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    • Jul 24, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments 26.7588,-80.91869999

      BoatUS News: TowBoatUS Comes to Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, FL


       View In Chartview

      These two TowBoat US vessels will be stationed at Roland Martins Marina found on a small canal in Clewiston, Florida.

      TowBoatUS Comes to Lake Okeechobee

      Bringing around-the-clock assistance to boaters in need on Florida’s Inland Sea

      CLEWISTON, Fl., July 23, 2018 – More than 15 years ago, Captain Michael Ammons’ professional career on the water began when he became the owner of three TowBoatUS locations, which offer 24-hour on-water towing and assistance for recreational boaters. After selling the businesses 10 years ago, he’s found his way back to the company, opening TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee earlier this year.

      “TowBoatUS has always been a cut above the rest, and the boats are easily recognized on the water,” said Ammons. “When I came back to Lake Okeechobee after working a few years abroad, I knew there wasn’t anyone out here with the company, so I applied and got back into the business.”

      Much like an auto club for boaters, BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for boaters and anglers for just $149 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs that average $750 per towing incident, with some paying into the thousands out of pocket.

      From his years of experience boating in Florida waters, Ammons knows the types of problems boaters can face, which is why his company offers an extended service area. Not only does the company service Lake Okeechobee in its entirety, but it also provides service to transient boaters passing through the Okeechobee Waterway on their way to fish the east or west coasts of the Sunshine State.

      With the lake attracting bass fishermen, saltwater sport fishermen passing through to the coasts and other area boaters, Ammons is confident he’ll stay busy year-round helping boaters get home safely, no matter what boating activity they’re partaking in. “It’s a difficult area, and there are tons of locks and restrictions around the lake,” he explained. “It’s a really chopped up waterway, and it creates a lot of issues for boaters, including hazardous water fluctuations, rocky areas, and more.”

      TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee operates a 22-foot Lund Alaskan, a sturdy shallow-water vessel, and a 22-foot Angler deep-v center-console for salvage jobs. Both response vessels are kept at Roland Martin Marina. Ammons’ boats are easily recognizable by their red hulls and TowBoatUS logos emblazoned in bright white letters on their sides, and they’re rigged and ready for towing, jump starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings.

      Boaters can reach TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee by hailing on VHF channel 16, by calling the company directly at (239) 600-0140, by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at (800) 391-4869, or via smartphone using the new BoatUS App. More information can be found at BoatUS.com/Towing, or call (800) 888-4869.

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Clewiston and Roland Martins Marina

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    • Jul 23, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      Monday Minute – Restating the Obvious by Bill Parlatore

      Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.

      Not sure why this comes up again and again, but perhaps that is a good thing if people are coming into boating for the first time and just learning. But the many rules and regulations do not alter the need for common sense. In the case of potentila encounters with commercial and military shipping, STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY.
      Read on »

      Monday Minute – Restating the Obvious

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    • Jul 23, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      An Unforgettable Sea Trial! by Eddie and Cara

      Our thanks to Eddie and Cara for sharing this experience as chronicled in their excellent blog, The Crabby Captain and the Sunny Sailor. 

      The day of our sea trial was a beautiful March day: the sun was out, the weather a pleasant 61 degrees and all we needed was a light jacket even on the water. We were ready to see how she would sail and pulled out the mainsail as soon as we got into the ICW.

      CLICK FOR MORE…
      Saving life of someone the first time you take out your boat is good karma, don’t ya think?!

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    • Jul 19, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      Turbinella Conch off Exuma by Alan Marsa and Elijah Sands

      Our thanks to Alan Marsa and Elijah Sands for this Facebook page time-lapse photo.

      Underwater Time-lapse of a “Turbinella Conch” (i think) plowing thru the sand in 3 feet of water off Exuma. July 10 2018

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    • Jul 19, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      Well Equipped or A Hoarder? by Bill Parlatore

      Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.

       
      Everyone has a tolerance for a certain amount of clutter. On the sometimes limited space of cruising boats, having spares for every contingency must be balanced with knowing where everything is while not sinking the boat with tons of spares, consumables, and items that somehow find their way aboard.

      Are You Well Equipped or A Hoarder? from Following Seas by Bill Parlatore

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    • Jul 18, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy 2 Comments 28.3339,-80.6619999

      Banana River Marina Under New Ownership, near Cocoa Beach, FL off AICW Statute Mile 894


       View In Chartview

      Banana River Marina, off the Waterway via Canaveral Barge Canal, flanks the Banana River’s western banks near unlighted daybeacon #24 . Our thanks to Cap’n Parky for this news.

      You might like to advise boaters:
      Banana River Marina (just south of Cape Canaveral) has been acquired by one of these Developer / Building Contractor outfits. The new owner intends building houses and possibly also sell such buyers a boat slip. Thus we lose one of the lowest priced marinas on the ICW – $7.50 per ft per month. All boats (above 100) have been told to leave by the end of July.
      Mind you the Banana River has problems for many boats.

      The three bridges on the river have only 43 ft clearance – much too low for many sailing boats.
      The river is full of unmarked shallows – less than 4ft. Any boat with a higher draft – or have their propellers below the keel – should go very slow with maximum caution . The channel markers also are very poor and depth of the channel is at best around 5 to 6ft. Bluewater ocean sailors with 6ft or more keels should not even try it.

      I’m one of those leaving soon – bound for Savannah. Evading – I hope – hurricanes 😊

      Best wishes,
      Arnold Parkinson

      Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Banana River Marina

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Banana River Marina

      Comments from Cruisers (2)

      1. Huggy Teddy the Bear -  August 16, 2018 - 10:12 am

        BANNANA RIVER MARINA HAS CLOSED AUGUST 1 2018 ! TODAY AUGUST 15 , THERE A RE APPROXAMATLY 30 TO 40 BOATS THAT HAVE NOT LEFT THE CLOSED MARINA ! MOST BOAT CAPTAINS HAVE RECIEVED PAPERS REQUESTING THEY LEAVE AND NOT RETURN DUE TO HOUSES BEING BUILT ! IT YOU HAVE EMERGENCY THEY MAY LET YOU IN !
        Huggy Teddy the Bear

        Reply to Huggy
      2. Bob McLeran -  July 20, 2018 - 4:29 pm

        It will be interesting to see how many boats the new owners of the marina will end up with (as in abandoned) and have to pay to have removed at great expense. I’d guess that more than 75% of the boats in that marina haven’t moved in the 16 years I’ve been familiar with the marina (and former boat yard).

        Reply to Bob
    • Jul 17, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      Candidates Sought for Positions with Gray’s Reef Team

      Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary protects Georgia’s special live-bottom wildlife habitat in the Atlantic Ocean and along the southeastern U.S. coast, an area teeming with diversity and an abundance of marine life.


      GRNMS State Manager, Public Council Members and Student Internships – Apply Now!
      Join the Gray’s Reef Team
      Our team is growing and we are seeking capable candidates to fill a variety of positions at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Please consider the following opportunities:

      Join the Gray’s Reef Team

      Our team is growing and we are seeking capable candidates to fill a variety of positions at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Please consider the following opportunities:

      State Program Manager

      The State Program Manager supervises and manages state employees at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and serves as a liaison to NOAA. In this role, your responsibilities would include promoting team building, undertaking innovative actions to fulfill staffing needs, and assisting with partnership development initiatives and outreach efforts to further the mission and vision of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. 

      For more information on this position or to apply, please click here.

      Student Intern

      We are seeking a “virtual” intern—meaning that you could be located virtually anywhere—to help develop and implement a communications campaign that illuminates the importance of innovative technologies for ocean conservation. The Virtual Student Federal Service projects on USAJOBS offer eight-month, unpaid remote internships for U.S. citizen students, college-level and above, who would like to make a real difference in the work of the U.S. government. See all of the available VSFS opportunities or apply directly for this Gray’s Reef NMS internship here.

      Applications are due by July 31, 2018. 

      Public Council Members

      The Gray’s Reef Sanctuary Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations on the management of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. The council members include community members from fishing, diving, conservation, science, education, and citizens-at-large along with state and federal agencies.

      We are currently accepting applications for the following seats:

      • Charter/Commercial Fishing
      • Sport Diving
      • Sport Fishing
      • Non-living Resources Research
      • University Education
      • Citizen-at-Large
      • Conservation (2 seats)

      Click here for more information, or contact Council Coordinator Becky Shortland at:   becky.shortland@noaa.gov or (912-598-2381)

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    • Jul 17, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      LNM: NOAA Request for Coast Pilot Users

      US COAST PILOT – SURVEY
      NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is conducting a review of the Coast Pilot publication and is looking for Coast Pilot users who are willing to take part of an upcoming survey. The purpose of this survey is to gain a better understanding of how the Coast Pilot is used by mariners and what information is most important to the user’s needs. The results of the survey will help guide improvements to the publication. Any interested company or individual wishing to provide comments or participate in this user survey should contact: NOAA Office of Coast Survey, Navigation Services Division, N/CS51, 315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Attn: Tom Loeper, Phone: 240-533-0068; Fax: 301-713-4019; Email: coastpilot.survey@noaa.gov.

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    • Jul 16, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      Monday Minute – Getting Back into the Dinghy by Bill Parlatore

      Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.

       

       

      Here’s the newest post from FollowingSeas!

      Monday Minute – Getting Back into the Dinghy
      Being on the water sometimes means being in the water. It happened to me recently, and reminded me of a clever technique to get back aboard one’s dinghy, especially suited to older boaters. Practice it a couple of times and you’ll have another trick in your back pocket next time you need to get aboard without a swim platform or ladder.

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    • Jul 14, 2018by:   Larry Dorminy 5 Comments

      “Upper” or “Lower” St. Johns River Discussion

      This week a reader, Jim Tracey, brought up an interesting topic of discussion: is the upstream portion of the St. Johns River, which flows south to north, properly called Lower St. Johns, due to its southern location or Upper St. Johns, due to being upstream of the mouth in northern Florida?
      If you have cruised or are planning to cruise the St. Johns, and especially if you are a Floridian, we would invite you to weigh in on this “north versus south” topic. Keep it civil please!

      CLICK HERE FOR:
      Cruising the Upper St. Johns River – Palatka to Sanford (Lake Monroe) by Claiborne Young, February, 2013

      Comments from Cruisers (5)

      1. Tom Hale -  July 15, 2018 - 11:17 am

        The river does change in look and feel above (south of) Lake George. For us, that is how we draw the line, but truly such a distinction is probably not necessary.
        Tom Hale

        Reply to Tom
      2. Sean Welsh -  July 15, 2018 - 11:15 am

        The St. Johns is a single river with one set of mileposts. It does not have an “Upper” and a “Lower” the way, for example, the Mississippi does. So I don’t know why you need this terminology. Just say “south” and “north” (or “southern” and “northern”), or else say upriver and downriver. Confusion avoided. To say “upper” and “lower” is just going to breed confusion among an audience that has not agreed on that terminology in advance.
        Sean Welsh

        Reply to Sean
        • glenn -  July 19, 2018 - 5:55 pm

          Lower St Johns typically means that area north of the fixed bridge at Palatka which restricts most sailboats. Upper St Johns is the segment from Palatka south to the head of navigation just east of Sanford.

          Reply to glenn
          • Kearney Mason -  July 20, 2018 - 7:38 pm

            I believe upriver and down river should only be used. Less confusing. The Shands bridge at Green Cove Spring has 45′ clearance while the Memorial bridge at Palaka has 65′ clearance.


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