find because they are spaced far apart and get lost in the troughs of the swells. The inlet should only be used in calm conditions. Chuck
Last year, after Hurricane Sandy had passed the area, I was helping a friend move his 48ft Island Packet (5ft draft) south to Miami and we used, with no issues, Wassau inlet. We had spent the night in Thunderbolt. The marks are far apart but a chart plotter helped keep us oriented. Wind was 15/20 WSW with a good 4-5ft chop once we were away from the inlet. Tide had just ebbed at Thunderbolt and current was light and with us as we came down the river, and while a bit confused, there were no standing or breaking waves at the inlet. The inlet was no issue for our offshore capable boat. If you look at the mast heights of the really big sailing yachts in maintenance at Thunderbolt then Wilmington River/Wassau inlet is most likely what they use as they can’t get under the 65ft bridge just to the north and have drafts not appropriate for the ICW travel to the south. Roger Arrowood
My name is Kevin Quinn. I keep my boats on the Wilmington River and I am out on the Wassaw Sound every week. I have a USCG Masters License with a Sail Endorsement. I would be glad to help anyone wanting to make this passage down the Wilmington, through the Wassaw sound and out the inlet. I will help you on the phone, Email or on board. 912-355-0737 krquinn@bellsouth.net Kevin Quinn
For the last year or two, the AICW channel north of Charleston, SC Harbor, between the Isle of Palms and Ben Sawyer Bridges, has been an SSECN designated “AICW Problem Stretch. Recently, these waters were the co-subject (along the Ashepoo – Coosaw Cutoff) of a joint call from the SSECN, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, and the South Carolina Marine Association, suggesting members of the cruising community contact the SC US Congressional delegation, and ask them to support a special appropriation to dredge these waters. (see /?p=121335). Now, our good friends, and SSECN strategic partners, Captains Mark and Diana Doyle, founders and owners of “On The Water ChartGuides” (http://www.onthewaterchartguides.com/), give us an updated, graphic report relaying what they discovered as they navigated through the Waterway north of Charleston on 8/27/13. NOTE THAT THE DOYLE’S SOUNDINGS WERE TAKEN AT MID-TIDE, MEANING THAT YOU MUST SUBTRACT 2.3 FEET FROM THEIR SOUNDINGS TO DISCOVER WHAT MLW DEPTHS WOULD BE. As you will discover, there are a few spots southwest of the Swinton Creek intersection that would only carry as little as 3 feet at MLW! YIKES!!!!!! We need to get these waters dredged NOW!!!!! Incidentally, Diana and Mark are just about to publish a new edition of their immensely popular “ICW CruiseGuide.” Click on the book graphic to the above right for more details, and to place a pre-order!
We just had to share this truly quality photo of the very popular anchorage at Mile Hammock Bay (off the North Carolina portion of the AICW, hard by the Waterway’s intersection with New River and New River Inlet), sent to us by our good friends, and SSECN strategic partners, Captains Mark and Diana Doyle, founders and owners of “On The Water ChartGuides” (http://www.onthewaterchartguides.com/). Mornings like the one pictured here are, at least in our opinion, what cruising is all about!
Click Chartlet Above to Open a Chart View Page Centered on Barefoot Marina
We have just heard by telephone from dockmaster, Bill Rathbun, at SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Barefoot Marina, that a new, official AICW no-wake zone has been established from a point just south of the Barefoot Landing Bridge, to a point 100 yards or so east and south of Barefoot Marina. This new no-wake zone will protect vessels at both Barefoot Marina, and those moored to the facility on the other side of the Pine Island Cut/Canal at Barefoot Landing Marina Transient Dock. So, as you cruise south this fall, SLOW DOWN as you pass under the Barefoot Bridge, and continue at idle speed until you are well south of the marina docks! THANKS for this update Captain Bill!
South Facing AICW Camera at Bings Landing - Courtesy of Flagler County
Our good friends, and frequent SSECN contributors, Captains Susan Landry and Chuck Baier (authors of “The Great Book of Anchorages” series, including the soon to be released Bahamas edition, http://www.tgboa.com), recently forwarded the link below. As you will see, this link leads to an article which appeared in the 8/27/13 edition of the “Daytona Beach News-Journal.” It relates that a series of eight web connected video cameras will soon be delivering LIVE video of the AICW, available to anyone with a web connection, as the Waterway passes through Flagler County. The 19 mile Flagler County section of the AICW lies south of St. Augustine, and north of Daytona Beach, including SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Marineland Marina. We were so intrigued by this story that, after a bit of research, we found our way to Flagler County Manager, Carl Laundrie, who is in charge of this project. In an interview on 8/30/13, Mr. Laundrie told the SSECN that the system would likely be available to the on-line public “by the end of September.” This is somewhat at variance with the news story linked below, but, as this data comes directly from the proverbial “horse’s mouth,” we think the “end of September” dating is accurate. Mr. Laundrie also told us that, when fully implemented, cruisers will be able to access a single URL address, and see thumbnails of all eight cameras. Clicking on any one image will bring up a full size view. We have been promised that the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net will be one of the first to know when the public viewing URL is up and running. That address will appear here on the SSECN just as soon as it is available! While some have made “Big Brother is Watching” noises about this story, we think this is a positive development for the cruising community. Remember, there has never been any such creature as having “too much” information when you are on the water, or planning a cruise on the water. The presence of the eight Flagler County webcams will be a good source of info for this stretch of the Eastern Florida AICW.
Claiborne, When I first read the article I had mixed feelings. On one hand, we seem to be losing more and more privacy while out in public. On the other hand, if this could somehow improve safety on the water, as it hints, then I would be all for it. I suppose we will see if it makes any difference over time. But it’s still an interesting concept. I could go on line and see what the conditions are on the waterway before I haul up the anchor. There may be several benefits. Now if they could only rig one up in the middle of the Pamlico and Albemarle. Chuck
Well, not everyone thinks the Waterway webcams are a good idea:
More surveillance Is there no end to living under the eyes of someone else’s cameras? I moved off land to get away from this kind of Nosey busybody BS. What we do on our our boats is Nonya business. Rudolph
With special permission from KeysNet.com (http://www.keysnet.com), we have reprinted a portion of his article below. The marina which is the subject of this article lies on the Hawk Channel side of Stock Island, just north of Key West. Having personally visited this facility several times within the last five years, it did indeed seem to be a bit down on its luck. Hopefully, with the purchase described below, everything will return to first-class status in short order!
Local developer buys iconic marina Singh plans $25M upgrade, 80 new condos at Oceanside One of the Florida Keys’ most successful developers will purchase one of the Keys’ most iconic marinas. Pritam Singh will close on a deal today to purchase Oceanside Marina, on Stock Island, for $5 million from BB T Bank, he told The Citizen on Wednesday. Singh said he plans to invest another $25 million into the marina for repairs and upgrades, including 80 new condos and a restaurant. “It (the marina) was ‘the’ place, and it can be again,” Singh said. “It was a jewel among the marinas of Key West. It was the premier sportfishing marina of the Florida Keys. There have been more world records from boats out of here than anywhere else in the country.” Millionaire Texas oil men Tex Schramm and Clint Murchison built the marina in the late 1960s, Singh said. The marina fell on hard times since its glory years. In early 2010, BB T Bank took the deed for the property in lieu of foreclosure from the Cortex Cos., which had changed the name to Kings Pointe Marina. The group who managed the marina for the bank changed the name back to Oceanside in 2011. Singh admitted that the marina needs a lot of work to bring it back to its heyday. One entire boat barn needs to be leveled, and the seawalls and boat ramp are in dire need of repairs, he said. Rows of boat slips will remain untouched, as the slips were sold to individual owners. Singh said he purchased 8 acres of upland and 4 acres of bay bottom. He has been working with Monroe County planning staff for the past several months to determine how much development can occur there. But he added that he plans to keep it a sportfishing marina. “The saying is, ‘The legend is back,'” Singh said. “It’s beautiful. It’s an extraordinary site.” Singh called Stock Island an up-and-coming community with a lot of potential. He cited the success of restaurateur Bobby Mongelli, who owns Hogfish Bar Grill and Roostica on Stock Island. He also referenced the changes being made on Shrimp Road, on the other side of Safe Harbor, by the owners of Stock Island Marina Village, who have built a dog park and community garden on their property, extended their piers and are looking at building a hotel on Safe Harbor. “Stock Island is great,” Singh said. “It is fabulous.”
Doesn’t sound like sailors will be appreciated. Maybe I’ll add a tuna tower! Has Royer s/v Skye
Carolina Beach Mooring Field - Click for Chartview
The Carolina Beach Mooring Field lies south of the AICW channel, and also south of Snow Cut’s easterly entrance, in the harbor channel leading to Carolina Beach commercial district. As you will see below, Captain Spence relays welcome improvements in service to mooring users in this field.
We stayed here a year ago, and I was not looking forward to a second visit. We were only spending one night and after an 8 1/2 hour day I didn’t feel much like launching the dinghy from the second deck in the wind just to go pay our mooring fee. I was very happy to read that they now send a boat out each evening to collect fees. And great news ‘“ a second dinghy dock on the beach side with access to the beach is supposed to open in about two weeks! Paula Spence
The text below is reprinted with permission from “East Coasts Alerts,” authored by our good friends Mel and Tom Neale. This publication is a service of Boat/US. You can read the full text of the Neal’s latest “Alert” at http://www.boatus.com/cruising/tomneale/alert.asp. You can also apply for a FREE e-mail subscription at http://www.boatus.com/cruising/TomNeale/signup.asp. We highly recommend this companion publication. After all, NO-ONE knows more about cruising that Tom and Mel Neale!!! Back to the Okeechobee Waterway, this is the first time in my somewhat defective memory that I can remember the Okeechobee locks having reduced lockage hours due to HIGH water. It’s usually during times of drought that the USACOE finds it necessary to curb the locks. Well, as we reported earlier, the prodigious summer Florida rainfall has actually caused some concern about the dikes around Lake Okeechobee (see /?p=121826) and the release of polluted water into the OKWW, east and west of Lake Okeechobee (see /?p=121537). I guess the restricted lock hours described below are just another casualty of all this excess water!
Okeechobee Waterway Revised Locking Hours Due to High Lake Okeechobee Water Levels: 1. Lake Okeechobee is experiencing unusually high water levels requiring adjustments to lockage times on the Okeechobee Waterway to maintain maximum water releases from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River (C-43) and the St. Lucie Canal. 2. Lockage schedules for Moore Haven Lock and Ortona Lock are temporarily revised as of this date to maintain maximum water releases from Lake Okeechobee. Lockage schedules are revised as follows:
Moore Haven Lock (26.833683°-81.088144°). First lockage is at 7AM local time both east and west bound continuing to lock through traffic only on the odd hour throughout the day until securing at 7PM local time.
Ortona Lock (26.789265°-81.304948°): First lockage is at 8am local time both east and west bound continuing to lock thru traffic only on the even hour throughout the day until securing at 6PM local time.
Port Mayaca Lock (26.984290-80.621067°): No restrictions. Lock gates remain open for passage 24/7.
W.P. Franklin Lock (26.723504°-81.693068°): No restrictions. Lockage is on request between 7AM and 7PM local time.
St. Lucie Lock (27.111128°-80.284610°): No restrictions. Lockage is on request between 7AM and 7PM local time. 3. Locks will resume normal hours of operations from 7AM to 7PM daily for the five locks on the Okeechobee Waterway once water levels on Lake Okeechobee are at a reduced level. For additional information regarding this issue and others may be obtained by accessing the Jacksonville District website: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Navigation/NoticestoNavigation.aspx US Army Corps of Engineers point of contact is Mr. Jack J. Pasch, Supervisor Facility Management Specialist at (863)983-8101 x229 or email: jack.j.pasch@usace.army.mil (From a Notice to Navigation Interests, USACE Jacksonville, 12 August 2013)
The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net is very pleased to announce the impending publication of a new member of the “Great Book of Anchorages” series, authored by our good friends, and frequent SSECN contributors, Captains Susan Landry and Chuck Baier. Chuck and Susan are the founder and owners of Beach House Publications (http://www.tgboa.com). As you will see from the full text of their Press Release below, this new, exciting volume concerns itself with the myriad anchorages in the Bahamas! Wow, talk about a NEEDED anchorage guide book. I can’t think of any waters where a volume of this ilk will be more useful. Follow the links below to pre-order your copy TODAY!!!!!
Sarasota, Florida ‘“ August 5, 2013 — Publishers Chuck Baier and Susan Landry of Beach House Publications announce their collaboration with Wavey Line Publishing, producers of Wavey Line Charts, for the newest `The Great Book of Anchorages, The Bahamas,’ scheduled for release in September 2013. Beach House Publications (http://www.tgboa.com/) released the first in the series of The Great Book of Anchorages, Norfolk to Key West, including The St. Johns River, in August of 2012. After an extensive cruise through the Bahamas for research, we are pleased to announce the release of our Bahamas Edition in September 2013. This new edition, featuring very detailed Wavey Line Chartlets and many anchorage details in a unique format, will prove to be a valuable resource for boaters traveling to the Bahamas. The Bahamas Edition covers hundreds of anchorages in the most popular and well traveled areas of the Bahamas, including Grand Bahama, Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, and the Exumas to Georgetown.
Sample Page - "The Great Book of Anchorages, Bahamas Edition"
Wavey Line Publishing has a portfolio of more than 300 charts covering the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Islands and the Dominican Republic North Coast in paper and electronic versions. Bob C. Gascoine and Jane Minty published their surveys and their first chart, TC001, in December 1993. TC001 had the distinction of being the first navigational chart primarily for use with GPS. It featured new innovations such as a ‘˜one mile grid’ for ease of position plotting and ‘˜Waypoint List.’ The first edition sold out in six months; soon after Bob and Jane took up hydrography as a full-time occupation. Although Wavey Line Charts has a portfolio of more than 300 charts, only a third of these are published in hard copy as printed charts. Wavey Line licenses many more of these charts to all major electronic chart companies including: Jeppsen Digital Charts, Garmin, Nobeltec, Navionics, EarthNC, Maptech, Fugawi, GeoGarage Marine and Transas marine. This will be the second in what will eventually be a series of six anchorage books that will encompass the waterways of the eastern United States. Additional books in the series will be the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay, New Jersey to New York, including the Hudson River, Chicago to Mobile, and the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway from Mobile, Alabama to Cape Sable, Florida. The Great Book of Anchorages is available to the boating community now at http://www.tgboa.com, along with Photo Galleries and Interactive Maps. The publications can be purchased through several local and online venders, and the list can be found on the website at http://www.tgboa.com/get-your-copy. The next edition will be The Chesapeake Bay, which is currently in the research stage and will be available by Spring/Summer 2014. The order and dates of release for the additional books will depend on input and requests from the boating community.
The most unique anchorage guide available. The Great Book of Anchorages may very well become the standard for anchorage books to follow. Boaters can finally do an entire cruise without any marina stops or choose when they want to find paid dockage. The books are designed for information on anchoring and free docks and nothing else. It doesn’t pretend to be a cruising guide or combination cruising guide and anchorage information.
Hundreds of anchorages and free docks in each edition.
Anchorage and free dock details including color chartlets.
Anchorage and dock locations with GPS waypoints.
Easy-to-use format and indexing for quick reference.
Discussions on types of anchors and anchoring techniques.
Suggestions for planning your next trip.
Save time and searching with anchorage locations at your fingertips.
Save thousands of dollars in dockage fees.
If you would like more information on The Great Book of Anchorages series, would like to order books, or interview Chuck or Susan, call us at 713-244-4686 or email info@tgboa.com.
Tarpon Basin is crossed by the FL Keys Inside Route, just south of Blackwater Sound and Dusenberry Creek. There are at least 3 good spots to drop the hook here, and creative skippers will find more. One of our readers, Captain Mary Dixon, sent us the link below, which leads to a truly interesting article, which appeared in KeysNet.com (http://www.keysnet.com), about boats anchored long term in Tarpon Basin. As you will see, the problems reported in this article center around a small group of (I will NOT call them “crusiers”) people living on anchored vessels in Tarpon Basin. This unfortunate group is making life difficult for everyone, including fellow boat owners whose vessels are anchored in Tarpon Basin. Here is a case where many of those living on the water are asking for change, as well as the shorside powers that be! And, if this situation is not resolved soon, the responsible boat owners in Tarpon Bay may lose their rights to a public dinghy dock, which has been a great resource for all legitimate mariners! With special permission from KeysNet.com publisher, Captain Wayne Markham, we have reprinted a portion of his article below. Follow the link in Captain Dixon’s note, or below the excerpted portions of the story, to read the entire text. Many thanks Captain Markham!!!!
Reprinted by Permission from KeysNet.com Key Largo liveaboards beg to keep access By KEVIN WADLOW kwadlow@keynoter.com Posted – Saturday, August 24, 2013 10:35 AM EDT
Reluctant to evict the solid citizens of the Tarpon Basin liveaboard community because of a few scofflaws, Monroe County commissioners decided Wednesday to seek more law enforcement. It was a problem that cropped up literally in the commission’s own back yard, the bayfront park behind the Murray E. Nelson Government and Cultural Center at mile marker 102.5. “We’ve had people showering naked next to the dumpster. People bathing in the fountain, naked,” county Building Official Jerry Smith told the commission. “We deal with this on a daily basis.” Commissioner Sylvia Murphy said the small park once attracted sunset-watchers and children’s parties. Efforts were made to accommodate a number of well-behaved boaters who started using a small dock at the site to tie their dinghies. “We were very good to the people who live on the hook out there,” Murphy said. “For two and a half years, it was wonderful. Then all of a sudden, a different quality began to take place.” Now the park has been overrun by a small group of sketchy characters who create anxiety among visitors and county staff, she contended. ….. Several boaters who rely on the government-center property for shore access appealed for the county to oust the “bad apples” before banning everybody from the dock. “The undesirables showed up when you closed other areas” used for liveaboard landing spots, said James Chapman. “You pushed them to us.” He added, “They’re mostly gone now because they were arrested or their boats sunk.” Murphy agreed the boaters who attended the Wednesday session “are the good ones. You’re not the problem, and you can’t solve it,” she said. “I don’t know what else we can do, except close off the dock to dinghies.” “If you choose to close this off, you’re saying Key Largo is a town and island that is inaccessible by the water,” said liveaboard Chadwick Acevedo, married and employed. “What kind of island has no water access for the public?” The boaters describe themselves as working locally for modest wages or retirees living a fixed income. Local marinas are too expensive, they said. County Mayor George Neugent, a former liveaboard, said the proposed ordinance to curtail use of the park “gives me heartburn.”
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