Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Warns Caution
Definitely good advice!
FWC says use caution in aftermath of Hurricane Matthew
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Georgia DNR Responds to Matthew
Very good advice and information re the Waterway from Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources’s Coastal Resources Division.
Brunswick, GA (Oct 11, 2016) – The Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division (CRD), under authority granted pursuant to the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act and the Shore Protection Act, finds that an emergency exists due to Hurricane Matthew within all the coastal counties of the State of Georgia.CRD has initiated Emergency Order #1 and #2, which places a moratorium on nonessential construction/alteration within the jurisdiction of the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) and the Shore Protection Act (SPA). This moratorium is effective immediately and will be in place until further notice.
“High winds, storm surge, and flooding have caused damage to many structures located in Georgia’s tidal waterways, over marshlands and along barrier island beaches. We know that private, public and commercial docks have been damaged as have beach crossovers on our barrier islands,” stated Spud Woodward, director of the Coastal Resources Division. “Our staff will be working with public, commercial, and government entities to facilitate a quick recovery from Hurricane Matthew but we need information about the extent of the damage. We want to focus our efforts on recovery so action on non-essential projects currently in the queue will be delayed. ”
CRD staff has set up a call center to gather information about impacts to beach front property, private docks, bank stabilizations, marinas, commercial docks, or other structures within coastal waters, marshlands or along barrier island beaches. Staff will also be available to answer questions about permitting/regulatory processes and needs for areas impacted within the jurisdiction of CMPA or SPA. If you have questions or need to provide information please contact call our office at (912) 264-7218 between the hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM. You will be directed to a customer service representative who will collect information and respond to questions.
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Bahamas Chatter: “From Homestead FL to Nassau Bahamas” plus 1 more
Following Hurricane Matthew, it is so good to get news from our friends at Explorer Chartbooks – long the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits – and we are delighted that they have survived Matthew. Explorer Chartbooks is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER!
Bahamas Chatter: “From Homestead FL to Nassau Bahamas” plus 1 more
From Homestead FL to Nassau Bahamas
Posted: 09 Oct 2016 01:01 PM PDT
Hi Boaters;On a 42 feet boat what is the best route from Homestead FL to Nassau Bahamas. This will be my first trip.
Bimini
Posted: 09 Oct 2016 05:13 AM PDT
Has anyone heard or been to Bimini and how it held up to the storm?…DenOBe the first to comment!
Post-Hurricane Warnings and Advice
Our thanks to these three experienced cruisers for these reminders concerning conditions on the water and along the Waterway.
Although media reports are presenting better than expected storm results, we’re already seeing some significant changes to waterway facilities. The coastlines, especially in South Carolina, seem to have taken major hits. For example, there are reports of heavy damage to Palmetto Bay Marina in Hilton Head which has possibly been destroyed. A report said that Hinckley Yacht Services in Savannah no longer has any docks along the ICW. Note that these are unconfirmed reports.
It is still very early and much too soon to find out about sea floor changes through to southern Florida. I would put every non-ship inlet, especially the shifting minor ones like St Augustine on a no-fly list until there are many confirmed passages and verification of buoy placements by local facilities.
It will take at least a week to uncover the extent of the damage. We should be encouraging others, especially first-time ICW boaters, to slow way down. Assume that the marina where you have reservations doesn’t exist until you have new confirmation. Let’s all work together to share all information.
Confirmations and reports shouldn’t be proprietary in any way. This isn’t a time to make commercial gains due to the destruction of the waterways we all love. We consider all storm information we provide to be without copyright and with no need for attribution to ActiveCaptain. Take whatever is reported and share it far and wide on every source that exists.
Jeffrey SiegelWhat follows is a reminder from the USCG forwarded by MTOA.
Mariners are reminded that aids to navigation, particularly lighted and unlighted buoys, may be moved from charted position, damaged, destroyed, extinguished, or otherwise deemed discrepant as a result of hurricanes and storms. Mariners should not rely solely upon the position or operation of an aid to navigation, but also employ such other methods of determining position as may be available. Port Hurricane Conditions are set up by the COTP and will change as the threat of severe weather increases, or as a storm approaches a specific COTP Area of Responsibility. For COTP-specific Port Hurricane Conditions, you should review information provided under the Port Directory tab of http://homeport.uscg.mil
Condition 4 – Hurricane Seasonal Alert. 01 June–30 November; port status: open.Condition Whiskey – Sustained Gale Force winds associated with Tropical Cyclone activity are predicted within 72 hours; port status: open. Condition X-Ray – Sustained Gale Force winds associated with Tropical Cyclone activity are predicted within 48 hours; port status: open. Condition Yankee – Sustained Gale Force winds associated with Tropical Cyclone activity are predicted within 24 hours; port status: restricted; vessel/facility control measures in effect. Condition Zulu – Sustained Gale Force winds associated with Tropical Cyclone activity are predicted within 12 hours; port status: closed to all vessel traffic and waterside activities except for activities approved by the COTP.
Drawbridges along the coast may deviate from normal operating procedures. Drawbridges are authorized to remain closed upon approach of Gale Force winds of 34 knots or greater. Extended closure periods may be authorized up to 8 hours prior to arrival of Gale Force winds to facilitate evacuation of land traffic. Due to the uncertainty of hurricane movements and bridge closures, mariners are urged to seek passage through drawbridges well in advance of the arrival of Gale Force winds.
Mike BrownFor those underway there are some clear interests: flooding, shoaling, bridges out of operation, debris, clean-up operations, facilities (particularly for fuel, water, and pump-out but also for dockage and mooring with or without electricity), cell phone coverage, provisioning, and probably things I haven’t thought of. Sometimes the obvious escapes me.
Some of the sources cruisers are used to turning to are ourselves waiting for updates.
For my part I will reach out to fellow SSCA Cruising Stations, OCC Port Officers, and AGLCA Harbor Hosts to collect local information.
For those of you part of larger organizations if you do not want to be the point of contact for updates please let me know who you want on my distribution. I plan to set up a mailing list that anyone can use for the group Jeff identified and can add/drop anyone you like.
SSCA’s Seven Seas U has had a free, nightly webinar for the last week in which Lee Chesneau and Chris Parker provided their insights and a whole lot of information from sources not usually available to the cruising boater.
Would anyone be interested in supporting, perhaps on a rotating basis, a similar effort to help cruisers understand the damage they face heading South? This could be an opportunity to reinforce the message of slow down, call ahead, plan for getting held up, …
sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V AuspiciousBe the first to comment!
Matthew Does Good Work on the Gulf Beaches
Some good news about Hurricane Matthew from the Gulf! See /159856
Hurricane Matthew washes out red tide on Longboat Key
Although the storm barely affected the Gulf Coast, rotting fish carcasses and seaweed disappeared from island beaches.
CLICK HERE for the full report from YourObserver.comBe the first to comment!
Bahamas Chatter: “Ocean Reef Yacht Club…Grand Bahama” plus 2 more
It is so good to get news from our friends at Explorer Chartbooks – long the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits – and we are delighted that they have survived Matthew. Explorer Chartbooks is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER!
Bahamas Chatter: “Ocean Reef Yacht Club…Grand Bahama” plus 2 more
Ocean Reef Yacht Club…Grand Bahama
Posted: 07 Oct 2016 08:37 AM PDT
Has anyone heard how ORYC faired through the storm?..I believe they were on the east edge of the eye wall…DenO
Report from George Town, Exuma
Posted: 07 Oct 2016 06:48 AM PDT
Some boats at the houseboat dock in kids cove got a thorough thrashing. None sunk, but major upper hull and deck damage when lines parted and they were hitting each other.Nine boats broke free in the hurricane holes. Three or four holed with damage and sunk.
Three in behind February point that will probably have to get cranes to plop them back in. Two more sank behind crab cay.
But no injuries down here that we know if either. The surge in the south wasn’t tooooo bad. Don’t know about Moss Town area, but it was probably 5-6 feet. Far far less than Lilly!
Report from the Abacos
Posted: 07 Oct 2016 06:45 AM PDT
All is fine on Abaco. She never lost the internet or power. The worst was this morning with tstorms. Gusting to 50 and lots of rain. About 3 to 4″. All cleared up now.Bahamas Chatter: “Report from Staniel Cay, Exumas” plus 1 more
This is the first news we’ve had from our friends at Explorer Chartbooks – long the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits – and we are delighted that they have survived Matthew. Explorer Chartbooks is A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER!
Bahamas Chatter: “Report from Staniel Cay, Exumas” plus 1 more
Report from Staniel Cay, Exumas
Posted: 06 Oct 2016 10:33 AM PDT
Thursday morning:
Good morning! – and it is a GOOD one. The worst is past, and there have been no VHF reports of extreme or emergency situations. It is still raining on and off; winds are still high, approx 70, but apparently ALL have made it OK. Nobody slept, the howling was even louder than the thunder, with branches and debris hitting the roof. The eye stayed 40 miles or so offshore, and that help keep the wind speed down a bit. Also was worst at mid – low tide. A few are braving the wind and doing a quick check. Some shingles off their houses, trees, branches, debris everywhere. More later. They will have their hands full with clean-up. Power still off, but has had internet! Another amazement!! We are all very grateful!Hurricane Matthew Pounds Bahamas
Posted: 06 Oct 2016 07:55 AM PDT
Excerpt from Weather Underground blog by Dr. Jeff Masters with reports from Great Exuma and Staniel Cay.Read the full article here:
https://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=3467
Excerpt: [expand title =”Read More”]
The Bahamas getting pounded
At 2:19 am EDT Thursday, winds at a personal weather station (PWS) on Staniel Cay, Exumas, located in the strong right eyewall of Matthew, about 30 miles east-northeast of hurricane’s center, peaked at 92 mph, gusting to 101 mph. The pressure bottomed out at 984 mb at that time, and 12.95” of rain fell in the 7-hour period midnight to 7 am EDT.WU member ExumaMET reported this from the island of Exuma, which Matthew sideswiped on Wednesday evening: Morning all. It was an intense night here. I recorded Sustained winds over 100 and gusts way into category 4 strength with one gust hitting 153mph before something took out my instrument. We’re still in tropical storm force and it should be interesting to see what the island looks like as the sun comes up.
The dangerous right front quadrant with Matthew’s highest winds began pounding the most populous island in The Bahamas, New Providence, on Thursday morning around 8 am EDT. Winds at 9 am EDT at the Nassau airportwere 58 mph, gusting to 85 mph, and the pressure was falling rapidly. Extreme winds are the main danger on New Providence, though a storm surge of up to ten feet is possible. Fortunately, the capital of Nassau is on the more protected north side of the island, which is less vulnerable to storm surge. High tide is at 11:46 am EDT, and the highest storm surge will likely arrive shortly before then. Tidal range between low tide and high tide is about two feet, so the timing of the high tide relative to a possible ten-foot storm surge can contribute up to a 20% increase in the observed storm tide (the height of the water above ground.)
The weaker left-side eyewall of Matthew will be punishing Andros Island late Thursday morning and into Thursday afternoon. Late Thursday afternoon, it will be Grand Bahama Island’s turn to receive a beating.
Figure 2. Enhanced infrared image of Matthew as of 8:37 am EDT Thursday, October 6, 2016.Be the first to comment!
NC State Student Requests Your Knowledge about Bridges
Here is another survey for you to take – after you have completed the FWC Survey! – while you are holed up waiting for Matthew to pass. Kevin’s email is ksorn@ncsu.edu and his phone is 704-582-3859.
Hello,
I am a NC State University student seeking assistance for my senior design project. I am looking for a few minutes of your time to answer a few questions regarding bridges to help get a better understanding of our idea’s feasibility and general knowledge of bridges/ships in general. It would be greatly appreciated!Please feel free to reach me at 704-582-3859 if you would like to help or reply back to this e-mail. If instead you have contact information of someone that might be interested in helping me out, please let me know as well!
Below are the interview questions:
1. How often do cruisers have to pass through city bridges?
2. Do most cruisers meet clearance requirements to fit under the majority of city bridges without opening?
3. Are most cruisers fully aware of their height clearance?
4. Do cruisers rely on bridge operators to determine if their height meets clearance specifications?
5. How do cruisers contact bridge operators to open a bridge?
6. How much time is consumed in this process?
7. Do any cruisers have a method for determining if they meet clearance requirements for an incoming bridge?
8. Can you recall any recent cruiser collisions with bridges?
9. How often do these collisions occur?
10. If there was a dynamic sensor for clearance with a heads up display letting the cruiser know they are clear to pass without disrupting the bridge, would you be interested?
11. Why would you/would you not be interested?
12. What do you think is a major problem with bridges over water currently?
Thank you so much for your time,
—
Kevin Sorn
North Carolina State University
Senior in Electrical and Computer EngineeringBe the first to comment!
South Carolina Orders Coastal Evacuation, 10/4
10/4, 3:00 PM, SC has ordered the evacuation of all coastal communities and has closed coastal schools in all the coastal counties. The Governor’s office has asked that evacuees move at least 100 miles inland.
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