The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Longboat Key Club Moorings, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located on the western shores of Sarasota Bay, north of the city of Sarasota and south of Longboat Pass.
CCCC May Cruise to Sarasota
By Capt. Doug Rhees
Early in the year the CCCC cruise chairman made plans for the May Club cruise to take the Okeechobee Waterway, Caloosahatchee River, east to Lake Okeechobee, cross it and continue on east on the St. Lucie River to Stuart Fl. One of the Club members had made arrangements for 10 boats at Sunset Bay and Marina. As cruise time neared reports of shallow water east of Clewiston in the Lake had several members quite concerned about running aground.
This concern prompted a change in the May20 to 26 cruising dates as the safety of our members and their boats is paramount. We were able to obtain good dock space along with welcoming staff at both Marina Jack and Longboat Key Club in Sarasota. Because of the destination uncertainty and the late date change in venues, our numbers dwindled to just four boats. The trip up from Charlotte Harbor May 20 was pleasant as most boaters chose to run outside in the Gulf. The boat that came up the ICW found a pleasant ride as well with no bridge delays. Once all were docked Happy Hour was enjoyed by all at dockside.
Tuesday saw most members spending some time on boat projects prior to a group dinner at the Marina Jack upper level restaurant. Wednesday we all walked to the shopping area sightseeing and enjoyed a lunch at the Whole Foods store. We had an early group dinner at Owens Fish Camp (a local favorite and quite a unique spot). If you don’t get there early the wait can be very long.
Thursday we departed Marina Jack for a short 5 mile run up Sarasota Bay to the Long Boat Key Club to enjoy their pool and many amenities including the resort’s beach. Some of our group went via Marina shuttle to St. Armands Circle to shop. On day two the group spent time at the pool meeting new friends, and viewing the many large boats slipped at this beautiful facility. The evening meal was a group cookout using grills provided by the Marina.
As happens with most cruises the final day comes too soon and it was time to slip lines and shove off for home. Although some planned to head south on the outside for a faster return time, reports of an increasing south wind kept everyone in the ICW. It was crowded and slower but made for a safe ride home. Even a small group can and did have a great time. Hopefully a run to the east coast will be in the works for 2020.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and
reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at
Derelicts have been and continue to be a major concern all along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. If you have had experience with these derelict removal grants, let us hear from you, especially if you applied as an individual through a government agency.
Derelict Vessel Removal Grant 2018-2019 4th Opportunity Announcement 06/25/2019 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is announcing the opportunity for State, County, Municipal and other authorized governmental entities, to apply for Derelict Vessel Removal Grants. The Fourth application period for the Bulk Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program will begin on Monday July 1, 2019, at 8:00 AM (EST), and end on Wednesday August 14, 2019, at 5:00 PM (EST). Applications received after Wednesday August 14, 2019, will not be eligible for consideration in round four. All removal applications must demonstrate proof that due process was provided for each vessel’s owner. At a minimum, this would include an opportunity for the vessel owner to challenge the derelict vessel determination, either in criminal court or in an administrative hearing. Vessel cases not demonstrating that these opportunities have been offered to the owners of the vessels will not be considered for state funding assistance. A letter of Authorization for Removal from the law enforcement officer must also be included for each vessel applied for. Should funding be available for a fifth or subsequent round of applications, new announcements will be made. The grant guidelines and application form may be downloaded at: http://www.MyFWC.com/DVGrant.
You may also receive the guidelines and application by contacting Phil Horning at (850) 617-9540 or email DVGrant@MyFWC.com.
Applications that meet the requirements for the Rapid Removal Grant Program may be submitted at any time after the opportunity announcement start date, but no later than November 1, 2019, at 5:00pm (EST) (based on available funding). Rapid removal cases must meet requirements of published guidelines as well as due process requirements. Total funding allocated for derelict vessel removal for fiscal year 2018-2019 is $1,000,000. The balance remaining will be available for additional DV removal grant opportunities in the 2018-2019 budget year. Applications may be mailed to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Boating and Waterways Section, Derelict Vessel Grant Program Administrator, at 620 S. Meridian Street – Room 235, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600 or emailed to DVGrant@MyFWC.com.
For further information, please contact:
Phil Horning, Derelict Vessel Program Administrator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Law Enforcement, Boating and Waterways Section, (850) 617-9540 or email Phil.Horning@MyFWC.com
Our thanks to Jim Standing for this report of a recent group voyage to the Albemarle Loop, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, in Albemarle Sound. Along the way they encountered two more of Cruisers Net’s finest sponsors, Dismal Swamp Welcome Center and Albemarle Plantation Marina. The Albemarle Loop is also home to historic Edenton, another CRUISERS NET SPONSOR.
The age old issue of converting popular ICW anchorages, such as North and South Lakes in Hollywood, into mooring fields has in the past been associated with municipal waterfronts like St. Augustine. The mooring fields are considered to be a way to prevent derelicts and long term, unattended anchored vessels. See Anchoring Hassels in Hollywood, Florida and Sewage in Waterway Blamed on Boaters, Hollywood, FL.
Our sincerest thanks to Greg and Barbara Allard for sharing their thoughts and beautiful photography from their Bahamas cruises. These photos and descriptions will have you aching to follow in the Allard’s wake! For more this excellent photography, type Allard in our Homepage search window for letters from previous cruises.
“People who live on continents get into the habit of regarding the ocean as journey’s end, the full stop at the end of the trek. For people who live on islands, the sea is always the beginning. It’s the ferry to the mainland, the escape route from the boredom and narrowness of home.”
We have been traveling with our friends Jim and Ellen. Jim has been playing with a new drone and has taken some excellent pictures, including this one of our boat Meander (lower boat, dark hull) in the mooring field at Warderick Wells. Their boat, Latitude, is just above ours. We’ll show a couple more of Jim’s drone photos later.
The water looks just like what’s shown in the photo; under the boats it is about 12’ deep. The lightest colored water is just inches deep.
A rock cairn, a decorative pile of rocks which has been used for centuries. Former boy and girl scouts will remember this is a way to mark a trail. It has also been used to delineate property lines This one was erected on the beach by visitors.
A sisal tree in bloom. These trees were brought to the Bahamas in the eighteenth century, as an excellent source of strong natural fibers which were used to make ropes for ships. That industry was long ago abandoned, but there are a few scattered trees which remind us of those times.
The Bahamas are primarily made of limestone, and only a few of the islands have enough soil to grow some vegetables and fruit. The rest of the vegetation has to find a nook or cranny to set down roots in the rock or sand, sometimes not successfully. This was once a bush along the beach, but it seems to have taken a new life as a model for “The Creature from the Deep”.
The end of the school day at Black Point, a time loved by children everywhere. All Bahamian school children wear uniforms.
Black Point is an island community, one of our favorites. The island has a population of around 400, many of whom work on neighboring islands and commute there by boat.
This young man was enjoying his ice slush. He’s thinking: “Don’t even try to take this from me.” Love the hair.
Peermon Rolle runs a bakery out of her home. She makes some of the best Bahamian bread, especially her coconut bread. We can’t go to Black Point without buying several loaves.
Peermon’s granddaughter, and great granddaughter.
On the quiet main street of the Black Point settlement, you’ll find any number of residents sitting in their front yards “plaiting” – that is, weaving thin strands of palm into long strips of material usually between two and four inches wide. Those strips are then sold, by the roll, to straw makers in Nassau, who use the strips to make bags, hats or baskets. Most of the straw weavers engaged in this cottage industry are women, but this man named Boise was busy at work; his fingers were impossibly fast. We bought three rolls of plait from Boise and his wife Corrine, also a weaver.
The next day, Peermon showed Barbara and Ellen how to use the strips of plait, and the techniques for fastening them together.
Is this a boat-goat, or a goat-boat? As billy-goats go, this one was friendly, taking some shelter from the sun under this Bahamian competitive sailing vessel.
In the last Letter, we showed you a photo of a spotted eagle ray. This is a different photo of the ray, more clearly showing a remora fish under the ray’s left wing. In this case, the remora is not attached to the wing and is just swimming freely under the ray, but usually the remora attach themselves to rays, sharks and other fish, and go along for the ride.
This photo is of a large free swimming remora (also called a suckerfish), which swam under the dock at Black Point. They are regularly 8-15 inches long, and usually not more than 31”. This remora is a large one, almost three feet. Note the strange flat disc on his head which is what he uses to clamp onto the host fish. The vanes of the disc act like suction cups. It is said that the remora serves to clean the undersides of their host fish from parasites and growth. We’ve never experienced it, but we have heard that sometimes they approach divers or small boats, and attempt to attach to them; they are easily removed if pushed forward.
This seagull was lucky. It’s likely he lost his leg to a shark.
A green sea turtle, in one of the creeks at Shroud Cay.
Diving Thunderball at Staniel Cay. This rock island, with an underwater cave, is named after the James Bond Thunderball movie, where a few of the scenes were filmed. The best snorkeling is not in the cave, but outside, on the east, north and south sides, where there are some excellent coral formations with a good variety of fish, and fewer divers.
A blue Tang.
In a prior letter we showed you a hand-carved fish head from Spanish Wells. We found this driftwood board, with its fish created by nature, on a beach in the Exumas.
Barbara navigates our dinghy through the shallows.
We mentioned earlier that our friend Jim was experimenting with a new drone, and he took these next two pictures. I’m including them here, because they offer a different perspective on the beauty of the Bahamas.
This is a view of Shroud Cay with its serpentine creek which cuts right through the island, running from the Exuma Banks to the Exuma Sound. At high tide we took a dinghy through it; someone compared it to an African Queen experience.
Just south of Warderick Wells. There are no other words needed for this photo.
This derelict boat washed up on the beach in front of David Copperfield’s house on Musha Cay. Usually boats like this are difficult to get rid of, but we suspect that David will make it disappear.
A simple but engaging painting by a local Bahamian artist.
The end of the day, with the sun melting into the ocean.
This will be our last Letter from the Bahamas. Later this week, weather permitting, we will cross the Florida Straits (the Gulf Stream) back to the U.S. It has been another excellent cruise through this beautiful sea-based country, with its stunning vistas and warm, friendly people.
Hello, I enjoyed reading your articles on Cruisers Net. We are looking for another couple to cruise with, going from FL to the Bahamas in May/June 2020. We have a 48' Searay Sedan Bridge. It would be our first time there, so we'd like to go with someone who has been there before.
I've put my contact information [email] below. We live in St. Petersburg FL.
Bennett Brothers Yachts/Cape Fear Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located on the eastern banks of the northeast Cape Fear River, just north of the Isabel Holmes – Highway 133 bascule bridge, and only a few steps from the downtown Wilmington waterfront.
Bennett Brothers Yachts/Cape Fear Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located on the eastern banks of the northeast Cape Fear River, just north of the Isabel Holmes – Highway 133 bascule bridge, and only a few steps from the downtown Wilmington waterfront. Bennett Brothers has graciously extended their complimentary week of dockage through July 31.
BENNETT BROTHERS YACHTS is offering a complimentary week of dockage at the Cape Fear Marina in Wilmington, NC. Located on the Northeast Cape Fear River just steps from historic Wilmington, it is a great stop for those traveling north this spring. BENNETT BROTHERS YACHTS is a full service repair facility located at the Cape Fear Marina with full departments in all aspects of yacht repair and restoration. Please call BENNETT BROTHERS YACHTS for details – 910-772-9277. We hope to see you around the docks!
Key Lime Sailing Club, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, always has very special offers for their visitors! Key Lime Sailing Club is on the Inside Route side of Key Largo. Key Lime Sailing Club is a unique slice of KEYS ENJOYMENT…give it a try and let us hear about your experience.
LET Summer begin Friday June 21, The longest day of the year!
What are solstices?
Solstices are the longest and shortest daylight of the year days.
The summer solstice happens on one day June 20 – 22 each year, with the longest daylight time and also marks the first day of summer. The winter solstice, happens on December 20 – 22, has the shortest daylight of the year and marks the first day of winter.
Here is our Sailstice Discount you can take advantage of:
* Book a reservation staying from 6-21-19 to 7-5-19 and receive 21% off our peak session rates. Valid for new reservations only.
Celebrate the shortest day of the year Dec. 21st 2019 by sailing the frozen winter in warm tropical waters of the FLORIDA KEYS. YES, Key Lime Sailing Club and Cottages coins the WINTER SAILSTICE. AND YES! Start off winter by sailing!
* The DEAL
Book your reservations within the next 5 days for a 5 night stay between Dec 15th and checking out Dec 22 2019 and receive 21% off Peak Season rates.
WHERE WILL YOU SAIL ON HE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR,
Tell us on our face book page key lime sailing club and cottages.
Want to improve or learn Sailing? We got you covered! VisitAmericanSailingAcademy.com or call Capt G. 305-896-5555 tell him u seen it in our email and get 10% off if you book a course in next 5 days.
Register your winter sailing event on the Winter Sailstice Page for a chance to win a Vacation gift certificate and other nice prizes. Enter here.
Our Summer Season Rates are still in effect! From May 1st to August 15th, 2019 you can take advantage of an amazing summer vacation in the tropical Florida Keys for as low as $200 per night in our cottages.
Here are our available dates and cottages for the next three months:
Cottage rental includes unlimited use of a 22’ sailboat (for qualified sailors), kayaks, paddle boards, water toys, bicycles, snorkel and fishing gear at no extra cost.
Visit our website www.keylimesailingclub.com and send us a Request to Book! You can also call or text our reservation specialist at 305-451-3438 almost any time day or night!
Key West International Guitar Festival: Bridges to Paradise
Jun 21, 2019 – Jun 23, 2019 in Key West
The festival features a fusion of master guitarists performing classical, jazz, Latin, blues, folk & contemporary music in historic venues throughout the island, in a series of world-class concerts. Food and wine events are to be paired with music throughout the island offering a culinary and cultural experience highlighted by a special event, “Virtuoso Chefs of Key West.” Featured artists include Mateo, Belle, Rolando Rojas and Larry Baeder. Tickets on sale April 6, online. Call 305-304-1437 or visit their website.
Mango Fest of Key West features all things mango including mango tasting, mango trees and mango daiquiris. The culinary competitions between local chefs and residents alike showcases the colorful abilities of what the mango, also known as the king of fruit, has to offer. The Vendor Village gives art collectors and foodies the experience of a festival atmosphere. Music is provided along with live radio broadcasts. From 10AM to 3PM, Bayview Park, 1400 Truman Ave. Visit their website for more info.
You can check out more upcoming Florida Keys events at FLA-Keys.com.
Win Stays at Key Lime Sailing Club
To our guests and friends, get a chance to go back and vacation at KLSC without paying anything by sending us pictures of your stay here! Win our 8th KLSC Photo Contest and get a free 3 night stay. Check here for details.
Got a talent for video making? Enter our KLSC Video Contest and get a chance to win a free 5 night stay! Check here for details.
We at Key Largo Cottages at Key Lime Sailing Club love our guests and we will be happy to have you back again for another fun filled and relaxing Florida Keys vacation!
Enjoy a Snorkel or Sunset Cruise both bay side and ocean side as well as boat rentals from 22 foot to 68 foot. at Morning Star Sailing Charters. Call us at 305-451-7057.
Our thanks to experienced cruiser Ben Matthews for this review of the marina and the town. The New Bern Grand Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, lies in the heart of downtown New Bern, North Carolina, along Trent River’s northern banks between Trent River highway and railroad bridges.
Hi All – I stayed there in May 2019. Real quick: 1. Docks/electric/water were in great shape for me. Many boaters there and some live-aboards. 2. Amenities – Shower/bath/laundry has to be offsite with an agreement with the local YMCA. 3. Notables: The hotel is still closed from Hurricane Florence. This was a surprise. I was told by a Lyft driver that the convention center was closed and planning to reopen in September. This makes sense as the MS-150 bike ride ( a big New Bern event) occurs then.
I understood also from local information there were disputes about the hotel with insurance and sale options were being pursued. New Bern the town appeared to be in great shape in the tourist/downtown area. Many restaurants full inside and on street tables.
New Bern Grande has many friendly and helpful boaters there. I really like the vibe and the folks. Be aware the staff do close up and leave promptly at 5pm most days. I was helped into my slip by kindness of other boaters. Ben Matthews
AGLCA’s director, Kim Russo, has been very involved with the suggested wording process for HB 201 sent to GA DNR and attended the 6/17 meeting with the GA DNR in Brunswick. This is her report to the AGLCA membership.
The hearing held by DNR in Georgia last night was well-attend, with more than 50 people taking part in the meeting and more than 25 taking the mic to comment. The news is mostly positive, but there is still a lot of time left in the process.
DNR began by giving details of the new law slated to take effect January 1st. During the DNR presentation, they did agree with our stance that all coastal waterways should be allowable anchorages with limited exceptions for shellfish beds, navigation channels, and a limited distance from marine infrastructure such as marinas and boat ramps. This is a win. AGLCA and our coalition (made up of SSCA, MTOA, and DeFever Cruisers) suggested that 150 feet is an appropriate set-back from marine infrastructure. The group we worked with to craft consensus comments (which included GAMBA, Waterway Guide, Cruisers’ Net, Tom Hale, and Roger Long) also agreed to 150 feet. However, DNR has not yet determined what that distance for this setback should be and is continuing to assess the options. DNR also included private residences in the list of shore-side development where an anchoring setback might be put in place. The addition of residential property to that list is something we will have to consider, but I believe it will be a problem for our members and for our coalition. This could potentially put the wants of individual homeowners in front of the rights of boaters. As a reminder, the waterways are in the public trust and are not owned by individuals. That said, there may be a reasonable distance from private docks that boats should not be allowed to anchor. I’m interested in hearing members’ thoughts on that issue.
I was pleased to have the opportunity to reiterate our previously submitted comments on behalf of our members and our coalition. Representatives from BoatUS, National Marina Manufacturers Association, GAMBA, and Waterway Guide also spoke in support of the right of boaters to anchor. Current and former Georgia legislators addressed the group and agreed that there are problems with the law as written. Many individual boat owners expressed frustration with the law, a primary theme being a lack of evidence that there is a need for these new restrictions, and the lack of enforcement of existing laws that could help solve the problems (if these problems exist in Georgia) of dumping raw sewage into the waterways and abandoning vessels.
There was no information provided by DNR on where they may be headed with the permit issue. You have until July 15th to submit written comments. Revised rules will then be presented by DNR to the Board of Natural Resources in August. DNR has agreed to open another public comment period to gather feedback on the revised rules. This will most likely take place in October.
If you haven’t yet submitted written comments to DNR, please send them to:
Kelly Hill Coastal Resources Division One Conservation Way Brunswick, GA 31520 Kelly.Hill@dnr.ga.gov
Simply, state who you are, why you’re interested in this issue, and what you’d like DNR to do. If you are in agreement with AGLCA’s proposal, then you’d like DNR to amend the proposed rules so that:
-Permits are not required for anchoring 60 days or less -All coastal waterways are open to anchoring with the exception of shellfish beds, navigation channels, and within 150 feet of marine infrastructure including marinas, boat ramps, boatyards, or other vessel launching or loading facilities.
Please consider sharing this information with four boating friends and asking them to submit comments as well.
If you have any questions about all of this, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Kim Russo Director America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association
Our thanks to James Newsome for this USACE report on dredging in Jekyll Creek which has been a Cruisers Net Problem Stretch for years. The on-going dredging is more than welcome, it is essential! Jekyll Creek is home to CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Jekyll Harbor Marina.
Our thanks to Tim McNair, a full-time cruiser, for sharing his thoughts on HB 201.
Regarding anchoring restrictions in the State of Georgia
First, I would like to apologize for the length of this post. However, if you are at all interested in Anchorage restrictions in Georgia or anywhere else I encourage you to read this post in its entirety.
My wife and first mate, Tawnya and I are full-time liveaboards currently doing America’s Great Loop.
We were residents of Brunswick, Georgia for 21 years. I am a retired FBI agent serving my final 11 years in Brunswick, GA.
We attended the public hearing at the Georgia DNR on 6-17-19 concerning the recent passage of Georgia House Bill 201, anchoring restrictions in Georgia.
The Boating, cruising, live aboard Community was well-represented. Kim Russo, AGLCA director made an outstanding presentation as did many other national figures from the Boating world.
It was apparent early on in the hearing that the concerns of the attendees was that this law appeared to be hastily written and passed with little to no studies or data to support its necessity and that sufficient laws were already in place, but not enforced in Georgia especially with regard to discharge of sewage. The ambiguity and near-impossible enforcement were pointed out.
In my investigative mind it appeared that a NIMBY (Not In My Backyayd) scenario may have led to the creation of this law.
Near the end of the hearing a lady, Amanda Williams, spoke in support of the law. She acknowledged that the group present were not the problem, but it was the 10% non law-abiding citizens who were the problem and that she was concerned about the cleanliness of the water in Georgia and was hopeful this law would help rectify that problem.
I applaud Representative Hogan, the sponsor of the bill from Georgia District 179 for having the intestinal fortitude to speak before a somewhat hostile audience. However, when pressure as to why this law was created and as to the frequency of live aboard vessels that were problems, he cited one specific case of a former Navy vessel moored near downtown Brunswick being used as a live-aboard.
By the way, Amanda Williams did not inform the group that she is a former Superior Court judge on the Brunswick Circuit in Georgia and currently an attorney in Brunswick.
It may be coincidental but remains somewhat suspicious that the problem live-aboard mention by representative Hogan at the hearing is moored on the river behind Attorney and former Judge Williams office. Could this be the NIMBY that led to the creation of this law?
Absolutely no proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt here, but sufficient cause to to get answers to a lot of questions before public funds are used to implement this unnecessary, burdensome and ambiguous law that is an embarrassment to the Great State of Georgia and potentially sets dangerous precedent for our anchoring rights in other locations.
In the above photo [being sought] the brick building to the right is attorney Williams office and the vessel in question is behind and to the left of her office.
Jim and Peg Healy cruise the Waterway annually and have been supportive of and outspoken on the issue of boaters’ rights for as long as I have known them. Jim is articulate, logical and reasonable in his writing, as you will see below. Our thanks to Jim for sharing his thoughts with our readers.
Hon. Don Logan Hon. William Ligon Hon. Jesse Petrea Hon. Karen Mathiak Hon Al Williams Hon. Lynn Smith
Ladies and Gentlemen:
My wife and I are long-term cruisers. Our boat has been our principle home for 15 years. We are “snowbirds;” annually, we cruise north to spend our summers on the Chesapeake Bay, the NYS Canal System, or along the New England Coast. Each fall, we cruise south to spend our winters in SW Florida. Both spring and fall, we utilize the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (A-ICW) to transit the magnificent Low Country of Georgia. In our travels, we take advantage of both anchorages and marinas. Georgia anchorages we’ve utilized include several places around Cumberland Island, at Jekyll Island, the Frederica River at Ft. Frederica, the Duplin River, New Teakettle Creek, the Crescent River, the Wahoo River, several places at Walburg Creek, Big Tom Creek, the Ogeechee River and the Vernon River. Marinas we have visited include Jekyll Harbor Marina, Brunswick Landing Marina, Golden Isles Marina, Two-Way Fish Camp, Kilkenny Marina, Delegal Marina, Isle of Hope Marina, Sail Harbor Boatyard and Marina, Thunderbolt Marina, and the Savannah Downtown Municipal Docks. We try to visit and enjoy different areas on each passage.
I am writing to express my general opposition to HB201. As I understand the revisions to the relevant Georgia Statutes, there appear to be two components of HB201. First is the discharge of sewage. Second is a new requirement for permits needed in order to anchor in Georgia estuarine waters. I will comment on each in turn, but I believe HB201 is based on flawed assumptions, and will only serve to confuse transient boaters like myself. Furthermore, it is going to be very difficult for boaters to comply, and both difficult and costly for Georgia Law Enforcement Officers to actually enforce. It’s hard to understand how this bill could have been adopted without input from Georgia Marina operators and from the boating public, since the burden of compliance falls on these two groups.
With regard to the discharge of sewage:
The Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 disallows the discharge of sewage within the territorial waters of the United states. It has been unlawful under federal regulations to dump any raw sewage into the territorial waters of the United states since that act took effect. Boats with USCG Type II treatment systems, which have been tested and certified by the USCG to comply with the strict requirements of onboard sewage treatment, may discharge treated effluent except in designated “No Discharge Zones.” So far as I know, the estuarine waters of Georgia have not been designated as NDZs. To emphasize, however, today it is unlawful under the regulations of the Federal Clean Water Act to discharge the contents of a holding tank or otherwise directly discharge sewage into the territorial waters of the US, which includes all of the waters of Georgia, and it has been unlawful for at least 40 years. This would seem to render the sanitation portion of HB201 unnecessary in the first place. If Georgia believe a boater is in violation, that boater can be cited under the terms of the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972.
Continuing, however, any requirement for the mechanical removal of component parts of a boat’s plumbing system is a severe hardship and unreasonable imposition on boaters who travel offshore, discharge sewage lawfully beyond the US territorial three-mile limit, and subsequently enter Georgia estuarine Public Trust waters seeking safe overnight anchorage. In this circumstance, there is no way to document compliance with HB201, which can lead to misunderstandings and inappropriate accusations in encounters between transient boaters and Georgia law enforcement officials.
The revised Georgia statue also imposes an unreasonable hardship on transient cruising boats in navigation on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and tributary estuarine waters of the state. Many cruising boats take only two or three days to transit low-country estuarine waters. A variety of circumstances might result in a boat lawfully pumping out in a non-Georgia jurisdiction (South Carolina or Florida) prior to entering Georgia state waters. Assuming a boat with a 10-14 day capacity for the holding tank, there may be no way for an otherwise compliant boater to document compliance with the Georgia statute. A southbound transient boater who pumped out in South Carolina, subsequently transited the low country, and pumped out again in Florida, is in compliance with HB201, but is unable to meet the newly imposed documentation requirement to demonstrate that compliance.
In light of the above, it seems the Georgia law is poorly though out and constitutes an undue burden to transient boaters engaged in lawful navigation on Georgia Public Trust estuarine waters.
With regard to the new permitting process:
The Official Code of Georgia must acknowledge that there is a difference between the rights of 1) a boat anchored while engaged in navigation, such as ours, and 2) a boat that is in what amounts to long-term storage upon the Public Trust waters of the state while attached to an anchor or mooring ball. Neither current Georgia Statute nor HB201 appear to me to recognize this important distinction. Boats engaged in navigation are not at risk of becoming derelict. It is boats in long term storage at anchor, or on a mooring ball, that are at risk of becoming derelict.
It appears to me that Georgia statute does not define “Derelict” and does not provide objective criteria for 1) declaring a boat to be at risk of becoming derelict or 2) of actually being in a derelict condition. This is an oversight (flaw) of Georgia statute. I respectfully suggest a review of Florida Statute 327.4017. The Florida definition of “At Risk” boats is at this time well thought out and does not adversely affect boats lawfully being used in navigation.
Local Law Enforcement Officers who patrol Georgia estuarine Public Trust waters on a regular basis are well aware of stored boats that are either derelict or at risk of becoming derelict. Absent specific superseding legislation, local nuisance laws can be used by local municipal authorities having jurisdiction to seize and remove derelict boats and to cite owners of at risk boats to require corrective action within a specified period of time in the same way that abandoned cars can be removed from public highways.
Conclusions:
In consideration of the jurisdiction of the Federal Clean Waters Act of 1972, the sanitation provisions of HB201 appear to be unnecessary in whole.
I am completely opposed to permitting fees for transient boats lawfully engaged in navigation, of which anchoring is a lawful part. Additionally, I believe there are federal court precedents that identify such license imposts as unconstitutional. For the short term (no more than 60 days) for boats in navigation (boats in transit through the State of Georgia), there should be no anchoring fees (license imposts) and no permit requirements.
I am not opposed to a permit requirement and substantial fees for boats that are long-term stored by anchoring upon Georgia Public Trust waters. It is these long term stored boats that create the risk of becoming derelict, and it should fall to the owners of long term stored boats to fund corrective action and cleanup. These storage fees could attach to any boat anchored in the same place on Public Trust waters for an extended period of time; ex: anchored in one place for 60 days or longer. I would also suggest, in any case, it is incumbent on local law enforcement officials and municipal authorities having jurisdiction to take interventional action before a boat in their jurisdiction becomes derelict in the first place.
Very truly Yours, l/s: James B. Healy
cc: Amy Thurman, GAMBA
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, currently at Annapolis, MD.
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
Richard Edward Byrd- June 18, 2019 - 5:38 pm
very well said Jim, i might ad that there are only a few marinas along our beautiful coast the cater to transient boaters. i feel that this energy should be put to promoting these small businesses instead of discouraging the transients that enjoy passing through our coastal waters.
Cruisers Net wishes to thank all those whose efforts went into preparing for the meeting, those who sent letters and for all those cruisers who attended. Even without speaking, your physical presence spoke volumes! And a big thank you to Kelly Hill for this report.
WOW! Everyone, just wow! What an amazing evening, cruisers speaking out!
Thanks first of all to everyone who made it to the DNR meeting in Brunswick – I know the DNR was impressed by the fact the room was full. That means a lot.
Thanks to all who commented, your voices were heard loud and clear.
Thanks to the folks who were thinking ahead and livestreamed the meeting – I was so wrapped up in what was going on I didn’t even think of it. Had I done so, we could have announced that so that everyone here could have watched the meeting.
As you can gather, it was a high energy meeting – a VERY high energy meeting. Not a single soul spoke in favor of the DNR’s plans. The upset with them was obvious. The biggest considerations were that laws already exist to deal with issues such as pumping out and derelict boats; that the fee/permitting setup was possibly not legal, couldn’t be enforced and was basically unworkable.
Condemnation of the DNR’s plans was universal – from Kim Russo of the SSCA, from Boat US and the NMMA, even from GAMBA president Charlie Waller, and about 25 speakers from the boating and cruising community.
The bill’s sponsor, House rep Don Hogan, spoke, and kudos to him for being brave enough to get up in front of that audience. It was clear that the officials heard what the audience was saying – that this was a bad bill, not properly prepared, with no data to back it up and without adequate predication. At least three people, if not more, stated that the bill should not be enforced, that it should be put aside until the 2020 legislative session, when it can be reviewed and the problems in it corrected.
What will the DNR do? That’s hard to say. If they’re responsive to the public, this bill is dead in the water (sorry for the pun!). If not – we have a problem.
So – we need to keep the pressure up. The DNR has received 70 letters to date, not counting the official responses from we of the Save Georgia’s Anchorages, the SSCA/MTOA/AGLCA coalition, Boat US and the NMMA.
So if you aren’t one of the 70 who already wrote in – we need you to write in your opposition to HB201 today. Send your opposition to this bill to
Once you’ve done that, copy at least three boating friends with this information and get them to do the same. If you want a prewritten letter to make it easy, you’ll find three of them in the FILES section of the Save Georgia Anchorages Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaveGeorgiasAnchorages/. See the links on the left hand side of the page to open FILES.
Just do it, and then post here that you did, pour encourage les autres.
Again everyone, thanks for your support. We’re winning this fight, but we’re not quite there yet. We’ve all still got work to do!
Once again, huge thanks to Cruisers Net for their support of the boating community.
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
James Newsome- June 18, 2019 - 6:18 pm
Larry, Thanks to you and Cruiser's Net as well as all the folks who attended the meeting in Brunswick yesterday. This is an excellent start to minimizing the damage from the needless anchoring law, but there are a couple more important parts of the process. We need comments mailed or emailed to DNR during the open comment period which will end mid-July. You've included this information in your update. PLEASE EVERYONE DO THIS!!
Next, we need folks to stay tuned as the Coastal Resource Division of DNR formulates rules to present to the full DNR board for approval sometimes in December. We may need to mobilize an email campaign to DNR prior to this date if the Coastal Resource Division doesn't back off on the adverse rule implementation.
Finally, the boaters groups will be keenly aware of the next legislative term for GA which starts in mid January 2020. The permanent fix is for much of HB201 to be changed, and we will need to pressure legislators to rewrite this law to make it more specific to address the real problem of derelict vessels and to be friendlier to the responsible boating community.
Our thanks to Captain Troup Nightingale for this valuable onsite, local knowledge report on depths in Jekyll Creek. His advice is well worth heeding. Jekyll Wharf is on the eastern shoulder of the Waterway north of the bridge and Jekyll Creek is home to CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Jekyll Harbor Marina.
The worst part of Jekyll Creek is within days of dredging completion. Jekyll Creek has been known as one of, if not the worst, sections of the ICW. On below mean low water, portions of the channel have been at around 3 feet. HOWEVER MAKE NOTE – only the EAST side (green side) of the magenta line has been dredged giving around 45 to 75 feet of channel at best. Local knowledge thinks it will fill back in rapidly. So, you must try to stay just EAST of the magenta line. Dredging started about a half mile north of Green 19 and ended near Jekyll Bridge. Headed South, you come around the Green 19 on your port and then get left of the magenta line towards Jekyll Wharf. The dredged channel is pretty close to the docks, not the Red marker there. Headed to Jekyll Wharf will position you very close to the mud on your left – surprisingly close! After Jekyll Wharf docks, the channel bends in a righthand arc – not straight red to red. Again, at low tide, you will be surprisingly close to the mud bank to port. The channel was suppose to be dug and then the sides sloped upwards. What we see is a very sharp difference between the dredged channel and the non-dredged area. So, you could be zooming along in 12 feet of water at low tide and all of a sudden be in 3 feet—both sides. My knowledge of Jekyll Creek has been for around 20 years; 10 of those as a past TowBoatUS Captain. Currently, I run Dolphin and ECO Tours on 45 foot tour boats from Jekyll Wharf where at low tide, we still have to bow in to the docks to have water for our engines while the dock sits in the mud. Captain Troup Nightingale
Our thanks to Genko Ganev for this report of shoaling at the eastern edge of Sapelo Sound, GA.
We are on a catamaran with a 3.2 feet draft and entering the channel through the marked buoys and our chart plotter showing 21 feet of depth we ran aground and spent 30 minutes trying to get out. The shoal must have shifted south. 31 32.021 N and 081 08.692 W Genko Ganev
Our sincerest thanks to Greg and Barbara Allard for sharing their thoughts and beautiful photography from their Bahamas cruises. These photos and descriptions will have you aching to follow in the Allard’s wake! For more this excellent photography, type Allard in our Homepage search window for letters from previous cruises.
“We all come from the sea, but we are not all of the sea. Those of us who are, we children of the tides, must return to it again and again, until the day we don’t come back leaving only that which was touched along the way.”
—Frosty Hesson, Chasing Mavericks
Hi Friends – Some final pictures from Eleuthera, then some from the Exumas, a beautiful group of islands and cays in the central Bahamas.
The biggest challenge we face is the weather. We’ve cruised in the Bahamas for a number of years, but during the last three we found that there were more times when the wind was unrelenting, when the seas looked like this – or worse – every day for weeks on end.
As the old-salts say: the boat can take more than you can. We agree. We avoid such seas whenever possible. However, some times we leave on a calm day after we consult multiple weather sources, but the forecasts turn out to be wrong, and we have to deal with large seas for hours. Paradise is not perfect.
Marilyn and Phil operate a small organic farm on Eleuthera. We bought several of the famous Eleuthera pineapples from them. You may think you’ve had a good pineapple before tasting one from this island. Phil showed us how to propagate a pineapple by cutting off its top and planting it.
Marilyn has a killer smile.
Elliot, the owner of Tippy’s restaurant on Eleuthera. He’s also the lead singer in their Saturday night band. Yes, he is a character.
Tarpum Bay, on Eleuthera, is a poor settlement, with the look of a place struggling to survive. Yet the community found the resources to build this new waterside swing and hammock set for their children. Pride of place. Correct priorities.
Earlier in this trip we showed you a Ghost crab. This is his cousin – a Land crab. Some land crabs can spread their claws sideways and they will be two feet wide. This variety is a bit smaller, but his beautiful colors make up for any size envy. I particularly liked the face: a perpetual frown moulded into his shell. Sadly, he never gets to smile.
We visited Charles Strachan in his home. He is a basket weaver, and uses only the fronds from silver top palms for his work; he says they are the strongest and most durable. Barbara plans to use the large round mat as a wall hanging.
Our next leg brought us to the Exumas, a group of islands in the central Bahamas. The Exuma Land and Sea Park is a legally designated sanctuary where fishing, lobstering, collecting shells or removal of any natural item are not permitted. The Park is twenty two miles long and 8 miles wide, and consists of dozens – if not hundreds – of cays and islands.
When we arrived at Warderick Wells, the island where the park office is located, we were happy to see the new Metal Shark boat, built by the company where our son Chris is CEO.
I was fortunate to join the Park Administrator and go out on patrol. Captain Joseph Ierna Jr., the Administrator, was at the helm, and one of the Royal Bahamian Defense Force Marines – who are regulars on board – was at the bow. Joe commented that he liked that the Metal Shark boat gave the impression of “all business” – that it was intimidating in a way, which made his enforcement duties easier. My response to Joe: “Yes, the boat certainly has a military, aggressive look, but I do think that much of the intimidation was due to the large muscular Marine, Tamal, at the bow, with a sidearm.”
Tamal exchanges some paperwork with a sailboat which was anchored in the Park.
Yes, maybe even a bit ferocious.
Captain Joe Ierna. He’s brought fresh ideas, sound business sense and a new approach to the Park.
The Bahamas are as beautiful underwater as they are above. The visibility is incredible. We estimated here that it was over 250’. When I used to dive in the Northeast, we were happy to have 30’ of visibility. At the top of the photo you can see the underside of the surface of the water.
There is a huge variety of soft and hard coral. At the upper right is a brain coral. Lower left are sea rods. In the center is what we think is a saucer coral. On our boat we carry some excellent guides to fish, coral and reef creatures, but sometimes especially with coral, identification is difficult. So for convenience we call the dark green one in the center a vase coral.
One of the most beautiful fish in the sea – a stunning Queen Angelfish.
The colors on this Ocean Surgeonfish are more subtle than those of the Queen Angel, but this fish is just beautiful.
A purple sea fan with a large parrot fish feeding on the coral.
A spotted eagle ray, with a wingspan close to eight feet. It’s humbling to swim near something so big. Under his left wing, look for the tail of a remora fish. More about that in a future letter. The ray’s tail is so long it extends outside of the picture, to the right.
More recent brain coral, growing over some older coral.
These fish are called Sergeant Majors, because of their chevron-like markings. This photo may look like it was taken through an aquarium window, but the location is on a reef just north of Cambridge Cay. The fish closest to the camera was particularly curious. He thought we had brought food…
The fish in the Park have nothing to fear from man because they are in the sanctuary of the Park. (How do they know if they are in the Park?) In any event, they are relaxed around divers.
So…Just in case you thought the last photo was from an aquarium, our friend Ellen took this photo of me, surrounded by dozens of Sergeant Majors, as I tried to take the previous picture!
This reef, aptly enough, is called The Aquarium.
Sunset over the Land and Sea Park.
Today on a remote beach we bumped into two longtime Bahamian friends, who are involved in the marine and tourism business. We were all swimming together, and she commented that the water was almost too warm to be refreshing. We had noticed that this year the water in the Bahamas was warmer much earlier (we could swim in April) and the waters are now warmer than we have ever experienced in June. They said that this really concerns them as we have just entered the hurricane season, and that it’s too early for the water to be so warm. Hurricanes view warm water as food. They thrive on it, and it makes them grow.
As we consider how long we will remain in the Bahamas, our friends’ comments will have weight on our decision. It’s a long way home, and our boat does not go faster than a hurricane.
Our thanks to Tom Hale for this explanation of the Clean Water Act and how it pertains to boats. The hearing to which he refers is the Georgia DNR hearing on wording of HB 201 being held today in Brunswick, GA.
CLEAN WATER ACT
For those who will attend the hearing today. I think it very important that the issue of boat sewage and NDZs is presented clearly and with one voice.
As previously stated, I have been involved with the issues of boat waste discharge and marine sanitation systems with related issues since the 1970s. After being involved with the creation of several No Discharge Zone laws (and always being on the losing end!) I understand that there is a great deal of confusion which then leads to the dissemination of misinformation. NDZs are proposed and established because if the “icky” factor of sewage. When people hear that there is such a thing as “no discharge zones” they assume that that means that anyplace else is a “discharge zones”. And then citizens, Natural Resource types and elected officials get worried about all the boats dumping sewage into “our waters.“ Then with little fore though t or study they decide “We must eliminate this sewage and create a law making it illegal to dump sewage in our waters.” The Georgia law reflects this confusion. It is already illegal to dump raw sewage into the waters of GA or any other territorial waters of the USA. (https://www.epa.gov/vessels-marinas-and-ports/vessel-sewage-frequently-asked-questions)
There is further confusion because the law also states that each vessel must be equipped with a marine sanitation device (MSD) . The word “device” may, to some people, imply that there has to be some sort of mechanical “thing.” Under the law, a sewage holding tank is one such device. Every boat out there today has a marine sanitation device, that being a holding tank (A sewage holding thank is by definition a Type III marine sanitation device.). Every boat out there has the equipment required to be in compliance with the clean water act.
The clean vessel act (https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/CVA/CVA.htm) is a program to make funding available for the installation of shore side facilities to handle the waste from boats. In my personal cruising experience Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts have done an exemplary job of encouraging commercial facilities to build pump out stations and a number of cities and towns operate mobile pump out boats.
NDZs are created on a state level. To declare a body of water to be an NDZ the state must be able to prove that there are adequate facilities in place to handle the needs of the boating community. A reminder, NDZs only apply to boats which have an onboard treatment system (And, by the way, dumping a bunch of chemicals into your holding tank to kill bacteria does NOT meet the requirements of a sewage treatment system.) Georgia DNR has to understand that declaring all the waters of the state to be an NDZ is unnecessary due to existing federal law. There is no need to duplicate it with a state law. If there are concerns, GA DNR can and should enforce the federal laws already on the books.
The following is from an EPA website on the Clean Water Act.
Section 312 of the Clean Water Act requires the use of operable, U.S. Coast Guard-certified marine sanitation devices (MSDs) onboard vessels that are equipped with installed toilets and operating on U.S. navigable waters.
Untreated sewage discharges are prohibited within three miles from shore.
In order to discharge within three miles, sewage must be treated using a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I or Type II MSD. Alternatively, sewage may be stored onboard in a holding tank (Type III MSD).
Treated and untreated sewage discharges are prohibited in:
Freshwater lakes, reservoirs and other freshwater impoundments whole inlets or outlets are such as to prevent the ingress or egress by vessel traffic.
Rivers not capable of navigation by interstate vessel traffic.
No-discharge zones (NDZs) (as applicable).
In these areas, sewage effluent generally must be retained onboard in a holding tank (Type III MSD). Operators of vessels equipped with flow-through MSDs (Type I or Type II) must secure the device to prevent overboard discharge.
This is the third summary of comments regarding wording of Georgia’s HB 201 which restricts anchoring in Georgia’s coastal waters. See also GAMBA Statement and Save Georgia’s Anchorages.
These comments pertaining to the Notice of Rule Making for Coastal Marshland Protection and Boating Regulations are respectfully submitted on behalf of a coalition of boating associations formed several years ago to protect cruisers’ anchoring rights. Our coalition includes America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA), Defever Cruisers Group, Marine Trawler Owners’ Association (MTOA) and Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA). Collectively, our coalition represents approximately 12,000 active boaters. We strongly believe that derelict and abandoned vessels, and vessels left unattended at anchor, are major problems and that a solution to rid our waterways of these vessels is needed. They present hazards to navigation, cause damage to property, and clog anchorages that would otherwise be useable for responsible, active cruisers. However, the proposal to require a permit for short-term anchoring in Georgia is unduly burdensome and creates a hindrance for boaters who want or need to “drop the hook” in Georgia’s pristine anchorages. While some of our members question the constitutionality of the law, we recognize DNR’s responsibility is to implement the law as it stands. However, we believe the existing law and proposed rules are fraught with potential problems on implementation. Below are questions and concerns brought forth by our members related only to implementation, and the challenges inherent in the rules as proposed: • Transient boaters entering Georgia may not be informed about the requirement to obtain a permit and may inadvertently be in violation • Weather, mechanical issues, and other factors beyond the boater’s control may prevent them from planning enough in advance to obtain a permit (i.e., they may be forced to anchor when and where they did not intend to) • With some mobile service providers, service may not be available everywhere in the estuarine areas of Georgia, leaving a boater unable to obtain a permit • Local boaters object to needing a permit to spend a weekend at anchor in their “backyard”. • Will DNR have the man-power to enforce the permit regulations? • How will boaters know where they can anchor under the exclusionary approach that all waterways are closed to anchoring except those that DNR designates as anchoring areas? To address the permit issues, we suggest that a permit not be needed when anchoring in one location for less than 60 days. Accordingly, we propose the language in 391-4-5-.23 (1) and (2) be amended as follows: (1) Anchoring or Docking Vessels at Night. No person shall anchor or dock a vessel at night in the estuarine area of the state unless it is at an eligible facility, as defined in O.C.G.A. 52-7-8.4, or in an anchorage area established by the Department as outlined in paragraph (3), below. No boat may be left unattended at anchor for more than seven days. If anchored for more than 60 days in one location, an anchorage permit as outlined in paragraph (2), below, is required. This rule does not apply to the following: A vessel docked at a private recreational dock or a non-eligible facility so long as such vessel is not utilized as a live-aboard vessel, as defined in O.C.G.A. 52-7-8.4; (2) Anchorage Permits. (a) Vessels may not be anchored for more than 180 days in one location. Persons anchoring a vessel for more than 60 days in one place in the estuarine area and within an anchorage area established by the Department, must purchase and be in possession of an anchorage permit, except as provided herein. (b) Permit Fee. 1. A monthly anchorage permit is valid for 30 days and is available at a cost of $40.00. 2. Senior citizens (65 years of age or older), active duty military and veterans may purchase a monthly anchorage permit at a fifty percent discount. (c) Anchorage permits shall be available at all sites that sell hunting and fishing licenses, by phone and online. (d) Anchorage permits may be printed or held electronically, but must be onboard the vessel at all times and available for inspection upon request. When a vessel is unoccupied at night, any monthly anchorage permit must be prominently displayed and visible from the water. (e) Any person applying for an anchorage permit for a live-aboard vessel must certify to no discharge of sewage, treated or untreated, into the estuarine area of the state. (f) Exemptions to this rule may be granted by the Department for unique circumstances. Conditional permission must be requested in writing to the Commissioner. This solution eases the burden on, and the concerns of, the cruising community. We recognize that, one reason to support the need for the permits is to give additional authority for law enforcement to impound derelict, abandoned, and long-term stored vessels, as they are unlikely to have a permit. Removing the obligation to obtain a permit for short-term stays does not interfere with the goal of giving law enforcement additional leverage to deal with this very real issue. With a permit not required for short-term anchoring, should DNR deem it necessary, our coalition would support fees for monthly anchoring permits that are higher than those proposed. Regarding the approved anchorage areas, we proposed a more inclusive approach where all areas are open to anchoring with a few exceptions. We suggest that the language in 391-4-5-.23 (3) be amended to specifically state that anchorage areas include all waterways, with restrictions only where anchoring can create a hazard or cause environmental damage. The State of Florida has a statute in place that establishes setbacks from marine infrastructure in which anchoring is not permitted. We propose modeling the Georgia regulations on Florida’s statute, as follows: (3) Public Notice. Anchorage areas shall be all of Georgia coastal waters except shellfish beds, navigation channels, and within 150 feet of marine infrastructure including marinas, boat ramps, boatyards, or other vessel launching or loading facilities. (b) This subsection does not apply to: 1. A vessel owned or operated by a governmental entity. 2. A construction or dredging vessel on an active job site. 3. A commercial fishing vessel actively engaged in commercial fishing. 4. A vessel actively engaged in recreational fishing if the persons onboard are actively tending hook and line fishing gear or nets. 5. A vessel suffering a mechanical failure that requires immediate securing of the vessel to avoid grounding, drifting into area of greater hazard, and/or to allow the operator to attempt repairs or wait for a tow. 6. Imminent or existing weather conditions in the vicinity of the vessel pose a risk of harm to the vessel or the persons aboard. Our coalition thanks you for the opportunity to share our comments as part of the proceeding. Respectfully, Kimberly Russo On behalf of America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association Defever Cruisers Group Marine Trawler Owners’ Association Seven Seas Cruising Association
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