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 impact their vital work. Please join and encourage your boating neighbors to do likewise, regardless of their homeport.
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Roger Long is an experienced yachtsman and Waterway cruiser. His passion for the freedom offered by the ICW is very evident in his writing. Anchoring restrictions in Florida have dampened the enthusiasm cruisers once had for that state. Georgia appears to be on the same “boating is only for the wealthy” path. Thank you for sharing Roger. See also Anchoring Under Attack in Georgia? and Kim Russo on New Anchoring Restrictions in Georgia.
Larry,
I was shocked to click into Cruisers Net this morning and see NOTHING about the new Georgia anchoring law that was snuck in under the radar. There was a small, easily overlooked item yesterday but it has aged down to page two. Do you not realize that, if this stands, we are looking at the beginning of the end of ICW snowbirding for everyone not wealthy enough or inclined to stay in a marina every night? This will be the formula that FL uses to finally shut down the state. It will likely spread to the Carolinas. There is a comment and rule making process in play. There should be an all stop call for emergency action.
I posted on some social media sites yesterday and am almost as shocked by the reaction of many in our community as the idiocy of Georgia government, comments generally along the lines of:
We always go outside so this doesn’t effect us.
We always stay in a marina so this doesn’t effect us.
If $5.00 a night is a problem for you, you can’t afford boating.
I’m in favor of keeping sewage out of the water.
We can afford one marina stop and get through Georgia in two days so what’s the big deal?
I find this fragmentation of interest disturbing. Do boaters only care about people who cruise exactly as they do? We are a small enough community as it is and such narrow perspectives will leave us powerless.
For us personally, exploring the remote corners of Georgia and anchoring in the many creeks and unspoiled spots is major reason for all the expenditure of time and money to maintain a large boat and take it south. If anchoring in the state is restricted to a few designated areas, which will certainly be only near places convenient for law enforcement to patrol to check for permits, and crowded, we will not be taking our boat south of Norfolk again. I know that we are probably a minority as most of your readers view the ICW as just a speed bump on the way to the Bahamas and Florida but, if our community fragments like this, there won’t be a Cruisers Net or need for it in a few years.
Roger Long
As a 30+ year resident of Georgia this law is the most outrageous I have seen. This is a classic case of legislators voting on bills proposed that they have no idea about and no knowledge of what they are doing. Just trying to cast their vote so they can go on summer break and don't have a clue what they are voting about. Disgusting really. Would like to know who sponsored and introduced this bill? Then who voted on it. They had no lobbying pushback so they voted Yea on a bill they had no clue about. Sickening. This is an embarrassment to the residents and voters of Georgia. Georgia is an afterthought on the east coast ICW and this nonsense will ensure that GA is nonexistent.
Our thanks to Kim Russo, Director of America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association for this summary of Georgia’s new anchoring laws. See also Anchoring Under Attack in Georgia?
The State of Georgia has passed a bill that restricts anchoring and adds some requirements for boaters regarding their marine sanitation systems.
It appears this will mean some new requirements for Loopers, such as keeping logs of pumps outs in Georgia and securing the black water discharge valves, similar to what is currently required in the Great Lakes and Canada. It will also restrict where you can anchor and require you to obtain a permit in order to anchor overnight. Please read below or view the attached bill for more specifics.
At this point in the process, Georgia DNR has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to start the process of implementing this new law. Details can be found here. They are suggesting a nominal fee for anchoring permits, with permits obtained in a number of ways including online. No information is included on what areas will be designated as anchoring areas, other than a notice that those area will be posted on the DNR website.
This is the most restrictive anchoring law I’ve seen pass. Thankfully, the AICW through Georgia is less than 150 miles. AGLCA will participate in the process for the notice of proposed rulemaking as DNR works on implementation. We will let members know what assistance is needed as we continue analyzing the new law and it’s proposed implementation. In the meantime, if anyone has followed the evolution of this bill or has any additional information, please contact me.
The highlights of the bill are:
-The Board of Natural Resources is authorized to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations relating to
overnight or long-term anchoring within the estuarine areas of this state to include the establishment of an anchorage permit.
-The Department of Natural Resources is authorized to establish anchorage areas within the estuarine areas of this state as well as areas where anchoring is not allowed.
-It shall be unlawful for any person to dock or anchor at night any vessel within the estuarine areas of this state unless it is in an anchorage area established by the department and in compliance with all rules and regulations adopted by the board pursuant to this Code section or at an eligible facility. Nothing in this Code section shall prohibit short-term anchoring for fishing or similar activities, nor shall it prohibit the owner of a vessel from docking at a private recreational dock or noneligible facility so long as such vessel is not utilized as a live-aboard vessel.
-It shall be unlawful to operate or float any live-aboard vessel within the estuarine areas of this state, whether anchored in an anchorage area or at an eligible facility, which has located within or on such vessel a Type I, Type II, or Type III Marine Sanitation Device, as defined in 33 C.F.R. 159, unless such device has a secured mechanism which is constructed and installed in such a manner that it can be emptied only by pumping out to prevent discharge of treated and untreated sewage or is equipped with a holding tank, as
such term is defined in Code Section 52-7-3. Examples of secured mechanisms considered to be effective at preventing discharges include, but are not limited to, closing the seacock and padlocking, using a non-releasable wire tie, or removing the seacock handle with the seacock in the closed position.
-Persons operating or floating live-aboard vessels with marine toilets and subject to the requirements of this Code section shall create and maintain for at least one year after creation records which indicate the name and location of pump-out facilities used and the dates of such use. Persons who own or operate pump-out facilities shall also create a record and maintain, for at least one year after creation, records which indicate the name and vessel registration number, the date of pump-out, and verification of pump-out for each vessel for which pump-out services are performed.
Kim Russo
Director
America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association
in georgia it is legal to dump blackwater tanks out side demarcation line. whats so ridiculous is these bureaucrats that made this law haven't got the brains to realize that most demarcation lines in georgia are just outside the mouth of the sounds barely past the beaches of the islands north and south of them. so if you dump here where its legal, (on an incoming tide}, where do you think the waste is going to wind up? MY ESTIMATION IS THAT 40 TO 50% OF CRUISERS PASSING THROUGH GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS ARE AT RETIREMENT AGE. I FEEL SAFE TO SAY THAT MOST ABIDE BY THE DUMPING WASTE REGULATIONS. THE OTHER 50 TO 60% TRAVEL OFFSHORE PASSING WITHOUT STOPPING. THE GEORGIA COASTLINE HAS MINIMAL FACILITIES FOR TRANSIENT BOATERS. THE ONES THAT DO CATER TO TRANSIENTS ARE GOING TO SUFFER DUE TO THIS NEW ORDINANCE.
Our thanks to BoatUS, a longtime advocate for boating safety, for this article.
Boaters Aren’t the Only Ones Getting Heavier: Outboard Engines Catch Up
BoatUS says be careful when repowering
WASHINGTON, May 30 2019 – One year ago the U.S. Coast Guard required new recreational boats to have more floatation to support the increased weight of newer four-stroke outboards if the boat becomes swamped. Now the agency is implementing those changes as reported in the Spring 2019 issue of the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Circular. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) advises recreational boaters to be aware of this issue when considering repowering an older model year vessel with a heavier four-stroke outboard.
“Repowering with a newer, more reliable, cleaner, fuel-sipping outboard is one way to get more life out of a good boat,” said BoatUS Foundation president Chris Edmonston. “However, after having gone through the recent repowering of a 22-foot center-console vessel with a heavier four-stroke, and seeing first-hand the resulting loss of freeboard and performance, we want to remind owners to consider engine weight. With a potentially heavier four-stroke motor and resulting lower freeboard at the stern, swamping is a concern and your boat may handle differently than with the old engine.”
If you don’t know the weight of the engine you’re replacing, Edmonston recommends you contact the manufacturer before you repower. A boat dealer or repair facility may also be able to provide that information to ensure that, regardless of horsepower, the engine weights are similar.
Federal requirements mandate that outboard-powered monohull boats 20-feet and under must be built with enough flotation to keep the passenger-carrying area at or just below the water’s surface in the event of swamping or capsizing. The boat must float level. There are no floatation regulations for vessels over 20-feet long.
When these regulations were written in the early 1970s, virtually all outboards suitable for smaller boats were two-stroke models covering a broad range of horsepower, but that’s no longer the case. Four-strokes come in virtually every size now, making them viable candidates for installation on more boats. While recently there have been some two- and four-stroke models with comparable power and weight, by and large four-stroke outboard engines remain heavier. A four-stroke’s more complex valve systems typically add 10% to 15% or more weight than their two-stroke counterparts. Twin engine installations compound the weight problem.
This isn’t the first time the Coast Guard has recognized a growing vessel weight issue and updated regulations. In 2011, the “Assumed Average Weight Per Person” was increased from 140 to 185 lbs., but only for commercial passenger vessels. Existing formulas for weight capacity on recreational boats were considered adequate and did not change.
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About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):
Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with more than a half-million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We are The Boat Owners Auto Club and help ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins. When boats break down on the water, TowBoatUS brings them safely back to the launch ramp or dock, 24/7. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Program offers policies that give boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and superior service they need. We help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
Ben Matthews is an experienced yachtsman and we are grateful for his sharing of his experience with the numerous engine problems possible with a new previously owned boat. Thankfully, it is a story with a happy ending. Westland Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located on the southeastern shore of Titusville’s semi-enclosed harbor.
We had mechanical issues in Titusville that needed to be repaired. We recently purchased a (too) lightly used express cruiser we are moving from Florida to North Carolina. In Titusville, the starter on one of the engines failed and was fixed by Boater’s Edge which resides in the same building as Westland Marina. Truly a collaborative arrangement. Westland Marina is under new ownership and they are as nice and accommodating as they can be. I pulled the boat in on a Saturday and made arrangements after hours on their emergency call line, and then contacted Boater’s Edge that Monday. When I picked the boat up the next Friday all the work was done and I pulled out. Fuel issue. Came back. Jeff from Boaters Edge fixed it on the spot. Pulled out again. Circulating pump issue. Pulled in again. They had the part ordered and made arrangements to fix on the spot on Saturday – of Memorial Day Weekend no less – and got me up and on my way by 10am. Superb support and friendliness by Kyle and Jeff to get me back on the water again and headed north. I made 480 miles the next 3 days due to their overtime work and fast response! Also they helped with advice after the repair for my maintenance of it days later. Thanks Guys!
Although Westland Marine and Boater’s Edge are separate businesses, they work collaboratively to help boaters. Sean the nice marina manager has a really friendly Labrador who will play fetch while you wait and the lounge, shower, laundry, and restrooms are spotless and comfortable. Westland is generally a DIY yard and very lively with activity. Many useful stores (grocery, pharmacy, fast food) within a 20-minute walk, and a great ACE Hardware (with marine parts) is a 2 mile Uber/Lyft ride in the Florida heat.
Thanks Westland and B-E for a great experience in a challenging situation!
Ben Mathews
Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers Net Marina Directory Listing For Westland Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Westland Marina
Summer heat closed 1 bridge. Could it close more? With a closed vertical clearance of 31ft, Ben Sawyer Bridge is the last bridge before Charleston Harbor when southbound.
Good morning, Charleston
Charleston is known for seriously hot weather, but it reached a new level om Monday.
The Charleston area experienced a high of 100 degrees, with an even higher heat index — hot enough to warp the Ben Sawyer Bridge. “Extreme heat” expanded its steel structure to where it became stuck partially open.
Though other bridges in the state have experienced similar temperatures, Memorial Day marked the first time the Ben Sawyer Bridge bridge was forced to shut down due to the heat, according to the S.C. Department of Transportation. This is a relatively rare occurrence and not a sign of a problem with its structural integrity, state transportation officials said.
The bridge remained shut down to vehicle traffic for four hours during the evening, much to Memorial Day beach-goers’ dismay. It eventually reopened to traffic around 9 p.m., but it remained closed to maritime traffic for most of Tuesday.
“It isn’t common, but it’s not unheard of,” Kevin Turner, a SCDOT construction engineer, said of the bridge’s thermal expansion.
FULL STORY: ‘Extreme heat’ led to Sullivan’s Island bridge closure on Memorial Day, officials say
Post and Courier
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Ben Sawyer Bridge
Experienced cruisers and frequent Cruisers Net contributors Jim and Peg Healy share their ships log and navigation watches as M/V Sanctuary travels north on the FL/GA Waterway. Thank you Jim and Peg!
Jekyll Creek is home to CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Jekyll Harbor Marina, one of the best, as Jim and Peg discovered!.
We called Jekyll Harbor Marina for local knowledge on dredging status in Jekyll Creek. The dredge is now working in the shallowest area of the creek, and the advice was to stand down and wait for more water. JHM let us tie up on the face dock, and let us hook up to power at no charge. The mid-day heat was brutal, so I considered that courtesy as above and beyond! Kudus to Jekyll Harbor for their welcome! We enjoyed a nice lunch there, and departed northbound at 13h30 with the tide at +2.3 ft. No issues. From the bridge to the dredge, we saw a steady 9.0 ft up to the dredge. North of the dredge, for about 1/4 mile, it was bad; 5.5 ft. Not passable for most cruising boats at MLW. But, within a couple of weeks – and certainly by fall – Jekyll creek should be fine for a change! Around 6.5 to 7 ft, MLW.
Jim and Peg Healy aboard Sanctuary
Monk 36 Hull #132
See also Shallow Depths in Jekyll Creek
Click Here To View the Cruisers Net AICW Problem Stretches Listing For Jekyll Creek
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Click Here To View the Cruisers Net Georgia Marina Directory Listing For Jekyll Harbor Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Jekyll Harbor Marina
Numerous route options to navigate St Andrew Sound, especially in foul weather, have been posted on Cruisers Net. Type St Andrew Sound in our Homepage Search window for those reports. Experienced cruisers and frequent Cruisers Net contributors Jim and Peg Healy share their ships log and navigation watches as M/V Sanctuary travels north on the FL/GA Waterway. Thank you Jim and Peg!
We crossed St. Andrews Sound between 08h45 and 09h15, with the tide at Jekyll Creek at 1.8 ft. We crossed the tip of Horseshoe Shoal with 7.5 ft of water. Conditions were dead flat, so I would not recommend that route near low tide with any significant seas on St. Andrews Sound. With only 5.5 ft, +/-, some cruising boats would potentially have problems, and certainly so with 2 ft seas.
Jim and Peg Healy aboard Sanctuary
Monk 36 Hull #132
See also Comments on St Andrew Sound
Experienced cruisers and frequent Cruisers Net contributors Jim and Peg Healy share their ships log and navigation watches as M/V Sanctuary travels north on the FL/GA Waterway. Thank you Jim and Peg!
Problem Stretch Cumberland Dividings at the intersection of the Waterway and Brickhill River has been a Problem Stretch for several years due to constantly shifting shoals and an erroneous magenta line on many chartplotters.
The Cumberland Dividings were fine as marked. Floating R”60″ has been moved slightly north again. We cleared R”60″ at 08h30, with tide at Crooked River at +3.5. We saw at least 9.0 ft, so at least 6.5 ft at MLW. We did not that we needed to stay north there, close to the shoreline. The south side is shoaling. Creates anxiety, but doable for most cruising boats except at celestial lows.
Jim and Peg Healy
Click Here To View the Cruisers Net AICW Problem Stretches Listing For the Cumberland Dividings
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
Experienced cruisers and frequent Cruisers Net contributors Jim and Peg Healy share their ships log and navigation watches as M/V Sanctuary travels north on the FL/GA Waterway. Thank you Jim and Peg!
Sanctuary and crew stayed last night (5/27) at Amelia Island Yacht Harbor. We departed northbound this morning (5/28/2019) at 06h00 with the tide at Kingsley Creek at +5.1′. We used Bob Shearer’s west side route through the shallows south of Fernandina Beach. That route is fine. We saw no less than 17 ft, so 12 ft at MLW. TowBoatUS is telling people to ignore G”1B” and stay to the east side of the canal, but we had no problems and can’t see why that advice is necessary. Both routes through that shallows appear to be quite viable.
Jim and Peg Healy aboard Sanctuary
Monk 36 Hull #132
See also NAV ALERT
See also Tom Hale Comments on Confusing Area South of Fernandina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Amelia Island Yacht Basin
We went through this morning (5-29-19) 2 hrs before low tide 5′ draft, stayed to the west using the markers saw no less than 7′
Albemarle Loop
Our thanks to Ethan Barnett for these kind words for CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Albemarle Plantation and for the Albemarle Loop as posted on AGLCA’s Forum. The Albemarle Loop also includes Edenton, another CRUISERS NET SPONSOR!
Many have suggested this side trip up the Albemarle Sound and we found this gem of a destination, The Albemarle Plantation. The folks here are wonderful and the grounds are absolutely resort like but without the price tag. Lovely pool, tennis court, golf, gym and wood fired pizza plus other stuff. If you are coming through this is a welcome respite.
Ethan Barnett
AGLCA Forum
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Albemarle Plantation Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Edenton Harbor (City Docks)
As Richard Ross warned in early May, Caution Still Needed, Sean Foley reminds us that, despite ongoing dredging in the creek, a sharp eye on your depth finder is a wise choice until the dredging project has been completed. And like TowBoatUS, mid to high tide is Cruisers Net’s recommendation for safe passage.
If you draw five feet or more, enter Jekyll Creek from the north only at or very close to peak high tide. Our depth finder showed less than 6 feet of water at Marker 17 an hour before the afternoon peak high tide. We draw 5 feet so we had less than a foot of clearance. The ongoing dredging operations will greatly improve this situation, but until the project is completed use caution and time your entry properly. The dockmaster told me it will take another few weeks to complete the project. I had called TowBoat US for local knowledge before entering the Creek and he suggested a mid-tide or higher entry would be ok. He was correct, but I’d say make it closer to peak high tide.
By the way, after I submitted my comment I spotted a couple of skeptical responses to the early May advisory from two other skippers. The answer here is that the dredging equipment is by necessity occupying the Jekyll Creek channel around markers 17 and 19, forcing boat traffic into the western shallows. The dredging crew has advised Tow Boat US to tell deep draft vessels to pass as close as safely possible to the west side of the dredging barge/equipment.
Cheers,
Sean Foley
Click Here To View the Cruisers Net AICW Problem Stretches Listing For Jekyll Creek
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To This AICW Problem Stretch
AREA SPONSORING MARINA
Click Here To View the Cruisers Net Georgia Marina Directory Listing For Jekyll Harbor Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Jekyll Harbor Marina
The Gulfport Historical Society continues its educational activities for the City of Gulfport, which always has a full calendar of events for all ages and is home to Gulfport Municipal Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, located on the northern shores of Boca Ciega Bay, easily accessible from the Western Florida ICW, just north of Tampa Bay.
At long last, the museum reopens! Join us?
Join us for a very special grand re-opening of the Gulfport History Museum!
After months of renovation following last summer’s Labor Day fire, our museum is in beautiful shape and we’re excited to officially open to the public on June 1, 2019.
We’ll be open to everyone this Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for a meet and greet with volunteers, board members and our first-ever operations manager. You can learn more about GHS’s plans for the coming year and our ongoing efforts to digitize and preserve Gulfport’s town records, all while enjoying our beautifully restored museum space. Our exhibit The Gabber: 50 Years of Hyper-Local News will be back on display for your enjoyment.
We’ll have a light buffet brunch, courtesy of Stella’s, with some muffins from A Friend Who Bakes. We always welcome dogs and well-behaved children.
Let us know you’re coming to our grand reopening!
The Gulfport Historical Society operates the Gulfport History Museum, located at 5301 28th Ave. S., in Gulfport.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Gulfport Municipal Marina
Our thanks to Tony Pozun for this unusual sunset photo.
Our thanks to Steve and Jane, and others – see comments below- for these kind words posted on AGLCA’s Forum for one of our longtime CRUISERS NET SPONSORS, Dowry Creek Marina. The marina is under new management and ownership by the Zeltner family who want to roll out the red carpet to transients, doing whatever you might need during your visit to this highly praised and transient friendly marina lying off the AICW/Pungo River north of Belhaven, NC.
Our thanks to Jeff Irwin (see comments below) for the two photos from Dowry Creek.
Just left Dowry Creek Marina in Belhaven, NC, this am. Had a great visit and wanted to let everyone know. It’s well run, has brand new docks, free laundry, courtesy car, pool, and protected water. Jeff does a great job and we will definitely be back.
Steve and Jane McKinney
M/V Sabbatical
36′ Albin
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dowry Creek Marina
Photo by Jeff Irwin
Photo by Jeff Irwin
We also want to add to the positive review of this marina. The new owners are slowly rebuilding the docks, including new electrical pedestals.All the freebies listed in other reviews are as stated. There is supposed to be an on-site restaurant opening up in summer 2019; the building it will be in looks wonderful. One of the reasons we liked it so much was the attention of Jeff and his crew. We ended up having an extra day there, due to weather, and we were safe and secure. This place will only get better as time passes.
Louise Anderson
Experienced cruiser and frequent Cruisers Net contributor Jim Healy shares his observations on the two route choices south of Norfolk. The Virginia Cut is part of the main AICW route via Great Bridge Lock and the Dismal Swamp Canal is the alternate route departing northeast Albemarle Sound northbound via Pasquatank River, Elizabeth City and South Mills Lock. The Canal rejoins the AICW at statute mile 7.1.
There are so many considerations… To say nothing of personal preferences…
The two routes are the “Virginia Cut” and the “Dismal Swamp.” There is no significant difference in the distances of the two routes, but the Dismal takes longer. The Virginia Cut can be done in one day. The Dismal Swamp route can be done in one day, but more usually will take two or more. It depends on what you want to see and do.
The Virginia Cut is a salt-water route suited to fast boats and boaters who are “in a hurry.” It is the eastern route, the “main” ICW, runs through Coinjock, where there are marinas, is used by go fast boats with big wakes and inconsiderate operators, and has a couple of bridges that can bring the pace to a prolonged stop. There is one lock at Great Bridge in Chesapeake, VA, that has about an 18″ lift. That bridge operates on the hour. It’s tidal north of Great Bridge.
What’s good about the route?
1. Fast
2. Coinjock
3. Southern 1/4 of the route is beautiful.
The Dismal is a fresh water route through a cypress swamp with some old growth deciduous trees. It is the western route, suited to slow boats and boaters who are very comfortable taking their time. There are two locks, one at South Mills, NC, and on at Deep Creek, VA. Lift is about 8′, depending on Lake Drummond datum and tide on the north end. The locks operate 4 times a day, at 8h30, 11h00, 13h30 and 15h30. It’s 22 StM from South Mills to Deep Creek. If you clear into the system at 08h30, you have 5 hours to make the 22 miles to Deep Creek, which is less that 5 mph. There is a 6 mph speed limit on the canal. No wakes.
We are an 8 MPH boat. We depart Elizabeth City at 06h00 to clear into the system at South Mills at 08h30. People (usually sailboats) also anchor in the channel at the South Mills Lock if they can’t get going by 06h00. Anchoring in the channel is legal in the overnight when the locks are closed, but you must not interfere with traffic during the day.
The Dismal control depth is 6-1/2 ft. The usable width of the Canal is probably 70 feet. The crown of the forest does overhang the canal, and sailboats – all boats, really – will take their half out of the middle. There are some submerged logs. The trick is to stay 3/4 mile behind the boat in front of you – if there is a boat in front of you – so that anything that boat lifts off the bottom will settle back to the bottom before you get to that spot. No boat in front of you, just go slow. Many people complain of bumping something in the dismal. Many of them are “tailgating” boats in front of them. How to I know? I’ve see it over and over again.
What’s in the water in the dismal?
1. Nothing
2. Visible dead heads ranging in size from twigs to logs
3. Submerged larger stuff
4. Wildlife and sea monsters
We prefer the Dismal. We take our time. We enjoy the peace and quiet. We rarely hit anything, and we never hit anything at speeds above idle.
What’s better about the route?
1. Elizabeth City
2. No wakes, boater courtesy
3. NC Visitors Center and Nature Center
4. Ample free docking (albeit w/o services)
5. Robert Peek
6. The magnificent scenery and wildlife of the Pasquatank River
If you draw 5′ or less, you won’t have a problem. If you are patient, you won’t have a problem. If you stay well behind the boat in front of you, you won’t have a problem.
Yes, this has all been discussed many times. It’s a natural and inevitable part of the AGLCA spring ritual.
Jim and Peg Healy
Monk 36 Hull #132
CRUISERS NET SPONSOR IN VIRGINIA CUT ROUTE
Click Here To View the VA to NC Cruisers Net Marina Directory Listing For Atlantic Yacht Basin
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Atlantic Yacht Basin
CRUISERS NET SPONSOR IN DISMAL SWAMP CANAL
Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers Nets Marina Directory Listing For the Camden TDA/Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center
Cruisers Net is honored to be able to work with this five-star, customer-focused, family owned and operated organization. Watermakers Air and Staniel Cay Yacht Club have been synonymous to so many over the past years. Success is the driving element to its expanded service to the Bahamas and to its re-branding as Makers Air. Take a look at what you may do to add to your Bahamas experience. Can you say…” Wow !!”
Staniel Cay Yacht Club, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR!
There’s Something New in the Blue Skies Over the Bahamas
Watermakers Air has Re-Branded to
Makers Air
Still Providing an Unparalleled Travel Experience with A New Look
The story behind this story is filled with the passion of an enterprising gentleman, Joe Hocher, the developer of what we all know as the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, Exumas, Bahamas, and Watermakers, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, a manufacturing company dedicated to the design, manufacture, and service of reverse osmosis desalination equipment. In the earlier years, Mr. Hocher flew around the islands in his Piper Cherokee Six, installing and servicing his desalination equipment; he affectionately became known as “Watermakers Air”.
Then, in 2002, Watermakers Air was officially launched in response to demand for reliable air service to the Out Islands of the Bahamas, operating as a Part 135-Charter for the specific purpose of flying passengers and freight.
For the past seventeen years Watermakers Air has been the preferred air service to the Bahamas from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Growing from its initial operations servicing mostly Staniel Cay, Exumas, Makers Air is today’s premier air service to many of the Out Islands of the Bahamas.
Now you can make your island dreams come true…
Makers Air enhances your experience of travel by bringing back what it means to fly – the excitement of the great escape, togetherness with family or friends, and helping you relax as yesterday’s concerns fade into the inviting, crystal blue waters of the Bahamas.
The Makers Air “difference” runs deep. What resulted from Joe Hocher’s passion became a family-owned, strategically grown, premiere boutique airline, that believes in the value of the passenger’s experience and safety. Makers Air understands that the destination is not your only adventure – it’s also the exciting journey to get you there.
See these beautifully scattered cays from a “Makers” point of view
Sparkling blue waters dotted with small cays … So much to see, do, and enjoy.
And the flight over and back becomes so much of the total experience… and memory.
Today, Makers Air, a certificated On-Demand / Commuter Air Carrier, has taken its brand promise to the next level by creating a tailored passenger experience that is focused on customer service and connecting passengers to paradise. The company has grown to a family of 30+ employees with dedicated Scheduled Service, Charter, and Freight Departments, with a fleet of 4 Cessna Grand Caravans.
Makers Air proudly carries an Argus Gold Rating on its fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans. With various seating configurations, including an Oasis Executive Interior, they will make your travel as memorable as your destination.
Makers Air is based out of a private hangar at Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, convenient to all South Florida international airports. They offer a spacious, comfortable lobby with TV & WiFi, including the private, upscale Makers Club departure lounge for charter customers. You will enjoy complimentary snacks & beverages while also enjoying the lack of long security and baggage lines!
Reservations and freight offices are open 7 days a week and Makers Air is also pet-friendly!
Whether you are looking to take a vacation, fly to or from your boat, fly guests in or out, transport crew or parts or supplies, Makers Air is ready to provide you with exemplary service.
It is an honor to be able to work with such a customer-focused organization as Makers Air and the all the wonderful people of Staniel Cay Yacht Club.
Ready to kick back and start finding that one particular harbor…?
then there’s only one way to go … Makers Air
Take a look…click, enjoy, and start your journey!
Click here for Video Link to Makers Air
email: info@makersair.com
phone: 954.771.0330
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Our thanks to Tony Pozun for this alluring beach scene!
An increase in commercial shipping on the Waterway would have the disadvantage of increased larger vessels vs recreational ones and the advantage of possible better Federal and local maintenance of Waterway depths.
OP/ED: Is Short Sea shipping on the horizon along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway?
MarineLink
I hope water transport is used more .. particularly on the ICW.
Then maybe folks in charge will see the savings in cost of goods moved and spend some more on dredging and surveys so that that everyone might enjoy some better maintenance on the waterways.
As part of National Safe Boating Week, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources offers these safety tips.
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