Phil and Sandy Herl have been submitting marina reviews along their 2015 Fall migration and SSECN is grateful for their page by page comments on the Sherer text. Robert Sherer is author of 2015 ICW Cruising Guide: A guide to navigating the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. See /?p=150181.
CLICK HERE for the complete Review for Bob and Ann Sherer’s 2015 ICW Cruising Guide, as well as Author Sherer’s response.
The entrance channel to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Marina is found off Hawk Channel, on the east side of Key Largo, at flashing red marker #2 which lies west, northwest of Hawk Channel marker #35 off Mosquito Bank.
I needed desperately to get to the pump out at the marina. I called ahead and told them I did not have a lot of experience running the 44 ft catamaran I was sailing thru keys with my family. They told me where to find the pump out dock. I asked about the wind and they informed me it was blowing hard onto the dock. Tough conditions. When I got in they had three captains at the dock to lend a hand. After one aborted attempt we docked well and safely in very challenging conditions. I sat and talked with them all about the exit off the dock and got some great advice. Got off safe and well. They are truly a fantastic group.
Cat Hopeful
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Largo Sound
The Melbourne Harbor Marina entrance channel cuts west, abeam of unlighted daybeacon #6, south of the Melbourne twin, high-rise bridges.
This is a good marina, close to the great restaurants and good shops of downtown Melbourne.
Jane and Michael Tigar
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Melbourne Harbor Marina
Here’s a nice bit of humor from Boatnation.com. At least it should aid in settling your tummy after yesterday’s gastronomic orgy!
“Lobflourabimp,” or maybe the “Shricraflouster”?
Most Americans already know, the end product of stuffing a boneless duck, inside a boneless chicken which is then stuffed inside a boneless turkey is a Tur-duck-en or Turducken. The men over at Guy Gourmet came up with a brilliant seafood version, but what do we call it?
It’s basically a crab cake mixture, including stuffed shrimp, stuffed into a flounder, which is then stuffed into a lobster. If you can come up with a better, or funnier, name for this delectable dish, post it on our Facebook page.
Why not mix things up and celebrate with seafood?
Remember, the first Pilgrims had seafood on their Thanksgiving menu.
New Pass leads directly to the Sarasota waterfront and the entrance portion between the Entrance Light and Light 7 is constantly shifting.
FLORIDA – CHARLOTTE HARBOR TO TAMPA BAY – NEW PASS: Shoaling.
The U.S. Coast Guard has received a report of shoaling in the vicinity of New Pass Entrance Light NP (LLNR 21585/1345 [27°18.9185N / 082°35.8861W, 27.315309 / -82.598102]) and New Pass Channel Light 7 (LLNR 21620 [27°19.6814N / 082°35.2924W, 27.328024 / -82.588206]). The Entrance Channel is subject to continual change. Buoys are not charted because they are frequently shifted in position. Local knowledge recommended as the channel is constantly changing.
Chart 11425 LNM 47/15
Click Here To Open A Char27.31530833t View Window, Zoomed To the Location of New Pass Entrance Light
Thanksgiving Greetings
To All our Loyal Sponsors and to our Cruising and Boating Families
From The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net Team
The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net exists because of our loyal partner sponsors and the many cruising and boating families who use our site, contribute to our site’s content, and use the products and services of our loyal sponsors. We are deeply grateful for your confidence and for your timely submissions that support our motto, “Cruisers Helping Cruisers.” As cruisers, we are indeed blessed to have such wonderful and safe cruising areas supported by our Intracoastal Waterways.
So from our bridge to yours, God’s blessings and may your cruising be safe and most enjoyable.
“The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net Team”…..
Kaye Adams, Larry Dorminy, Winston Fowler, Curtis Hoff, Chris Spires
Harbortown Marina sits on the northern banks of Taylor Creek, which cuts into the Waterway’s western flank, south of unlighted daybeacon #184, just north of the Ft. Pierce Inlet.
This marina is reasonably priced, clean and well managed. The staff is very friendly and always willing to help. The best part is they care. You can tell by how clean everything is. And if something is broken, they fix it!
Douglass
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harbortown Marina
Snook Bight Marina guards the northern shores of Estero Island, between markers #27 and #29, well east and southeast of the high-rise Fort Myers Beach Bridge, on the Mantanzas Pass channel
This is an excellent facility, with an outstanding ships store and a high quality boatyard with haul out. Added bonus is one of the best fine dining spots in the area, and the fact that a Publix super market is behind the marina. Great stop fir provisioning.
David Hughes
Click Here To View the Western Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Snook Bight Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Snook Bight Marina
This call for a fleet formation of Gulf crossing vessels is from our good friends at AGLCA.
Hey all,
We are moving to Panama City today To sort of get in position for our crossing. Since it has been awhile since the weather window opened many of us have taken Eddy’s advice and been slow floating Since getting off of the rivers. Loopers are strung out from Carrabelle back to Mobile. It looks like that when a opportunity finally arrives there will be a whole armada of us moving. It would be nice to know how many, who we are and planned crossing speed.
Probably not too early to get a roll call of vessels who are staged intending to cross at the next window since we are at many different ports right now. Our plans a capability:
Panama City until the window is a day or so away. Then Apalachacola or Carrabelle (if there will even be room). If no room we are capable of going direct from Panama City.
Boat speed 7 MPH to 25 MPH. Prefer 10 – 20.
Charlie and Kay Woodard
Charlie & Kay,
Keep in mind that scallop season starts the 25th of June which will be an issue gaining dockage the closer you get to this date. That said there are many nice marinas reminiscent of old time Florida along the Big Bend area. Don’t expect anything fancy but you will receive great friendship and clean accommodations. All the marinas I’ll mention can handle a 3 foot draft and then some. Be cautious of the depth in this area.
1) Swanne River ahs two: Swannee River marina 352 542 9159 & Gateway Marina 352 542 7349 Call the local BoatUS Tow for current channel depths and USE THE NORTH channel NOT the river.
2) Yankee Town; YT marina 352 447 2529; B’s talk with Helen 352-447-5888; Riverside 352-447-2890 This is one of my vavorite stops.
3) Crystal River: Petes’s 352 795 3302 & Twin River 352 795 3552 This area thinks highly of there dock space but if you’ve never been to Crystal River the stop might be nice.
4) Now to my favorite river the Steinhatchee: For a nice motel with dockage call Shelter Cove. They have recently been bought out by Ideal Marine so you can be the first to review them. 352 498 5707/352-210-1781. There are also Good Times Motel never been there 352 498-8088; SeaHag 352 498-3008 lots wakes; River Haven my favorite 352 498-0709/352-356=2904;
This is outland Florida so best to phone in advance to qualify all your requirements.
Buoyed by his success at influencing the Coast Guard in regard to the closures of the Belt Line RR Bridge in Norfolk, boating advocate, Jim Healy, has addressed the issue of RR bridge closures in south Florida as part of the new All Aboard Florida train schedules.
For Jim’s complete letter, CLICK HERE.
When you threaten with civil forfeiture for no veritable legal reason, you really are doing “something” and you should have considered the legal consequences. This as was witnessed by roughly 45 some people at the FWC meeting in Bradenton. (McClash comments at FWC meeting/statements made in front of law enforcement officers who did absolutely nothing, did not even admonish or correct)
Charles said, “The actual company (http://www.allaboardflorida.com/) who is building out the route may not be aware that some of their intended plans will have any impact on the boating community, after all they are train people not boat people and I would guess that bridge closures are for building out the plant.”
You’re a bit behind the curve. They had public hearings in Jupiter and Stuart last fall, specifically to let boaters have their say. Many boaters attended and voiced their concerns. There were some good bridge opening schedule compromises suggested that claim to minimize inconvenience for boaters.
This will be old news by the time I am anticipating being able to cruise anywhere in Florida, BUT, I need to ask the question, has anyone tried contacting the All Aboard Florida company about these issues?
The actual company (http://www.allaboardflorida.com/) who is building out the route may not be aware that some of their intended plans will have any impact on the boating community, after all they are train people not boat people and I would guess that bridge closures are for building out the plant.
If contact, as is going on with the Coast Guard, phrased in the same context didn’t work, or a favorable response, compromise wasn’t able to be reached then a few letters to the editors of the local papers might help.
This company doesn’t want bad publicity as they want to sell seats on their trains.
The wrong kind of publicity will have an impact on those sales.
Just a thought.
This will only make the traffic jams worse than they are now, in the heart of the City.
When the current runs hard, it is very difficult to maintain your position.
This will lead to increased collisions and safety concerns.
Thank you Jim for a well thought, fact based response. I personally have experienced the frustrations at Titusville and St. Lucie with closed bridges for extended periods of time with no one to talk to……all before All Aboard Florida. I personally don’t want to experience swift currents, narrow channels, many boats trying to maneuver closely, and short tempers due to no one knowing when the torture is going to end. A bridge tender with a radio and no bridge control will be a little help to calm nerves of cruisers when you experience a closed bridge for extended times with no train crossing. Your letter calmly makes a compelling case that I would make with less facts and more anger.
Comments from Cruisers (2)
Hi
I do not know where the 140 hazards are. I have been up and down the ICW a few times and have a hard time thinking of 10 areas that are hazardous. I am sick of all the “experts?” making less experienced cruisers worry about the trip up and down the ICW. Whoever can find the 140 hazards would be better off staying home, at least better for the rest of us.
Happy cruising
Hi Stein,
I agree that traveling the ICW should be a pleasant experience with not having to worry about hazards along the way. In fact, if you travel through the shallow spots only at high tide there are no hazards, so far there is still enough water everywhere. Unfortunately, I cannot quite make all the shallows at just high tide and hit some at 1/2 or low tide. Such low spots are marked in Active Captain by a yellow marker (as well as missing markers and obstructions) which allows for comments by boaters. Whenever I pass through a yellow marker I update the Active Captain database for reference by other boaters. If you look at the shallow hazards in AC, almost all will show at least one boater and often more that went aground at that location.
Now some are more severe than others with some impassable at low tide like Hell Gate and, up until the dredging, the shallows north of the Ben Sawyer Bridge in Isle of Palms. Through others you may drag your keel at low tide depending on your draft like through Mud River, Ashepoo-Coosaw Cut Off, Jekyll Island and several others. It’s still good to know the best path for depth through these areas.
For other areas not so severe, there have still been boats going aground from encroaching shoals from one side or the other in the channel. In such cases there are deep water routes if you know them. The most famous one in this category are the shallows south of Fernandina where there is a shoal to 3 ft in the middle of the channel, recently marked on charts by the Coast Guard with a 3ft warning at low tide encompassing the entire area. However, there is a 10 ft route that avoids all the shoals (there are several shoals, not just the one in the middle) which I published on Cruisernet last month and is also posted on Active Captain.
After 5 years of traveling up and down the ICW I found many boaters use my posts on AC and several asked for all the information to be in one location. Looking around I found Amazon to be the easiest to use so I published a guide book there, “2015 ICW Cruising Guide”, both in hardcopy and ebook format. The ebook is only $4.95 but the hardcopy is $29.95 due to all the color pages.
Traveling the ICW should be a pleasant experience and knowing how to best avoid touching bottom keep you on an even keel, so to speak, allowing for more enjoyment along the way.
Good boating! Bob Sherer