The Dismal Swamp Route departs the southbound Waterway at MM 7.2 and northbound via the Pasquatank River. Our thanks to Sarah Hill for this invitation from Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR!
Good Morning!
Hope all is well! Passing along some fall images from the Dismal Swamp Canal & Dismal Swamp State Park- we’re starting to see some autumn colors pop up.
Happy to report from recent boaters, very little to no duckweed- no issues. Locks & drawbridges operating on normal schedule.
We’ve put together a few “Know before you go” DSC Boating tips on our website:
Just pass the canal on 10/29-30 /24. 6 feet of water and wonderful stop at the visitor center. A beautiful trip in a serein environment. No rag weeds. A first for us and I am glad we did it.
Cruisers Net is proud to be a member of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association whose lobbying work is crucial to keeping the Waterway navigable and safe. Your membership dollars directly support their vital work. Please join and encourage your boating neighbors to do likewise, regardless of their homeport.
One month away! AIWA’s 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting November 18-20, 2024 Charleston, SC
The AIWA’s 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting is fast approaching and we hope you are making plans to attend and learn from a distinguished group of speakers and network with fellow waterway stakeholders. In addition to confirmed speakers, we are expecting leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. DOT Maritime Administration, and NOAA to attend this year’s celebratory annual meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. The program will include:
State of the Waterway presentations of recently completed projects and upcoming projects for all USACE Districts along the waterway in 2025
Beneficial use of dredged material and natural infrastructure, including representatives from industry, universities and federal agencies
Waterway closures and impacts to stakeholders and M-95
Dredging challenges and safety issues
Emerging technologies and solutions
and more!
We expect to finalize the agenda in the next couple of weeks. If there are topics you would like to see added to the 25th anniversary program, please contact us ataiwa@atlanticintracoastal.net.
Early registration rates and the hotel room block close on October 18, and we encourage you to make your plans today!
Sponsorships are available beginning at $525 and includes one event registration.
Congress Passes Continuing Resolution for FY2025 Appropriations Bills
After their August recess, Congress returned to Washington with a looming government shutdown at the end of September. After a false start and posturing by a number of members of Congress and outside influences, The House passed a relatively “clean” continuing resolution on September 25. The continuing resolution was then taken up and passed by the U.S. Senate on the same day and subsequently signed by President Biden on September 26, which keeps federal agencies open through December 20th.
In making the decision to only pass a three-month extension, the tables are set for another Congressional showdown right before Christmas. While Congress doesn’t have to wait until the last minute, it is highly unlikely that any movement will take place prior to mid-December with Congress out of session until after the election. Passing a three-month extension was the most palatable option for both political parties since each side is gambling that their party will control more votes needed for passage after the election. The best case scenario for the waterway would be for Congress to pass the Energy & Water Appropriations bill in December, but the reality is that if either party controls both the House and Senate after the election, there will likely be another continuing resolution so that controlling party can exert their will to pass new appropriations bills, especially if they also control the presidency. If the House and Senate remain as is, there will be a stronger push to pass the appropriations bills and have a clean slate for the new Congress in January 2025.
In the table below is the current breakdown of funding as it stands today (same as last month). In addition, the House and Senate have also included the following amounts in the Additional Dredging Needs funding pots which we are eligible to receive.
General Navigation – House: $931.945 million, Senate: $20 million
Inland Waterways – House: $50 million, Senate: $64.987 million
Updated Local Notice to Mariners (LNM 40/24): New Waterway Closure Schedule for Onslow Beach Swing Bridge Replacement near Camp Lejuene, NC
After a multi-month suspension of construction activities to construct a new bridge to replace the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 240.7, at Camp Lejeune, NC, the U.S. Coast Guard has given the green light again for the contractor to perform in water construction activities that require multi-day shutdowns of the waterway for two weeks in November. To facilitate construction of the bascule span (structural steel), the new bridge will remain in the closed-to-navigation position and will not be able to open at any time during the extended bridge closure periods, as reflected below:
from 7 a.m. on Monday, November 4, 2024, through 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, 2024
from 7 a.m. on Monday, November 18, 2024, through 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2024
While additional work will be performed at other times with limited waterway openings, during the time periods listed above there will be no openings for waterway users. We encourage everyone to read the full Local Notice to Mariners by clicking here. The specific section related to this project begins on page 33 of 61.
Through efforts undertaken by Mr. Robert Sherer and other recreational boating partners along with input from our commercial members, the AIWA was able to highlight that there are “no good weeks” in the fall for waterway shutdowns. Although we were unable to successfully remove full closures, the U.S. Coast Guard invited and listened to our concerns regarding the waterway closure and pushed the closures back to the last month of hurricane season, reduced the initially requested closures to one quarter of the request, integrated a construction cancellation plan for incoming heavy weather, and took into account the semi-annual snow bird migration.
We know that our engagement on behalf of the waterway users made a difference and we want to thank the U.S. Coast Guard for inviting our engagement in this project.
The AIWA is a national non-profit organization with the mission of securing funding and support for the maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We are the only organization dedicated to ensuring the future of the AIWW and proudly represent all stakeholders of the waterway.
With a closed vertical clearance of 14ft, the Alfred Cunningham Bridge connects New Bern and James City crossing the intersection of the Trent and Neuse Rivers. New Bern is home to CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, New Bern Grand Marina on the northern banks of the Trent River.
MARINERS BE ADVISED THAT THE NEUSE RIVER RAILROAD BRIDGE WILL BE CLOSED FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Ready to dive in? Your new membership to the Coastal Federation supports:
implementing nature-based stormwater strategies;
restoring oysters;
protecting and restoring salt marshes;
advocating for sustainable coastal policy;
eliminating marine debris.
Join us in keeping our coast a healthy place to live, work and play, and be entered to win a weekend stay at the Beaufort Hotel.
Save the coast! Your membership at any level enters you in the drawing for a weekend for two in Beaufort, NC while your dollars help protect and restore our beautiful coast.
You could win:
Weekend stay for two at the Beaufort Hotel, named #1 “Best Boutique Hotel” in America by USA Today, with breakfast at 34º North
$50 gift card to Kitty Hawk Kites (Beaufort)
$25 gift card to Backstreet Pub
Expert local advice from friends of the Coastal Federation
Share the coast! Once you have joined, or if you are already a member, you can refer a friend to earn another raffle entry!
Oriental is home to longtime CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, Oriental Marina and Inn, lying on the eastern banks of inner Oriental Harbor. Our thanks to Bob423 for this information.
Guests at the Bayview Hotel flock to the sandy bank of the Pamlico River during the establishment’s heyday. Photo courtesy Historic Port of Washington Project Read more at Coastal Review, coastalreview.org.
The Dismal Swamp Route departs the southbound Waterway at MM 7.2 and northbound via the Pasquatank River. Our thanks to Sarah Hill for this invitation from Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR!
Good Morning!
Please save the dates! We’ve got several fall community events planned in Camden County, home of Dismal Swamp State Park, and we hope you will join us to celebrate our local heritage and nature.
*Our Camden Heritage Festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 21st, 2024 from 10am-3pm at Camden Community Park (125 Noblitt Dr., Camden, NC 27921). We are super excited to kick off the day with a performance from the award winning Camden County Bands along with local live entertainment throughout the day. This year’s festivities will include living history re-enactors from the 1st NC Regiment of the Continental Line from Tryon Palace, as we commemorate America 250 NC. We hope you’ll join us for a great community day filled with craft vendors, petting zoo, local business displays, K9 demos, carriage rides, classic cars, food trucks, antique tractors, axe throwing & so much more!
*The Dismal Swamp State Park (2294 US Hwy 17 N, South Mills, NC 27976) will host their 10th Annual Dismal Day event, October 12, highlighting the swamp’s rich natural & cultural history from 10am-2pm. The day kicks off with a 5K Fun Run/Walk along the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail. Don’t miss delicious food, music, wagon rides through the swamp, paddling on the canal, OBX Lizard Land reptiles, craft & activities celebrating the “Year of the Bear”, and educational exhibits.
If you are interested in being a vendor – please let us know. (Camden Heritage Festival Registration ends 8/30/24)
Additional event information coming soon. Please feel free to share, post & print.
Thank you for your continued support and we hope you will be able to join us!
Many thanks,
Sarah Hill, TMP Director, Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome CenterChairperson, Camden County Tourism Development Authority
Albemarle Plantation Marina, a port on the Albemarle Loop and a CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located just off the AICW on the northern shores of Albemarle Sound on Yeopim River/Creek.
ON THE WATER…AND LOVIN’ IT!
Life on the water means more at Albemarle Plantation.
Water is big at Albemarle Plantation, an authentic coastal community set along the deep blue waters of the Albemarle Sound. This immense coastal estuary is the second largest in America. The water gives life a special energy here. Could the vast, glittering waters of the Albemarle Sound inspire your next adventure? READ MORE »
143 HIGHLAND PONY DRIVE
2,189 SF • 3 BEDS • 2 BATHS • 3-CAR GARAGE SET ON A BEAUTIFUL .38 ACRE HOMESITE $ 500,900
Cape Lookout Bight is a wonderful, natural harbor formed by Cape Lookout’s curve of land. This superb anchorage, one of the most popular in North Carolina, The channel between Harkers Island and Cape Lookout Lighthouse has been widened to 100 feet with depths ranging from 7 to 9 feet. This is good news for cruisers wishing to anchor in Cape Lookout Bight southeast of Beaufort.
April was a month of celebration as we reflected on the impact you’ve helped us make in our Outer Banks national parks over the past five years.
We are grateful to everyone who came out to Swells’a Brewing for our birthday party – it was great to see so many of our supporters together, and we officially kicked off our new partnership with Duck Donuts (more details coming soon)!
Last week, I attended the Friends Alliance spring meeting, a virtual gathering of national park partners from around the country. As we learned about topics ranging from environmental justice to how the National Park Service plans to commemorate America250 in 2026 by focusing on inclusive storytelling, I was reminded how special and unique it is that we have three amazing national parks right here in our backyards.
As I talked to my colleagues around the country one thing was clear – our national parks need our support now more than ever. We will continue to celebrate our fifth birthday this year and look ahead to what we want to accomplish in the next five years as our parks continue to face challenges ranging from budget cuts to environmental changes. We’ll be looking to you to learn what you want to see us achieve in our parks, and ways you think we can continue to grow our impact as we work to protect and enhance these special places. Stay tuned!
Our Meet Your Ranger series introduces you to the many amazing people who support our Outer Banks national parks every day!
This month, we’re pleased to introduce you to Mike Anderson, Lead Interpretive Ranger at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site!
Mike’s days are busy as he gives ranger programs, assists visitors, and plans projects and events for the park.
In his free time, Mike enjoys listening to tunes from Broadway musicals, watching “The Crown” and “Jeopardy!”, and 3-D printing movie prop replicas from Star Wars and Marvel movies!
Through our Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program, you can symbolically adopt one of these active nests!
Here’s how the program works:
Donate: Give a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more to reserve your 2024 sea turtle nest. Your gift will help us fund important projects that protect and enhance the Seashore and the vital habitat it preserves. You will receive a confirmation email for your donation.
Receive your nest assignment: Sea turtles typically start to arrive in May and June, and will continue to arrive until September. As nests become available, you will be assigned your sea turtle nest and receive an adoption certificate by either mail or digitally with initial information about your nest. Please keep in mind that if you reserve a nest in May, you may not receive your initial information until late May, June, or even later depending on how many early adoptions are received.
Wait patiently for your nest to hatch! When your nest hatches later this summer or fall, you will receive a personalized update in the mail with information park rangers collect about your nest including the number of hatchlings that made their way out to sea.
A note about honorary/memorial gifts: If you choose to adopt a nest in honor or in memory of a loved one and provide an honoree’s mailing address on your donation form, a letter with nest information and a certificate will be mailed directly to your honoree. Your honoree will be notified of your gift and will receive a certificate when their nest is assigned, not at the time you make the gift. Please keep this in mind if your gift is time-sensitive.
NEW in 2024 – digital certificates are now available! If you would like to receive an electronic certificate or send an electronic certificate to an honoree, click the box “send certificate digitally” on the donation form and provide an email address.
Please note: No individual or group that participates in this program can claim ownership of a sea turtle nest, eggs, or hatchlings. Nature is also unpredictable. If your adopted nest is lost to a weather event or damaged by some other means, we will assign you a new nest that may or may not be shared with another individual or group. For the safety of the sea turtles and in alignment with National Park Service guidance, your nest’s exact location will not be shared until after it has hatched.
Join us in celebrating the Ocracoke ponies who have May birthdays!
Did you know you can help these beautiful and unique ponies by symbolically adopting one or supporting the herd? Your support helps cover the costs of their ongoing care and feeding. When you Adopt A Pony or support the herd with a gift of $50 or more, you will receive an adoption certificate and a picture of your pony or of the herd to keep!
Note: Our park staff will host a public meeting about the Ocracoke ponies at the Ocracoke Community Center (999 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke, North Carolina) on Tuesday, May 21, from 1 to 2 p.m. At the meeting, our park staff will seek input on the development of a management plan for the ponies and assistance in identifying issues, concerns, and opportunities. For more information on the meeting, click here.
Winnie – May 3
Winnie is the youngest member of the herd, born in 2018 to her parents, Sacajawea and Captain. She spends her time learning from mom and exploring her island home. The next time you visit the Ocracoke Pony Pens, come say hi!
Jobelle – May 7
Jobelle is the daughter of Ocracoke ponies Jitterbug and Rayo. She was named by the Ocracoke School students; “Jobelle” is the local name for the gaillardia flowers (commonly called “blanket flowers”) which are found throughout the Outer Banks!
Captain – May 9
Captain is a chestnut stallion who was named after the late Captain Marvin Howard, a local Ocracoke Island resident who founded the first — and only — mounted Boy Scout troop in the United States. The boy scouts were responsible for taming and caring for the wild pony herd in the 1950s.
Maya – May 24
Maya is a paint mare who was born in 2000. She has four siblings in the herd and is known to be the tallest and most vocal pony in the Ocracoke herd!
Remember or honor the special people in your life who shared or share your love of our Outer Banks national parks. When you choose the “Donation Dedication” option when you donate, we will send a special acknowledgment to the individual or family you chose notifying them of your thoughtful gift.
Ranger programs are open to visitors of all ages — from the young to the young at heart. No matter your interests, ranger programs offer something for everyone!
To stay up to date with programs and events, check out our parks’ online calendars below:
National Trails Day is an annual event that celebrates the importance of trails in our lives — bike trails, walking trails, multi-use paths, ADA trails, canoe and kayak trails, and more!
Date: Saturday, June 1
Time: 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Meet at the North End Parking Lot on Roanoke Island. Options for a 1.3 mile and a 2.5 mile walk/hike are available. For more details, click here to see the map.
Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and walking/hiking shoes and sunscreen, and don’t forget your water and bug spray! To RSVP for the event on Facebook, click here.
NC – NEW RIVER – CAMP LEJEUNE – NOTICE OF LIVE FIRING AND TRAINING EXERCISES
Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Live firing and training: Mariners traveling in Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway through this area can expect a delays of about one to four hours during the below times. Range Control Boats, from Camp Lejeune, NC monitor Channel 16 VHF-FM and the working Channel 82 VHF-FM. Range Control can be reached at 910-451-3064 or 4449. Camp Lejune MILOPS 06 – 12 MAY 2024. 1. The restricted areas in the Atlantic Ocean east of the New River Inlet as shown on National Ocean Service Chart US5NC14M, will be closed to navigation up to 15 nm seaward because of firing exercises during the following periods: 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. 08 MAY 24 LIVE FIRE OPERATIONS (24 MEU, NSFS) 8:00 A.M. – 11:59 P.M. 09-10 MAY 24 LIVE FIRE OPERATIONS (10TH MAR-G-7) Restricted areas in the new river, as shown on National Ocean Service chart US5NC14M, that will be closed to navigation because of stone bay rifle range firing exercises during the following periods: Stone Creek Sector 12:01 a.m. to midnight daily Stone Bay Sector 12:01 a.m. to midnight daily West of the 77 (deg) 26 (min) Longitude line. The restricted areas that may be closed to navigation because of firing exercises during the following periods: Traps Bay Sector 12:01 a.m. to midnight daily Courthouse Bay Sector 12:01 a.m. to midnight daily Stone Bay Sector 12:01 a.m. to midnight daily East of the 77 (deg) 26 (min) longitude line. Grey Point sector 12:01 a.m. to midnight daily Farnell Bay sector sunrise to sunset daily Morgans Bay sector sunrise to sunset daily Jacksonville sector sunrise to sunset daily 2. The target bombing area N1/BT-3 impact area in the Atlantic Ocean east of the new river inlet as shown on national ocean service chart US5NC14M, may be closed to navigation because of firing exercises during the following periods: 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. 08 MAY 24 LIVE FIRE OPERATIONS (24 MEU, NSFS) 8:00 A.M. – 11:59 P.M. 09-10 MAY 24 LIVE FIRE OPERATIONS (10TH MAR-G-7) 3. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, inland waters in the Browns Island Inlet area between Bear Creek and Onslow Beach, may be closed for firing exrcises during the following periods: 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. 08 MAY 24 LIVE FIRE OPERATIONS (24 MEU, NSFS) 8:00 A.M. – 11:59 P.M. 09-10 MAY 24 LIVE FIRE OPERATIONS (10TH MAR-G-7) 4. Due to unexploded ordnance on Browns Island and in the adjacent waterways and marsh areas, Browns Island is off limits to all unauthorized personnel. Vessels may transit the surrounding waters, however no vessel shall bottom fish or anchor. 5. Mariners traveling on the western side of the new river between Stone bay and Farnell Bay should be aware that there are numerous sign poles without working lights and are leaning or submerged as a result of Hurricane Florence and present hazards to navigation. These poles once had signs denoting areas of caution around the Stone bay rifle range and Verona Loop firing ranges. 5A. Signs are located along the stone bay, grey point and Farnell Bay sectors of the New River. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is working to replace these signs. 6. Range control boats, MCIE-MCB CAMLEJ North Carolina monitor channel 16 VHF-FM (156.8 mhz) and the working channel 82 vhf-fm(161.725 mhz). Range Control can be reached by phone at 910-451-3064 or 4449.
With a closed vertical clearance of 14ft, the 2.8-mile bridge across the Alligator River has had lengthy closures to undergo repairs several times in recent years and, with a closure mandate in winds over 25 knots, Alligator River Bridge was almost always an “event” on ICW cruises, events that lead many southbound cruisers to be quests of Elizabeth City Mariners Wharf and guests of the Rose Buddies. See “The Legend of the Rose Buddies” Monument.
The Lindsay C. Warren Bridge over the Alligator River swings open for a pleasure craft. Photo: NCDOT
Comments from Cruisers (1)
Just pass the canal on 10/29-30 /24. 6 feet of water and wonderful stop at the visitor center. A beautiful trip in a serein environment. No rag weeds. A first for us and I am glad we did it.