Many people do not realize that the Keys are home to ten state parks. Each has something unique to offer and provides expansive scenery and wide-open spaces.
“CHRIST OF THE DEEP” IN JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK (PHOTO CREDIT: STEPHEN FRINK / FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU)
The 10 Incredible State Parks In The Florida Keys
TravelAwaits
Above-normal tropical activity, new ‘normals’ in the Atlantic and steering robotic surfboards into hurricanes.
Sponsored by Lowcountry Foundation Repair
Good morning, readers.
Hurricane Wire is back and ready to bring you details of everything brewing in the Atlantic basin this season.
Experts believe we could be in for another busy tropical season but nothing quite as bad as what was experienced in 2020. Last year was a record-breaking one with 30 named storms, 13 hurricanes and six major hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does not believe this hurricane season will be as active as the last.
In a 2021 Atlantic hurricane outlook released last month, NOAA’s acting administrator Ben Friedman said the agency projects a 70% probability of 13 to 20 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes.
This may seem like quite a bit of projected tropical activity, but the baseline of “normal” changed in 2021 when meteorologists updated the 30-year period they use to determine average weather benchmarks. Moving forward, an average Atlantic hurricane season will have 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
So technically, NOAA’s predictions for this season are considered normal. Our Chloe Johnson reports that new weather benchmarks are reflecting a more active Atlantic season. However, scientists still disagree on whether climate change will lead to more hurricanes over the long term. Read more about that here.
Researchers with the Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University predict there will be 35 days in which a hurricane is active this season, and nine days in which a major hurricane is active. Their forecast for the 2021 hurricane season nearly mirrors the Project’s early prediction for the 2020 season. But last year exceeded expectations in many ways.
Only time will tell what is in store for the Atlantic this year. So for now, let’s just stay vigilant.
Conditions: Nothing is spinning in the Atlantic, but the National Hurricane Center has issued advisories on tropical depression Blanca located in the eastern Pacific. This is not a concern for South Carolina as the depression is several hundred miles south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
Computer models: The Carolinas are expected to remain clear of threats for the foreseeable future.
Outlook: Tropical cyclone formation is not expected in the Atlantic basin during the next five days.
From 1981 to 2010, there were, on average, 12.1 named storms, 6.4 hurricanes and 2.7 major hurricanes of Category 3 or above each year.
In the new period, 1991 to 2020, there were an average of 14.4 named storms, 7.2 hurricanes and 3.2 major hurricanes each year, according to data analyzed by Brian McNoldy, a senior researcher at the University of Miami.
On May 7, 2015, surf powered by a tropical depression lured a stand-up paddle boarder into the water on Isle of Palms. The storm would become Tropical Storm Ana, with wind gusts reaching 60 mph near Little River and Cherry Grove Beach. (File/Staff)
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Hurricane Wire is a collaborative project produced by a team of Post and Courier journalists. Shamira McCray is its lead writer. Data visualizations are created by Bryan Brussee. “Hurricane in history” photos are curated by Matthew Fortner. The newsletter is produced and edited by Emily Daily and Matt Clough.
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Keep up with the latest climate change and environmental issues impacting the Lowcountry and the rest of South Carolina. In your inbox, every Monday.
As part of the effort to stem the tide of plastic pollution entering the world’s oceans, the Coca-Cola Company is joining with The Ocean Cleanup to expedite the deployment of cleanup systems in fifteen rivers around the world.
Coca-Cola Joins The Ocean Cleanup in Tackling Ocean Plastic Pollution
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Perhaps one of the largest contributors to pollution and obesity could do more than virtue signal.
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Update: the Solar Federal Investment Tax Credit has been extended for 2 more years at 26%. Sun Powered Yachts is a CRUISERS NET SPONSOR!
This week’s lowest current marina fuel prices as of Jun 02
Diesel Range: $2.37 to $3.89 Lowest @ Dudley’s Marina in (North Carolina)
Gas Range: $3.00 to $4.20 Lowest @ Delegal Creek Marina in (Georgia)
Remember to always call the marina to verify the current price since prices may change at any time. Also please let us know if you find a marina’s fuel price has changed via the Submit News link.
All Regions (Price Range $2.37 to $4.34)
Virginia to North Carolina (Price Range $2.84 to $3.55)
North Carolina (Price Range $2.37 to $3.89)
South Carolina (Price Range $2.70 to $4.09)
Georgia (Price Range $2.97 to $3.49)
Eastern Florida (Price Range $2.59 to $4.34)
St Johns River (Price Range $2.95 to $3.65)
Florida Keys (Price Range $3.32 to $4.00)
Western Florida (Price Range $2.73 to $4.01)
Okeechobee (Price Range $3.18 to $3.18)
Northern Gulf (Price Range $2.60 to $3.48)
This discussion of battery powered ships focuses on commercial shipping, but can battery powered recreational vessels be far behind?
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Marina News May 21, 2021
BoatUS continues to be one of the leading advocates of boating safety and of boaters’ rights.
BoatUS says efforts to grow sales of higher blend 15% ethanol fuels
such as “Regular 88” and reduce or eliminate warning labels are anti-consumer
SPRINGFIELD, Va., June 1, 2021 – Efforts by the ethanol industry to create a new federal rule that would weaken or eliminate important warning labels designed to prevent boaters and consumers from misfueling with prohibited higher-ethanol fuels at roadside gas pumps has Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) concerned. The national recreational boating advocacy, services and safety group recently co-signed a letter to EPA Administrator Elizabeth Dermott addressing the proposed “E15 Fuel Dispenser Labeling and Compatibility With Underground Storage Tanks” legislation (EPA-HW-OAR-202-0448) and urging the federal regulator to side with consumers on its Misfueling Mitigation Program (MMP) to ensure transparency in the sale of fuel to consumers.
“Ethanol manufacturers are pushing to blend more ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply. To accomplish that, consumers are not being fully informed at the roadside pump about the type of fuel going into their boats’ gas tanks,” said BoatUS Manager of Government Affairs David Kennedy. “New marketing schemes to brand these prohibited 15% ethanol fuels as ‘regular 88,’ promoting them as a low-cost alternative and, at the same time, attempting to drive federal rulemaking efforts to reduce and weaken warning labels at the pump is an anti-consumer one-two-three punch that should not be tolerated.”
The proposed rulemaking provides no new data on a theoretical basis to support the proposals to either decrease the stringency of the existing E15 warning label or eliminate it altogether. A 2020 Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) poll shows that only about one in five consumers know that “regular 88” — or 88 octane fuel — has more ethanol (15%) in it than 87 octane (10% ethanol) fuel.
Use of ethanol fuel blends with more than 10% ethanol, such as “regular 88,” in recreational boat engines, motorcycles, off-road vehicles and power equipment is prohibited by federal law. E15 fuels have been proven to damage engines and fuel systems, and its use in a marine engine voids the warranty.
Consumers have indicated the need for a better, more effective higher-blend ethanol fuel warning label design as well as more prominent placement of the warning label on the pump. A recent national poll shows that just 18.25% of consumers think the current E15 label used at gas pumps across the country is very effective for warning that E15 is hazardous to certain types of engines.
EPA has also worked to broaden the availability of E15 fuel in the U.S., including most recently with the 2019 repeal of summertime restrictions on its sale. These restrictions were originally implemented years ago to address concerns over the higher ethanol fuel’s contribution to ground level ozone (smog) on hot days.
“Visit a local gas station dispensing higher ethanol fuels and look for the warning label on the pump,” added Kennedy. “It’s often hidden or buried along with a mountain of promotional signage. EPA should help consumers make the right fuel choice, and efforts to weaken the Misfueling Mitigation Program, such as stripping away label elements that indicate a warning message or exclude mention of 15% ethanol altogether, only accommodate the interests of ethanol producers and harm boaters.”
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 800,000 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. BoatUS offers GEICO boat insurance 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.
Key Lime Sailing Club, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, always has very special offers for their visitors! Key Lime Sailing Club is a unique slice of KEYS ENJOYMENT…give it a try and let us hear about your experience.
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With summer drawing near, it’s no secret that anglers want to be on the water. Learn about everything from boat ramp etiquette to need-to-know safety tips for boating in Florida.
Need-to-know tips for beginner boaters
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
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