We can’t wait to see our wonderful boating community!
Share your #DismalSwampCanal images with us as you cruise through & don’t forget to stop at #MM28 to grab your very own 2025 Dismal Swamp Canal Boating Sticker!
Wishing everyone safe travels & we look forward to seeing you at the Dismal Swamp,
Sarah
Sarah Hill, TMP Director, Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center Chairperson, Camden County Tourism Development Authority 2356 US Hwy 17 North, South Mills, NC 27976
St. Marys, Georgia originally began as a town established by the British in 1787. After St. Augustine, Florida, St. Marys is the second-oldest continually inhabited city in the U.S. It is home to St Marys Intracoastal Gateway Marina, a Cruisers Net sponsor. More information on this event can be found at https://historicstmarysfishingclassic.com/.
Welcome
Historic St. Marys Fishing Classic
About The HSMFC
The Historic St. Marys Fishing Classic and Hello Summer Festival is a charity event presented by the Rotary Club of Camden County. The 2025 event will be the 9th annual fishing tournament/festival. Many of our local businesses sponsor the fishing tournament. The proceeds from the event support local charities, such as the WEE-READ program and the Rotary Club Foundation. The fishing tournament is a family-friendly event that also includes a kid’s fishing tournament. We keep the entry fees low to encourage families to fish together. Anglers who weigh in and donate their fish to a local food bank are entered into a drawing for $1000.
Rotary Club of Camden
The Rotary Club of Camden County, GA is a civic organization that performs community service work while learning about local issues and enjoying fellowship. Part of Rotary District 6920, the club has about 35 members representing a diverse array of professions, including medicine, real estate, banking, engineering, business, and government. We meet on most Friday mornings at 7:15am at Missy’s Kitchen in St. Marys, where we enjoy a buffet breakfast and a presentation from a local organization about contemporary projects and issues.
Registration and Dates
For registration please look to the sign-up page, fill out the corresponding Google form, and pay the entry fee for the tournament at the Captains Meeting or Knuckleheads.
Thank you for your loyalty; every story you read makes me ever more proud to share them. STEADFAST continues to undergo extensive repair and refit, so stay aboard for sailing tales combined with the challenges, and intricacies of restoring a 90-year-old Sailing Yacht. I’m always open to suggestions as to content….weigh in as we manage and learn from our latest joust!
Her restoration is substantial and we are making progress!
Until they’re not, until those friends lose the ultimate SPAR WITH MOTHER NATURE. Until one day you contact them, and they’re gone. Some were gone before you noticed, before anyone told you, before you remembered that it had been a while and you should reach out but you don’t because you are too busy worrying about a future that may never arrive, and then another week goes by, and then a month. And a year.
They definitely remain in the invaluable category of good people you’ve discovered, but you can’t call them anymore. You can’t tell them that they were important. Or how important they were. You expected to see them again, when the opportunity arose, if you wanted to. But you can’t.
A mentor of mine, who shirked neither praise nor brutal truth, didn’t wake up one winter morning. His random phone calls and consistent contact should have been a better lesson.
My BFF from Cornell, US Marine, father, brother, chef, wrote “This year, I’m coming sailing.” He did not. His big heart didn’t get him past fifty-eight.
There are others I hadn’t said goodbye to because it didn’t seem necessary, shouldn’t have been necessary, yet. A charming confidant died suddenly, camping in the high mountains of Southwestern Colorado. I can’t imagine a better ending, but I didn’t know there had been one.
I’m having trouble describing this feeling; the heavy stomach quiver when you know you could have done something differently. You’re not sure it would have made a difference, but you desperately wish for the opportunity to find out. The opp for a do-over.
Each unique individual, rich or poor, conservative or liberal, well-read or work-hardened, taught, learned, gave, took, hurt, nurtured, and were valuable enough to spend precious time getting to know, understand, and appreciate regardless of differences, idiosyncrasies and ironies. Add those fine folks to the strong main characters of a small family and a transient life, and my periphery is a diverse treasure. In my tiny sliver of the world, they all hold a spot. I’m thrilled to say that there are more than I can even name; I’ve been lucky enough to engage and retain some of the best humans I know.
I can only hope that those I retain feel the same. Most importantly, they made me who I am and we know where we stand.
Another heart gave out with its owner working on his passion in his favorite place. Halfway through the five day, big wind retrieval of a his strong widow, little dog and aging sailing vessel, Mother Nature offered a couple hours of freedom to contemplate this, to consider the people on the periphery. I had seen this woman just a few times in my life, now we are linked. She had always been half of a couple, and while the sadness was palpable, her stories were of lives well lived.
Sophie
“You have no idea what you’ve done for me,” she told us, dropping her stoic demeanor for a split second and holding tightly to her furry best friend. After one plane ride, two taxis, three days and twenty-two hours crossing the Gulf Stream at a rolling gallop, her words made our efforts wholly worthwhile. She thanked us again as we returned to work here on STEADFAST, and I think extensively about the life she will create when she returns home without her partner of forty-four years. **
These deaths, let’s be honest, won’t affect the trajectory of my life; their souls are simply gone. Gone from this world, anyway, as we know it; I want to believe they’re watching us from some other incarnation. We may not like it, but we adjust.
The losses of friends, both close and peripheral, are stacking up, a smack-on-the-head reminder to enjoy what we have, help others along the way, and accept with strong grace our challenges rather than becoming angry at the unfairness of it all. I’m working on it. ~J
The sun sets over the Gulf Stream. 4.25.25
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Contractors hired by the Dominican government seize and tow away vessels in Luperon Bay as part of a clean-up.
The Dominican Navy this week launched an initiative to clear Luperon Bay of abandoned or derelict boats, and seemed genuinely unconcerned when its representatives were told that some of them were neither abandoned nor derelict.
Contractors in a runabout—at times wearing ski masks like an assassination squad—spray-painted numbers on the hulls of targeted vessels, some of which have been towed to the bulkhead at the local boatyard. Some of those were dragged up a launch ramp with a backhoe to be stripped for parts and lead.
An aide to the President in Santo Domingo said 26 boats were affected. Cliff Lyon, a local expat and officer of Luperon’s cruiser association, estimated that at least six of those were viable craft with absent owners. Except that one guy—a French Canadian sailor—who happened to be ashore in the village when his boat was taken.
Some of the 26 have Dominican owners, who had acquired them as project boats, Lyon said.
As far as the foreign liveaboards in the bay—bafflement. There apparently was no advance notice, no attempt to contact owners and no due process. No one—including local Navy and Port officials—seemed to know who was in charge of the operation. The Port Authority for the bay issued a statement denying any complicity. No one knows what criteria officials are using to decide whether a vessel is abandoned or derelict.
Collaborating with the government contractors is Isaac Alvarez, who has a disputed claim of ownership to Luperon’s only boatyard, Marina Tropicale. Watch how Eddie Ward Rowe, owner of a Nonsuch sailboat, described the boat’s seizure and his dealings with Alvarez.
Ward Rowe’s boat Elph may need cleaning but she was not abandoned.
Most of boats that were tagged do resemble the derelict vessels that litter the waters of Florida and other southern U.S. coastal states, but Presidential Aide José Ignacio Paliza implied that the initiative was part of an effort to “restore a beautiful national park.” He was referring to the fact that Luperon Bay has been the scene of dozens of diesel spills over the past two years, as regular Loose Cannon readers are aware.
Whether the Navy has made any effort whatsoever to curb the spills, which were known to come from locally stored fishing vessels, is not public information, but diesel has continued to be spilled as recently as last month. To be sure, many of the targeted vessels were eyesores owned by no one, but to argue they were an immediate threat to the environment while a fleet of commercial craft continues to release petroleum into the mangroves?
Yet, that is what Paliza did in a post on X:
This initiative seeks to mitigate the environmental impact that these structures represent for marine species, the surrounding mangroves and the ecological balance of this Wildlife Reserve, considered an important tourist and environmental attraction.
Paliza briefly posted a government memo which showed that 7.4 million pesos had been budgeted for the clean-up, which is equivalent to more than $125,000—a substantial sum thereabouts. Someone took the post down soon after.
One of the vessels that really was derelict is dragged up the launch ramp at Marina Tropicale.
AVENALUP is an association of foreign cruisers and local business people that lobbies for the bay as a cruising destination. The group issued a statement calling the act of spray-painting numbers on private boats “vandalism” and has contacted a maritime lawyer.
The response from owners and caretakers of targeted vessels has varied. Some set about painting over the painted numbers. Others used scrub brushes to apply soapy waters to make boats more presentable.
People in the harbor are now quoting authorities as saying boats might be saved from the scrapyard by having past harbor fees paid, thus confirming active ownership, even though the customary practice is to wait until departure to pay any fee balance. Some have called for a boycott of Marina Tropicale because of its role in the affair.
Whatever the outcome, Luperon’s efforts to build an economy around “nautical tourism” took another hit last week.
Dirty but Serviceable
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.
Salty Southeast Cruisers Net Sponsor Charleston County Cooper River Marina has provided this helpful information for your visit to Charleston County’s Beach Parks this Spring and Summer.
Charleston County Waterparks to open for weekends starting May 17
(CHARLESTON COUNTY) – The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) will open its three waterparks – Splash Island in Mount Pleasant, Splash Zone on James Island, and Whirlin’ Waters in North Charleston – as well as the pool at the West County Aquatic Center in Hollywood, for weekends only starting May 17. Daily operations will begin on May 30. The parks’ hours will vary this year; see schedule below for details.
A schedule for each park’s operations is as follows*:
– Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark:
Open weekends only starting May 17; Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Open daily from May 30 – Aug. 10; weekends from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and weekdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
Open weekends only starting Aug. 11 and closing after Labor Day, Sept. 1
– Splash Island Waterpark and Splash Zone Waterpark:
Open weekends only starting May 17; Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 – 6 p.m.
Open daily from May 30 – Aug. 3; Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sundays from 1 – 6 p.m.; weekdays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Close for the season after Aug. 3
– West County Aquatic Center:
Open weekends only starting May 17; Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 – 6 p.m.
Open daily from May 30 – Aug. 10; Saturdays and weekdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Sundays 1 – 6 p.m.
Open weekends only starting Aug. 11 and closing after Labor Day, Sept. 1
*Parks are open on Memorial Day and some holidays have different hours; please visit CharlestonCountyParks.com (direct link) for a full daily schedule and hours of operation for each park before planning your visit.Schedules are subject to change.
Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark at North Charleston Wannamaker County Park is the largest of CCPRC’s three waterparks. Whirlin’ Waters features unique activities for all ages with attractions including a 60-foot-tall multi-person slide The Washout, plus the Big Splash Tree House, Rollin’ River lazy river, Big Kahuna wave pool, Tubular Twister slides, Rip Tide Run mat racer slide and Otter Bay kiddie area.
Splash Zone Waterpark is located within James Island County Park. It offers two 200-foot-long slides, a large leisure pool, a 500-foot-long lazy river with sprays and waterfalls, and a family play complex called The Rainforest that features slides, buckets and sprays.
Splash Island Waterpark, located within Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park, provides hours of fun for toddlers to pre-teenage children. Attractions include a 200-foot-long body flume, activity pool, a 16-foot-long otter slide, sprays, geysers, raindrop waterfalls and more.
The waterparks also offer a full range of amenities including concessions, lockers, lounge chairs, showers and restrooms. Each waterpark is staffed with certified lifeguards. Birthday party packages are also available. Admission fees vary, and Splash Passes for all-season waterpark access are available for sale now at CharlestonCountyParks.com.
The West County Aquatic Center offers a 6,000-square-foot seasonal outdoor pool for beginner and seasoned swimmers. It also offers programming including swimming lessons, fitness programs and a competitive swim team.
For more information on the waterparks or West County Aquatic Center, and a full daily schedule of operations for each park, visit CharlestonCountyParks.com or call 843-795-4386.
Some openings are still available for seasonal lifeguard and other park positions. Charleston County Parks’ jobs offer competitive pay and great benefits. For a list of open positions and to apply, visit ccprc.com/jobs.
Splash Zone Waterpark, Splash Island Waterpark, Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark and the West County Aquatic Center are all owned and operated by CCPRC.The mission of CCPRC is to improve the quality of life in Charleston County by offering a diverse system of park facilities, programs and services. The large park system features over 11,000 acres of property and includes six regional parks, three beach parks, three dog parks, a skate park, two landmark fishing piers, three waterparks, 19 boat landings, a climbing wall, a challenge course, an interpretive center, a historic plantation site, an equestrian center, cottages, a campground, a marina, as well as wedding, meeting and event facilities. CCPRC also offers a wide variety of recreational services – festivals, camps, classes, programs, volunteer opportunities, and more. For more information, call 843-795-4386 or visit www.charlestoncountyparks.com.
Located at mile marker 12 on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Marker 12 Pop-Up Bar is open exclusively to waterway guests of Atlantic Yacht Basin, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, located just south of the Great Bridge lock and bridge in Great Bridge, VA.
Click here to discover more about Chesapeake: events, things to do, restaurants, trip planner and more!
Everything you need is within steps of the waterway!
Click here to download a walking map of the Great Bridge Village. Click here to download our Visitor Passport for our Waterway Guests.
Stock up on provisions at the Kroger grocery store. Enjoy a meal at one of our partner restaurants: Lockside Bar & Grill (casual waterfront dining), Woody’s Raw Bar & Grill (casual waterfront dining) or Vino Italian Bistro (upscale Italian). Or, shop in our locally owned shops, chic boutiques and funky retail shops, antique dealers, national retailers and premium outlets.
Feel free to contact us for personal assistance. No request is too small or impossible. Hello@GoChesapeake.net 757.296.3404 GoChesapeake.net
Marker 12 Boater Hospitality Events
The popular Pop-Up Happy Hour hosted by GoChesapeake is held on Tuesdays and Fridays in May and October. Learn more »
Visitor Passport
The Visitor Passport is your guide to dining, shopping, events and experiences. Pick up your copy at the dockmaster’s office or download a digital copy from the GoChesapeake website. Download a copy »
GoChesapeake Waterway Concierge Services
Let us help you make your visit memorable and uniquely yours. No request is too small or impossible. Contact us today with your request! Hello@GoChesapeake.net or 757.296.3404 – Option 1
A Kroger Supermarket is located in the Great Bridge Shopping Center providing our waterway guests convenient, one-stop shopping within steps of the waterway. Learn more and get hours >>
A Community of Partners Devoted to Supporting Our Waterway Guests
A longtime CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, historic Edenton always has an exciting calendar of events and places to visit! Edenton is at the mouth of the Chowan River on the northwest shore of Albemarle Sound.
Hello,
May brings warm weather and plenty of outdoor activities to do in Edenton! Whether you want to spend some time relaxing in nature or take in an exciting game at the ballpark, you’ll find that May is the perfect month to plan a trip to Edenton.
If you are thinking about spending some time in Edenton, our comfortable and convenient Bed & Breakfasts are ready to welcome you. Book a room and experience the Southern hospitality and comfort that define a trip to Edenton. You can even book a pet-friendly room!
Edenton is well-known for its historic contributions to American history. While you’re visiting Edenton, you’ll enjoy exploring many historic sites. On May 6th, the Cupola House will host another installment of the 2025 Spring Speakers Series, where you can learn more about the unique history of the Cupola House and Gardens. This free event will be held at the Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library, next door to the Cupola House, and all are welcome to attend! Reserve your seat today.
Edenton’s iconic collegiate-level summer baseball team will kick-off their 2025 season with a home game on May 29th. Join the fun at Historic Hicks Field as the Edenton Steamers face the Greenbrier Knights at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, and there will be plenty of refreshments to purchase while watching the game. Come enjoy a night at the ballfield!
The Chowan-Edenton Optimist Club will host the annual Paddle, Pedal, Plod Triathlon on May 31st to raise money for the Devine Intervention Cancer Fund. This triathlon is designed for competitors at all levels and will include a 2-mile kayak through the waters of Edenton Bay, 15-mile bike ride, and 5K run through the country roads of Chowan County. Pre-register if you’d like to participate in this event or join the crowd of spectators at Queen Ann Park to cheer on the participants!
In addition to these events, you can enjoy shopping, historic tours, and tasty cuisine in downtown Edenton during your visit. Also, check out our Calendar of Events to see more of what’s happening this next month. We hope you’ll take advantage of the beautiful spring weather to plan your trip to Edenton in May!
Our thanks to Waterway Editor, Ed Tillett, for permitting Cruisers Net to publish this article from Waterway Guide’s weekly newsletter.
Atlantic Yacht Basin and McMillen Yachts Begin a New Chapter
For transiting vessels along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Atlantic Yacht Basin (AYB) in Great Bridge, VA has provided sanctuary and services for 90 years. Anchoring the southern shoreline, AYB’s bulkheads, service facilities, and covered sheds are landmarks of excellence. Now a new chapter is being written for the future of AYB. McMillen Yachts of Portsmouth, RI, has acquired AYB.
Earl McMillen is recognized for his commitment to exceptional classic yacht maintenance and management. The list of accomplishments from the inception of the company in 1992 is extensive, including multiple restorations of vintage yachts from America’s great designers and builders.
In a recent interview, McMillen expressed his pleasure at expanding into the mid-Atlantic region with his business partner David Howe. “For the core business of storage and service, we will continue the AYB brand and build on it. Our investment in the infrastructure and buildings, along with the 34 acres, is going to be the next phase of success for AYB,” said McMillen.
AYB is one of the most desirable locations along the east coast of the U.S for storage, protection and service. Along the Albemarle and Chesapeake canal at Mile 12.2 of the ICW, AYB is regarded as a premiere location for extended stays due to the fresh water environment, inland protection, and covered slips and boat sheds.
“I’m looking forward to maintaining the charm and character of AYB while extending the transient docks east and west along the shoreline, adding a new destination restaurant on the property, and inviting yacht owners to take advantage of our facilities. This is an outstanding location,” said McMillen.
The experience and craftsmanship of AYB’s and McMillen Yachts’ staffs positions the company to fulfill its mission of extraordinary customer service with focus on excellence for refit, repair, and restoration. Numerous industry awards and accolades for McMillen Yachts and AYB confirm that the knowledge and longstanding skills acquired from working on both classic and contemporary boats is a rare blend of talent and success.
McMillen concludes that, “Having a central Atlantic location for storage and repair along the ICW, with ample sheds and support facilities, makes AYB one of the most desirable destinations for yacht owners who value their investments. Our plans are to build on what we have in place, and we are looking forward to continuing the traditions of AYB.”
For information about storage in the ample covered sheds of AYB for your boat use this link or call the number listed in the form.
Punta Gorda, FL—Fishermen’s Village will present the 5th annual Day of Celtic Music, Saturday, May 17, 2025 beginning at 12 noon. Admission and parking are free.
Presented in partnership with the Cultural Heritage Center of Southwest Florida and the New World Celts (Sarasota Chapter), visitors to Fishermen’s Village will experience a celebration of Celtic heritage, culture and traditions!
The impressive performance schedule for Fishermen’s Village 2025 Day of Celtic Music includes:
• McIntyre Band 12 noon-3 pm Dry Beach
• Emily Ann Thompson 12 noon-4 pm, third section of Village
• Black Thorn Brigade Band 12 noon-4 pm, Center Court
• Kellyn Celtic Dancers 3 & 5 pm, Dry Beach Stage
• West of Galway 5-9 pm Center Court
• Barefoot Beauty will be offering Fairy Hair Designs
• Parrot Outreach Society
• Various Vendors on the Village promenade
Fishermen’s Village, featuring more than 30 shops, boutiques, 4 waterfront dining options, Marina Fuel Dock and The Suites accommodations is located off Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda, FL.
Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a longtime CRUISERS NET SPONSOR and a favorite destination for cruisers in the Exumas, is providing a Rare Summer Offer You Don’t Want to Miss!.
A Rare Summer Offer You Don’t Want to Miss!
Dreaming of crystal-clear waters, white sand beaches, and a tropical escape unlike any other? This is your chance to experience the magic of Staniel Cay Yacht Club — with a limited-time offer that brings you even closer to paradise!
For a short time only, you can save up to $750 in resort and air credits when you book your late summer getaway now.
Here’s how it works:
Travel between August 7 – October 31, 2025, and book by May 19, 2025, to unlock:
Book 3 nights: Receive a $200 Resort Credit Book 4 nights: Receive a $300 Resort Credit + $250 Air Credit Book 5+ nights: Receive a $500 Resort Credit + $250 Air Credit
Use Promo Code: SAVEMORE25 at the time of booking.
Availability is limited, and this offer won’t last — so don’t wait to secure your bungalow in paradise. The SCYC Endless Summer is calling!
• Must enter promo code “SAVEMORE25” at time of booking in order to receive your credit. Credit will e placed on account during check-in and applied to incidentals at check-out Credits do not have any cash value. Any unused portion will be forfeited.
• Flights must be booked DURING the stated booking window in order to receive the air credit (minimum of 4 nights to qualify). Contact info@stanielcay.com to book your flights.
• Applies to new bookings only. Cancellations void all offers.
• Blackout dates apply.
• Only one resort credit and one qualified air credit per bungalow will be applied.
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