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Amokura is well stuck after having gone aground on Johnson’s Reef on July 17, 2023.
Libbie Oliver wants compensation. The British Virgin Island businesswoman was chartering her Pearson 424 to the Boy Scouts of America until July 2023 when a scout ran Amokura onto a prominent reef. The boat would become a total loss.
According to Oliver’s lawsuit, the boat’s captain was “performing other duties” when her boat crashed onto Johnson’s Reef in the Virgin Islands National Park with a scout at the helm.
Oliver filed suit last week in U.S. Virgin Islands Superior Court. Besides the Boy Scouts, defendants are the boat’s captain, Timothy Frances Sales of Pennsylvania; insurance broker Offshore Risk Management, and “John Does 1-10.”
Sales should not have left the kid at the wheel, or as Oliver’s lawyers wrote:
It was reasonably foreseeable that permitting an inexperienced minor to helm the vessel—particularly near shallow or reef-laden waters—without close supervision posed an undue risk of grounding, injury, or damage to the vessel. Sayles breached his duties by allowing a minor youth participant to helm the vessel near Johnson’s Reef while he was engaged in other tasks and not exercising proper vigilance or navigational control.
Amokura struck Johnson’s Reef, a dangerous patch of coral north of Trunk Bay on the northern side of St. John island, ringed with hazard bouys.
At top is the Aqua Maps depiction of the wreck site. Above is NASA’s depiction of Johnson’s Reef using LIDAR remote sensing technology. The reef is primarily composed of elkhorn coral.
The language of the lawsuit suggests that the boat could have been saved:
The grounding caused serious damage to the hull and rendered the vessel unseaworthy. Plaintiff was insured through a policy procured from Offshore Risk Management, who Boy Scouts of America had recommended plaintiff insure through. However, unbeknownst to plaintiff, the policy that ORM placed excluded coverage for reef damage and wreck removal. As a result of that exclusion, no salvage company was willing to attempt removal of the vessel, and the S/V Amokura remained stranded on the reef until she was ultimately destroyed in a storm in early September 2023.
Through her lawyers, Oliver argued that she had only learned that her policy excluded “two of the most foreseeable risks associated with the charter” after the wreck had happened. If she had known beforehand, she would have “procured alternative coverage that included such risks.”
Oliver, who operates an organic coffee company in Tortola, is asking the judge to make the defedants pay for the loss of the boat, salvage costs and lost income from her charter deal with the Scouts. Amokura was part of the Boy Scouts Sea Base program, carrying six to eight scouts at a time over 11 weeks of charters, each at a weekly rate of approximately $3,500.
Libbie Oliver’s Facebook page features this image with Amokura in the slings.
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year, and you may cancel at any time.
Just as this story was about to be released on March 12, 2023, Loose Cannon learned that the owner had recovered the lost yacht VivieRae II. According to information originating from the Nordhavn Dreamers forum, the Nordhavn 96 was underway again. One prop had been fouled by the stray tender towline, as expected. Unexpectedly, the other prop was found wrapped in a fishing net. The yacht’s tender was sighted by the Australian Coast Guard 230 nautical miles away. A boat was underway to recover her too.
A swimmer (circled) approaches a Nordhavn 62. His mission, and that of a diving partner, is to cut a line out of her prop in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo by Peter Swanson)
The situation bore similarities to the way VivieRae II was disabled in open ocean north of Australia last week. A big Nordhavn (for her time) lost main propulsion crossing the Atlantic as part of a company-sponsored rally across the Atlantic Ocean.
Both boats had stalled because of lines wrapped around their props.
The VivieRae II story was attracted more than 11,000 readers over the weekend, and some of them (writing on Facebook) blithely suggested that instead of calling the Australian Navy for rescue, a member of the crew should have gone over the side with a sharp knife gripped between his teeth.
The following observations were from the 2003 Nordhavn Atlantic Rally. I was on board the Nordhavn command vessel, Atlantic Escort, during a 1,800-mile leg from Bermuda to the Azores. Escort was sheepherding 17 other vessels across to the Med—mostly Nordhavns.
I was in the pilothouse when the decision was made to put divers in the water, and it was a damn serious moment and just as scary to witness the plan unfold. I can’t compare conditions to those facing the crew of VivieRae II because I wasn’t there, but I would describe the seas in the Atlantic that day as moderately rough.
Jim Leishman of PAE watches as his son and a fellow employee work to clear Autumn Wind’s fouled prop. (Photos by Peter Swanson)
At the time, I estimated the swells were nine-footers, and they were spaced close enough to make us uncomfortable, despite active stabilizers.
When we arrived at the boat with the prop wrap, a Nordhavn 62 named Autumn Wind, she was chugging along at 4.5 knots using her auxiliary or get-home engine. The Azores were about a half day away.
Even so, rally boss Jim Leishman acceeded to a proposition from two of his guys who were pleading to be allowed to swim over and get beneath 77 tons of heaving, pitching, rolling fiberglass and machinery. The stakes were high, not only for the divers involved, but for the company’s reputation; PAE had undertaken the rally as a marketing demonstration.
Leishman is vice-president of PAE, builder of the Nordhavn line. One of the divers was Leishman’s son James. The other was Justin Zumwalt, grandson of the famed admiral who directed U.S. naval operations during the Vietnam War.
Jim Leishman instructed Autumn Wind’s crew to keep the vessel into the seas, using only the bow-thruster to hold her in place. Our guys donned wetsuits and dove off Escort’s swim platform. There was no levity during the operation.
Mission accomplished, James Leishman begins his swim back to Escort.
After the pair was able to ascertain that the culprit was a ½-inch line wrapped several times around the prop, James Leishman timed his move. He waited for a period of relative stability to avoid being whacked on the head by the hull, then dove under the stern with a knife in his hand. He made three cuts before coming back up again.
At this point Jim Leishman asked that Autumn Wind restart her main engine, and, contrary to all conventional wisdom, instructed the crew to give her a blast of reverse. When they shifted into forward gear, the mean vibration that had been caused by the line was gone. Reversing the prop apparently finished the job that James had started with his knife. Autumn Wind had her legs back. We arrived at Horta before the sun had set.
Having witnessed the events of 2003 I can understand why VivieRae’s captain apparently refrained from a similar effort. The tow rope fouling his props was probably more than an inch in diameter, maybe inch-and-a-half. And there were two props fouled, not just one. And there was no escort vessel standing by to assist.
The question I have—and one that was shared by other thoughtful mariners with whom I’ve spoken— was this: Why not spool out some anchor rode, creating an ad-hoc sea anchor, and just hunker down? Sooner or later, seas would subside, and someone could make that dive with a hacksaw.
Stand by. Maybe we’ll get an answer.
James Leishman and Justin Zumwalt swim through 8 to 10 foot seas on the way back to Atlantic Escort after diving under Autumn Wind. (Photo by Peter Swanson)
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE is a diary of the challenges of doing just that combined with the life-changing decision to save a complicated piece of wooden maritime history. We’ve come a long way with a ways to go… Your support is essential. Thank you. J
If you’ve just joined our engaging little community, please read SPARS & SPARRING, my introductory piece.…. ~J
One year ago tomorrow the very accommodating pros at Yacht Maintenance Company in Cambridge, Maryland, USA, hauled STEADFAST out of the water for an estimated three-month repair. Fortunately, they tucked us in an out-of-the-way corner near the Richardson Maritime Museum; some folks think she is on display. Ah, THE BEST LAID PLANS. I’ve already written that; they go awry. In case you want a refresh: it’s a good story. And perhaps pertinent.
We’re not doing what’s ‘best’ for us financially, physically, or practically, but we’re doing what we’re passionate about. We have, out of necessity, settled in, made a lot of sawdust and some great friends. I joined the intriguing and talented Choptank Writer’s Group, found a wonderful yoga class and race on Wednesday nights down at the Yacht Club. Settled, though? Yes, but not completely by choice.
I am honored to tell you that one of my many interesting, far-flung readers sought me out on Thursday; he was crew on a vessel headed north and made sure they stopped on the rather out-of-the-way Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Our intimidating ladder didn’t phase and he peered down the main hatch at my freshly repainted disarray and called my whole name, something only my father used to do. I was thrilled. We had exchanged so many written words that compatability was immediate. “What do you think?” I asked him, gesturing expansively. He raised his lively eyebrows and peered at me, making sure I was interested in the truth. I am always a fan of honesty and smiled at him; knowing what he wanted to say. The energetic, experienced, pirate-type now living in Key West, chose to tactfully redirect and stated that he had worked on plenty of steel vessels but never on wood; his lack of eye contact was hard to control, though, as he took in our complicated construction scene. When he finally looked back at me we both laughed.
I was the one who said it out loud. “I know we’re batshit crazy. Everybody knows.”
My visitor circumnavigated our planet on research vessels and others as captain, engineer and mate. I’m sure I’ve only just begun to hear the tales he has to tell. Over beer, I met his British friend and discovered the people and passages we knew in common from the Caribbean to the UK. He’s logged tens of thousands of remote, beautiful and dangerous miles; anyone who has chosen to spend that much time on the sea is a little (or batshit) crazy, pretty damn salty and remarkably self-sufficient. Thank you, Bob Wallace. You normalized my life, if only in my eyes.
That same evening I sat in my slightly unstable Adirondack rocking chair and contemplated our expansive bottom. It’s big, intimidating and pretty solid but it’s not nearly as sleek and lovely as her new, still-exposed, smooth bow. Forty years soaking in salt water will do that to you.
This photo is the port side, taken almost level with her transom or stern. Now that we have a beautiful reconstructed bow, we have to pull the rest of the picture together, reconnecting the old with the new in a seamless way even though, as you have learned, the seams of a wooden vessel are quite a challenging component. In the photo, low center, you can see the cutout where we are investigating the keel to ensure that it’s as strong as it needs to be. The colors depict an assortment of barrier coats, bottom paint and time.
During STEADFAST’s refit (then SIXPENCE) in the 1980s she was sheathed, below the waterline, with a protective material similar to flexible fiberglass. There are as many opinions on such coatings as their are boat aficionados, so we’re not going into pros and cons, just contemplating the life span. If you’re thinking that’s foreshadowing, well, your instincts may be as well honed as these repurposed planks from a now-defunct factory in Pennsylvania.
The heat index hit 110. Yep, we’re crazy.
Meanwhile, I take time to do projects I’ve wanted to do… celebrating little triumphs is my forté; and can even counterbalance the crazy, or so they say… Our teak helm bench, revitalized.
SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE is honored to have you aboard; we got to the 700 subscriber mark, and that makes my days better but not cooler. The challenge of keeping my readers interested is paramount for me; a writer’s mind is constantly reworking things in order to make them epic. That’s exactly what we’re doing here, taking a vessel that wasn’t designed to last this long and making it work. Thanks for joining us on this landlocked joust and the entire journey. ~J
Is there someone out there who would be entertained by our batshit crazy decisions and unique lifestyle? Pass SPARRING along, please; it makes my writing even more worthwhile.
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This Discovery Package is designed to acquaint you with Albemarle Plantation real estate opportunities. If married, both spouses must attend the property tour. Participants must live outside a 75 mile radius from the property. The $249 is paid to the hotel at time of booking. If customer does not cancel or reschedule within 14 days of arrival, the customer forfeits the $249 as a cancellation fee. Customer is responsible for any incidentals at the hotel. A valid credit card is required to reserve an Albemarle Plantation Discovery Visit. A limited number of packages are available. Subject to availability. Some blackout dates.
The weather during August is a very warm in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico and this is also the month when tropical cyclones become active. Gale force winds are rare, however, but can occur in the vicinity of tropical storms and hurricanes.
NOAA August Pilot Chart
Wind
The prevailing winds across the Caribbean during August tend to be from the east, generally light to moderate (7-16 knots) except in the south-central portion of the Caribbean where moderate to fresh (11-21 knot) winds prevail from the east or northeast and where rough seas of 8 feet or higher can be expected about 20-30% of the time. Over the Gulf of Mexico the wind tends to be light (7-11 knots) and more variable in direction.
Tropical Cyclones
Tropical cyclone activity is most frequent over the northeastern Caribbean Sea and waters north of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola as well as the Bahamas and east of Florida where there is a 30-40% risk of at least one storm occurring during the month of August. The risk decreases to around 20% over the Gulf of Mexico and to below 10% over the southwestern Caribbean.
August Tropical Cyclone tracks
Temperature
August is very warm with air temperatures averaging 82F to 85F and sea temperatures range between 83F to 86F.
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‘Storm Oil’ Isn’t a Thing Anymore, and Not Just Because It’s Against the Law
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee is a 1633 oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt. It was based a description of the Gospel of Mark about how Christ calmed the water. A rational explanation is that Jesus—the only calm guy on the boat—had applied the old sailors’ trick of using “storm oil,” which helps prevent waves like this one from breaking. One scholar has suggested oil may also have played a role in preserving the vessel that ran into foul weather while carrying St. Paul to Rome.
While writing a story recently about a harbor plagued by petroleum spills, I was reminded of being a kid and reading about mariners using oil to help survive offshore storms. It was the 1960s, so the magazine might have been in Yachting before it transmogrified into the sop to billionaires it is today.
“Storm oil” could be deployed upwind in a container attached, for example, to a sea anchor, from which it slowly released its contents. Like nutmeg on butternut squash, storm oil was effective even when applied in tiny amounts.
And, as the painting above was meant to suggest, the technique has been used since biblical times (the Sea of Galilee is notoriously subject to sudden violent wind-driven waves). As recreational boating was trending upward in the last century, boating magazines were launched to serve the new market, and one service to readers was to pass along wisdom of professional mariners.
One early magazine account of storm oil appeared in this issue of Motor Boating, known for it’s stunning cover art:
This “heavy weather edition” of the June 1912 magazine credited the Phonecians with first use of storm oil: Sailors from the ancient Middle Eastern nation had observed “that after passing through the wake of whales, oil exuding from their bodies left a perfectly calm spot” (presumably referring to the bodies of the whales, not the sailors).
The following bits of wisdom were contributed to Motor Boating by E.A. Crawford of Newark, N.J.:
As soon as the oil spreads on the surface of the water, it places a film over it, which effectually prevents the waves from coaming and breaking. Of course, it has no effect on the swell.
Three bags should be sufficient for a boat as they may be constructed in any manner desired, although the usual shape is cylindrical about six inches in diameter, of two or more thicknesses of heavy canvas. Stuff with oakum and punch full of holes at least a quarter of an inch in diameter to allow the oil to leak out, which is easily done with a marlin spike.
These holes also admit the water, so it can facilitate the oil leakage and make it more uniform. Saturate the oakum with lard oil, if obtainable, as experiments tend to favor it to all others. Still most any oil will serve in an emergency, although mineral oil, having little fatty matter will not produce as good result as vegetable oil, while lard oil being composed entirely of fat is most effective…
If riding to a sea anchor, bend them to the cable, so it will be several fathoms ahead of the boat. Running before the wind, tow one from each bow, using enough line on them so they will always be in the water. At anchor, make one fast to the cable several lengths ahead of the boat, allowing sufficient line so it will float freely.
Cone Can in a Sea Anchor
Lifeboats were required to carry them until 1998. Originally, fish oil was the preferred medium, and it was the cheapest. Wave-quelling oil could also be used when launching or recovering ship’s boats or embarking or disembarking a pilot.
Attached to a Kellet
This illustration is from the June 1943 issue of Motor Boating. “Kellet” in the headline is a somewhat obscure term for a weight attached to an anchor rode.
Storm Oil Bags
The middle one, from an online market site, was labeled “no longer available.” The other two are in museums. (Click on an image to enlarge it.)
The final reference to storm oil that I could find in MotorBoating (the name had become one word) was a 1978 story about a 70-foot sailing vessel lying ahull. She was apparently surfing down massive waves and outrunning the slick until her crew began towing warps to slow the boat down enough to enjoy the effects of the oil.
Benjamin Franklin
There he goes again. Research a topic long enough, and sooner or later Benjamin Franklin is going to pop up. It wasn’t enough that he invented lightning rods, swim fins and bifocals, that he was first to chart the Gulf Stream, but it was Franklin that first confirmed scientifically the efficacy of storm oil.
Sailing to England in the 1860s, Franklin observed that the greasy galley discharge from a nearby ship smoothed its wake. After arriving he conducted experiments at a British lake, which he summarized in a report on “Stilling the waves,” writing:
“Not more than a tea spoonful produced an instant calm, over a space several yards square, which spread amazingly, and extended itself gradually till it reached the lee side, making all that quarter of the pond, perhaps half an acre, as smooth as a looking glass.”
This YouTube guy replicated Franklin’s approach and gives a pretty good explanation of the science involved. He even used olive oil, as likely had the early Phonecian practicioners.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act was enacted in 1948, but rewritten in 1972 and amended twice since. For boaters, one result was the placard below, which we are all required to display on vessels 26 feet and over with an enclosed engine compartment.
But what if a vessel is outside U.S. waters entirely? Todd Lochner, an admiralty lawyer in Annapolis, was asked whether restrictions on releasing oil follow us onto international waters, which is where we are most likely to have to ride out a storm.
The short version is that there are laws which are applicable to both U.S. territorial waters, and generally speaking, there are laws which will follow the flag state of the vessel. Let’s not forget that there are certain treaties like UNCLOS¹ which will apply, particularly if the flag state is a signatory as well. As usual, clear as mud with a lawyer response that I need more information and factual scenario, etc. etc.
As late as 1991, “Chapman Piloting & Seamanship & Small Boat Handling” was still informing readers of the benefits of oil in the storm but with a disclaimer about it’s dubious legality. In 1999, the first edition of “Surviving the Storm: Coastal & Offshore Tactics” by Steve and Linda Dashew only mentions storm oil a few times in passing.
No matter, I think. If given a choice between adding a couple quarts of Rotella T to the Atlantic and death by drowning, most of us would probably choose the former. The law and politically correctness may be why none of our written authorities are touting oil as a solution nowadays, but the real reason for its disuse is this: We now have tools to avoid being caught in storms, which did not exist before the 1990s, let alone 1912.
Better Forecasts
Ocean-crossers like the Dashews are a rare breed. Many of us haven’t done anything riskier than an overnighter. Most offshore passages are limited in duration to four, maybe five or six days. Think “I-65,” the route from New England to the Caribbean via Bermuda.
Weather forecasting for a four-day window is actually pretty damn accurate nowdays, and, since the new Millenium, the electronic means for receiving such forecasts have proliferated, the latest and greatest being Starlink. We’re not getting surprised like we used to.
Think of it this way: The conditions for using storm oil and a sea anchor are pretty much the same, as suggested by one of the illustrations above. Yet the sea anchor has become like a vestigial tail. Many of us still carry one, but most of us who do, have never used it.
If you’ve deployed a sea anchor in actual storm conditions, please share the story with us below. Do you think oil would have helped?
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
It’s not sexy; it’s not the morning-after-let’s-do-that-again thing. Most of us have been between those sheets and if that’s what rebedding in the maritime world was, then I’d say bring it on. But it’s not. Not even close. The only thing that rebedding and this rebedding have in common is that it takes four hands; two inside and two outside. Microsoft denies it’s even a real word but let me tell you it is really quite a task. We’re talking about chainplates and the impressive bolts that keep them in place.
Each chainplate is held by five impressive custom-length bolts.
Google defines chainplate as “a crucial metal fitting on a sailboat that connects the standing rigging (fixed wires and ropes supporting the mast) to the hull. In essence, it acts as a strong anchor point for the shrouds and stays, which are the cables that, attached with turnbuckles, provide lateral and fore-and-aft support to the mast(s).”
Kinda hard to tell what’s going where, isn’t it?
Admittedly, after due consideration, our chainplates are sexy in a classic wooden yacht, old-fashioned, pirate-ship sort of way. They have a notable exterior presence, considerable heft at thirty pounds or so, and you know the seriousness of their purpose. STEADFAST was originally designed by William Hand Jr as a Motorsailer with masts considerably shorter than they are today. Our friend Dmitri, who rebuilt her during the 80s, elongated the original spars by over 35%, changing the dynamics of the vessel tremendously.
Eight forward chainplates, four each side.
We harness the power of the wind to propel forty tons through the seas; the force of those opposing forces is tremendous. STEADFAST has sixteen exterior thirty-inch cast silicon bronze chainplates that are bolted through the hull into the structure of the vessel. Four of those attach two shrouds rather than one, giving us twenty separate opposing forces to keep the masts upright regardless of conditions. In speeds over gale force (35knots or 40mph or 65kph) we drop all but minimal sail because those forces are so extreme. The remaining sail is for stability rather than propulsion. She has proven herself and lived up to her name; we do our best to not encounter such conditions. Too little sail area may be slow, but too much sail area can be deadly. If you’re interested, you can explore the tragic sinking of the Pride of Baltimore through this link.
The maintenance of chainplates is a key component to both integrity and strength; our favorite marine surveyor recommends rebedding every five to ten years. We knew we were overdue and started on those connected directly to the Mizzen, or aft, mast to discover that they had not been removed, cleaned, and re-adhered since their original installation nearly forty years ago. We also discovered why. The aft ones were challenging, with two-inch holes now needing repair were drilled through walls and small-hand dexterity was required. Our chainplates go underneath two sections of wood, the rub rail and the outer toe rail; it’s a feat to remove all the debris.
We put off the eight main mast ones as long as we could as most bolts were hidden behind interior walls. Rebedding hullside chainplates is a precarious, multi-step process that proves the tenacity of both marine adhesives (3M’s 5200) and our determination while depending on undependable weather forecasts not to get soaked to the bone or blown off the scaffold.
The bolts were installed prior to the galley. Yes, that’s new paint.
Remember how interconnected a sailing vessel is and this one, while more complex than most, is far, far simpler than back in the days when it was the only mode of transport. On modern vessels a simple L-shaped piece of stainless steel bolted through the deck and into the interior structure is common. Find simple and detailed discussion here from No Frills Sailor.
On STEADFAST, we don’t have the simple stuff. All that vessel REBEDDING tired us out, frankly, although crossing it off the list was a celebration. We’re hoping that when this project is completed we’ll have time and energy for the fun kind. ~J
Re-securing the last turnbuckle as black clouds loom….
Think my work & project is worth sharing? We’ve been called “The Tally Ho of the Chesapeake Bay” more than once this week! Sampson Boat Co has 555,000 more followers than I do, so let’s get on it! Send me along!! No pressure, really. I’m just damn glad YOU are here. Have a wonderful week!
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year, and you may cancel at any time.
The topic is timely as states seek to enact time limits on anchoring. The author is a retired naval architect and regular Loose Cannon contributor. More importantly, in the context of this opinion piece, he once served as harbormaster at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, which is to say that he has real-world experience managing anchorages. Loose Cannon endorses Long’s point of view, informed by having myself once served on a small-town Massachusetts harbor commission.
The right of unimpeded vessel passage through navigable waters has been deeply embedded in common law since before the nation’s founding. The U.S. Supreme Court has confirmed the fairly obvious point that anchoring is an essential aspect of vessel operation and therefore subject to the same legal principles, and that it should only be restricted in the case of overriding public interest.
An example for navigation would be restriction of entering military practice zones; for anchoring, not obstructing navigation channels or disturbing especially valuable bottom habitat such as coral reefs. The bar for prohibiting or restricting anchoring is therefore a high one and rests on the foundation of freedom of navigation.
However, the many controversies, lawsuits, and legislative actions I have followed over the years mostly seem to overlook a vital point: Navigation is performed by people aboard vessels. The age of the self-navigating vessel may be coming, as it is on roads, and regulators and legislators will need to address it.
But for now we are considering the issue in the present world and based on the common law that brought us to this point in time. A vessel anchored with people aboard is navigating; an unoccupied vessel at anchor is not. The unoccupied anchored vessel is therefor due a lower level of freedom from restriction and regulation.
The common law of anchoring developed in an age when it would have been exceedingly rare for a vessel to be left at anchor without a crew aboard. An anchor watch would be kept all night by rotating crew members to be sure the anchor did not begin to drag with weather or current changes. This practice is still maintained by many commercial vessels.
For the small crews on recreational vessels, the anchor watch has now been largely supplanted by GPS based anchor alarms but there is still the presence of a crew aboard that can quickly respond to an anchor failure or emergency. This is a significant issue in appropriate regulation of the use of anchors.
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If a state chose to establish a prohibition against a vessel being left unoccupied while at anchor, I believe it could ultimately prevail in the courts based on the navigation principle. I doubt that the state would want to do this however. There would be huge push back from the boating community and it would be injurious to shoreside businesses in those places where people can anchor and go ashore to spend money.
In those situations however, the occupants of the vessel are near by and in a position to monitor the weather and return promptly to the vessel if necessary. Anchoring an unoccupied vessel and then leaving town overnight or for several days is a very different situation. I also believe that people who wish to live aboard long term in a harbor with jobs ashore can not be considered to be attending their vessel unless they have have a job that keeps them close to their vessel and an arrangement with their employer that lets them leave immediately and at will.
Even in that case, there will be the necessity for them occasionally to leave town. If they do not want to move their vessel to a dock or marina on those occasions, their vessel should be on a stout and permitted mooring. Another distinction that has usually failed to be made in the various anchoring controversies is that between anchors and mooring.
The phrase “anchored or moored” constantly appears but there are very important and relevant distinctions when regulations are contemplated. Vessel anchors are gear sized and arranged to be deployed, retrieved, and carried by a vessel. As such, compromises must be made in size, weight, and configuration. Moorings, on the other hand, are generally installed by vessels specifically intended for the purpose. They can thus be larger than a vessel on them would be able to retrieve.
Their anchor design does not need to be compromised by storage underway and can be less susceptible to breaking out and dragging with current and wind shifts. All of these anchoring questions are ultimately about individual use of a public resource which is the navigable waters.
Another important distinction between vessel anchors and mooring is that a vessel takes its gear with it and frees up that portion of the public resource when it leaves. A private mooring, as a (semi)permanent installation, continues restrict a portion of the resource even when the vessel is absent. Moorings should therefore be regulated and subject to approval with appropriate permits and fees.
A vessel which puts out its anchor and is then left for a long period of time is not really anchored nor is it navigating. By virtue of its occupying a portion of a public resource, it is actually a vessel on mooring but a mooring consisting of inadequate and substandard gear for the situation.
Any appropriate approval and permit issuing for moorings should consider the factors of vessel size, nature of the bottom, anchor type and weight, etc. to ensure that the vessel will remain in place through weather conditions that can be reasonably expected.
Any public process of discussing anchoring and mooring will generate many responses along the lines of, “A good anchor is better than an unknown mooring.” “Moorings can break too.” “I trust my gear more than something put down by someone I don’t know.” I agree. I would rather ride out a storm on my own anchor in a carefully selected spot than on a mooring.
An anchor usually begins to drag slowly and gives enough warning that engines can be started and action taken. When a mooring fails, the boat will immediately be moving through the harbor at whatever speed the wind and current can generate. Contact with another vessel is highly likely.
However, I have tens of thousands of miles of experience and very good ground tackle. Public policy must be based on a much lower common denominator. Note also that I said, “Ride out.” I would be aboard to deal with emergencies and thus would be navigating with the greater regulatory protection of that status.
If I could not be aboard the vessel for a storm, I would want the vessel on a mooring that I believed was up to the job. Strictly speaking, I consider it poor seamanship to leave a vessel anchored unattended through a tide cycle since anchor drags usually occur after the reset when the direction of pull changes.
Few, even the anchoring activists, would consider it appropriate for someone to drive an RV into someplace like a national forest and just leave it with the license plates removed and expect to come back weeks or months later to use it. Why should it be different on the water?
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
Retired designer of boats and ships, former. Explorer and researcher of the Titanic. Private pilot. Internationally recognized authority on the stability of large sailing ships. Avid cruiser with over 40,000 miles in sail and power.
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A foursome of American trawlers moor in cozy anchorage on Lake Champlain last week.
A reconnaissance to Lake Champlain appears to confirm that the Canadian reluctance to spend tourist dollars in the U.S. this year applies to its cruising community as well.
Loose Cannon’s home base in Green Cove Springs on the St. Johns River is a boat storage hub for Canadian cruisers, to the extent that a local boatyard has named one of its storage lots “Canada.”
The question is: Will the Canadian sense of having been disrespected continue into winter when snowbird cruisers traditionally flock to American’s Southern states, mainly Florida? The waterfront city of Plattsburgh, N.Y.—just an hour-and-15-minute drive from Montreal—may be a bellwether for Florida next fall.
A couple dozen marinas line both sides of the big lake from Burlington Vt. to the Canadian border. Champlain freezes in winter so docks and boats are typically hauled out, and slipholders are also hauled out and stored on the grounds, too.
For foreign readers a tad unfamiliar with U.S. geography, Champlain is a lake that is 107 miles long, 14 miles wide and averages 64 feet deep. The east side laps up against the state of Vermont and the west side against the state of New York, with a nib poking up into Canada’s Quebec province.
In the windshadow of the Adirondak Mountains to the west, Lake Champlain benefits from a microclimate. The valley is often referred to as the “banana belt” of Vermont with a longer growing season and milder temperatures compared other parts of Vermont, and, for that matter, New York State.
According to Vermont tourism officials, five percent of out-of-state visitors and 30 percent in northern parts are Canadian. Similar numbers likely apply to the New York side, including the city of Plattsburg, where we stayed. The Canadian tourism season begins in earnest on July 1, which is Canada Day—kinda sorta their Fourth of July.
Businesses in the Vermont city of Burlington have been reporting that Canadian visitors were down anywhere between 15 to 50 percent. TheBoston Globe newspaper quoted Canadian officials as saying that roadtrips across the border to the U.S. were down by 32 percent compared to 2024, the third straight month of declines.
TV reporters caught Vermonter Tracy Stopford as she was loading her boat recently at the Ferry Dock Marina in Burlington ahead of Fourth of July celebrations. She said Canadians have been noticeably absent.
“We have been discussing amongst ourselves: I think that there’s 50 percent less Canadians docked out right now,” Stopford told WCAX television.
Visiting Plattsburgh marinas after the Canada Day weekend—there are five—Loose Cannon noted that many vessels with Montreal hailing ports were still resting on jackstands. To be sure, quite a few had been launched and lay in slips as well.
Last week, many Canadian boats at Plattsburgh marinas had yet to be launched.
Anyone paying attention is aware that the American government’s tariff initiative has generated quite a bit of anti-Canadian rhetoric, but as the Globe noted, that may not be the only factor:
Since President Trump took office this year with threats to make Canada “the 51st state”—and imposed tough tariffs and new border security measures—Canadian tourism to the US has plummeted…
The reasons go beyond tariffs. The US government has spooked Canadian tourists by requiring them to register if they’re in the country for 30 or more days—and by searching electronic devices at the border. The Canadian dollar remains weak compared to the U.S. dollar, making southerly shopping trips expensive.
However, as the U.S. dollar weakens as the result of uncertainty also created by the tariff initiative, the Canadian dollar has gained value by default. The Loonie, as it is called, has gained three percent in value against the dollar since President Trump entered office, and it is forecast to continue an upward climb.
That suggests that decisions by individual Canadian cruisers about whether to come back to Florida may be largely influenced by the state of U.S.-Canada relations going forward and to what degree Canadian cruisers will hold a grudge. Recent increases in cruising fees in the Bahamas may have made the entire region less attractive.
For sure, a lot of this reporting is anectdotal. If you are among our Canadian readership, please share your thoughts in the comment section below. You don’t have to be a subscriber.
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
What’s Happening In Your Parks – Charleston County Parks
Hot Summer Nights
Find your chill – plus a frosty beverage – at our next Reggae Nights concert! On July 11, bring your blanket and chairs to James Island County Park for a kick-back-and-relax evening of good vibes and great music.
Save the Date
Get ready for the social event of the season: Dog Day Afternoon! The Charleston County waterparks are going to the dogs for three bark-tastic days this year, so Lowcountry canines (and their humans) can choose from a trio of dates and locations. Tickets are on sale now, but don’t wait: these pool parties sell out fast!
Mystical Moths
Stop swatting and start oohing and ahhing! On July 25, join our insect whisperer at Caw Caw to learn all about the ethereal winged wonders flitting through the summer darkness. Reserve your space today for this nocturnal stroll through the park.
Breathe Deep…
On July 10, salute the setting sun and show off your star pose during Starlight Yoga. The soft sands and warm breezes of Folly Beach will be your studio for the evening as a certified instructor guides you through this all-levels, flowing yoga class. Register online
Birds-eye View
Beat the heat when you hang with the early birds! This month’s bird walks dawn bright and early in the Charleston County parks, home to some of the Lowcountry’s most diverse bird habitats. Take your pick of strolls through Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve, Stono River County Park, Caw Caw Interpretive Center…or join our birding experts for all three!
I found this article to be fascinating since I have entered many of these inlets while cruising up and down the East Coast. It is interesting to read about the rich history of many of them.
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year, and you may cancel at any time.
A boat is blown aground during Hurricane Matthew in Florida.
The author is a meteorologist and research program manager at University of Wisconsin-Madison. This story was first published in The Conversation and is reprinted here with permission.
By CHRIS VAGASKY
About 600 miles off the west coast of Africa, large clusters of thunderstorms begin organizing into tropical storms every hurricane season. They aren’t yet in range of Hurricane Hunter flights, so forecasters at the National Hurricane Center rely on weather satellites to peer down on these storms and beam back information about their location, structure and intensity.
The satellite data helps meteorologists create weather forecasts that keep planes and ships safe and prepare countries for a potential hurricane landfall.
Now, meteorologists are about to lose access to three of those satellites.
On June 25, 2025, the Trump administration issued a service change notice announcing that the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, DMSP, and the Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center would terminate data collection, processing and distribution of all DMSP data no later than June 30. The data termination was postponed until July 31 following a request from the head of NASA’s Earth Science Division.
I am a meteorologist who studies lightning in hurricanes and helps train other meteorologists to monitor and forecast tropical cyclones. Here is how meteorologists use the DMSP data and why they are concerned about it going dark.
Looking Inside the Clouds
At its most basic, a weather satellite is a high-resolution digital camera in space that takes pictures of clouds in the atmosphere.
These are the satellite images you see on most TV weather broadcasts. They let meteorologists see the location and some details of a hurricane’s structure, but only during daylight hours.
Hurricane Flossie spins off the Mexican coast on July 1, 2025. Images show the top of the hurricane from space as day turns to night. NOAA GOES
Meteorologists can use infrared satellite data, similar to a thermal imaging camera, at all hours of the day to find the coldest cloud-top temperatures, highlighting areas where the highest wind speeds and rainfall rates are found.
But while visible and infrared satellite imagery are valuable tools for hurricane forecasters, they provide only a basic picture of the storm. It’s like a doctor diagnosing a patient after a visual exam and checking their temperature.
Infrared bands show more detail of Hurricane Flossie’s structure on July 1, 2025. NOAA GOES
For more accurate diagnoses, meteorologists rely on the DMSP satellites.
The three satellites orbit Earth 14 times per day with special sensor microwave imager/sounder instruments, or SSMIS. These let meteorologists look inside the clouds, similar to how an MRI in a hospital looks inside a human body. With these instruments, meteorologists can pinpoint the storm’s low-pressure center and identify signs of intensification.
Precisely locating the center of a hurricane improves forecasts of the storm’s future track. This lets meteorologists produce more accurate hurricane watches, warnings and evacuations.
Hurricane track forecasts have improved by up to 75 percent since 1990. However, forecasting rapid intensification is still difficult, so the ability of DMPS data to identify signs of intensification is important.
About 80 percent of major hurricanes – those with wind speeds of at least 111 mph (179 kilometers per hour)—rapidly intensify at some point, ramping up the risks they pose to people and property on land. Finding out when storms are about to undergo intensification allows meteorologists to warn the public about these dangerous hurricanes.
Where Are Defense Satellites Going?
NOAA’s Office of Satellite and Product Operations described the reason for turning off the flow of data as a need to mitigate “a significant cybersecurity risk.”
The three satellites have already operated for longer than planned.
The DMSP satellites were launched between 1999 and 2009 and were designed to last for five years. They have now been operating for more than 15 years. The United States Space Force recently concluded that the DMSP satellites would reach the end of their lives between 2023 and 2026, so the data would likely have gone dark soon.
Replacements for the DMSP Satellites?
Three other satellites in orbit – NOAA-20, NOAA-21 and Suomi NPP – have a microwave instrument known as the advanced technology microwave sounder.
The advanced technology microwave sounder, or ATMS, can provide data similar to the special sensor microwave imager/sounder, or SSMIS, but at a lower resolution. It provides a more washed-out view that is less useful than the SSMIS for pinpointing a storm’s location or estimating its intensity.
Images of Hurricane Erick off the coast of Mexico, viewed from NOAA-20’s ATMS (left) and DMPS SSMIS (right) on June 18 show the difference in resolution and the higher detail provided by the SSMIS data. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, via Michael Lowry
ML-1A is a microwave satellite that will help replace some of the DMSP satellites’ capabilities. However, the government hasn’t announced whether the ML-1A data will be available to forecasters, including those at the National Hurricane Center.
Why Are Satellite Replacements Last Minute?
Satellite programs are planned over many years, even decades, and are very expensive. The current geostationary satellite program launched its first satellite in 2016 with plans to operate until 2038. Development of the planned successor for GOES-R began in 2019.
Similarly, plans for replacing the DMSP satellites have been underway since the early 2000s.
Scientists prepare a GOES-R satellite for packing aboard a rocket in 2016. NASA/Charles Babir
Delays in developing the satellite instruments and funding cuts caused the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System and Defense Weather Satellite System to be canceled in 2010 and 2012 before any of their satellites could be launched.
The 2026 NOAA budget request includes an increase in funding for the next-generation geostationary satellite program, so it can be restructured to reuse spare parts from existing geostationary satellites. The budget also terminates contracts for ocean color, atmospheric composition and advanced lightning mapper instruments.
A Busy Season Remains
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, is forecast to be above average, with six to 10 hurricanes. The most active part of the season runs from the middle of August to the middle of October, after the DMSP satellite data is set to be turned off.
Hurricane forecasters will continue to use all available tools, including satellite, radar, weather balloon and dropsonde data, to monitor the tropics and issue hurricane forecasts. But the loss of satellite data, along with other cuts to data, funding and staffing, could ultimately put more lives at risk.
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
I found this article to be fascinating since I have entered many of these inlets while cruising up and down the East Coast. It is interesting to read about the rich history of many of them.
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year, and you may cancel at any time.
Ocracoke Island villagers salvage lumber from the shattered hull of the schooner Nomis in the summer of 1935. Nomis was carrying 338,000 feet of lumber from Georgetown, South Carolina, to New York City.
Okay, its Fourth of July weekend, so the theme of this Loose Cannon installment is light and playful: Trivia related to various inlets along the Atlantic Coast from Virginia to the Florida border. I was digging for something in my archives, and I found historical summaries written over a decade ago but never published.
Not all inlets are mentioned, and Charleston is omitted altogether because of its historic significance defies pithy summarization. And please do not assume that just because an inlet is included it is recommended for navigation.
Enjoy.
Virginia
Rudee
What is now Rudee Inlet began as a manmade drainage culvert. In 1968, the state created the current inlet, part of a $1 million plan to attract boaters. Now regular dredging is part of a cycle of a system to replenishment sand on the beaches of Virginia Beach. You can often see East Coast Navy SEAL teams launching boats for training exercises here.
Navy SEAL stealth boat goes for a spin at Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach.
North Carolina
Oregon
In 1873 Congress approved and appropriated funds for the building of 29 lifesaving stations, one of which was the Bodie Island Station, located on the south side of Oregon Inlet. In 1883, the station on the north side of Oregon Inlet (also known as Tommy’s Hummock) was officially named the Bodie Island Station and the “old” Bodie Island Station (south of the inlet) was renamed as the Oregon Inlet Station. These are the antecedents to the current Coast Guard Station on Bodie.
Hatteras
The first Hatteras Inlet was formed south of the current inlet, but closed around 1764. The modern Hatteras Inlet was formed on September 7, 1846 by a violent gale. This was the same storm that opened present-day Oregon Inlet to the north. This became a profitable inlet, because it gave the Inner Banks, a quicker and easier way to travel to and from the Gulf Stream. It was easier to come into this inlet from the north.
Because of the increase of commerce, Hatteras Village Post Office was established in 1858. The initial invasion of the North Carolina coast, on Hatteras Island, during the Civil War called Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries came from Hatteras Inlet. The two Confederate forts guarding the inlet quickly fell. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is also located here. Need we say more?
Ocracoke
The residents of this area have stoutly resisted modernization and change and a visit here is very much a trip back to the way it used to be. Ocracoke is part of the area known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, due to the many shipwrecks over the centuries—more than 600, according to some sources.
Home to whalers and Spanish privateers in the 18th century, Cape Lookout Bight is the location of the distinctively diamond patterned Cape Lookout Lighthouse. The wreck of the schooner Chrissie Wright occurred here on Lookout Shoals, where the entire crew but the cook perished in view of shore, rescuers unable to reach them until the next day due to the large breakers.
Beaufort
Pirate Edward Teach, popularly known as Blackbeard, lost his ship Queen Ann’s Revenge in 1718 after running aground at Beaufort Inlet. There is a fascinating multimedia display at the Beaufort Maritime Museum on his story, and the continuing excavation of his vessel. Blackbeard was later killed by naval forces off Ocracoke, but his head came home through Beaufort inlet, hanging on the bowsprit of the ship which captured him.
Mason
In March 2002, Mason inlet was cut through at a location about 3,500 feet northeast of what was then Mason Inlet. A week after the successful opening of the new inlet, the old Mason Inlet was closed. This engineering work, sponsored by local interests, was in response to the southward migration of Mason Inlet over the years to the point were it was threatening to undermine the Shell Island Resort and community to the south.
Masonboro
In November 1862, Union warships forced blockade running British schooner F.W. Pindar aground at the inlet, and sent a boat crew to destroy the vessel. The boat swamped and the crew was captured after successfully firing the schooner. In the same month, the Union Navy ran the British bark Sophia aground and destroyed her near the inlet as well.
Carolina Beach
Shoaling closed the original inlet in the early 1900s. It was blasted open again with explosives in 1952. In 2007, $1.2 million in federal funds were allocated for dredging Carolina Beach Inlet.
Cape Fear River
Cape Fear’s moniker comes from the fearsome Frying Pan Shoals offshore. This area marks the southern border of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Bald Head Lighthouse, long known as “Old Baldy,” was North Carolina’s first lighthouse, dating back to 1796. Legendary 19th century singlehander Joshua Slocum came ashore in this region while returning from South America in a small vessel he built and wrote about in his book “Voyage of the Liberdade.”
Lockwood’s Folly
Lockwoods Folly Inlet was the scene of several Civil War confrontations. In an area noted as the Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck District (shown here from a U.S. Army Corps survey chart), which crosses the inlet itself, are found the wrecks of Lisa Marie, Elizabeth, Iron Age and Bendigo. The name ‘Lockwood’s Folly’ came about when a certain Mr. Lockwood built himself a boat, which happened to have draft too great to transit the inlet. Some things haven’t changed.
Shallotte
The entire coastal area was a hotspot of activity during the Civil War. The Union gunship Penobscot, at 158 feet and 10-foot 6-inch draft, destroyed her first Confederate vessel, the schooner Sereta, which went aground and was abandoned off Shallotte Inlet in June 1862. In November, the Penobscot forced the British ship Pathfinder aground at Shallotte Inlet, then destroyed her. Penobscot was known as the “90-day gunship” for the length of time it took to build her.
A “90-day-gunship,” sister ship to the USS Penobscot.
South Carolina
Little River Inlet
Because of the marshes surrounding Little River, the area received little land traffic until roads were built in the 1920s. Along with the safety afforded by the harbor, it thus became somewhat of a haven for pirates and smugglers. Following the arrival of some ‘northerners’ after the War of 1812, the town was known as “Yankee Town,” certainly not a name fondly accepted by those born there.
Murrells Inlet
Close by Murrells Inlet lies Drunken Jack Island—and Drunken Jack. Legend has it that a pirate was accidentally marooned with nothing but a supply of rum. When the ship finally returned, all they found were empty bottles of rum, and the bones of poor Jack. The island is also another of those reputed to contain Blackbeard’s treasure.
Winyah Bay
The first Europeans to settle the banks of Winyah Bay were actually the Spanish, but after failing as farmers, they built a ship from the towering cypress and oak trees lining the swamps, and sailed off to the Spice Islands of the Caribbean, where there was a ready market for their slaves.
Stono River
Union naval forces controlled the Stono River during the Civil War, but got their comeuppance when a Confedate artillery unit set up on the banks by cover of darkness, bombarded a Union warship and forced her officers to row ashore to surrender.
North Edisto River
The North Edisto River inlet was often used as a back door for Union vessels to attack Charleston, as any vessel proceeding through the Charleston inlet was a sitting duck, unable to return fire with while inbound with Fort Moultrie forward of the alignment of her guns.
St. Helena Sound
St. Helena Island is considered the center of African American Gullah culture and is also the site of several forts which have been extensively excavated. During the Civil War, Fort Walker fell early, leading to the capture of Port Royal. The slaves were freed and measures, including land grants, were undertaken to assist them. Black history is such a powerful force in this area that those supporting the Gullah culture have been able to prevent the building of condos and gated communities on St. Helena Island.
Portrait of a Gullah community after the Civil War.
New River Entrance
Camp Lejeune is located nearby and one will often see Marines on exercises. Kids will be thrilled as they roar by in their inflatable vessels, complete with weaponry, or operating tanks on the east side of the ICW or artillery towed behind trucks. Skippers knowing that this gear constitutes targets for shooting exercises may be a little less sanguine about them.
Port Royal Sound
Most mariners are aware that the Parris Island Marine Corps base is here. What most won’t know is that Cat Island, at the anchorage at Mile 544, was at one time a nudist colony. Hilton Head Island was at one time a prominent outpost of the Gullah community. (The nudist colony closed prior to World War II in case you were wondering!)
Calibogue Sound
This entire area was fought over by the Spanish, French and British for years, and the coast was a favorite hunting ground for pirates, including Blackbeard. The area is noted for its Gullah heritage. Today, most of the coast is a major resort region, with golf on Hilton Head Island. being one of the biggest draws. The red-striped replica lighthouse at Harbortown Yacht Basin is one of the most photographed sights on the Waterway.
Georgia
Savannah River
This entire area was fought over by the Spanish, French and British for years, and the coast was a favorite hunting ground for pirates, including Blackbeard. The area is noted for its Gullah heritage. Colonial Savannah, an early “planned city” (by Gen. James Oglethorpe), is regarded as one of the most beautiful in the United States.
Wassaw Sound
Thunderbolt was supposedly named after a lighting bolt struck there, creating a spring and giving native Americans a reason to settle there.
Ossaba Sound
Archeological evidence indicates Ossabaw Island has been inhabited for 4,000 years. During the last century it was a hunting retreat and then, a privately held scholarly and artistic retreat. When the owners could no longer subsidize the cost, they sold the island to the state of Georgia, thus preserving its natural beauty for the enjoyment of future generations.
St. Catherines Sound
A Spanish fort dating from 1566 was built on St. Catherines Island, which General Sherman awarded to freed slaves after the Civil war along with Ossabaw and Sapelo islands. This state of affairs lasted for two years, after which the island was returned to its former owner, and the new residents relocated to the Georgia mainland. An 1893 hurricane covered the entire island in water. Only one person survived.
Sapelo Sound
Sapelo Island’s ownership makes for a fascinating story. Fleeing revolution at home, a syndicate of French nobles purchased it in 1790, followed by a Danish sea captain, then a planter who was the only one who ever managed to make a profit from the island’s soil. In the 20th century, an excutive of the Hudson Motorcar Company, took possession, but the Crash of ’29 forced him to sell to R.J. Reynolds of tobacco fame. In 1969, Reynold’s widow donated part of it to the state of Georgia for a wildlife refuge. Now the entire island has protected status under government ownership.
An old Coast Guard photo of the Sapelo Island lighthouse.
Doboy Sound
Cruisers using this inlet may well notice mounds of large rocks not native to the area, particularly on Commodore Island. These are ballast stones from tallships which used these waters in past centuries, tossed overboard to lighten them so they could navigate the shallower waters upstream with their cargoes.
St. Simons Sound
Originally built in 1808, St. Simons lighthouse was torn down by Confederate forces in 1862 and replaced in 1872. In 1953, the oil lamps were replaced by a Fresnel lens and the 106 foot structure can be climbed. The view is worth the effort.
St. Andrews Sound
The lighthouse on Little Cumberland Island operated from 1838 until its deactivation in 1915. The keeper’s house was destroyed by fire in 1968.
St. Mary’s Inlet
Fernandina Beach on the Florida side was founded by Union soldiers, who returned there after having occupied Amelia Island during the war; they were drawn to the area’s climate and natural beauty. That may explain why the city’s downtown resembles a 19th Century New England town.
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Cruisers Net is proud to be a member of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, whose lobbying work is crucial to keeping the Waterway navigable and safe. Your membership dollars directly support their vital work. Please join and encourage your boating neighbors to do the same, regardless of their home port.
Recent Actions and Upcoming Congressional Hearings on FY26 Federal Appropriations
In contrast to a very busy May for waterway federal funding news, June has been relatively quiet as Congress’s attention is focused on consideration of the reconciliation package, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. With recent passage of different versions of the reconciliation package by the House of Representatives and Senate, the Senate version was sent to the House for further consideration on July 1st. At present, we await a final vote by the House to pass the Senate version and send to the President for his signature and enactment. Fortunately, the voting on this bill will not impact the timing of consideration for the FY26 Energy & Water Appropriations bill which funds projects along the waterway.
Looking forward
With the release of the Administration’s FY26 funding priorities for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the next step is for the House and Senate to develop their appropriations bills. On July 7th, the House Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development and Related Agencies has scheduled a committee hearing to consider the FY26 Energy & Water Appropriations Bill followed by a full House Appropriations Committee hearing on July 10th. Once the appropriations bill clears these two committees, it is eligible for a vote by the full House of Representatives.
At this time, the Senate has not scheduled committee hearings on FY26 Energy & Water Development Appropriations.
Below is a table outlining our recent success and the current state of waterway funding. It is possible that we could surpass the $220 million in waterway funding over the past five years with another successful funding cycle in 2026.
U.S. Coast Guard Releases Two Marine Safety Information Bulletins Impacting Waterway Users in North Carolina
The U.S. Coast Guard has recently released two Marine Safety Information Bulletins (MSIB) that will have a direct impact on waterway users in North Carolina. The AIWA was engaged on both of these MSIB’s, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to participate in the review of the two projects.
The second project, the Onslow Bridge Replacement Project (MSIB-008-25), the waterway will be closed for daily demolition activities but will open daily between noon and 1pm, and outside of normal working hours.Please click here to read MSIB 08-25 for the project.
We understand that any closure of the waterway impacts our members and waterway stakeholders, and we are committed to participating in these types of projects to ensure that your voice is heard.
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association Annual Meeting November 18 – 20, 2025 Savannah, GA
The AIWA is a national non-profit organization with the mission of securing funding and support for the maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We are the only organization dedicated to ensuring the future of the AIWW and proudly represent all stakeholders of the waterway.
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