NHC: Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watch – NADA!
Our very active hurricane season comes to a close, hopefully, and this year, no news is definitely good news!
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The 2020 hurricane season just became the most active in history with Theta
SunSentinel
CRUISERS NET
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A Letter Seeking Anchorage Restriction Clarification
In pursuit of some clarification regarding Georgia’s new anchoring restrictions in commercial shellfish areas, Ted Arisaka of Save Georgia’s Anchorages wrote this letter to the USACE. Thank you for sharing Ted,
Dear Sir / Madam: I am a recreational boater who enjoys the coastal waters of our East Coast and in particular, the coastal waters of Georgia. I have followed with interest, the evolution of Georgia’s regulations around navigation / anchoring in their estuarine waters, starting with House Bill 201 in 2019 and replacement House Bill 833 in 2020. As a result of HB833, GA DNR has updated their definitions of no-anchoring zones as published on their website: https://gcmp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html…
Among the various zones, one in particular, “shellfish harvest” areas (shaded in green) have expanded dramatically between 2019 and 2020. These shellfish harvest areas are portrayed as “approved” on the GA DNR website and among the multiple requirements for approval is to receive a permit from US ACE for those areas in navigable waters. If one examines the published maps, there are many areas in navigable waters as well as established channels demarcated by Aids To Navigation by USCG and charted by NOAA. This also includes portions of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, which as you know is important not just for recreational boaters but also for commercial navigation. The reason for my email is to inquire as to the status of USACE approval of these shellfish harvest zones in navigable waterways.
There is an updated page from Georgia DNR which references the need to obtain USACE approval prior to proceeding with mariculture.
https://coastalgadnr.org/commercialshellfishharvestMy FOIA request is to ascertain which Georgia waters have received USACE approval to date.
Thanks and Regards,
Ted ArisakaBe the first to comment!
Warning on Dewees Inlet north of Charleston, SC, near AICW Statute Mile 455
Between the Winyah Bay Entrance south of the AICW from Georgetown, SC and the Charleston, SC harbor entrance, there is really no safe inlet and Dewees Inlet carries this emphatic warning from Claiborne: WARN ANYONE OFF FROM USING THIS INLET. THERE IS NO CHANNEL TO SPEAK OF AND TO SAY IT’S TREACHEROUS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. IT COULD BE DEADLY!!!
We are headed back off-shore to the south – Charleston, but would prefer Isle of Palms as it takes about two hours off the trip… if we can get in through Dewees Inlet. Charts show no marked channel to the outside but inside the water is charted deep (no channel markers), tides run 5+ feet and there are some tempting areas that may not be shoaled up. Does anyone know if this passage can be made safely with a ~6 ft. draw at HT? Thanks
Captain RicClick Here To Open A Chart View Window Showing the Location of Dewees Inlet
Comments from Cruisers (1)
- Reply to Tom
I know this is 10 years after the original post, but stay away from Dewees Inlet! Navionics had me take the outside route from McClellanville to Isle of Palms this morning because of low tide along the ICW. Well, I can tell you first hand that Dewees Inlet made me soil my shorts and need a few beers once inside. The approach consisted of many turns and following that magenta line to the "T". However, there was a northeast wind with swell coming from the northeast and the south. Everything was going fine, I was on the line and then my depth sounder started screaming low water. I draw 4'9" on my 37' Gulf Star and at 6' on the sounder with the swell, I kissed the bottom with the keel twice before finding deep water 100' to starboard (off the magenta line) on the edge of breaking waves. Halfway in I saw two large 40+' sport fishing boats turn around and say "Nope, not today". Water depth went from 30' to 6' in a matter of 100 yards and then back to 30+'. Once in calmer water, there was 40' depths the rest of the way. What a way to test the nerves of a new Captain. Next time, I'll take my chances running aground in the ICW. On a calm day, you might be able to get in or out of here, but I seriously don't suggest trying it.
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Crossing the Gulf Stream: How to Boat from Florida to The Bahamas
Whether you’ve found yourself in Florida after a trip down the ICW or you call the Sunshine State your home, when you’re boating in Florida, the Bahamas beckons. A great article from our friends at DOCKWA.
Crossing the Gulf Stream: How to Boat from Florida to The Bahamas by Adrian Mott
blog.dockwa.comBe the first to comment!
Blackbeard’s Final Battle: Sorting Facts, Fiction – Kevin Duffus
The truth about Blackbeard’s Battle at Ocracoke conflicts with popular interpretations and numerous published accounts, according to author Kevin Duffus.
“Battle at Ocracoke,” painting by American artist Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1920.
Blackbeard’s Final Battle: Sorting Facts, Fiction
Coastal Review OnlineBe the first to comment!
Plastics are Killing Marine Animals
Balloons, plastic bags, recreational fishing line and food wrappers are killing thousands of marine animals as they eat plastic items that later perforate internal organs, or they become entangled and drown.
A sea turtle hatchling swims very close to discarded balloons. Dr. Blair Witherington FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Choked, strangled and drowned. How balloons and plastic bags are killing marine animals
FL Keys NewsBe the first to comment!
Don’t Make Your Boat Look Like a Christmas Tree – BoatUS
With holiday lighted boat parades just around the corner, BoatUS reminds us that brightly lighted vessels are for navigating only in a properly sanctioned parade, not for normal night time boating.
Photo Caption: Decorative lights can present navigation challenges for other boaters. BoatUS offers two installation tips. Credit: Shannon Carrithers
Photo Caption: Decorative lights can negatively affect a boat operator’s night vision. Credit: Rodney Webster
Don’t Make Your Boat Look Like a Christmas Tree
BoatUS advises boaters about unsafe decorative lighting when navigating
SPRINGFIELD, Va., Nov. 18, 2020 – Boaters looking to buy themselves a Christmas gift may be thinking about adding some “bling” to the boat – multicolored decorative LED deck and space lighting. Just don’t light your boat up like a Christmas tree, says the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Extra lights installed in the wrong place could cause other boaters to misinterpret your boat’s navigation lights and present a safety hazard.
“Today’s decorative lighting options, from ropes to underwater lighting, allow DIYers to personalize their boats,” said BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water President Chris Edmonston. “The challenge comes when the boat is underway. Decorative lights installed in the wrong location may cause others to misinterpret your vessel’s red, green and white navigation lighting. Bright lights of many colors can also reduce your night vision and hamper your ability to safely navigate.”
The BoatUS Foundation has two tips when shopping for and installing decorative boat lights:
1. When underway, avoid displaying any light that could be confused as a navigation light or another type of vessel. When installing decorative LED lighting, running wiring to a single master switch allows you to easily turn off all nonessential lights before heading out. Remember, flashing blue lights are reserved for law enforcement – at a distance, wave action combined with the steady rocking of high-intensity blue lights below the waterline can give the appearance of a police vessel.
2. Don’t install decorative lights that prevent the operator from maintaining a good lookout. When running between sunset and sunrise, it’s critical that those behind the wheel maintain their night vision, so the number-one goal is to keep light out of the operator’s eyes. Glare from aesthetic lighting such as LED rope lights wrapped around a helm station can hinder night vision.
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Who is TopSide Marinas?
Topside Marinas, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is a company invested in their team and customers creating lifelong memories, relaxing, enjoying life, and being healthy.
Who is TopSide Marinas?
We are a company invested in our team and customers creating lifelong memories, relaxing, enjoying life, and being healthy.
Meet our Co-Founders
STEPHEN LEHN JACOB M. BOAN, CFA
Chief Executive Officer Chief Investment Officer
214.516.8241 913.669.0716
stephen@topsidemarinas.com jacob@topsidemarinas.comWe hope all of you and your families stay safe this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving from our TopSide family to yours.
Connect With Us
Join the Crow’s Nest by Clicking the Image Above
The aim of the Crow’s Nest is to connect marina owners or those with knowledge of the industry to Topside, more specifically potential marinas for sale. If we bring the marina into the family, we’ll send you a big Thank You in the form of a $75,000 finder’s fee.
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Dire Outlook for Florida’s Coral Reefs
Scientists estimate that along the coast of Florida, where degradation is most severe, perhaps as little as 2% of original coral cover remains.
A parrotfish is swims over a dead coral reef in the Florida Keys national marine sanctuary near Key West, Florida. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/AP
‘Dire outlook’: scientists say Florida reefs have lost nearly 98% of coral
The GuardianBe the first to comment!
Destroyed Marina Entrance Daybeacon G9, Safety Harbor FL, Old Tampa Bay
Safety Harbor Marina is in the northwest corner of Old Tampa Bay, north of St. Petersburg and the Howard Franklin Bridge. Our thanks to Larry Pritchett for this alert.
Destroyed ATON G9 Safety Harbor Marina Channel
Day mark G9 in the Safety Harbor Marina Channel was destroyed by Storm ETA. Piling is below the water at high tide.Be the first to comment!
Iota now Strongest Hurricane of 2020 Atlantic Season
Iota is forecast to be at or near Category 5 hurricane strength when it makes a potentially catastrophic landfall along the coast of northeastern Nicaragua or eastern Honduras Monday night. As of noon Monday, Iota was moving west with winds of 160 mph!
Iota now ‘strongest hurricane of 2020 Atlantic season’ with 155 mph winds
SunSentinelBe the first to comment!
Intra or Inter?
You could have corrected that…right?
Intra or Inter? New signs at Daytona bridge get a quick spelling correction
Daytona Beach News-Journal
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Will Georgia’s Fledgling Oyster Industry Sink Before It Swims?
Our thanks to Ted Arisaka for sharing this link from Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Will Georgia’s Fledgling Oyster Industry Sink Before It Swims?
GPBBe the first to comment!
Tavernier Diver’s Underwater World
Slate feeds marine creatures underwater, and the interaction enables divers to see large marine animals up close.
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Bahamas Chatter: Update COVID Exuma
Bahamas Chatter is produced by Explorer Chartbooks, A CRUISERS NET PARTNER, which has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: Update COVID Exuma
Posted: 13 Nov 2020 06:46 AM PST
PRIME MINISTER STATEMENT ON EXUMA: INTRODUCED MEASURES TO REDUCE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN EXUMA Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis announced the following restrictive measures for Exuma, effective Thursday, November 12:
1. There will be a 24-hour weekend curfew from 6pm Friday until 5am Mondays; businesses will not be allowed to operate during this time;
2. Weekday curfew will be from 6pm to 5am;
3. Commercial activity can continue through the week can continue save for fish frys, bars, and restaurants connected to bars;
4. Funerals are allowed at the graveside only and can have 10 people excluding the officiant; the same number of people is applicable to weddings – there will also be no repasts or receptions;
5. Church services are to be held virtually;6. Schools must be held virtually;
7. Effective tomorrow, domestic travel by air or sea is prohibited into and out of Exuma except in the case of emergency;
8. Anyone travelling from Exuma to any other island, must have a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test;
9. No public or social gatherings are allowed.Dr. Minnis said these measures do not apply to the Exuma Cays.“I know this is short notice but this is essential after seeing what has happened on several past occasions,” he said.
The prime minister further explained that Exuma has recorded over 30 new cases in the past week.There are 79 positive cases from the island of Exuma – 28 are active, two are hospitalized and there has been one COVID-19 related death, according to Dr. Minnis. The prime minister also announced that the number of health care professionals on the island have been “boosted.”
“The measures on New Providence and Abaco have helped to decrease the spread of the virus on these islands,” the prime minister said earlier. “I assure you that we can continue to make progress if we continue to work together and wear our masks and avoid large gatherings.”He also said all positive cases are in isolation in Eleuthera and all contacts are being monitored.
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Officials Push to Replace Alligator River Bridge, NC AICW Statute Mile 84
My wife and I once spent a very pleasant three days in Elizabeth City waiting for the winds to drop allowing the long swing bridge to open. The 2.8-mile bridge across the Alligator River has closed several times in recent years to undergo repairs.
Lindsay C. Warren Bridge. Photo: Kill Devil Hills
Officials Push to Replace Alligator River Bridge
Coastal Review OnlineClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Alligator River Bridge
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Southport Marina Resumes Gasoline and Diesel Sales, NC AICW Statute Mile 309
This excellent facility and CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Southport Marina, was severely damaged by Isaias. See Hurricane Damage. As of November 6, they have resumed selling gasoline and diesel fuel.
We’re excited to announce that Southport Marina has resumed gasoline and diesel sales daily, from 8am-5pm. We are monitoring VHF ch. 16, phone 910-457-9900, and email info@southport-marina.com for any questions or needs. Although it will still be some time before we are able to accommodate overnight dockage for transiting guests, we would love to sell you the best quality marine fuel available while you’re in our town. Thank you for your patience while we continue to rebuild our facility! We’re looking forward to the opportunity to serve our customers again soon!
Hank Whitley, CMM
Marina Manager
Southport Marina
606 W. West St.
Southport, NC 28461
910-457-9900
View our live webcam at https://www.youtube.com/user/SouthportMarina
Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers Net Marina Directory Listing For Southport Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Southport Marina
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Report and Photos of Snows Cut by Phil Kent and Karen Barbalace
Our thanks to Phil and Karen for sharing their AGLCA Forum posting with our readers. Many of you will travel through Snows Cut at some point in your cruising lifetime. Mile long Snows Cut departs the coastal Waterway at the entrance to Carolina Beach and intersects Cape Fear River at Mile 296.
Living on the ICW, it’s amazing the number of boats we see every day heading south for the winter. 20, 30 a day perhaps, and we only see some of them. Trawlers, sailboats, large yachts and other craft, a few with looper flags but mostly snowbirds. Most loopers know Snow’s Cut, a few miles south of us, as a tricky waterway that connects the Cape Fear River with the ICW at Carolina Beach.
Though interesting, few good photos of this area exist. It’s difficult to get decent photos as you’re transiting it as you’re busy navigating a narrow, tricky channels with a 2 or 3 knot current. On a recent bike ride over the Snow’s Cut bridge, I took a few photos that might give our captains a good overview of the mile-long man-made cut.
Phil & Karen Barbalace
Helms Port
Wilmington,NC
Gold Loopers
Phil Kent and Karen Barbalace
Phil Kent and Karen Barbalace
Phil Kent and Karen Barbalace
Comments from Cruisers (1)
- Reply to Winston
Thanks for the great photos… Pictures are certainly worth a thousand words.
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NOAA Planet Stewards – November 3 News from the National Ocean Service
News you can use from NOAA Planet Stewards.
The Watch. News You Can Use From NOAA Planet Stewards – 3 November 2020
National Ocean Service, NOAABe the first to comment!
AIWA E-News October 2020
Cruisers Net is proud to be a member of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association whose lobbying work is crucial to keeping the Waterway navigable. Your membership dollars directly support their vital work. Please join and encourage your boating neighbors to do likewise, regardless of their homeport.
Thursday, November 19, 2020 ~ AIWA Virtual Annual Meeting
The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association Annual Meeting is only three weeks away!
Please make plans to join us on Thursday, November 19th for this virtual, collaborative event bringing together our members and stakeholders to connect with the federal and state agencies who have leadership roles in managing the waterway.This year’s one-day schedule will include sessions led by our industry’s leaders and practitioners covering a series of topics for all waterway users. Shifting to an online virtual platform has its advantages. Even though we all would like to see one another in person, we have the opportunity for increased participation and invite you to share this meeting with your colleagues as this is our annual opportunity to learn more together!
Sessions will include:
- State of the Waterway – Management & Maintenance Project Updates from USACE Districts
- Updates from our Recreational Boating Community – Boat US, NMMA, MRAA, and others
- Beneficial Use of Dredge Materials – New Applications and Directions
- Updates to Charting and Mapping efforts along the AIWW from NOAA
- Marine Industry and Commercial Operators, Port Authority, Contracting Corporations, and Engineering Design
Registration is available here for only a $75 investment.
For those who have attended our meetings in previous years, you’ll know we fill our days with content, but we’ll be sure not to induce screen “burnout!”Also, all sessions will be recorded and made available to participants for one year.
Thank you for your support and active participation, and we look forward to seeing you on November 19!
Sponsorships and group rates remain available. Please email us for more information.
Waterway Sustainer
Cross State Towing, Jacksonville, FL
https://www.facebook.com/CrossStateTowing/ 
Florida Inland Navigation District, Jupiter, FL
http://www.aicw.org
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Houston, TX
https://www.gldd.comWaterway Supporter
Biblia, Inc., Savannah, GA
http://www.bibliainc.com
Cottrell Contracting Corp, Chesapeake, VA
https://www.cottrellcontracting.com 
Orion Marine Group, Houston, TX
https://www.orionmarinegroup.com Waterway Partner
Boat Owners of the U.S. Association (Boat U.S.), Washington, DC
https://www.boatus.com
Colonna’s Shipyard, Norfolk, VA
https://www.colonnaship.com
McDonough Marine Service, Chesapeake, VA
https://www.mcdonoughmarine.com 
Morgan & Eklund, Vero Beach, FL
https://www.morganeklund.com
National Marine Manufacturers Association, Washington, DC
http://www.nmma.org
Taylor Engineering, Inc.,
Jacksonville, FL
https://www.taylorengineering.com Media Partner
Don’t forget to Vote! As a non-partisan Association, please don’t be alarmed by the headline of this article. This is a good news story. The AIWW maintenance funding is supported on both sides of the aisle! In this time of uncertainty, we want to affirm that both Democrats and Republicans have a history of supporting waterway infrastructure, and especially our waterway. Just this year, we had 19 U.S. Representatives from six states come together to ask for AIWW funding for the upcoming fiscal year. While the FY21 appropriation process is currently stalled, maintenance work is continuing and we are excited to see how we might fare once Congress resumes the appropriationa process after the election. As you vote, rest assured that waterway funding isn’t an issue that should effect your choice. Thank you to all of our waterway supporters and champions in Congress.
Copyright © 2020. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association. All rights reserved. AIWA The Unified Voice of the Waterway ~ Over 20 Years of Advocacy and Education
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.
Contact:
5A Market, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906 (843) 379-1151Be the first to comment!
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