Fields Cut is always an area to approach cautiously and at mid to high tide. Our thanks to experienced cruiser Jim Healy for his observations and advice. See /163492 for more comments on markers in Fields Cut.
As of 10/24/2017 at 11h00, tide +6.0 ft, we saw 13.5 ft between the North entrance to Field’s Cut and G”47,” so about 7.5 ft at MLW. The entrance itself was 18 ft. R”48A” continues to appear off-station to the east, but HONOR FLOATING RED R”48A.” Pass east of R”48A.” Except for these two sandpiles, the rest of the cut was not a problem.
FOLLOW THE OUTSIDE RADIUS OF ALL BENDS!
The south entrance of Fields Cut was 13.5 feet at +6.0 on the tide, so 7.5 feet at MLW.
Southbound, watch for strong cross-currents at the mouth of the Savannah River.
Jim
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, currently at Rock Creek, Pasadena, MD http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com Monk 36 Hull #132 MMSI #367042570 AGLCA #3767 MTOA #3436
MIAMI — State and federal responders are scheduled to begin vessel removal operations in Miami-Dade County Thursday as part of ongoing response efforts following Hurricane Irma.
Damaged vessels being removed will be stored at two newly established locations: Watson Island Marina and the Seminole Boat Ramp.
Explorer Chartbooks, A CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: Ocean Reef Yacht Club inlet channel..aka..Silver Cove Inlet Ocean Reef Yacht Club inlet channel..aka..Silver Cove Inlet Posted: 25 Oct 2017 04:28 AM PDT Has anyone been in or out of the above channel, recently, that has a 6 foot draft? There was some serious silting for Matthew, and some more added from Irma and Harvey, due to high winds. Some dredging has been done…aka…attempted with backhoes from shore, but unable to reach all the way across. Anyone have some input. I know that a draft of around 4.5 to 5.o feet, at high water can be carried in, but, just wondering about 6.0 and above…thanks…
According to their answering recording, the City Marina has re-opened after being severely damaged by Hurricane Irma and is accepting transients. The marina has no fuel at this point, but the marina is staffed 24/7, has ice and the dinghy dock is open. Call ahead, 904-825-1026 to request services or make a reservation.
This is a message I got from a boater friend who went through St. Augustine several weeks ago:
Marina is open. Some docks destroyed. Some moorings not usable. I stayed there on a mooring and it was fine. They won’t rent the bad ones. Launch runs to 6 PM. I used my dinghy. There is s dinghy Dock. Vicki
As Robert Sherer reminds us, shoaling and groundings are always possible in the constantly shifting sands of the New River Inlet/AICW Intersection area. See /165669 for a July report from this Problem Stretch. Thank you, Bob, for sharing your expertise.
The “Dip Route” for New River to avoid shoaling on the ICW in the spring is no longer valid. Shoaling has occurred on that route too. See survey below: A GPX route is available at BNewRiver10202017
I took the old “Dip Route” today and ran into the shoaling pictured above near R74. I got into 5 ft of water at low tide so I can attest to it being there. I only draw 4 ‘ 9” so I was okay. Bob Sherer
New River Inlet Crossing – Heading south, probably the first navigational challenge you will meet is at New River. There is a shoal which has grown into the ICW at R72A. Two days ago (October,26), we were the tail end of a long line of boats who cleared Onslow Bridge at the 1:00 opening and headed NW after rounding Craig Point. In the leading pack of boats were a few motor yachts and trawlers. I mention this as a warning. This whole pack headed straight down the ICW as shown on the charts, passing to the east of a 38-foot sailboat hard aground in the ICW near R72A. This shoal is not new, having been a real headache for many boats on the northbound trip last spring. At half tide or more you can pass through here on the old channel. The preferred channel is a dip to the southwest as you get to R72. See attached picture. As luck would have it we were all passing through here at about high tide. At low tide this could have been a problem. There are several Active Captain commenters who have described this transit and provided waypoints. We led two sailboats who did not know about this problem area in advance.
Let me clarify, the first half of the dip route when heading south is fine. It’s the last waypoint that had a problem where it ended in an area now shoaled to 5 ft MLW. The referenced GPX route just follows the ACOE waypoints from the new survey.
Fishermen’s Village Resort and Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is absolutely the most event active marina on the Gulf Coast for all seasons. With year-round family friendly celebrations, you will feel right at home on your visit to Punta Gorda, also A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, on beautiful Charlotte Harbor.
For Immediate Release: Annual “Lighting of The Village” to be held November 18, 2017
Punta Gorda, FL—Fishermen’s Village will herald in the Holiday Season with a spectacular “Lighting of the Village” Saturday, November 18. This celebration is the official kick off of the annual “FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS”, a display of more than ONE MILLION LIGHTS and themed decorations. Local residents and visitors will enjoy beautiful traditional themed holiday décor and lights both inside and outside Fishermen’s Village.
Festivities begin at 5:30 pm. with an official ribbon cutting with Santa and City of Punta Gorda officials. The Lee County Pipes and Drums Band will then parade through the Village, followed by a rousing performance in Center Court. Other festivities include holiday music by The Suncoast Statesmen Barbershop Harmony, live music/dancing with the Shane Duncan Band, Juggling/balloon creations by Jeff the Juggler, Finest Face Painting by MaryRose, pictures with Santa (bring your camera!), complimentary refreshments courtesy of Village Merchants, and live radio remote with Jeff Collins “The Golden Hippo”.
YOUR ADMISSION: Patrons are being asked to bring toilet paper, toiletries and canned goods to be donated to “Share The Blessings Ministry”, an all-volunteer, nonprofit charity benefiting those in need in Charlotte County. Their mission is to provide hygiene, cleaning and non-perishable food items which serve over 500 individuals and 150 families each month. Their current critical need is for paper hygiene products.
Due to the popularity of this event, parking will fill up fast, so arrive early.
Fishermen’s Village Waterfront Mall, Resort and Marina is located on Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda. From I-75, take exit 164, turn left and proceed 3 miles to Fishermen’s Village. Call 941 639-8721 for more information or visit on line at www.fishville.com.
This warning was issued earlier this year regarding a company promising to save boat owners money by renewing their vessel documentation through their website. See /164085. Cruisers’ Net is glad to have the warning raised again by Soundings’ Trade Only Today.
Coast Guard issues scam warning
By NORM SCHULTZ
Coast Guard warning
A new scam targeting boat owners, claiming they can save time online, is costing them hundreds of dollars, the Coast Guard says. These are websites offering documentation renewal services for a fee.
The websites have the appearance and claim convenience of an official government website. But just because a website looks like the Coast Guard and may work like the Coast Guard, that does not mean it is the Coast Guard. The result is often that boaters using these websites can end up spending three times the standard fee and find that Coast Guard boarding officers cannot accept their vessel’s documentation as valid.
Why? The Coast Guard’s National Vessel Documentation Center, located in Falling Waters, W.Va., is the only authorized entity to issue certificates of documentation required for vessels engaged in commercial trade and optional for vessels weighing 5 or more net tons engaged in recreational use and activities.
Further, although the Coast Guard is aware of these websites, no companies are authorized to operate on its behalf in any way. The services they provide are not illegal, but they cannot issue any form of documentation, including travel letters and/or permits that authorize the operation of any vessel.
Any fees charged beyond the $26 renewal fee or any other agreements offered by such websites are not associated with the NVDC certification process. These companies cannot issue the certificate, but are middlemen who charge a fee for processing the paperwork on a boater’s behalf.
So if you, as a dealer, have customers with documented boats, be proactive and tell them: When it comes time to renew, always remember that the Coast Guard website offering documentation uses a .mil domain name. Websites using .us, .com and .org aren’t the real thing.
I received one of these letters but went to the USCG-NVDC and renewed my COD for $26. My issue with the NVDC is when I received my COD the expiration date was 10 months instead of 12 months. When I contacted them they sent me a letter stating I had renewed by COD early and thus the reason for issuing a 10 month COD instead of a 12 month COD. I can post the letter if anyone is interested.
Bahamas Chatter: Chicken of the Sea, a story where ‘nothing is what it seems.’ Chicken of the Sea, a story where ‘nothing is what it seems.’ Posted: 18 Oct 2017 05:42 AM PDT Don’t judge Neil Barry’s Chicken of the Sea by its cover. It’s whimsical for good reason! ‘Nothing is what it seems’ in a mystery so real you’ll wonder, ‘Is it true?’ The ‘chicken’ might be Victor Joshua Walker. He tells the story of his parents dragging three cynical, reluctant kids onto a sailboat the size of a school bus. The problem is Victor’s been lied to for as long as he can remember. There are clues to his past life; burns on his forearms, grandparents who died in a house fire, a missing uncle and aunt, his father’s valuable first-edition books, a guitar once played by Segovia. If that’s not enough, people are following him through the Bahamas. Some of them want to kill Victor.
You can read the first chapter at www.neilbarrybooks.com Click on ‘Books.’ (Warning: beware of the crazy chicken)
After Chicken of the Sea, you’ll want more. Lucky for you, it’s also a trilogy with Chicken Too and Free Range Chicken. Adventurous readers from nine to ninety can find all three books on Amazon in paper and digital versions.
Look for the author on S/V Imagine and get your books personally autographed.
This leg of Peg and Jim Healy’s voyage through South Carolina takes them through Charleston Harbor and south to Beaufort, home of CRUISERS’ NET SPONSORS, Downtown Marina and Port Royal Landing. The infamous Ashepoo-Coosaw Cut at Mile 517 is a Problem Stretch notorious for shoaling and channel shifting. And, as always, Cruisers’ Net is grateful to these experienced cruisers for sharing their observations and advice.
Sanctuary and crew cruised from Mt. Pleasant, Isle of Palms, to Beaufort, Port Royal Landing, on 10/18/2017.
Mt. Pleasant Range – The area from StM 460.0 to 460.5 is shoaling. We passed this area mid-channel at about 07h10, near high tide (+6.0), and saw 11.5 feet of water. The control depth would be 5-1/2 feet at low tide, less on a celestial low.
Dawho River, North Creek, Watts Cut – We transited this area between 11h50 and 12h15 (+3.0 –> +2.7 ft) and saw areas at 8.5 ft. The control depth for this area is about 5.5 feet at low tide, less on a celestial low.
Ashepoo-Coosaw Cut – This cut is in two parts; the north section that connects the Ashepoo River and Rock Creek and the South section that connects Rock Creek to the Coosaw River. The North cut is not a concern at this time. We transited the South section at 13h15, 1-1/4 hours before low tide (+0.5 ft). Favor “G181,” the outside radius of the curve there, and then favor red at the entrance, floating R”184.” Do not cut the corners here; follow the centerline of the cut out into the deeper water of the Coosaw River. There is a 5-1/2 ft sandpile at the entrance. We slowed for our passage, and never saw less than 5-1/2 ft.
Hope this is useful. Jim
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, currently at Rock Creek, Pasadena, MD http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com Monk 36 Hull #132 MMSI #367042570 AGLCA #3767 MTOA #3436
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For Northern Fields Cut
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