Stop in and say Welcome to one of our newest Sponsors! Only a mile or so upstream from downtown Jacksonville, Ortega Landing Marina, now A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is the first facility on your starboard as you enter the Ortega River from the St. Johns.
We’ve been to plenty of marinas in our cruising days but The Marina at Ortega Landing is something special. This place is tucked along the Ortega River in the historic district surrounded by old southern waterfront mansions and it’s about a mile from downtown Jacksonville with the skyline visible from your slip. The amenities, ski lodge style clubhouse with stone fireplace, spotless restroom facilities, and the boaters and staff in the office are wonderful and friendly. No one is a stranger at this place and you feel like family as soon as you tie off. Nice floating docks, gated access, great WiFi, free ice, incredible pool and spa, free bikes with saddle bags to ride to the grocery that is a couple blocks away, very pet friendly, fun boater events monthly, and the calm river setting is so quiet and upscale that it just feels good. No fuel, but there is fuel very close by. Pump out at the slip. We are always sad to leave, but look forward to our return! Oh…call ahead because their reputation of being a first class marina keeps their slips pretty full year round. Captain Dog and the Admiral
This marina complex on the Ortega River is the top pick for us. We cruised out of there for 3 years and toured the St Johns River system. The staff are professional and run a safe tight ship. They have the ability to handle your size and bigger. Sonny Reeves
I am pleased to see the nicest first class marina of Jacksonville as a sponsor of Cruisersnet. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with your marina. The safety and care your staff gave us during the hurricane was awesome. Sonny Reeves
There has been much recent discussion and questions on AGLCA Forum and Facebook about shoaling and markers on the Waterway channel immediately south of the St. Johns River. If you have navigated this passage in the past few weeks, let us hear from you regarding depths and buoy placements. Many thanks!
Our thanks to longtime Cruisers Net contributor and experienced cruiser, Larry Shick, for this report.
Recall on popular Honda portable generators American Honda has issued a stop-sale/recall for EU2200i and EB2200i generators for potential fuel leaks. Affected serial numbers for model: EB2200iTA start s/n: EAJT-1000001 end s/n: EAJT-1005474 model: EU2200iTA, …TA1, and …TA2 are start s/n: EAMT-1000001 end s/n: EAMT-1260796 A service/repair bulletin is expected in early March. Link to original document: http://www.hanessupply.com/content/pdfs/Honda_021219_PTB54942_EB22_EU22_safety-and-emission-recall_2-12-19.pdf
The two Cocoa anchorages flank both sides of the Waterway channel immediately south of the Cocoa twin bridges. A spokesperson at Cocoa Village Marina confirmed today that the anchorages are usable, but the boat ramp (southwest corner below the bridge) dinghy dock is no longer there. Also, Cocoa Village Marina does not have a dinghy dock, so do not expect easy access to shore facilities. Skipper Yoshima was responding to an outdated report and would appreciate any report of recent experience using these anchorages.
We stayed there in 2016 and 17 but we saw the devastation caused by Irma, and it seems we cannot anchor or use the dinghy dock there any longer… is that so? Yoshima
John Hensley on Eleven Eleven- March 6, 2019 - 7:54 am
Anchored mid Feb. 2019 near the power lines South of the causeway at the anchorage indicated on the chart view. There are several permanently anchored or moored boats there forcing you to anchor further South of the causeway. There is a protected boat ramp at the park on the South side of the causeway, however there is only one cleat on a concrete bulkhead to tie a dinghy. It was used by a permanently anchored boater who locked his dink while he was at work. There also is a 10-15 ft wide clear area West of the anchorage and just South of a wooden walkway where locals beach their kayaks/dinks. Be careful here as a sizable alligator patrols the area. Lock your dink if you use this spot. Unfortunately the wind blew 20-25 out of the S while there and we did not feel comfortable leaving the dink exposed and did not get to explore Cocoa Village. A dinghy dock would be a boon to cruisers and the town.
York Island Anchorage is located off the southern shores of York Island, well northwest of the ICW’s flashing daybeacon #13. Our thanks to longtime contributor and experienced cruiser, Sonny Reeves, for this report.
At the South end of Pine Island , St James City Long Cut @ Aprox 26.29.522, 82.5.581 The Long Cut is a pass for fishing boats. The cut is 7-9 ft deep all the way to the curve past short cut. Entrance is well marked. Holding is soft mud. Bugs and fishermen going wide open can be a problem. Otherwise a good protected anchorage with shore facilities and great Keys style on the water restaurants in dink range. Fuel, diesel and some supplies are on Monroe canal. Winn Dixie and other services are at island center. York Island anchorage @ Approx 26.29.535, 82.5.514 is just off the ICW North at marker R14 or turn North at R10. Exposed to the South and wakes from ICW. The holding is good and the shoreside amenities are not far off. Pine Island is off the path. Not as well known as nearby Sanibel or Captivia. Click here forphotos from Long Cut and York Island anchorage.
Longtime Cruisers Net contributor and lifetime cruiser, Sonny Reeves, shares his love of sunsets with us all in this photo gallery from Long Cut and York Island anchorage. Enter Reeves’ Report in our Homepage search window for more photos and reports from Sonny.
What does plant management have to do with boating? The necessary steps to correct or slow invasive plant growth may affect channel depths (see Lake Depths) as well as limit anchoring availability in treated areas.
FWC implementing enhancements to Aquatic Plant Management Program
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is moving forward with implementing a variety of enhancements to the agency’s Aquatic Plant Management Program. FWC staff recently completed a series of listening sessions that provided the public with an opportunity to provide feedback about management activities on Florida waterbodies with a focus on invasive plant management. Based on the input provided at these meetings, the FWC will begin implementing a number of improvements including:
Accelerating the development of habitat management plans for individual lakes.
Forming a Technical Assistance Group consisting of staff, partners and stakeholders.
Improving the timing of herbicide-based invasive aquatic plant treatments.
Exploring ways to better integrate and increase the strategic use of mechanical aquatic plant harvesting.
Exploring new methods and technologies to oversee and increase accountability of aquatic plant control contractors.
Developing pilot projects to explore better integrated plant management tools.
Improving agency communication regarding plant management activities.
As discussed at the FWC Commission meeting on Feb. 21, in Gainesville, it was worthwhile to temporarily pause aquatic herbicide treatments while the public meetings were in progress. Now the meetings have concluded, it is essential for the FWC to resume its aquatic plant management program and to implement enhancements identified by the public. The FWC uses an integrated plant management approach that includes chemical, mechanical, biological and physical methods to control invasive plant species.
Research and decades of experience show that chemical control, using herbicides approved for use in aquatic systems, achieves the best results for addressing many of Florida’s toughest invasive plant infestations such as water hyacinths and hydrilla. However, many participants in the meetings encouraged the FWC to manage waterbodies in ways that would reduce the use of herbicides. Therefore, the FWC is re-committing to employing methods that minimize the quantity of herbicides needed to achieve the desired level of control.
“During the listening sessions we heard a diversity of concerns and opinions. Waterfront property owners, boaters and community officials stressed how important it is for the FWC to quickly resume control of the worst plants such as hydrilla before they grow to a point that makes lakes virtually unusable,” said Kipp Frohlich, Director of the FWC’s Division of Habitat and Species Conservation.
“We also heard from anglers and waterfowl hunters that some hydrilla can be beneficial. Finding the balance, that manages a system in a way that pleases all the diverse user groups of Florida’s lakes, is very difficult. Nevertheless, we are committed to continue our work with stakeholders to better understand their needs and strive to manage our aquatic resources in ways that benefit the greatest number of people,” said Frohlich.
While the listening tour has ended, the FWC continues to welcome suggestions from stakeholders. People can provide comments by emailing InvasivePlants@MyFWC.com.
Our sincerest thanks to Greg and Barbara Allard for sharing their experiences and beautiful photography from their cruises, this time from the Okeechobee Waterway. Enter “Allard” in our Homepage Search window for the Allard’s beautifully documented Bahamas cruises.
Here’s an update on the Okeechobee Waterway, with some local scenes.
On February 22 and 23, 2019, we crossed the Okeechobee from west to east. We had been closely watching the water depth reports from the Corp of Engineers, since there are plans to lower the lake level in the immediate future.
The reported depth for Navigation Route 1 (across the lake) was 6.79 feet, and the lake level was at 12.85. As expected, we found the lowest water along the eastern half of the Clewiston cut, in the channel which is east of the massive cylinder which sits just off the channel. With a calibrated depth finder, the shallowest water which we found along that stretch was 7.2 feet.
Years ago, an old timer who had lived along the Caloosahatchee River his entire life, said that he believed the Corp of Engineers understated the lake level by half a foot. Now, please don’t rely on this for navigational purposes, but the next time you cross, make your own observation. Also: the depths we report are only for the exact spot where we were; even a few feet to the left or right of those positions might be entirely different.
There is another shallow area at the entry/exit channel on the western side of the Port Mayaca lock. The lowest water where our boat traveled was 7.4 feet. The traditional advice when using that channel is to stay to the green side, and that is what we did. The Port Mayaca lock was in “pass through” mode – where the water level on either side of the lock is the same, so the lock gates remain open. You still need to call the lockmaster, who gives permission for individual boats to pass through the lock. That makes good sense, because there is not enough room for two boats to meet head-on in the lock chamber.
The lockmasters are now enforcing two new rules: all persons on board while in the lock chamber must be wearing a life jacket, and once you are tied up to the lock, you must turn your engine(s) off.
We saw no signs of green algae or red tide for our entire trip. It is reported that Tow BoatUS now has two boats stationed at Clewiston.
Crossing the State of Florida on the Okeechobee Waterway is a trip and a half; a true time warp. Locals fishing with bamboo poles on the riverbank. Alligators. The wonderful local bridge-operator at the Fort Denaud swing bridge who chats with you on your way through, as she stands isolated on the center pivot point of the bridge. There’s the adventure of the locks – and the $1.00 a foot dockage (power included) at the city dock in Moore Haven.
Every year we try to make a new stop. This time we decided to stay overnight at Calusa Jack’s Marina, approximately 2 miles west of the Franklin lock. The place always intrigued us. It could be a movie set for one of Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford novels.
Calusa Jack’s Marina has a face dock and pilings in excellent condition, and the water at the dock is deep enough for the biggest boat. Sometimes before 5 PM there are some tolerable boat wakes, but after that we had a calm and peaceful sleep.
The views towards the river are beautiful.
There are a number of marinas along the waterway, and some of the older ones, like Calusa Jack’s, have their share of boats which years ago were someone’s dream, and will likely never be used again.
The people at Calusa Jack’s raise goats, and this billy goat was curious about the new visitors.
You never know what you will find along the Okeechobee. We walked along the road to the marina, and came upon this knight in rusting armor perched on a piling.
A day later, along a stretch of the St. Lucie River, we were again surprised – to say the least.
We came upon this magnificent wooden yacht, docked behind a private home. She was beautifully restored. At first we thought it was a Trumpy, but the lines were different from that iconic boat.
As we passed to her stern, our jaws dropped: the yacht is the Honey Fitz, one of the most famous historic yachts in the world. She was used by five presidents but made famous by John F. Kennedy. Why would this yacht be docked here? We don’t have an answer to that question, other than to say that nothing along the Okeechobee surprises us.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District announces details for the public scoping meeting in Fort Lauderdale regarding the development of the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM). The meeting locations listed in the link below include Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami Gardens. Our thanks to Specialist Erica Skolte for this notice.
Vero Beach is home to Vero Beach Municipal Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR. The marina lies on the eastern shores of Bethel Creek, northeast and north of the Vero Beach/Merrill Barber high-rise bridge.
Comments from Cruisers (2)
This marina complex on the Ortega River is the top pick for us. We cruised out of there for 3 years and toured the St Johns River system. The staff are professional and run a safe tight ship. They have the ability to handle your size and bigger.
Sonny Reeves
I am pleased to see the nicest first class marina of Jacksonville as a sponsor of Cruisersnet. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with your marina. The safety and care your staff gave us during the hurricane was awesome.
Sonny Reeves