Here are nine scenic locations around South Carolina you can enjoy virtually to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day.
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Like what you see?If you haven’t already, click the button below to subscribe to South Carolina Wildlife magazine.
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The activism ignited by the 1969 spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, helped spur the first Earth Day, celebrated by 20 million Americans across the country.
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will keep some properties and facilities closed during SC’s initial easing of restrictions.
The Dismal Swamp Canal just re-opened following three months of maintenance and we are grateful to Paul and Gillian for this report as posted on AGLCA’s Forum. The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, sits adjacent to the Dismal Swamp State Park in Camden County, NC. See Dismal Swamp Canal Re-Opens and April Programs.
We came through the Dismal Swamp Canal the last two days with over 6 feet of depth and commonly 8 feet. Notwithstanding that we felt two minor bumps against the hull and one bigger with our 4 foot draft. The visitor centre information office is closed but the washrooms and walking path are open.
Paul and Gillian
Blue Moon
We are glad you came our way. Although our Visitor Center is closed to the public, Staff is available to answer questions, and we can always make a way to provide resources. Leaving a package outside, etc., purchasing a hat or t-shirt, etc. Staff is in the building on Monday-Friday at this time. We're taking the opportunity to clean and organize. Thanks for the comments.
At the intersection of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Okeechobee Waterway, Martin County, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is home to Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast and a hub of boating activity and events of interest to boaters.
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Our thanks to Kellirae and Bill on Ocean Dancer for this AGLCA Forum detailed log of their voyage north on the Waterway during these weeks of coronavirus shutdowns. Please note that Osprey Marina and Barefoot Marina are both CRUISERS NET SPONSORS.
Below is an updated report. With regard to anchorages, we have a 5’ draft and use a 144’ CQR.
4/1 New River anchorage (MM570) Anchored in 19′ deep @ 5.7’AMLR. Dodged quite a few crab pots at the entrance but they are along the edges once far enough in. Excellent spot.
4/2 Lady’s Island Marina, Beaufort, SC. (MM536) Marina open, amenities closed. I like the yoga studio there and took a class via Zoom. Mary said Publix delivers but available times are several days out.
4/3 Toogoodoo Creek (MM495) had a strong enough cell signal to read the news. We had to move past a few more crab pots this time, going a bit further into the bend. Anchor held firm in 16′. Lo tide, about 10′ deep. DEPARTURE: tide pushing us out, gentle bumps forward to retrieve chain. Chain was clean. Anchor had thick greasy mud to rinse down.
4/4 Awendaw Creek (MM436) All charts said 8’, in those spots we were in 15′. We had concern about reviews stating it was soft, draggy mud. The 144lb CQR grabbed firm immediately. Grateful. Thick greasy mud took about 10 minutes to rinse off all sides of the anchor. The chain was clean. Good cell coverage here, too.
4/5 Butler Island (MM396) is a great oxbow anchorage north of Georgetown, SC, with a lot of room and a strong current, 20’ deep. A few locals zipped by waking us for the fun of it. Excellent holding and cell service.
4/6 Bob Creech alerted us to the (MUCH better) fuel price at Osprey Marina. We radio’d as we approached to make sure the dock was free. The dock was, indeed, free. However, the boat that had just left it was still coming out of the narrow marina channel. Hello there! (Note to self: ask better questions.) After securing ourselves, Brian arrived and facilitated a fillup and a pumpout. We wore our homemade masks and our outside gloves, with additional tweaks to our dock safety procedures. Payment was made from an outside window at the knee level of the new person (June) inside, who was standing at the register. Between talking to her knees, through a mask, over the hum of the ice maker, it was hard not to laugh at the whole situation.
We stopped that night at Barefoot Marina (MM354) in Myrtle Beach. Bonus: there is a Walmart about 4 miles away that delivers to the marina and had a time slot that worked for us. We had a positive experience ordering directly through Walmart’s website.
4/7 We arrived Pipeline Canal anchorage (MM311) in Southport. After feeling our way around in there at low tide (and a supermoon) throwing all kinds of mud, (even up past the boat ramp, Bob), we inched back out and docked at South Harbor Marina. Remembering how small the office was, we made our payment over the phone and were emailed a receipt. Bill cleaned the strainers after their mud bath, and I took a walk up the road to see that a catamaran and small trawler had found safe water in the canal.
After stops at Osprey, Barefoot, and South Harbor, including a grocery intake, we felt like we had enough exposure risk to start another two-week countdown.
4/8 A longer run (almost 58NM) to Mile Hammock anchorage (MM244.5). It took two tries to get the anchor to hold but hold it did; we went all the way around it in a thunderstorm. There were nine boats (counting us) in the basin. One may have dragged during the storm. They moved into the corner behind us and sat with engines running. Up to this point, we’ve been the only boat in most anchorages. Once or twice there’s been another boat or two but certainly not nine. Traffic is picking up. NOTE: Aquamap’s anchor alarm is awesome.
4/9, Another storm hit while passing Swansboro. By Beaufort, the sun was shining and the winds had settled to a breeze. We checked out several anchorage possibilities along the way and chose a new spot at MM170 the north bank of the Neuse River; we thought it would offer better protection, a nice depth, and swing room in the high winds expected that night. Two out three was not enough! This is an excerpt from our log: “We were able to go to sleep but were awakened at 1:25 by 2-4’s and serious wind. Anchor was firm, we were safely held. Conditions worsened, things and crew were being tossed about inside the boat. We decided to pull anchor and move. First, life jackets. Life ring at the ready, too. With headsets on, Kr carefully maneuvered to bow to work anchor, Bill handled the boat. We were patient, careful, and maintained calm demeanors. Clear communication at every step. It was difficult to stay on course at slow enough speed to watch for crab pots. At approx 4am, we reached the entrance to Bay River where it was a whole different experience: calm wind, glassy water. We sat with engines running for 2hrs before braving the narrow river channel in the dark. Just before 6am, decided to make the run to Belhaven (34 st miles) to get across Pamlico before winds pick up again later this morning and to wait out the rest of the expected weather for the weekend.”
4/12 River Forest Marina, Belhaven (MM136). Thank goodness for Henry’s hospitality. We took his advice and “prepped the boat for extreme conditions, replaced lines and added six 1.5” hurricane lines (Many thanks to the previous owners for those!) for 13 total lines. Wind will blow us off the dock, everything that can be stowed is tucked away or strapped down. Front hit in the morning, several tornadoes reported. We were lucky; they missed us. One 1″ line on the port bow frayed. Winds clocked at 60mph. Front passed as expected and things had calmed by 6pm.” (another partial log entry). We stayed a few days to rest up and clean up.
4/16 Still a bit anchorage shy, we skipped a planned Alligator River anchorage and headed for Coinjock (MM50). There was a patch of 3-5’s in the Albemarle Sound; we picked up speed to get out of there. The restaurant was doing a bang-up take-out business and the docks were full by dusk. We are definitely seeing more boat traffic now, almost all northbound.
4/17 Top Rack Marina (MM8). Currituck Sound WARNING: “Called NC Wildlife Violations 800-622-7137 for line of crab pots well inside channel from G97 to N of G83. Many of the pots were directly on the magenta line or to the port of it. A catamaran (Selah) also called to report. At G55 another crab pot dead on sail line. At G53, we hit one, heard 2 bumps under the boat, the float came out the back intact. The hull protects props; was it pushed aside and banged along until we passed? Now in VA, called VA Marine Police 757-247-2200 (Dispatcher Borum) took report and contact info, affirmed they handle these reports.” At the Great Bridge Lock, we were one of three boats and went in with radio silence. No instructions on how far to pull up, no one to catch lines, it was a little weird. It wasn’t hard; we were glad we weren’t first timers.
Several marinas have asked us to use Dockwa to facilitate no-contact payment. It’s proved to be efficient, accurate, and includes direct contact with the marina staff before confirming. (I confess that I was expecting to dislike it.) Henry at River Forest prompted us to add our BoatUS membership number in our Dockwa account information to automatically benefit from discounts.
So, here we are so far. We greatly appreciate the marinas that have been open to transient boaters, especially the ones offering fuel and pump-outs. We have gotten creative and come up with a few more washable masks. We are wearing them at all docking situations and sticking to our on-board safety protocols. This has been a different trip north, for sure.
Kr
Kellirae and Bill
MV Ocean Dancer
Uh…favor the green?
Slight Marker Problem in Fort Myers Beach, FL/Mantanzas Pass Entrance Channel
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Captain Art Armstrong
I wonder if the Army Corp of Engineers knows about this shoaling problem?
David Brodhecker
If you have not read and viewed Greg and Barbara Allard’s wonderful photo journals, then let this latest “Letter” be a primer, to be continued by exploring the beautiful “Letters from the Bahamas.” Simply enter “letters” in the search window of our Homepage. During this time of lock-down and social distancing, these letters are sure to help cure your cabin fever! As usual, Cruisers Net is so grateful to the Allards for sharing their experiences with us.
Hi Everyone – We had planned to make our annual voyage to the Bahamas. We provisioned the boat, and headed east across the state of Florida in February, using the Okeechobee Waterway. The Waterway saves about 150 miles; otherwise we would have to travel down the entire west coast of Florida, cross through the Keys, and then back north, up the east coast.
The Okeechobee Waterway has several parts: two rivers, the (Caloosahatchee and the St. Lucie), plus several stretches of man-made canals, five locks, and the huge Lake Okeechobee itself, which is in the center of Florida. The Lake is usually about 12+ feet above sea level, hence the need for locks to raise boats up to the Lake level, and then down again on the other side.
We have made the crossing dozens of time, and find it always a fascinating and intriguing passage. It’s often been described as a time-warp into old Florida.
Once we reached the east coast of Florida in Stuart, the news about the corona virus had intensified, and we decided to forego the trip to the Bahamas this year. That ultimately was a good decision, because as of now the entire Bahamas is locked down, there are significant restrictions on visiting boats, and travel is not permitted from one island to another. We support what the Bahamian government has done to keep their country safe.
After deciding that this was not a good time to leave the U.S., we turned around to head home; this meant we would complete two Okeechobee crossings in one month. So instead of a Letter from the Bahamas, this will be a Letter from Lake Okeechobee, showing you some of what makes us enjoy this old-world part of Florida. We also hope that in your isolation, this will serve as a distraction, however brief, from world events. Yes, we’ll miss the Bahamas, and the water isn’t as beautiful, but that’s just one of many concessions we’ve all had to make to fit in with our changed world.
We sincerely hope that you, your families and your friends are safe and well during these troubled times.
Warmest regards
Greg and Barbara
For those of you unfamiliar with the Okeechobee Waterway, this map is helpful, showing how it cuts through the middle of Florida. You can see the starting and ending points, the distances involved, and well as the location of the locks. Wikipedia reports that Lake Okeechobee is the “second largest natural freshwater lake contained entirely within the contiguous 48 states”.
We’ve done dozens of Okeechobee crossings, but rarely see deer, especially the water’s edge. Her left front leg remained in that position through several photos. I don’t know if she was getting ready to run, or whether she was just posing for the photo. The calm water helped make a fine reflection.
The railway lift bridge is just east of the Port Myacca lock. In this photo it was coming down slowly, so we had to stop and wait for the train. Most things along the Okeechobee Waterway happen slowly. It takes about five minutes for the bridge to come down, the train doesn’t arrive for ten minutes, and once the train crosses (sometimes a long freight train), then there’s a wait for another 10 minutes for bridge operator to decide to raise it. Life is not in a hurry along the Okeechobee.
For those with mechanical interests, in its fully open position, the bridge (lift) section is all the way at the top of the structure; here, it is about two-thirds of the way down. On the left and right sides of the structure, the two rectangular boxes hanging down from cables are the counterweights. They are designed to weigh just about the same as the bridge itself, so that it only takes a relatively small electric motor to raise and lower the bridge since the counterweights have made it essentially weightless.
Fishing along the St. Lucie river. On these two trips, we saw no signs of any algae bloom which on occasion has been evident in the lake and rivers.
Sugar cane is a major crop around Lake Okeechobee, and sometimes the farmers burn the sugar cane remnants
to clear the fields and prepare for the next crop. On occasion, the ash from the fires lands on boats, in this case on our deck, surrounding one of our fuel fills.
It’s rare not to see alligators. On this trip we counted over three dozen, including this big guy who is enjoying the sun. Happy that the hull of our boat is thick.
The majestic “Lone Cypress” at Moore Haven; this tree has served as a navigational aid since the mid 1800’s.
These four trees at Belle Glade, draped with Spanish Moss, stand sentinel to the morning sun.
“Resting on her Bones.” This wooden fishing boat has sat on the bottom, at the edge of the Caloosahatchee river, for at least a decade, slowly deteriorating. There’s a story there, for sure.
Morning fog on the Caloosahatchee River. (Photo by Barbara Allard)
Goodbye for now. Again, stay safe and healthy.
Greg and Barbara
Copyright 2020, Greg and Barbara Allard
Greg and Barbara have presented the Okeechobee Waterway in such great detail. There is so much to see and experience on this one-of-a-kind waterway but they have captured the core essence. Well done – thank you.
They have really shown the true essence of this waterway. we have crossed this route dozens of times over the last 11 years and love it. Sadly we have had to sell our boat so all we have left are these sort of memories. Thank You.
Bahamas Chatter is produced by Explorer Chartbooks, A CRUISERS NET PARTNER, which has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: Bahamas Marinas Helping Cruisers
| Bahamas Marinas Helping Cruisers Posted: 18 Apr 2020 12:24 PM PDT Updated 4/17/20The Government of The Bahamas has released official COVID-19 related protocols for foreign and local boats that are currently in the waters of The Bahamas. The Bahamas Safe Passage Home and Sea Quarantine has been established by the Association of Bahamas Marinas as an orderly way to help boats either remain moored or leave Bahamian waters safely while minimizing the risk of spreading the virus throughout the islands. The program will be in effect until normal border travel is restored. Please note that our program exists within the existing guidelines of the curfew order. Service will NOT be offered on days where a total shutdown has been ordered. Boaters will be granted safe passage through Bahamian waters provided they observe the requirements of the government protocols. There are now strategically placed participating marinas through the country available and open to provide vessels with water, provisioning and fuel, provided you have made arrangements with that marina prior to arrival. The program also applies to those crossing through Bahamian waters in order to get back to their country of origin (Right of Innocent Passage). Pre-approval from the DGC must be granted for this and any other exceptions to the protocols. Recreational boating from one island to another is strictly prohibited by the government. Participating Marinas:
For more information on the program, please post questions on The Bahamas, Land & Sea Facebook group page https://www.facebook.com/ Please note in the amended protocols only the email of Capt. Hutchinson has changed – it is now sheltering@bahamasmaritime.com
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NY canals are well out of Cruisers Net’s range, but some of you Southeasterners might be headed north for the summer. Our thanks to Roger Long for this information. See 4/19 comment below.
Far northbound snowbirds and loopers must keep an eye on this. Governor Cuomo was also talking a while ago about the impact of Covid on the state budget and said, “We will have to be cutting and shutting down things you wouldn’t believe.” The canals have never been mentioned but I fear they could be in that unbelievable category. We try to find dockage for our boat every summer on the river and it is hard enough that I don’t think there is any way even a small portion of northbound cruisers could be accommodated. The state is presently putting pressure on all marinas to close and restrict fuel sales to emergency and commercial craft. Many are resisting and staying open but it might be just a matter of time before it is enforced. If I had to bet, it would be that Canadians and Great Lakers will be able to get through but nothing is sure these days and careful tracking and development of alternate plans is warranted.
Cruisers Net is always grateful for Greg Allard’s observations and willingness to share his vast experience with our readers. Be sure to read and view his several Letters and photo journals from the Bahamas. Harborage Yacht Club Marina is in Martin County, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, and a major hub of boating activities.
Harborage Yacht Club and Marina
Stuart, Florida
772-692-4000
https://harborageyachtclub.com
In February of 2020 we spent two weeks at the Harborage, which is just northeast of the three bridges in the center of Stuart.
In past years we had docked there a couple of times, and had found it to be just ok, but not great. During that period it was a Loggerhead marina and between deferred maintenance and a hurricane, it had suffered. All of that has changed, and I’m pleased to report that the marina has been virtually redone and is now a solid choice for boaters and cruisers.
The northerly set of fixed docks are like new, with composite decking and new electrical and water supplies. From what we observed, most transient boats are assigned to the fixed docks, where you are permitted to stay aboard for any length of time. The southern section of the marina consists of floating docks which can also be rented for transient or longer term; staying aboard there is limited to four consecutive days, and nine total days, per month. The southern section is a much further walk to reach the pool and clubhouse area. The marina has a total of 300 slips, 150 are fixed and the rest are floating.
One of the issues with this marina, in the past, has been the depth of water in the basins and slips. When we were there almost two months ago, dredging was underway full time. The dockmaster now reports that the dredging has been completed (except for a couple of slips which had boats in them), resulting in 7.5’ depth at MLW in both the slips and the fairways. While some marinas in the area have issues with current, we observed none of any significance here.
The shore side facilities are excellent – pool and spa, outdoor fire-pit lounging area, free OnSpot wi-fi, a laundry,
Captain’s lounge with TV, new bathrooms and showers, fitness center, boatside (golf-cart) pumpout, poolside bar and grill, and good security. They offer golf-cart rides from your boat to landside. There is an easy-approach fuel dock, with competitive prices and pump out.
On site is the TideHouse restaurant, not operated by the marina. We had a very good bar-menu meal on the outside deck, with live music. There is a full dinner menu for inside.
Across the street from the marina, in a shopping center, is a casual Italian restaurant, Uncle Giuseppe’s, which is easy to recommend – a comfortable place, reasonably priced, with good Italian dishes and pizza.
While the marina facility is now first-rate, this is also now a well-managed marina. The Dock Master, Scott Fletcher, is a true professional, and has his hand on the pulse of the place. The dock staff he has assembled are exceptional and understand customer service. They could just not do enough for you. We had the most contact with excellent dockhands Nick and Jim. The general manger of the facility, Allison Ackell, gave us a warm welcome as we checked in and provided a detailed tour of the facility.
The long term dock rates are 17-$18 a foot, per month, with metered electricity. Daily rate is $2.95 a foot, plus flat fee electric. The long term rates makes sense for a stay of more than about two weeks. A full list of rates is on their website, listed above.
There is a Sam’s Club, a West Marine and a Publix market a couple of miles north on Federal Highway, along with any other stores you might ever need. Enterprise delivered a rental car to the marina for us. On Saturday mornings, in the neat historic section of Stuart, there is a small but quality farmer’s market.
From the GIWW, to enter the marina you leave the main channel at marker 23, (which is northeast of the high, fixed New Roosevelt bridge) and steer for the green buoy which is just outside the entrance to the marina, between the breakwaters; that heading is approximately 310M. From 23 to the green buoy the depth was around seven feet at MLW. If you are uncertain of your track, the dock staff will “talk you in” to the marina on VHF.
Is everything perfect? They need to add more dock carts – there always seemed to be a shortage. Additionally, since parking spaces are really tough to find, it would be a welcome service if the marina provided a van type shuttle to Sam’s, West Marine and Publix a few days a week.
A couple of people have commented about the noise from the nearby railroad. Yes, there is some noise, but every marina in the area, including the nearby Sunset Bay, is subject to the same thing.
The Stuart area is a hub for boaters on the east coast of Florida, and dock space is invariably hard to find. The rebirth of this marina makes for a great new facility in the area.
The Harborage Marina is open and running during these difficult times, with a number of boats having arrived from the Keys and from the Bahamas.
Greg Allard
M/V Meander
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Harborage Yacht Club Marina
Fort Pierce City Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR and a public facility, is located west of the Waterway, just south of the Fort Pierce high-rise bridge and well north of unlighted daybeacon #188. See FOCUS ON for more on this excellent facility.
4/18/2020
Just wanted to update you. We are fully open for fuel and pump outs. We are also taking boats for 1-6 nights (basically those that are waiting for a weather window. We will take new monthlies; but only as a “drop and go”. They can stay for a day or two to get there boat secured and then they will have to leave. We are not letting anyone besides our regular tenants use the facilities, in an attempt to try and contain any germs.
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Anne Bowen | Marina Concierge | City of Fort Pierce
City Marina
Phone: 772.464.1245 | Fax: 772.464.2589 |1 Avenue A Fort Pierce 34950
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Fort Pierce City Marina
Wounded Nature-Working Veterans is a group of veterans, non-veterans and active duty military personnel run by Captain Rudy Socha, a former Marine turned conservationist. The non-profit volunteer organization is working to cleanup, preserve and protect our coastal environment, particularly from derelict vessels.
It is almost sea turtle nesting season. When most people walk a beach they walk the shoreline at the water’s edge. Please consider taking a walk along the high tide washup line and removing debris from this area. Right now the beaches are still off limits to the public in most areas. During the restricted time a lot of new debris has accumulated that will impact the ability of hatchlings to make it to the ocean. As the restrictions are lifted we need to encourage everyone to visit the high tide line and help remove the accumulated debris on the public beaches AND in the critical wildlife areas. Please take a minute and watch the following video: https://woundednature.org/videos/sea-turtles-hatching/
If you are able to support us, please make an online donation at: https://woundednature.org/support-us/become-a-member/
To buy a reusable Sea Turtle shopping bag that supports our cleanup efforts, go to: https://www.partycity.com/wounded-nature-sea-turtle-tote-bag-895011.html
Rudy Socha
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