Palm Beach Boat Show Rescheduled for May 14-17, West Palm Beach, FL
Originally scheduled for March 26-29, the show has been rescheduled for May 14-17 in West Palm Beach.
PBIBS20: New May dates picked for Palm Beach boat show
The Triton
CRUISERS NET
Cruisers Helping Cruisers
Comprehensive cruising resource for the Intracoastal Waterways
from Norfolk to the Northern Gulf and Bahamas.
from Norfolk to the Northern Gulf and Bahamas.
FREE to use due to the generosity of our sponsors - please patronize them
FOCUS ON Windmill Harbour Marina
Windmill Harbour Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located on Skull Creek, on the shores of Hilton Head Island.
WINDMILL HARBOUR MARINA
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Okay, you are planning your cruise and you want to really enjoy the beauty of the coastal Carolinas. Checking around you find Hilton Head Island popping up on your radar. In the words of the master Jimmy Buffett, there is this “One Particular Harbor” and this one is Windmill Harbour Marina on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, one of only three privately locked marina harbors along the east coast of the USA. The best port in a storm or at any other time! Located along the Atlantic ICW at mile marker 558. Need a little more detail? Well, Windmill Harbour Marina is one-half mile south of the Pinckney Island Bridge; 500 yards south of Green #27 channel marker and one-half mile north of Green #29 in the Calibogue Sound.
GPS Latitude: 32° 12′ 54.49″ N
GPS Longitude: 80° 46′ 59.57″ W
Windmill Harbour is the South Carolina Lowcountry’s best-kept secret as one of the most gorgeous waterside communities around. With its direct access to the Atlantic ICW, Windmill Harbour is the natural home to a variety of different boaters, from small center console fishing boats to larger cruising and sportfishing boats. There is also a significant fleet of Harbor 20s participating in class racing. In fact, there are numerous cruising and sailing activities including the Calibogue Cup, Harbour Town Cup, and Ocean Challenge.
Each year in May, Windmill Harbour Marina hosts Hilton Head Island Boat Show with over 80 boats on display, equipment demonstrations, seminars, live music, and plenty of friendly folks to chat with, supplemented with delicious food and beverages.
There will be over 80 boats on display, equipment demonstrations, seminars, live music, and plenty of friendly folks to chat with, supplemented with delicious food and beverages.
Windmill Harbour welcomes transient boaters cruising along the Intracoastal Waterway. This marina’s lock system is one of its biggest attractions since it offers protection from tides, strong currents, and storms. The marina’s boats are in deep water all day, every day, without an 8-foot rising or falling tide. At Windmill Harbour, there are no half-hour or longer trips in “no-wake zones” to enter or exit the harbor, and you can experience “tide free” docking. The Harbour staff are onsite seven days a week and will welcome you with easy instructions to enter the lock. It will accommodate vessels up to 70-feet long with a beam of up to 19ft. Visitors from cooperating Yacht Clubs can ask for a guest membership for dining at the on-site South Carolina Yacht Club.
Windmill Harbour Marina has all the facilities and amenities to make you feel as “at home” as possible.
- High Speed Fueling
- Wifi from OnSpot Wifi
- Ships’ store
- Pump out facility
- Easy access to Hilton Head and Savannah Airports
- Harborside restrooms and showers
- Laundry facilities
- Current and tide free docking
- Constant 8′ depth
- 258 slips from 25′ to 70′
- 15.5-acre harbor
- Direct access to Intracoastal Waterway and Calibogue Sound
- 24 hr security
- Yacht sales and brokerage
- Transients welcome
- Pet-Friendly neighborhood with dog park
- Boat slip sales and rentals
- Reasonable rates
- On-call maintenance includes boat cleaning, engine repair, electronics, and canvas
- Home of the elegant South Carolina Yacht Club with fine dining, swimming, tennis, sauna, hot tub, showers, and locker room
- Close to supermarkets, restaurants, shopping, lodging, and golf
Upon your arrival you will find yourself nestled in a unique residential environment of southern charm and old Charleston style homes; where you will be greeted and treated with all the warmth of South Carolina hospitality. Windmill Harbour is South Carolina’s Lowcountry’s best-kept secret.
The unique history, breathtaking beauty, and meticulous planning surrounding this unique harbor have made Windmill Harbour a premier marina community in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Its vibrancy and growth are a testament to its founders and its residents.
So, as you start charting your course north this spring, be sure to enjoy all that Hilton Head Island has to entertain you. Set a course that includes some time at Windmill Harbour Marina to enjoy true southern maritime hospitality.
Give them a call now and reserve your spot. Watch springtime in the South burst forth in all its splendor.
Contact Jake McMillan, the Harbourmaster, on VHF Channel 14 or by phone at 843-681-9235 for transient or long term Boat Slip rentals. Or email at windmillharbourmaster@gmail.com
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Windmill Harbour Marina
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NOAA: Progress Report: Unmapped U.S. Waters
The progress made in mapping U.S. waters through 2019 represents the cumulative work of federal and state agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private contracting partners, and crowd-sourced contributions.
NOAA announces new progress report on mappingU.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes watersNOAA released the first annual report on the progress made in mapping U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters. Knowledge of the depth, shape, and composition of the seafloor are foundational data elements necessary to explore, sustainably develop, understand, conserve, and manage our coastal and offshore natural resources. The 2019 Presidential Memorandum on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and the Shoreline and Nearshore of Alaska and the global Seabed 2030 initiative make comprehensive ocean mapping a priority for the coming decade. The Unmapped U.S. Waters report tracks progress toward these important goals.“The progress made in mapping U.S. waters through 2019 represents the cumulative work of federal and state agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private contracting partners, and crowdsourced contributions,” said Rear Adm. Shepard Smith, director of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. “Partnerships and advances in technology are key to making significant progress toward our common goal of completely mapping U.S. waters.”Pulling from an analysis of publicly available bathymetry, the report presents the percentage of unmapped U.S. waters by region and shows our progress towards filling these basic bathymetry data gaps with each passing year. At the end of 2019, the latest analysis yielded the following results:Percent of U.S. waters that remain unmapped in 2019:- U.S. total – 54% of 3,592,000 square nautical miles (snm)
- Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico – 43% of 472,200 snm
- Great Lakes – 95% of 46,600 snm
- Caribbean – 42% of 61,600 snm
- Alaska – 72% of 1,080,200 snm
- Pacific (California, Oregon, Washington) – 24% of 239,700 snm
- Pacific Remote Islands and Hawaii – 50% of 1,691,700 snm
Multibeam and lidar surveys are the two primary sources of bathymetry needed to fill these gaps. In support of the integrated ocean and coastal mapping goal to “map once, use many times,” all of the data collected in this effort are publicly available to benefit numerous user communities. For the latest status on these efforts and how you can contribute, visit http://iocm.noaa.gov/
seabed-2030.html. The pdf version of Progress Report: Unmapped U.S. Waters is available from: https://iocm.noaa.gov/seabed-2030/mapping-progress- report2020.pdf. NOAA Office of Coast Survey is the nation’s nautical chartmaker. Originally formed by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807, Coast Survey updates charts, surveys the coastal seafloor, responds to maritime emergencies, and searches for underwater obstructions that pose a danger to navigation.# # #
NOAA Office of Coast Survey, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3 #6509, Silver Spring, MD 20906Be the first to comment!
Bahamas Chatter: Corona virus
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: Corona virus
Corona virusPosted: 17 Mar 2020 05:31 AM PDT
Does anyone know if the Bahamas are going to close their borders to cruisers due to the Corona virus?
Comments from Cruisers (1)
- Reply to Beth
As of today March 18, borders are open to North Americans. Closed to Europe, South Korea, China and a few other Hot spots. There will be a 10 AM update from PM today
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“Going North” by Bob Sherer, March 19, Stock Island Marina Village, CANCELLED
This presentation by author and experienced cruiser, Bob Sherer, HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Robert Sherer March 2 at 12:24 PM “Going North” from Key West to Hampton, VA by Bob423 I will be giving a “Going North” presentation (see agenda below) at the Stock Island Marina Village on 3/19/2020. There is no fee for the event. Come one, come all. It will be informative and fun. There will be door prizes too! The event is open to all.
https://stockislandmarina.com/12:30 – 1:30
Have lunch with Bob423, meet and greet. I will need lunch and you’re invited too at Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen and Bar, it’s excellent!
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Florida’s Gulf-side Clearwater and Sarasota
Florida’s Gulf-side Clearwater and Sarasota offer low-key adventures for beachcombers and ocean lovers of all kinds.
The forgotten coast
Dallas Voice
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
ARNOLD WAYNE JONES | Executive EditorBe the first to comment!
Bahamas Chatter: EXPLORER CHARTBOOK Far Bahamas 7TH EDITION READY
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: EXPLORER CHARTBOOK Far Bahamas 7TH EDITION READY
EXPLORER CHARTBOOK Far Bahamas 7TH EDITION READYPosted: 13 Mar 2020 05:25 AM PDT
The latest edition of the EXPLORER CHARTBOOK FAR BAHAMAS, 7th ed.
has been published and is ready to ship. Order NOW from our website at
Don’t go to The Bahamas or Turks and Caicos without it!
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Good News re Georgia Anchoring Regulations
Our thanks to AGLCA and Save Georgia Anchorages for their efforts in bringing about this corrective legislation.Update on Georgia Anchoring
Relief is one step closer for boaters wanting to cruise the waterway of Georgia! The Georgia House of Representatives today passed HB-833, a bill that “undoes” much of the damage created by rules put into place earlier this year that were widely viewed as unfriendly towards cruisers, and some of the most restrictive in the nation.
On January 1, 2020, HB-201 became law in Georgia, giving the Department of Natural Resources broad power to determine where boats may anchor. It also attempted to over-ride federal regulations on discharge of sewage. To implement the law, DNR issued an Administrative Order banning anchoring within 1,000-feet of marine structures and shellfish beds, and within 300-feet of marinas.
However, Representative Ron Stephens, who happens to be a Gold Looper, filed a bill to help fix these issues and reverse the unfairness of the rules for cruisers. After gathering feedback from DNR and the cruising community, the final version of Rep. Stephens’ bill, HB-833, was issued and worked its way through the legislative process. It passed the House by a vote of 157 to 6 today.
HB-833 takes back the power from DNR to establish anchoring zones, and instead statutorily sets the setback where anchoring is not allowed at:
300-feet from a marina
150-feet from marine infrastructure other than a marina
500 feet from approved commercial shellfish beds and designated public harvest areas
Further, HB-833 removes statutory language created by last year’s HB-201 that attempted to override federal regulations by making all the Georgia coast a no-discharge zone. The area cannot qualify as a federal no-discharge zone due to the lack of pump out facilities available. This attempt to side-step federal regulations was removed by HB-833.
Another change is that HB-833 establishes long-term and short-term anchoring. Short-term anchoring is defined as anchoring a vessel within a one-mile radius of a documented anchoring point where a vessel is anchored for up to 14 cumulative days in a calendar year. If your stay is short-term, the above setbacks apply. However, if you want to stay within a one-mile radius of the same spot for more than 14 cumulative days in a calendar year, you are long-term anchoring and a permit must be obtained from DNR under terms and conditions as the commissioner or his or her designee may prescribe. This is a win for cruisers, as most don’t stay in one place for long, and still gives DNR some additional “teeth” to regulate derelict and nuisance vessels, which was their primary goal with the rules set to implement HB-201.
The next step for HB-833 is to work its way through the Senate side of the Georgia General Assembly. The session lasts into April. We’ll keep you posted on progress and post any calls-to-action that are needed via the AGLCA forum and social media.”Here is a link to video capture: https://youtu.be/zdz8L8HyvyQ 2 Facebook Likes, 2 Facebook Reactions
Comments from Cruisers (1)
- Reply to James
So much time, energy, and money has been expended to correct the problems caused by HB201. I hope legislators have learned that stakeholders need to be involved and issues vetted in public forums before laws are passed. We could have avoided all this with some discussions ahead of time. Thankfully DNR is now willing to work with us.
Visit Save Georgia's Anchorages on Facebook for updates on this important issue.
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FWC to Boaters: Slow Down to Save Manatees
The FWC is spitting into the wind when asking boaters to slow down. Those of us ICW slow-boaters know from experience that there are skippers who go well above reasonable speeds regardless of the circumstances.
FWC to boaters: Slow down to save manatees.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding boaters and personal watercraft operators to slow down and keep a keen eye out for manatees as they enjoy Florida’s waterways this spring.
During this time of year, manatees leave their winter refuges and are more likely to be found in rivers, canals and nearshore waters. The sunny spring weather also appeals to Florida’s boaters, meaning that they are likely to cross paths with the state’s official marine mammal.
“Spring is one of the best times to be out on the water but it’s also a very active time for manatees.” said Ron Mezich, who heads the FWC’s Imperiled Species Management Section. “Boaters can make a big difference and avoid injuring or killing manatees by slowing down and being alert this spring.”
Some of the same actions that keep manatees safe also keep people safe. Everyone on the water should be paying attention to surroundings and operating at safe speeds.
From April 1 through Nov. 15, seasonal manatee zones require boaters to slow down in certain areas to prevent manatees from being struck by motorboats or personal watercrafts. FWC law enforcement officers are on patrol in state waters to remind boaters of the seasonal manatee speed zones and take enforcement actions when appropriate.
Manatees can be difficult to detect when underwater, so it is important for operators of boats and personal watercrafts to be vigilant while out on the water. You can help protect manatees by following these simple guidelines:
- Wear polarized sunglasses to help spot manatees.
- Look for large circles on the water, also known as manatee footprints, indicating the presence of a manatee below.
- Look for a snout sticking up out of the water.
- Follow posted manatee zones while boating.
- Report injured, distressed, sick or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or dialing #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone.
Resources for boaters, educators and other interested members of the public are available at MyFWC.com/Manatee. Click the page’s “Information & Guidelines” tab for helpful tips on respectfully viewing manatees, additional guidelines for boat and PWC operators, and information on what you can do to help these amazing aquatic mammals.
Those interested in supporting the FWC’s manatee research, rescue and management efforts can purchase a “Save the Manatee” Florida license plate, or donate $5 to receive an FWC manatee decal. Both are available from your local Tax Collector’s office.
Spring is an active time for many of Florida’s wildlife species. For more information on wildlife in spring visit MyFWC.com/News and click on “Spring Wildlife News”.
General boating safety information is available at MyFWC.com/boating.
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THE WATCH – March 11, 2020
News you can use from NOAA Planet Stewards.
Planet Stewards Program – The Watch – March 11, 2020
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HOPEFULLY NOT TO SOON TO HAVE RESCHEDULED AGAIN