Bath State Docks are located on the eastern shores of Bath Creek, north of flashing daybeacon #4. For an in depth report on Bath. Our thanks to Almond Drake for this update,
Due to damage from Hurricane Isaias, the State Dock at Historic Bath is closed at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience and are we are working hard to open it back up as soon as possible. Almond Drake
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: Report of cruise ships damaging the seabed near the Berry Islands
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced shutdown of active cruise ships operations in the Bahamas and cruise ships have been allowed to shelter in Bahamian waters. According to a report from the director of the Bahamas National Trust, fishermen in the Berry Islands have reported significant damage to the seafloor from cruise ships’ anchors and chains dragging across the seabed. Two miles west of Little Stirrup Cay, a private cruise port (AKA Coco Cay), it’s reported there are 15-18 cruise ships anchored two to three miles apart. The fishermen have said, the anchors are sometimes dragging along the seafloor as ships fail to properly anchor or have to be repositioned.
On Sunday a dive team found “significant damage” to the marine environment allegedly caused by ship anchors.“The anchors are totally destroying the fishing grounds, and dragging through the coral. The chains are dragging coral and mountains of sand, ripping up the shoals and bars, totally devastating the fishing area. It looks like someone was driving a bulldozer across the seafloor,” the report alleged. A team is urgently putting together a comprehensive assessment to determine the extent of the damage and quantify the value of the damage and the potential remediation costs.
The report stressed that all vessels sheltering in Bahamian waters are “obliged to anchor, operate and navigate in a safe manner and in all respects compliant with all local laws and regulations, including safety and environmental regulations.”It added: “This extends to discharges of any kind, to the avoidance of any protected or restricted areas, and to the avoidance of damages to any sensitive commercial and environmental resources including reefs.”
Divers from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Department of the Environment have been ordered to carry out further anchorage site assessments between the Berry Islands and Bimini.
Editors note: Most cruise ships should be able to use Dynamic Positioning to maintain a fixed position providing it is properly manned.
National Wildlife Day, founded in 2005 by animal behaviorist and philanthropist Colleen Paige, serves to bring awareness of endangered animals, nationally as well as globally, that need to be preserved and rescued from their demise each year.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, voted Best Small Marina in 2017, overlooks the westerly banks of the Matanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13. Pink Shell Beach Marina is a favorite of the CCCC, see 2020 Cruise to Pink Shell.
August 2020 Pink Shell Cruise
by Commodore Doug Rhees
After several months of quarantine, and adhering to CDC guidelines, the Cape Coral Cruise Club finally put together a cruise with the help of the excellent marina staff at the Pink Shell Resort on Ft, Myers Beach. Dates selected were August 18th-21st. Social distancing and mask wearing protocols assured all attendees remained healthy.
Nine boats ranging in size from 27 to 54 feet attended. A few non boating members joined the group and enjoyed the company of members at two evening dinners. Late afternoon docktail gatherings held on the lawn above the docks where adequate space was available for social distancing. Weather cooperated and made early morning beach walking a treat as, at this time of year, there are no crowds. The resort pools were not crowded as well, and every day provided sun time and an afternoon rain shower to cool things down. Several members enjoyed a memorable dinner at Mantanzas on the Bay the last evening.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club has made adjustments to upcoming Club activities to help assure the safety of members. The Club owns a portion of a spoil Island east of the Franklin lock on the Caloosahatchee River and has decided to hold membership meetings there in conjunction with the Club’s monthly picnics. Cruise locations for the fall have had to be changed due to marinas modifying transient boater rules. However, lots of fun events are in the works for the following cruises: September 17 to 21 at Tween Waters, October 27 to 30 at South Seas Island Resort, and November 17 to 20 at Fisherman’s Village, Punta Gorda.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Terry Carlson at 239-770-6955. Read additional Club information on our website, https://ourgrouponline.org/CapeCoralCruiseClub
Attached pictures:
0500 – CCCC member boats at Pink Shell Marina.
0523 – beautiful sunset at Pink Shell, Ft. Myers Beach
With his beloved wife Lyn. RIP and God bless. Your books and articles have helped my husband and I tremendously over our 30 year sailing career both professionally and personally.
St Marys Inlet is the US military’s channel into Kings Bay Atomic Sub Station and is extremely well maintained.
Coast Guard removes fishing vessel from St. Mary’s inlet, GA
JACKSONVILLE-Fla.— The Coast Guard completed pollution mitigation and removal efforts for the fishing vessel Phuong Mai in St. Mary’s Inlet Georgia, Friday.
The vessel posed a hazard to the marine environment and was an imminent threat to obstruct passage of the navigation channel. As the Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville federalized the response using the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Over 500 gallons of oily water was pumped from the vessel, and contractors successfully removed the vessel and debris from the water.
The Coast Guard rescued two adults after their fishing vessel ran aground on Thursday, August 20th on the north jetty in St Mary’s Inlet, Georgia.
A Coast Guard Air Station SavannahMH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene and hoisted the two adults to safety with no reported injuries. The 40-foot fishing vessel encountered damage to their fiberglass hull and sank in approximately 20-feet of water.
“The Coast Guard is responsible for safeguarding the American people, ensuring security in a complex maritime environment, and ensuring the economic prosperity of the region,” said Petty Officer First Class Justin Chartier, the Federal On-Scene Coordinator representative on the response “This was a unique response that included 6 out of 11 Coast Guard missions: Ports, Waterways, & Coastal Security, Search & Rescue, Living Marine Resources, Marine Safety, Defense Readiness, and Marine Environmental Protection. We are thankful to the multiple federal and state agencies that assisted on the response. With their help, we were able to quickly remove the vessel from the water, prevent the threat of pollution to the local area and eliminate a hazard to navigation in a port of national significance.”
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.
DEP’s Coral Reef Conservation Program is holding an annual Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI) Team meeting to update and facilitate discussions with Team members regarding the following:
SEFCRI History and Local Action Strategy (LAS) Project Planning
Current projects for Southeast Florida
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Response Effort
Management of the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area
Since taking over operations at the Port of Fort Pierce on November 1, 2019, Derecktor Ft. Pierce has invested in numerous facility and infrastructure upgrades as it converts the aging Indian River Terminal building into a shipyard capable of rivaling any in the world.
The Kiplinger Nature Preserve on Kanner Highway, a popular destination for nature hikers and “bridge walkers” on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, will soon become larger and more useful.
The Kiplinger family, of Washington, D.C., and Sewall’s Point announced today its intention to donate to Martin County a 7-acre tract between the bridge and the existing Kiplinger Nature Preserve, at the southwest corner of Kanner Highway and Indian Street. It consists of more than two acres of dry upland, with mature slash pines and saw palmetto, sloping down to five acres of wetlands and mangroves on the St. Lucie River. It includes a small, unnamed creek that flows into the river.
The newly donated land creates a number of recreational possibilities, including additional parking, a place for picnicking, a boardwalk to the river, etc.
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