As you can tell from the comments of Charlie and Jackie, Church Creek is a long-time favorite anchorage. Church Creek anchorage lies 18 miles south of Charleston. Church Creek, with 13-22 ft. depths, indents the eastern flank of the AICW’s hard by marker #77.
3-27-2020- back in one of our favorite anchorages- Church Crk, about mm 486.8. We always go farther into crk than most- quieter! Anchor held first time- never dragged here before. Great Verizon, 19 over air TV, normal tidal current, no shopping or dog walking. Plenty of swing room for many large boats. Beautiful view is worth the stop. Some protection from southerly wind- more of a moderate weather anchorage. This is in top 5 of our favorites- been here well over 12 times- and will be back in future. Charlie and Jackie on Traveler.
Visitor restrictions will be lifted beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 16, for Dare, Hyde and Currituck counties, including Manteo, home to Manteo Waterfront Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR.
Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard announces entry for visitors.
Visitor restrictions will be lifted beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 16, for Dare, Hyde and Currituck counties.
Visitors will be permitted entry to Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo, Hatteras Island, Roanoke Island, Dare County mainland, Currituck County Outer Banks and Ocracoke Island. Visitors are encouraged to contact their accommodations provider to confirm reservation and arrival plans.
Allowing visitors on May 16 will allow seven days for local businesses, attractions, and accommodations providers to prepare for the arrival of visitors following the new business operating requirements put in place by the governor’s order, according to the counties.
Entry restrictions for visitors to mainland Hyde County were lifted at 5 a.m. Wednesday, Hyde announced. Ocracoke nonresident property owners will be allowed entry May 11. All nonresident property owners should bring their own supplies to sustain themselves in their homes as much as possible such as groceries, medication, paper products and other essentials.
Officials reminded visitors that the pandemic is not over and state and local restrictions are in effect including:
Social distancing guidelines.
Gatherings limited to 10 people or less.
Restaurants operating on a takeout or delivery basis only.
Limits on the number of people allowed into stores.
Continued closure of personal care and grooming businesses and entertainment businesses without retail or dining.
Visitors are encouraged to wear a mask or cloth face covering in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Officials stressed CDC recommendations to not travel if you are sick or were exposed within 14 days to COVID-19.
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.
A REPORT FROM EYEWITNESS NEWS, BAHAMAS– The bridge from Spanish Wells to Russell Island has collapsed, cutting off access to the islands and cutting off the community’s access to its main water supply.
Progressive Liberal Party Senator Clay Sweeting told Eyewitness News a cement truck and golf cart were on the bridge when it collapsed shortly before 2 p.m.
Sweeting said the government signed a contract to replace the bridge in July 2019.
“It’s been deteriorating for some time,” he said.
“The new bridge is in containers on Russell Island waiting to be installed, so right now it’s not too much that can be done. There are a lot of residents on Russell Island that cannot transport themselves to Spanish Wells and vice versa.
“Also the water main is attached to the bridge and that also has collapsed. So now the community over there will be without water for the most part.”
Sweeting added: “Right now we are trying to assess the situation not much we can do. We need to get some heavy equipment in.”
Dataw Island Marina, a former Cruisers Net sponsor, was completely destroyed by Hurricane Matthew, but has now rebuilt and is open for business (temporarily restricted to day-time only transients and outside dining.) The marina is located just a short distance south off the Waterway via Parrot Creek, then Morgan River, west of marker #6, along the southern banks of the Morgan River. A wonderful, intimate marina and a great stopover!
We are happy to report that the Dataw Island Marina is once again fully operational with fuel, wet slips, dry stack, a restaurant, and a full-service boatyard. The Dataw Island Marina has rebuilt their wetslips and has a fuel once again. Gone are the days of being limited to dry stack. Hooray!!! Laura McCarthy
Bahamas Chatter is produced by A CRUISERS NET PARTNER, Explorer Chartbooks, which has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
CRUISING PERMIT UPDATE – from the Bahamas Customs Department:
“Because of the Emergency Orders that are in place, any vessel in Bahamian waters whose Cruising Permit expires will not be penalized. Once the E/O has been lifted, the renewal process will be resumed.” Regards, Geannine R. Moss, Ed.D, MBA, MPA Comptroller of Customs Bahamas Customs Department (242) 604-3021, (242) 604-3116 (242) 322-6223 (fax)
Windmill Harbour Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located on Skull Creek, on the shores of Hilton Head Island. As of 5/6 transients are welcome.
EFFECTIVE 5/6/20
MARINA LOCK HOURS OF OPERATION BACK TO NORMAL!
Daylight Savings time hours: 8am – 7pm every day
As usual, Fuel Dock closes 1 hour before the Lock.
Marina office will remain closed until further notice.
Please note the Lock will be closed tomorrow 5/6/20 from 2pm to 3pm for pressure washing and routine maintenance.
Dear Boaters,
I hope this email finds everyone happy and healthy. We have had lots of folks out enjoying these beautiful spring days on the water. Let’s hope this weather continues for a while before the humidity and temperature goes up.
According to the latest updates given by Governor McMaster, he has lifted the “stay at home or work” order. We now feel that it is safe to switch back to normal working hours and start allowing transients back, taking into account the most recent health and safety precautions. We will utilize electronic document signing and take payments over the telephone to continue social distancing guidelines. We are still encouraging self service at the fuel dock for fuel and pump outs. PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) will be utilized by our staff, and we will increase the sanitation of our common areas such as bathrooms and Lock controls. We look forward to serving all of our regular slip owners, slip renters, and transients who love Windmill Harbour as much as we do.
We are hopeful that we have “flattened the curve” as they say, but we should still remain vigilant and abide by proper social distancing measures.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Please be advised that there may be a substantial wait time to be Locked back in on each afternoon. Please have patience and understand we are doing our best to get you safely in within a timely manner.
Our thanks to Ted Arisaka of Save Georgia’s Anchorages for calling our attention to this article on anchoring restrictions in Georgia, a topic that dominated cruisers’ news in the fall. Enter “anchoring” in our Search Window for related discussions.
One of a number of Safe Harbor Marinas along the Intracoastal Waterway, Safe Harbor Charleston City Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located along the Ashley River’s northeastern banks, northeast of marker #5.
Visitors are currently banned in the Florida Keys and cruisers wanting to move north are finding marinas and dinghy dockage closed to transients, meaning no supplies. These restrictions on water-born travelers in the Keys is being discussed at length on AGLCA’s Forum and summarized nicely by Ben Sanderson, re-posted here with his permission. See also Non-Residents.
True, legally, transients are barred. However, after living here in Marathon for two years, we have never seen the dinghy police. Just say’n for those in real need who have been quarantined for awhile. We’re leaving in the next few days or we would offer to get the groceries. There are several other loopers still here that may speak up and offer. We are all in this pandemic together.
Another idea is to have Publix deliver the groceries to the fuel dock while you are fueling. They make deliveries from online orders. Not sure about Winn-Dixie.
I was super curious so I checked the boat ramp up by us and there were no signs. So I worked my way down to the ramp by Keys Fisheries (bay/gulf side). Saw the homemade signs and a marked patrol vehicle sitting in the lot as they do at all of the ramps since the new regs went into effect a couple of months ago.
Talked to the officer, CBP T. Diaz, while there and asked why the signs as transients are trying to get food. His words, not mine, were to the effect that during this past late winter too many boaters were anchored off shore and the whole boat ramp and waiting wall was filled with dinghies which interfered with the trailer boats. Understandable. So the city manager put up the signs. I explained the situation with some transient boats needing to get food supplies for a couple of hours so they could head north and he replied that Monroe County deputies wouldn’t write a citation for a dinghy or two if that was what they were doing and the signs really aren’t official anyway as well as no real regulation. Just stay at the end of the wall or better yet, anchor your dinghy a few feet out from shore and wade in. Maybe even leave a note on the dinghy with a contact number.
My recommendation is still to go into or near Boot Key Harbor and anchor semi-legally and then dingy in since the bay side isn’t nearly as good and there is lots of seagrass on that side. I forgot to check Burdines dinghy dock area but a neighbor went there last week by boat and docked without a question raised. Burdines has both fuel and water. Both Pancho’s Fuel Dock and Marathon Marina & RV Resort have fuel and water and are connected to BKHarbor. Bayside, Faro Blanco has fuel only from my understanding. I’ll also bet if you dinghied up to Dockside bar & grill, bought a couple of cold beers and a meal and asked the owner, Simone, if you could leave it tied for an hour while you fetched groceries, I’ll bet she says okay.
FWC Seeing a Large Number of Non-Residents in Monroe County
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Marc Holtzberg- May 22, 2020 - 1:28 pm
We were there when they were throwing the proverbial switch on. It was eerie strange to see Mallory Square with only approximately 100 people and 2 performers in it at sunset. The anchorage was packed with boats all around Listeria Island. We had dinner at Jack Flats and Sloppy Joes was closed. They were not selling dinghy permits. Very few places open. The CVS or Starbucks was not open. The Schooner Wharf Bar was open and in full swing with a very good guitar player.
A longtime CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Edenton always has an exciting calendar of events including safe activities during the coronavirus pandemic. Edenton is at the mouth of the Chowan River on the northwest shore of Albemarle Sound.
Belhaven, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, sits on the northern shore of Pantego Creek which meets the western shoulder of the Waterway at Mile 135 south of the Alligator River – Pungo River Canal. Our thanks to Kevin and Debbie Stone for these kind words.
Belhaven Visitor Lounge, located across the street from the floating dinghy dock, and associated with the Chamber of Commerce, is a most wonderful example of gracious hospitality and “welcome”! During open hours, a book exchange, free wifi, restroom, and a lovely setting with plenty of sitting room to relax, are enhanced even further by the overwhelmingly friendly offers to help with what else boaters might need. We have visited several times, and during our most recent visit we needed to have a time-sensitive document printed so we could sign and mail it promptly; Diana could not have been more kind, having posted her phone # on the outside door and quickly came to help us take care of that, even though it was outside of their open hours; she is a gem! SV Grace’s crew will look for Diana’s beautiful smile each time we are there.
Whether you want to revisit the past, satisfy your curiosities, discover the arts or explore your true nature, you can do it from the heart of the Inner Banks – Washington, North Carolina. Washington City Docks, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, has proven to be well worth the journey up the beautiful Pamlico River!
The Washington Waterfront Docks is open and doing business pretty much as usual.
Dock Attendants are on hand from 8AM to 7PM every day. We have 320 feet of bulkhead docks (without power and water) where boaters can stay for 2 days at no charge, and are able to accept a limited number of boats up to about 80 feet on docks with power and water. Ice, laundry, pumpout, and loaner bicycles for playing tourist or running to the store. As a matter of fact, we have 4 northbound cruisers hanging out in Washington right now, waiting for passage through Maryland to open up.
Some of the restaurants within 2 blocks of the docks are currently closed, but there are 4 or 5 available for takeout orders. We are seeing a large number of families coming down to the waterfront to walk, play, and picnic. And our local marine service providers are all open for business.
We want to hear from all of you who have been “at sea” on the Intracoastal Waterway for the past six weeks. Yours has been a unique experience. Are you ready to come ashore? Ready to use transient services such as ship’s store, onsite restaurant, showers, pool, ice machines, laundry, loaner car, etc. when you are lucky enough to acquire a slip? Are you ready for “normal”? Under what conditions will you feel comfortable? Let us hear from you!
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Phil Doucette- May 9, 2020 - 9:57 am
Although for the short term some precautions such as extra cleaning & sanitzing of bath & showers loaner cars water supply outlets may need to remain the rest of the country except New york City & California should be able to reopen given the above conditions and keeping groups small.
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.
AIWA Spring Update
The Waterway is OPEN for business! Commercial traffic is continuing to move products all along the waterway and snowbirds are heading north. In addition, many states are beginning to open public boat ramps and localized recreational use is increasing in a safely monitored way.
In light of COVID-19, our nation is facing an unprecedented public heath crisis and we are grateful that the focus is on appropriations to help support the people and businesses who are being impacted.
Here at the AIWA, we remain focused on our mission to ensure Congress and the Administration don’t lose sight of our needs for maintenance of the AIWW once they return to the annual appropriation bills. We will be in a great position as we have strong, bipartisan, multi-state support in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives which is great news. And there’s more!
Waterway maintenance was deemed an essential service early in the process and work is currently underway. Dredging is occurring in multiple areas and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Districts are moving forward with bids for new projects. These projects are funded with over $22.5 million that the AIWA worked to secure for waterway projects this year and won’t be impacted by the current federal appropriations process.
We know the future is unclear, but we see bright skies ahead. The U.S. is a Maritime Nation and we need our Marine Highway system. The AIWW / M-95 is an invaluable piece of infrastructure for mobility and we look forward to reducing the backlog of waterway maintenance needs through education and advocacy. With our combined efforts, we will continue to move forward. Please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We may be working from home, but we will certainly keep sharing news as the unified voice of the waterway!
We hope you and your families remain safe and healthy and we are grateful for every one of you!
Waterway Weekly on Wednesdays! Our 1-Minute Roundup of AIWW News
On April 15th, AIWA launched our Waterway Weekly on Wednesdays Instagram videos led by Executive Director Brad Pickel to showcase all the news-you-need-to-know in one minute about the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Visit our Media Page to view recent posts.
Resources from our partners to navigate the evolving information about COVID-19 along the Waterway:
The Waterway Guide, Dockwa, AGLCA and Snag-A-Slip are reporting the changing status of access to marinas, services and docks. The information is collected from boaters, marinas, the U.S. Coast Guard, on-the-water boating editors, and WWG partners. We are committed to providing boaters with up-to-date content to make informed decisions regarding vessel and personal safety.
The American Waterways Operatorshas a dedicated COVID-19 webpage containing information and resources to guide the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry in operating safely while continuing to serve the American people during the pandemic.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association has called on the federal government to take action and help marine manufacturers respond to COVID-19. In addition, NMMA is aligned with organizations including the National Association of Manufacturers, US Chamber of Commerce, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and others to ensure our industry’s voice is heard.
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) 379-1151
Once again Greg Allard graciously shares his photographic skills and descriptive writing to help lift our spirits during the pandemic. Thank you Greg.
Rum Cay, a magical place in the southern Bahamas, has always been one of our favorite cruising destinations. Sadly, this is a photo of the dock (and a marina) which are no longer there, damaged by a couple of hurricanes and destroyed by some serious island troubles. (Much too long a story for here.)
Off to the left in the distance, you can see the ocean breaking on the reef which runs along the southern side of the cay; when the marina was open, it was quite a challenge to work your boat through that reef to reach the marina.
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) used the Shoreline Update Expedite (SUE) process to respond quickly to the US Coast Guard’s request to chart an area around the car carrier Golden Ray that overturned in September south of St. Simons Island.
April 24, 2020
Quarterly Newsletter
NOAA certifies San Francisco Bay shipping channel with top survey rating, increasing confidence for deep draft vessel navigation
There is a risk factor when navigating in and out of our nation’s busiest ports, particularly at the helm of some of the world’s largest deep draft vessels. Mariners rely on tide and water level information, wind and weather data, but perhaps most importantly, they rely on electronic navigational charts and the quality of depth measurements that comprise them. Recently, NOAA certified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydrographic surveys for the Pinole Shoal Channel in San Francisco Bay — a critical waterway for bulk carriers and tankers to reach the ports of Sacramento, Stockton, Martinez, and Benicia — the highest possible data quality rating, Category Zone of Confidence (CATZOC) A1, for two years. This is the first USACE federally-maintained channel to receive the highest-level certification. NOAA anticipates the increased CATZOC rating will dramatically increase shipping efficiency.
NOAA works with partners to expand Tampa Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System
NOAA recently expanded the Tampa Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®), working with local partners from the greater Tampa Bay Marine Advisory Council PORTS, Inc. and the University of South Florida. This critical system provides real-time information to mariners about ocean conditions, water levels, currents, and winds. Tampa Bay PORTS has added a new current meter in the main ship channel and a new air gap sensor on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to help mariners combat strong currents in the area and clear the bridge more safely. The Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS) is a successful public-private partnership with one or more local partners to install, maintain, and distribute data from real-time tide, current, meteorological, and air gap sensors in areas in or outside seaports that need this information for navigation safety. There are currently 33 systems in place across the U.S. Next year, the PORTS program will be celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Real-time tide predictions and observations for NWLON and PORTS® stations in various seaports are utilized for strict guidance on transit times for deep draft vessels– depending on the tide levels. This data is critical for determining available under keel clearance… a challenge in many seaports. In fact, pilot operating procedure manuals in many areas refer to data and predictions from specific NOAA tide stations, operating in many of our PORTS®.
For example, due to ongoing dredging activities in two ranges in the Delaware River, the Pilots’ Association of the Delaware River and Bay issued temporary and restrictive guidelines that specifically utilize short windows tied to the timing of tide predictions and observations at thePhiladelphia, PA NWLON andMarcus Hook, PA PORTS® stations. This area sees a large daily tide range and the guidance pertains to arrivals and departures for vessels of a certain draft at various pier facilities in PA, NJ and DE.
NOAA announces new progress report on mapping U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters
NOAA collects critical data to aid in hurricane resilience
In the wake of the severe hurricane seasons the past several years, Congress appropriated disaster relief funds to NOAA for the support of “flood mitigation, disaster relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastructure.” With these funds, NOAA has been collecting critical data in areas impacted by each hurricane. Over the next three years, more than one hundred temporary water level gauges will be installed to create decision support tools. NOAA will establish benchmarks at each location creating verified points of reference for assessment. Water level products and tidal datums will be calculated to support accurate tide predictions and safe navigation of coastal waterways marred by the hurricanes. These observations will enhance the network of tidal datums foundational to theVertical Datum Transformation tool (VDatum).
Follow along with NOAA’s chart improvements using new web map service
NOAA released a new and improved web map service featuring the status of NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts (NOAA ENC®) as they undergo major improvements. The current ENC scheme is based on the extents of the paper nautical charts from which ENCs were originally digitized. Improvements to the ENC suite involve replacing this puzzle-piece layout with a rectangular grid of ENCs (referred to as rescheming), often providing larger scale and more detailed coverage than the existing paper charts. The public can now view ENC project status from the planning and creation stages all the way to completion, keeping them better informed of when these enhanced navigational charts will be available. This process was first announced in the National Charting Plan and explained in more detail in the Transforming the NOAA ENC®.
NY Harbor to get updated tidal current predictions
NOAA has recently completed a current survey for the New York Harbor area. Many tidal current predictions in this area date back to the middle of last century to as early as 1885. Updated tidal current predictions are imperative for safe marine navigation throughout a waterway. Each year NOAA measures tidal currents at different coastal and estuarine locations by deploying dozens of temporary instruments, this survey included 36 separate locations. Currents are observed at depths throughout the water column and are measured over a period from one to four months. A statistical process called harmonic analysis determines the part of the current caused by the tides. This “tidal current” can then be predicted at that location for many years into the future. Other factors that influence the current such as wind cannot be forecast for more than a few days and are not included in the prediction. The updated information will be available for mariners to use in 2020. All tidal current predictions can be accessed here.
NOAA helps USCG chart capsized cargo ship along Georgia coast using SUE expedited process
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) used the Shoreline Update Expedite (SUE) process to respond quickly to the US Coast Guard’s request to chart an area around the car carrier Golden Ray that overturned September 5 soon after leaving the Port of Brunswick, about 70 miles south of Savannah. The ship’s 24 crew members were all successfully rescued.
SUE is a process created by NGS to respond to quickly to a high priority navigation issue. This request was one of 84 requests since SUE’s inception in 2018. This request was received at NGS on January 21, 2020 through Coast Survey’s Nautical Data Branch (NDB) via the Southeast Navigation Manager and was completed by NGS in under two hours. The wreck is shown below and is located in Brunswick Harbor, GA at: 31°07’40.80″N, 081°24’10.80″W. NGS provided a shapefile to Coast Survey to overlay on NOAA Nautical Chart 11506.
During the SUE process, NGS acquires existing high resolution imagery from a variety of sources, analyzes and improves the georeferencing accuracy of the imagery if necessary, then quickly creates a shapefile depicting the new/changed feature(s) using NGS’ standard C-COAST attribution scheme, and delivers a shapefile to NDB for immediate application to the nautical charts. The port of Georgia (Savannah and Brunswick) is the fourth largest by total volume and Brunswick is considered the busiest seaport for automobile imports in the US. Thus, this request is considered a high priority. For previous articles on SUE please see Coast Surveys’ 2018 blog.
In mid-April, NOAA co-hosted the first entirely virtual Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network Meeting (TCOON) along with our partners, the Galveston District US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This was the first time this meeting was held virtually due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. NOAA partners with the USACE and the state of Texas (Texas General Land Office (TGLO) and the Texas Water Development Board) to manage and operate a coastal ocean observing network that considers federal, state and local observation requirements for a variety of coastal projects and products and leverages the partnerships capabilities and resources toward meeting them. It’s an impressive collaborative network made up of 6 NOAA National Water Level Observation System stations, 28 TCOON stations, 2 NOAA current meter stations, and four NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems that provide the Texas coast with integrated data to support navigation, emergency response, coastal inundation, marine boundaries and resilience planning. This annual meeting is a venue for marine navigation stakeholders in the Texas region to convene and discuss critical regional issues, opportunities for collaboration and implementation success stories.
New Great Lakes water level information available on NOAA Tides and Currents website
Great Lakes partners and stakeholders will now have access to the record high and low water level for each NOAA Great Lakes National Water Level Observation Network station on the NOAA Tides and Currents website.and can use this information as a reference during this spring and summer season which is forecast to continue with high water conditions. NOAA has analyzed historical data for each of its Great Lakes water level stations and provided this information on each station’s homepage, like this onefrom Ludington, Michigan. The overwhelming majority of these stations reached their highest levels on record in 2019.
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