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A 1000 mb low at 36N 72W is moving NE at 25 knots with winds up to 45 knots and 5-meter seas. Within the next 30 hours the storm center will intensify significantly, with central pressure dropping to 966 mb. Winds will reach 55 to 70 knots with seas building 8 to 13 meters (approx. 26 to 43 feet) within 180 nm south of the low center.
The course, which is approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and meets state boating safety education requirements, can be taken at the student’s own pace. After passing the exam, they can print their own certificate of completion for immediate use and will receive a lifetime card from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The course provides video demonstrations and sample common boating situations for students to interact with to better understand how to evaluate real-world instances. The learning experience includes storylines where the student “boats” to various places and includes interactive learning tools like flashcards and drag-and-drop features to enhance learning and retention. Course-takers will be able to design and name the virtual boat that takes them through the course and map how far they’ve “traveled” within it.
In the state of Florida, anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, who operates a vessel powered by 10 horsepower or more must pass an approved boating safety course and have in his/her possession photographic identification and proof of boating safety education completion issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The online BoatUS Foundation boating safety course and exam are approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard as exceeding the minimum requirements for the National Recreational Boating Safety Program.
“NASBLA approval of our Florida Boating Safety Course is a meaningful investment in boater safety, said Lynne O’Hearn, Program Manager at BoatUS Foundation. “Boater education is one of the most effective ways to prevent accidents, and this course gives Florida boaters the opportunity to build their skills to better enjoy Florida waterways safely.”
About BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water:
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the more than 740,000 members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nonprofit provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America’s waterways, and keeping boating safe for all. A range of safe and clean boating courses – including the nation’s only free online boating safety course – can be found at BoatUS.org/Courses.
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There is a risk for severe weather across the Southeast through Sunday due to severe thunderstorms with potentially damaging gusty winds and a few possible tornadoes, particularly across northern Florida and Georgia, including the adjacent coastal waters.
There is a 5 to 15% risk for wind gusts in thunderstorms to exceed 50 knots producing Hazardous sea conditions over the coastal waters of parts of Florida and Georgia.
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
Fishermen’s Village February Calendars of Entertainment/Events
Harbour Town Yacht Basin, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is ready for your reservation with newly renovated docks, upgraded electrical service and onSpot WiFi, also a CRUISERS NET SPONSOR. And, as always, numerous activities at the Sea Pines Resort are offered for your enjoyment, as you will see in the Event Schedule below. Hilton Head Island is absolutely marvelous any time of year.
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with saltwater in their veins will subscribe. $7 per month or $56 for the year; you may cancel at any time.
ENE Vision was pushed up against the rocky shore at the entrance to Luperon Harbor in the Dominican Republic. Before her plight had become this extreme, the barge she was towing was detached and towed inside by local boats. (Photo by Davy Ashcroft)
Spanish chatter over the VHF was the first sign. Shortly after dawn a ship with a barge in tow was headed toward Luperon Bay’s tricky entrance. Although witnesses didn’t know it yet, the ENE Vision was experiencing engine problems, and her captain was seeking help from harbor authorities.
Indeed, the barge she was towing was disconnected and maneuvered into the harbor by local boats, which benefitted from calm conditions. Despite assistance from officers of the local Navy base, the mothership ended up anchored on short scope and grounded on a reef on an ebbing tide.
Rising wind and waves throughout the day pushed ENE Vision right up against the craggy shoreline.
Luperon is a cynched purse of an anchorage, with reefs on either side of the entrance. Plenty of boats have gone a ground hereabouts over the years, but this one may well be the biggest to have ever done so. Drawing about 12 feet, ENE Vision was never a candidate to enter the bay itself, which will only accept up to 10 feet of draft on a high tide.
ENE Vision’s skipper may have hoped to drop a hook just outside the narrow entrance to the bay—call it the outer harbor—a stone’s throw from where Columbus caught up with the Pinta during voyage No. 1. Captain Martin Pinzon had anchored her there in January 1493 after his unauthorized expedition to the Turks & Caicos seeking gold.
From Damien Christie of SV Suzie Manuela
Somebody Else Should Take Credit for This Video
According to witnesses, two tugboats arrived and tried to tow ENE Vision into deeper water, but that didn’t work; the ropes broke. A RoRo vessel also arrived to help, but it’s not clear what went on with that. ENE Vision was still on the rocks at the end of the day yesterday.
At first, it was thought that the 190-foot multi-purpose support vessel was the HOS Crossfire because apparently the MarineTraffic AIS website hadn’t gotten the memo. According to a spokesman, Hornbeck Offshore Services of Louisiana had sold Crossfire “years ago,” despite her AIS ping having been identified as belonging to Crossfire.
She was now registered in the Dominican Republic as ENE Vision and is displayed as such by MarineTraffic, but only when one digs deeper into the vessel’s information and photo gallery, for example:
Here is an image on MarineTraffic showing ENE Vision leaving the Amelia Shipyard in Louisiana earlier this month with a tug on her aft deck.
The current owner has not been confirmed but the “ENE” in ENE Vision might hold a clue. It’s customary for three-initials in the front of a name to stand for the corporate owner, as, for example, the “HOS” in HOS Crossfire stood for Hornbeck Offshore Services.
It happens that ENE Shipping and Trade in the Turks & Caicos owns vessels, though no mention of ENE Vision itself could be found on its website. ENE Shipping is a subsidiary of Olympic Group, possibly the biggest builder in the Turks & Caicos. Most construction material used in that desert island nation, all the cement and blocks, comes from the D.R. by ship.
ENE Shipping did not reply to an email.
A yola with harbor personnel rushes to the grounded ship. (Photo by David Herrera of SV Oniwa)
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
TopSide Marinas, a family-owned company that acquires and operates high-quality marinas around the country, recently announced the acquisition of another marina. TopSide Marinas is A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR!
TopSide Marinas Expands into Michigan with Acquisition of Bay Harbor Marina
TopSide Marinas, a family-owned company that acquires and operates high-quality marinas throughout the United States, has acquired Bay Harbor Marina, a full-service marina located along the Saginaw River in Bay City. The acquisition marks TopSide Marinas’ first entry into the Michigan market.
Established in 1967, Bay Harbor Marina spans 80 acres and offers extensive amenities for recreational boaters. The marina features 400 wet slips, 100 dry stack slips, and more than 500 winter storage spaces, including over 120,000 square feet of heated indoor storage. On-site services include fuel docks, a ship store, mechanical and electronic repair, fiberglass and paint services, haul-out capabilities, and both indoor and outdoor storage options.
Bay Harbor Marina serves boaters of all kinds, with members ranging from pontoon and sailboat owners to those operating large cruisers. Its location makes it a strategic stop for transient boaters as it’s less than two miles from Saginaw Bay and in route to Lake Huron.
“We are excited to enter the Michigan market with our first marina, Bay Harbor, welcoming new team members to the TopSide community as well as our newest boating enthusiasts. Our newest marina provides the ideal location to serve customers passing through or for those who have a slip with us,” said Ryan Skiles, Regional VP at TopSide Marinas.
TopSide Marinas plans to build upon Bay Harbor’s strong foundation, expanding its service department to include additional original equipment manufacturers such as Mercury outboards, Volvo, and Kohler (Rehlko). Enhancements are also planned for the store to offer best-in-class products along with expanded storage availability.
Following its November 2025 acquisition of Pikes Bay Marina in Bayfield, Wisconsin, TopSide Marinas continues its U.S. expansion, strengthening its commitment to operational excellence, community stewardship, and preserving the spirit of recreational boating. TopSide Marinas also owns and operates marinas across the country including Hideaway Marina, Cape Fair Marina and Campbell Point Marina in Missouri, Galveston Yacht Marina, North Point Marina and April Plaza Marina in Texas, Beavers Bend Marina in Oklahoma, Rock Creek Marina in Kansas, Bay Marine of Sturgeon Bay in Wisconsin, and Larsen Marine and Bay Marine of Chicago in Illinois.
Time is a precious commodity—thanks for spending some of yours SPARRING with me! ~J
If you’ve just joined our engaging little community, please read SPARS & SPARRING, my introductory piece.….and share it, if you are so inclined….that works wonders.
As the gurus of Substack send this out to you diverse and delightful readers, I am sipping my hot, sweet coffee in Guayaquil, Ecuador in preparation for a 600 mile hop west to the Galápagos Islands where I will spend the next ten days drinking in some of the most famous and unique places and creatures in the world. It’s a place I’ve dreamed of since I first learned about Darwin and his sturdy vessel BEAGLE, and nothing goes to windward (or the Pacific) like a 737.
Yes, I left this to go to the equator. (!)
In particular I’m searching for the restaurant where the sea lions can be found beneath the bar stools—: if Clare Polders of Wonder, Wander, Write, hangs out with them it must be an adventure. I appreciate and recommend her sage advice—the second in her excellent, informative series on the Galápagos can be found here.
Simply said I was far too wound up gathering information and booking SCUBA to concentrate on boat rebuild and the contemplation thereof, much less write about this week’s challenges… I leave the project in more capable hands than my own.
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