Douglas Road Landing is on the east side of the Canal, south of Deep Creek Lock. Its new dock and facilities would make a convenient emergency stopover in a storm or other temporary situation. Our thanks to Bill Spaur for this notice and photo.
The drinking fountain and restrooms at Douglas Road Landing, Dismal Swamp Canal, are open. The Landing is between Army Corps of Engineers Statute mile markers 18 and 19. Bill Spaur
You only have to spend a short time talking with Randy Mims to know that he has the soul of a true sailor. Randy not only built his 27ft gaff-rigged cutter, Ideath, but each year he single-hands the cutter from North Carolina to the Northern Gulf Coast and back again. “Ideath” is pronounced Idea-th and loosely translates as “house of ideas”. Randy stops along the way to visit maritime museums and, indulging his passion for music, he volunteers to sing in church choirs along the way. He also takes time to share his travels with his friends and has agreed to allow Cruisers Net to post his emails. For more photos and more on Randy, go to http://towndock.net/shippingnews/ideath?pg=1 from TownDock.net in Oriental. See previous installment: /156986.
Randy Mims
soul of a true sailor and, as you will read in the log below, he is the very essence of the DYI! Randy not only built his 27ft gaff-rigged cutter, Ideath, but each year he single-hands the cutter from North Carolina to the Northern Gulf Coast and back again. “Ideath” is pronounced Idea-th and loosely translates as “house of ideas”. Randy stops along the way to visit maritime museums and, indulging his passion for music, he volunteers to sing and play in church choirs along the way. He also takes time to share his travels with his friends and has agreed to allow SSECN to post his emails. For more photos and more on Randy, go to http://towndock.net/shippingnews/ideath?pg=1 from TownDock.net in Oriental, NC. See previous installment: /157772.
Dear Friends, Let me begin by apologizing to everyone that does not follow me on Facebook or Youtube for not sending a text update when I arrived back in Apalachicola. I posted a video about the nice sail from St. Pete to Apalach but forgot to tell everyone that I had made it. OOPS! Since I arrived, I have been playing a lot of music. In addition to practicing four instruments for half an hour each almost every day, I have played at the Apalachicola Farmer’s Market and various Open Mics. Of course I have resumed doing a Prelude for the church service every other Sunday and play flute along with the organ on the Processional and Recessional. I hope everyone had a great summer. It seems strange that just when you get the faintest hint that fall is actually going to get here that Hurricane season get’s the most active. Back is 2002 I went across the creek from the dock at low tide and cut a hole in the marsh grass. On what I remember as probably the hottest day there ever was, I dug a three foot deep hole that measured three feet by two feet. Out each end of this hole I dug a trench two feet deep that was about a foot wide and eight feet long. Into this trench a went a “landscape timber”. Around this timber I fastened a length of five-eights inch chain. Into the big hole (which of course was beginning to fill with the tide coming back in) I mixed eight ninety pound bags of concrete mix. This produced about a six hundred pound anchor with which to hold the boat out in the creek and off the dock when the storm surge actually gets higher than the dock. When I got back this time I noticed that the buoy that marked the end of the chain was missing. Investigating I found that over the years the massive chain had melted into something that wouldn’t hold a rowboat in place. It took weeks for there to be a low tide that wasn’t in the middle of the night. Thankfully last week the tide was right at about seven thirty one evening. With shovel and post hole digger and a piece of 3/4 inch nylon anchor line that I had prepared with a loop spliced in one end and a thimble spliced into the other I paddled across the creek not looking forward to what I had to do. Actually I had my doubts if it would even be possible. But with a positive attitude and only about an hour and a half till dark, I dug a hole on the side of the block away from the creek and a smaller hole down beside the block on the creek side and lying face down in the mud I began trying to push a drain cleaning snake through the mud under the anchor from one hole to the other. I lost track of how many tries it took but with the light failing I hit the other hole. Hallaluja!! I had my anchor back. This proved to be a very good thing. Depression Nine about which the weather service didn’t seem to have a clue did indeed become a hurricane though thankfully not a powerful one and came right to Apalachicola. I spent last night with IDEATH tied to the dock and fore and aft to the anchor across the creek and with an anchor down the creek. Every hour (until the barometer started going back up) and then every two hours I went out into the thirty to fifty mile an hour wind and the DRIVING rain and checked and adjusted lines and was thankful that the storm wasn’t worse. I love living on the boat. It is not always Fun and Relaxing, but NOTHING is more beautiful than the sunrise after a storm. The air is completely clean and the world is peaceful and new. Peace and Love to you All, Randy
Bridge Pointe Marina flanks the southern banks of the Trent River off the Neuse River, opposite the downtown New Bern, NC waterfront.
What a great place to keep your vessel. I have enjoyed the Marina and its staff, they are always helpful and Jesse (dock-master) is always willing to help any way he can with any issue that may arise. I would like to tip my hat to Bridgepointe Marina for having such a great place to keep my Boat. Many thanks for you guys keeping on top of things. Tim L Mitchell
This area of shallow water is at the south end of the Estherville Minim Creek Canal which begins at the Waterway’s exit southward from Winyah Bay.
SOUTH CAROLINA – AICW – MYRTLE GROVE SOUND AND CAPE FEAR RIVER TO CASINO CREEK – WINYAH BAY – CHARLESTON HARBOR: Depth of Channel. The U.S. Coast Guard has found at low-tide depths of less than 5ft of water in the middle of the channel between Winyah Bay-Charleston Harbor Channel Light 4 (LLNR 34120 [33°11.7192N / 079°16.3300W, 33.195320 / -79.272167]) and Winyah Bay-Charleston Harbor Daybeacon 5 (LLNR 34125 [33°11.4410N / 079°16.5012W, 33.190683 / -79.275020]). Mariners are advised to use caution while transiting the area. Chart 11532, 11534 LNM 35/16
In 2015 Robert and Ann Sherer published their first ICW Cruising Guide, which has received 5 star ratings (see /150181) and have recently published their 2016 edition of their excellent guide (see /159063).
Now, as they have in the past, the Sherers graciously share their research with SSECN readers.
The author’s comments:
The information should certainly be interesting to your readers for those contemplating a trip down the ICW this fall. There have been some dramatic changes to the ICW by inlets in North Carolina as measured by the Wilmington ACOE surveys. I’ve also included GPX routes recommended by the Wilmington ACOE District as part of the article. Bob CLICK HERE for the most recent Sherer blog report on Waterway shoaling.
As this report by Susannah Bryan Contact Reporter at Sun Sentinel states, the anchoring ban put into effect July 1st is not working in Broward County. Go to /156265 for more on the anchoring ban.
“No Beaching, No Landing, No Launching, No Tying Up,” say the signs that went up in April.
But so far, the signs don’t seem to be working. The dozen or so live-aboard boaters anchored in the cove at North Beach Park are not only coming ashore on their dinghies, they’re using the signs as tie-up posts.
Signs at North Beach Park in Hollywood warn boaters against tying up, but they do it anyway. (City of Hollywood, courtesy)
We have a term for folks such as these people in the bay, “exist-aboards”. They are not legitimate boaters in any sense of the word. They are impacting our rights to use the waters freely. One must remember…..nothing in life is free, there is always a cost and these freeloaders are costing us plenty!
The sub-heading on this article is very misleading and has the potential to confuse many readers.
The linked article discusses an anchorage that is *not* covered by the regulations that went into effect on July 1. The fact that the county has chosen to start enforcing other, unrelated regulations having to do with landing tenders (not with anchoring itself, which remains perfectly legal in this particular location) is perhaps unfortunate, but is and has always been well within their legal rights. I have little sympathy for these vessels — a right to anchor does not imply a right to trespass in order to get ashore. Let’s not confuse the issues.
Let’s also remember that semi-permanently anchored vessels, with crews willing to trespass and flout other laws in order to maintain a low-cost, tax-free dwelling in an otherwise expensive area, are a big part of the state’s incentive to increase anchoring restrictions. These sorts of vessels do more to jeopardize anchoring opportunities for legitimate cruisers than almost any other factor, including even derelicts. And the presence of such vessels often means there will be no room for cruisers passing through.
Can you explain this RR bridge sign on the Manatee River east of the GICW? Since RR bridges are normally open except during a train crossing, is this a sign of things to come with Florida railway bridges? Photo sent to us by Rivera Dunes Marina
‘Hands off!’ is best policy for sea turtle hatchlings
Sea turtle hatchlings are digging out of their nests and clambering toward the ocean in September and October, the last months of Florida’s sea turtle nesting season. Just remember, “Hands off!” is the best policy for beachgoers encountering sea turtle hatchings.
Well-meaning efforts to rescue a sea turtle hatchling by helping it leave a nest or picking it up and placing it in the ocean are not good ideas, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists.
Worse yet are instances where hatchlings are being handled by people who think it’s OK to get that close, often because they want to take a photo.
“Some Florida beachgoers are unaware that sea turtle hatchings should be watched from a distance and left undisturbed,” said Dr. Robbin Trindell, who leads the FWC’s sea turtle management program. “Even well-meaning attempts to rescue sea turtle hatchlings can do more harm than good. And digging into a sea turtle nest, entering a posted area, or picking up a sea turtle hatchling to take a photo also are against the law.”
Hatchlings must overcome many obstacles to survive. Digging out of their nests may take a few days. Once out, they are vulnerable to predators. And any misdirection on their path to the sea – from artificial lighting to items left on the beach, holes in the sand or people approaching or handling them – may leave them exhausted, lost or dehydrated on the beach in the morning sun.
“So please remember to keep your hands off sea turtle hatchlings and tell others to do the same,” Trindell said. “The best way to help hatchings is to turn off any artificial lighting on the beach at night or at least keep it shielded. If you see hatchlings, watch from a distance and never shoot flash photos.”
Bright lights on houses, motels, condominiums and businesses along the beach can disorient nesting adult females, but are particularly harmful to turtle hatchlings. The hatchlings will head for the bright lights, thinking they are the sparkling sea. They can end up walking landward and are more likely to become prey for animals like coyotes.
People are asked to call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline, 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or *FWC or #FWC on a cellphone, to report hatchlings that are stranded, wandering in a road or parking lot, heading away from the water or are dead.
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST 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: Long Island Update Long Island Update Posted: 24 Aug 2016 05:37 AM PDT We just got news of the reopening of Parrots of the Caribbean in Thompson Bay, now named Tiny’s Hurricane Hole. Also, LI Petroleum’s new dock is done and much easier take the big boat up to. And Midway Inn in the Bight is completely renovated, open and fabulous.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Minim Creek Canal
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