Once again, Bob and Ann Sherer, authors of 2017 ICW Cruising Guide and their popular blog, http://fleetwing.blogspot.com/, generously share their research with our readers. This is an excellent listing of information sites pertaining to the Intracoastal. Definitely a posting to save!
I compiled a set of links in north to south order:
– Weather buoys that give wind and wave heights along our ICW route
– Shoaling areas I’ve found by examining ACOE Surveys, mile by mile starting at Norfolk. It’s not just the inlets where we have surveys available for problem areas. It takes some digging to find all of them but here they are. ACOE uses the same link for each section of the ICW so the link provided will always bring up the latest survey.
The above sites are handy in doing a quick check on conditions before transiting an area. You might want to bookmark the page in your browser.
And this from Buddy DeRyder, a friend of the Sherers:
Thanks Bob, You may want to consider adding the York Spit buoy http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=44072 As it is on your rhumb line from Windmill Pt to Hampton and its added value is sea state height/period which you don’t get from the York River rear range station. It is a fairly new yellow buoy and does not yet show on NOAAs website composite pictorial graphic We decided to not go south this winter as I didn’t get accomplished what I wanted to get done and ICW (& Keys) conditions are not to my liking as I have been through all that before. On the positive side you don’t have a real worry with wrapping a prop on old hidden roof tarps blown off from previous hurricanes and Ophelia is way offshore! But buoy location is a worry to resolve. I moved my boat to our new F docks near the public piers and having Don Gulliver doing some AC work this week… he worked on your system a few years back… Give a shout if you have a need. Best Wishes, Buddy
Vessel Documentation Regulations – Technical Amendments Final Rule Published 20 SEP 2017
The Coast Guard is making technical amendments to its vessel documentation regulations, 46 CFR Part 67. The amendments make non-substantive edits to align Coast Guard regulations with current vessel documentation statutes, correct typographical errors, and align procedural requirements with current Coast Guard practice. Attached is a copy of the Final Rule for technical amendments made to the vessel documentation regulations. This final rule is effective September 20, 2017.
A call by city officials and the local populace to further restrict the opening schedule at the Bridge of Lions has been under consideration by the USCG for most of this year. This decision not to restrict the opening schedule is good news for boaters. See Schedule Controversy from April of this year.
At the intersection of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Okeechobee Waterway, Martin County, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is a hub of boating activity and of events of interest to boaters.
Key Lime Sailing Club, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, always has very special offers for their visitors! Key Lime Sailing Club is on the Inside Route side of Key Largo. Key Lime Sailing Club is a unique slice of KEYS ENJOYMENT…give it a try and let us hear about your experience.
Welcome to our unique little hideaway. Secluded, serene, and perfectly located, our self-contained cottages have everything you need for a relaxing waterfront vacation.
Hey Winston, thank you very much for checking in. We’re doing fair, we have seven of our cottages open for Keylime sailing club. We’re still cleaning up and repairing and we have yet to get to South Dade Marina. The marina still has boats sitting on top of the dock; 40% of the dock is missing; the sunken boats and boats on the shore. But we will rebuild. And I know we share the story with a lot of marinas and places of business. I count ourselves lucky and pray for the people that have suffered much more than us. Paul Keever
Key Lime Sailing Club, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, always has very special offers for their visitors! Key Lime Sailing Club is on the Inside Route side of Key Largo. Key Lime Sailing Club is a unique slice of KEYS ENJOYMENT…give it a try and let us hear about your experience.
This hazard is just north of the Waterway’s crossing of Dewees Creek and Dewees Inlet.
Our thanks for his kind words and for forwarding this report goes to Hank Pomeranz of Carolina Yacht Care and Southport Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, located just west of the Cape Fear River along the northern banks of the Waterway hard by flashing daybeacon #2A. And, of course, our thanks to Robert Blakely for being a “cruiser helping other cruisers!” Thank you Rob!
Hi folks, Here’s a report from Skipper Rob Blakely of M/V Asolare that I think is worth sharing as we start to gear up for the Transient season.
Rob, both Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net (SSECN) (cruisersnet.net) and Waterway Guide (waterwayguide.com) are outstanding organizations supporting cruisers. Suggest you check them out if you haven’t already. Best Hank
From: Robert C Blakely Date: September 30, 2017 at 6:32:18 PM GMT+2 To: Hank Pomeranz Subject: Hazard in ICW
Just before Isle of Palms between makers 106 and 108 is this beast sticking out of water. It is in the channel about 20 ft I would estimate. This is a low tide so at high tide it would not be visible. Had friend in small boat check it out closer and he said it is stationary. Is there a way to report?
Robert C. Blakely, CFP, AIF, ChFC CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER 1022 Hutton Lane, Suite 109, High Point, NC 27262
UPDATE: Unified Command continues assessment of vessel affected by Hurricane Irma, prioritizes displaced vessel removal
Coast Guard Marine Science Technicians Petty Officer 1st Class Tonya Mulhern, left, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Hewlett assess damage to a vessel in Jacksonville, Florida caused by Hurricane Irma, Sept. 13, 2017. Hundreds of vessels have been reported as damaged or have sunk around the Floridian coast as a result of Hurricane Irma’s force. Teams consisting of federal and state response members are assessing the potential risk of pollution from these vessels. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony L. Soto.
Coast Guard Marine Science Technicians Petty Officer 1st Class Tonya Mulhern, left, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Hewlett assess damage to a vessel in Jacksonville, Florida caused by Hurricane Irma, Sept. 13, 2017. Hundreds of vessels have been reported as damaged or have sunk around the Floridian coast as a result of Hurricane Irma’s force. Teams consisting of federal and state response members are assessing the potential risk of pollution from these vessels. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony L. Soto.
MIAMI — The Emergency Support Function 10 (ESF 10) Florida, consisting of multiple state and federal agencies, is continuing efforts to assess and remove hazards in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission members are conducting assessments of damaged and sunken vessels in the areas most affected by Hurricane Irma. These assessments assist in providing an overarching image to the unified command of the effects of the storm, allowing for the effective placement of assets, expediting the response process.
“The response to Irma is a collaborative effort,” said Benjamin Franco, Environmental Protection Agency Incident Commander for the response. “Every member of this team, both local, state and federal, is bringing to bear all of their expertise, experience, and the assets necessary for an expeditious conclusion to this response. Our hearts go out to those citizens impacted by Hurricane Irma and we will make every effort to ensure their needs are being addressed.
“This command has found that all sunk and derelict vessels resulting from Hurricane Irma are a threat to the environment and our mission is to remove this threat,” said Cmdr. JoAnne Hanson, Coast Guard Incident Commander for the response. “The first priority is to remove actively polluting vessels. Second to that are the vessels that aren’t actively polluting, but where a potential for pollution exists.”
The following list represents an approximate number of vessels impacted by Hurricane Irma currently being assessed by each ESF 10 Branch Hazardous Material Assessment Team as of Sept. 25, 2017. These numbers are subject to change as more owners salvage their vessels and additional vessels are discovered in the affected areas and offshore assessments are conducted.
Miami
Vessels assessed: 200; Vessels removed: 43
St. Petersburg, Florida
Vessels assessed: 182; Vessels removed: 42
Jacksonville, Florida
Vessels assessed: 134; Vessels removed: 26
Key West, Florida
Vessels assessed: 336; Vessels removed: 1
Due to the complexity and scale of operational requirements, the Unified Command for ESF 10 Florida has established a Joint Information Center. Media members are requested to call 305-985-2867 to receive the most timely and accurate information concerning the on-going response to Hurricane Irma.
The Unified Command consists of U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. JoAnne Hanson serving as Incident Commander, Mr. Benjamin Franco, Environmental Protection Agency Incident Commander, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Capt. David Schaffer as State On-Scene Coordinator and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Administrator Kent Edwards as State On-Scene Coordinator. Currently, response teams are conducting assessments of the most affected areas to include the ports and waterways from Jacksonville, Florida to Miami, Key West, and around to St. Petersburg.
The ESF 10 is the framework by which federal support is coordinated with state agencies in response to actual or potential oil spills or hazardous material releases. Partner agencies, including Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, are contributing expertise and experience to the assessment efforts.
See /166809 for warnings to navigation in the Keys.
9/26 UPDATE: Unified Command continues assessment of vessels affected by Hurricane Irma, prioritizes displaced vessel removal
MIAMI — The Emergency Support Function 10 (ESF 10) Florida, consisting of multiple state and federal agencies, is continuing efforts to assess and remove hazards in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission members are conducting assessments of damaged and sunken vessels in the areas most affected by Hurricane Irma. These assessments assist in providing an overarching image to the unified command of the effects of the storm, allowing for the effective placement of assets, expediting the response process.
“The response to Irma is a collaborative effort,” said Benjamin Franco, Environmental Protection Agency Incident Commander for the response. “Every member of this team, both local, state and federal, is bringing to bear all of their expertise, experience, and the assets necessary for an expeditious conclusion to this response. Our hearts go out to those citizens impacted by Hurricane Irma and we will make every effort to ensure their needs are being addressed.”
“This command has found that all sunk and derelict vessels resulting from Hurricane Irma are a threat to the environment and our mission is to remove this threat,” said Cmdr. JoAnne Hanson, Coast Guard Incident Commander for the response. “The first priority is to remove actively polluting vessels. Second to that are the vessels that aren’t actively polluting, but where a potential for pollution exists.”
The following list represents an approximate number of vessels impacted by Hurricane Irma currently being assessed by each ESF 10 Branch Hazardous Material Assessment Team as of Sept. 25, 2017. These numbers are subject to change as more owners salvage their vessels and additional vessels are discovered in the affected areas and offshore assessments are conducted.
Miami
Vessels assessed: 200; Vessels removed: 43
St. Petersburg, Florida
Vessels assessed: 182; Vessels removed: 42
Jacksonville, Florida
Vessels assessed: 134; Vessels removed: 26
Key West, Florida
Vessels assessed: 336; Vessels removed: 1
Due to the complexity and scale of operational requirements, the Unified Command for ESF 10 Florida has established a Joint Information Center. Media members are requested to call 305-985-2867 to receive the most timely and accurate information concerning the on-going response to Hurricane Irma.
The Unified Command consists of U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. JoAnne Hanson serving as Incident Commander, Mr. Benjamin Franco, Environmental Protection Agency Incident Commander, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Capt. David Schaffer as State On-Scene Coordinator and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Administrator Kent Edwards as State On-Scene Coordinator. Currently, response teams are conducting assessments of the most affected areas to include the ports and waterways from Jacksonville, Florida to Miami, Key West, and around to St. Petersburg.
The ESF 10 is the framework by which federal support is coordinated with state agencies in response to actual or potential oil spills or hazardous material releases. Partner agencies, including Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, are contributing expertise and experience to the assessment efforts.
This questions comes from Charles Curry, a Cruisers’ Net reader who, after following a number of threads concerning various passageways and anchorages on the West Coast, is perplexed by the common use the phrase “shallow draft vessels should have no problem.” While 4ft seems generally to be the demarcation between shallow and deep draft, is “shallow draft” the same for a trawler as for a sailing vessel? Our reader would like more opinions as to the meaning of the draft terms, hopefully arriving at a standardized measurement. Can you help?
And here is an article to whet your thinking process:
Shoall Draft Vs Deep Draft
Any trawler that draws more than four feet puts its owner at a disadvantage in America’s most popular cruising grounds. Gunkholing becomes a chore. Anchoring means sharing waters crowded with sailboats while shallower spots lie empty. Worst of all, when the sky threatens, the deep-draft boys will find far fewer harbors of refuge to accommodate them. Do not believe the argument that deep draft is safer; deep draft does not equal stability.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Dewees Creek
Be the first to comment!