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: Route from Bimini to Stirrup Cay question Route from Bimini to Stirrup Cay question Posted: 11 Mar 2016 09:51 AM PST We intend to spend some time at Great Harbor Cay this year. We are interested in the route north of Bimini to Stirrup Cay. We draw 5.5 feet. Can anyone give us information on this route and it use with our draft?
Dinner Key Marina is located at the western end of Dinner Key Channel on the western shore of Biscayne Bay. For more typical comments on Dinner Key Marina, see /25334.
If the customer service in most places in Miami is subpar, then the service at Dinner Key Marina is absolute garbage. The kind of service that makes you immediately regret having moved to Miami (and I speak fluent Spanish). The kind of service that forces you to set aside ample time to sit down and write a juicy, one star review just like the one that you are about to read. So you do not mistake this review for one coming from a non-credible source, I should probably mention that I am a USCG licensed Captain (50 ton Master) and a Cambridge engineering graduate with 20 years of boating experience. Also for the record, I have never really written a review before, but this nightmare could not have gone unpublished. Here is the sequence of events:
1. I signed a one year contract with the marina for a commercial slip in August of 2014. The plan was to run charters to small groups of elite guests aboard my 41-foot Maxum. Having endured a 3-hour long trip down from Fort Lauderdale, my father and I finally pulled into our allocated slip. The very next morning, we were rudely woken by a bunch of goons banging on the fiberglass, asking why we had parked there. They had chained the boat to the seawall. I kindly replied that I had signed a one year contract for that spot. They later unchained the boat and barely made an apology. That is Dinner Key Marina’s idea of a welcome, apparently. 2. One week following my arrival, I drove up to Orlando for a few days. There, the local police came knocking on my door announcing that they had found a boat registered to my name up on a beach in Fort Pierce (about 125 miles north of Miami). Long story short, a ring of drug smugglers stole my 41 Maxum from Dinner Key Marina. I still wonder if it was not someone from the marina who tipped off my absence. It took 3 months of investigations by the USCG, DEA, and the local Sheriff’s department, and an additional 3 months of quoting repairs before I recouped the money from the insurance company (the boat was declared a total loss). Dinner Key Marina did not help out with anything and did not even express their sympathies for what had happened. I later suggested that they install a camera to monitor that pier (Pier 9) and they really could not have cared less. 3. I returned to the marina with a new Concept 36. Why do you ask? Because none of the other 30 odd marinas in Miami had availability for commercial vessels. I should also mention that although Dinner Key Marina welcomes commercial vessels, they are not zoned for commercial use. I found that out following a visit to the City Hall trying to get my zoning permit. So technically, everyone there operating commercially is illegal. The operations lady at the Dinner Key Marina, Maria Busto, one of the most impolite, ill-intentioned, dysfunctional individuals I have ever had the displeasure to meet, had promised me following the theft of the 41 Maxum, that she would give me priority on my original slip. Sure enough, when I returned to the marina with the Concept 36, she had given it away to somebody else and left me with a slip amidst a bunch of shrimping boats. Just for the record, all of the frustrating experiences delineated above were delivered almost exclusively by her, Maria Busto. Do not waste even a second of your time with her. Talk directly to Stephen Bogner, the manager, anytime you need assistance. I found this out too late. He is of great character and although he does not have much control over what goes on in his marina, he means well. 4. My dad fell ill in early 2016 and I was forced to move back to Orlando to tend to him. I terminated my contract with Dinner Key Marina under this premise. My dad just passed away from heart failure at the age of 55. Even knowing about these circumstances, it took Dinner Key Marina nearly 4 months to refund my deposit. E-mails went unanswered almost every time. Every time I called in, no one was around even during business hours. Simply unbelievable. 5. Summarizing, this was the worst experience I have had with any company in my entire life. I failed to mention the countless times I had to fend off people trying to steal my stuff at the dock (and they did), obnoxious fishermen tossing garbage around and having to pick up after them, birds crapping shrimp guts all over my boat, vandalism, and daily encounters with ill-tempered employees of the marina (with a few exceptions, including Renato, an awesome security guy). Come here at your own peril. This place is a disaster. It will drain you emotionally and ruin your life! Alexander N Endlein
BoatUS remains the premiere advocate for boaters and boating safety on all waters and SSECN is proud to have BoatUS as a SPONSOR!
This shore power pedestal inlet and cable aren’t that far away from sparking a major boat fire.
NEWS From BoatUS Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com BoatUS Fire Facts: Claim Files Show Six Ways Boat Fires Happen
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 10, 2016 — Fire ranks number five among all boat losses according to the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program claims files. Dig a little a deeper, and those claims files also tell you the six specific areas that lead to most reported boat fires. If every boater paid attention to these six things, over a third of all fires aboard boats would be prevented. So what are the top six ways boat fires happen, and some lessons to take home?
26% of fires are due to “Off-the-boat” sources: Over a quarter of the time, a BoatUS member’s boat burns when something else goes up in flames – the boat next to theirs, the marina, their garage, or even a neighbor’s house. It’s every boater’s responsibility to prevent fires, but when all else fails, having a good boat insurance policy is the last backstop.
20% of fires are due to “Engine Electrical”: For boats older than 25 years, old wiring harnesses take a disproportionate chunk of the blame here. A good electrical technician can put one together for you as most boats of this age had relatively simple electrical systems.
15% of fires are due to “Other DC Electrical”: The most common cause of battery-related fires is faulty installation of batteries – reversing the positive and negative cables or misconnecting them in series (when they should be in parallel). So take a picture. Label the cables. Use red fingernail polish to mark the positive lug. By gosh do everything to hook it up right the first time.
12% of fires are due to “AC Electrical”: Most AC electrical fires start between the shore power pedestal and the boat’s shorepower inlet. Inspecting the shore power cord routinely (connector ends especially) and for boats older than 10 years, inspecting or replacing the boat’s shorepower inlet, could prove wise.
9% of fires are due to “Other Engine”: This one is all about when an engine overheats due to blocked raw water intake or mangled impeller, the latter of which can also happen after experiencing a grounding or running in mucky waters. Be sure to check the engine compartment after getting underway and replace impeller every other year.
8% of fires are due to “Batteries”: This fire fact is for the outboard folks to pay attention to. On older outboards, by far the most common cause of fires is the voltage regulator. At 10 years of age, failure rates on these important electrical components begin to climb. Once it hits 15 years old, it’s time to replace.
Does your boat insurance cover boat fires? Get a free boat insurance check up and quote by calling the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program experts at 800-283-2883. Or get an online quote at BoatUS.com/insurance.
As Claiborne would have said, news of good food is always welcome! So we thank Bob and Susan Crenshaw for these good words for a new Georgetown restaurant, especially as this lovely port is recovering from a devastating fire in 2013 that destroyed a number of waterfront cafes. Harborwalk Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is the northwesternmost marina on the downtown Georgetown/Sampit River waterfront.
Cruising News Great new restaurant in Georgetown DiAngelo’s We just had a wonderful dining experience at DiAngelo’s on 929 Front street in Georgetown. We had opportunity to meet the owner, Pat DiAngelo and his wife Debbie. Also the chef, Tony came out and introduced himself. A.J. was our server. Wonderful home made Italian food that was fantastic. Chef Tony prepared us a sample of his yet unnamed dumpling gnocchi dish that was fantastic. Then to top off the nite he brought us some samples of Zeppoli, an Italian doughnut that melted in your mouth. These are wonderful people who need to be supported to make their business successful. The owner, Pat, was very gracious and appreciative of his customers. We cannot recommend a better dining experience than one we had. The kicker is that Chris, Dockmaster at Harbourwalk recommend we try them out. You will not be disappointed. Bob & Susan Crenshaw Carolina Girl
This Problem Stretch is perennially the source of shallow water reports and over the years we have received numerous complaints of skinny depths in this narrow Waterway channel, from south of the intersection with Jeremy Creek and McClellanville to Statute Mile 435. As always, SSECN recommends mid to high tide passage if you draw 5ft or more! Our thanks to Captain Bob Crenshaw for this onsite report.
Cruising News Extremely low water at SM 430 between 430 and SM 432 at Jeremy Creek We were coming north in our 42 trawler with 4 foot draft and encounter extreme low water with ranges from 4 to 6 feet. This occurred between SM 430 and 432 at Jeremy Creek near McClellanville. We had to monitor depth finder and pull back to idle speed as we mover thru the low water. This occurred at two hours before low tide. It was extremely nerve racking trying to find the deep water. When we arrived at our destination at Georgetown we were told,that two boats that had planned to stay at Georgetown had called in and said they had gotten aground in this area and had to wait for tide to come back. We are unable to provide safe path in this area except monitor depth finder and try to search out low water. Carolina Girl 42 Trawler Captain Bob Crenshaw
The old Boca Grande Swing Bridge (Gasparilla Island Swing Bridge) crosses the GICW at statute mile 34.5 in the northern Gasparilla Sound. A new bridge was recently constructed adjacent to the old bridge. The old bridge was removed in February and the channel was closed for week, see /154973. Our thanks to Greg Allard for this update and photo.
Boca Grande Causeway Bridge Construction Update- March 8, 2016 – West Coast of Florida, Statute Mile 34, GIWW A new swing bridge has been under construction at this location. The new bridge is in operation, and the old bridge’s center span has been removed. The contractors are still on-site, working working to remove the old bridge supports. Current bridge openings are on the hour and half hour, on request. I telephoned the bridge operator who advised that there has been no “official high water clearance” established for the bridge, but they are “unofficially” saying that it is 22’. I suspect that estimate is based on “low steel”. Because of the nature of this swing bridge, the “high steel” (which can give extra clearance under the center of a bascule bridge) is at the outer ends of the swing bridge; that extra clearance is really not usable with a spring bridge of this type, since it is a variable distance (the bridge support is curved) and it would require passing dangerously close to the bridge’s fender system. When we passed through, the bridge tender had us use the opening on the north side, since there were two contractors hanging in a bucket under the south span opening (see photo). Adding to the adventure is that there are NO TIDAL HEIGHT BOARDS in place on the fenders, on either side of the bridge. Curiously, when we called on Channel 9 for an opening, the bridge tender asked how much clearance we needed, which was silly, since we our air-draft was certainly close, and they have established neither an official high water clearance nor have they installed tidal height boards. However, the bridge operator was very helpful and courteous, and readily agreed to open the bridge when we indicated that the clearance was too close. In addition to Channel 9, the operator can be reached by phone at 941-697 2271 (listen for the prompts, and you will be routed directly to the bridge operator.) Greg Allard M/V Meander
Passed through the new bridge on 2/6/2016 and boy what a difference. 22 foot clearance. The bridge tender was very helpful concerning the new bridge. The “Fire Dog”!!!
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, overlooks the westerly banks of the Mantanzas Pass channel, west of marker #13.
Cape Coral Cruise Club Returns to Pink Shell Resort Marina
Taking advantage of SW Florida’s beautiful sunny weather and calm seas, 16 eager captains headed out the Caloosahatchee River toward Ft. Myers Beach and the Pink Shell Resort Marina February 16th for 3 days of fun, companionship and relaxation. Pink Shell is one of CCCC’s favorite destinations and this cruise is eagerly anticipated by Club members and fills quickly. As a result of Pink Shell’s popularity, cruise leaders Gary and Kathy Taake always have a wait list of cruisers hoping to go. The lucky ones this year included Larry & MaryAnn Habich, Phil & Lyn Quick, Hal & Dee Moss, Armond & Pam Sikes, Phil & Pat Kryger, Ken & Anne Millisor, Jeff & Joanne Ziemer, Ted & Bev Hutson, Walt & Lynn Engle, Rusty & Marlene Glover, John & Linda Furey, Len & Sharon Palmisano, Bob & Susan Ibanez, Joe & Kelli Miller,and Paul & Stephanie Carrico. Tuesday evening began with docktails at 4:30 followed by one of Gary’s famous entrees – grilled pork loins. The remainder of the meal was rounded out by potluck contributions provided by fabulous first mates. What a feast! Everyone outdid themselves in the food department and no one went away hungry. Too stuffed to do much bar hopping down the Beach, many were content to take on a hot game or two of cards. For some reason, this group is very competitive when it comes to table games involving quarters, nickels and dimes. As is customary the cruise leaders provided a hot breakfast in a room provided to the Club by Pink Shell both Wednesday and Thursday morning for anyone ready to get moving by 9:00. The days were free to lounge by the several pools, ride the Beach Trolley, or walk to Times Square for lunch. Rumor has it that one establishment in the Times Square area has the coldest beer on the Beach! Several members joined us by land yacht for docktails Wednesday evening. Kathy finalized reservations for the now-expanded group of 38 for dinner at Mantanzas on the Bay. Mantanzas never disappoints and every one enjoyed a wonderful meal. The highlight of the evening was a surprise birthday cake to honor Ted Hutson’s 85th birthday! After another day of leisure, Thursday evening found the group scattered to various locations for dinner, followed by a final get together back at the marina for conversation and several hands of cards. This crowd is really competitive when it comes to card games. Plans were made for the next morning’s departures and everyone said a fond farewell. Another excellent Pink Shell Cruise gets logged into CCCC member’s memories.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. View a short picture video of recent Club activities and read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
This request is aimed at the beach combers and marine wildlife lovers among us, providing you can find a place to anchor after dark. Contact information is in the link below.
Be a citizen-scientist: Help FWC monitor horseshoe crabs spawning on beaches
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission sent this bulletin at 03/08/2016 01:00 PM EST For immediate release: March 8, 2016 Media contact: Frank McCloy, 727-502-4789
A ritual dating back millions of years takes place again this spring on Florida beaches. Spring marks horseshoe crabs’ mating season, and biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) want the public’s help identifying spawning sites. Beachgoers will likely have the best luck spotting mating horseshoe crabs around high tide, just before, during or after a new or full moon. The conditions around the new moon this Wednesday, March 9, and the full moon on March 23 will create ideal opportunities to view the spawning behavior of horseshoe crabs.
CLICK HERE to view photos and read the entire article.
BoatUS remains the premiere advocate for boaters and boating safety on all waters and SSECN is proud to have BoatUS as a SPONSOR! See /155536 for more on this issue.
NEWS From BoatUS Boat Owners Association of The United States 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Despite Anti-Anchoring Vote, BoatUS Optimistic For Uniform Anchoring Solution for Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 7, 2016 – Despite a second setback today on the Florida anchoring issue, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) says it’s looking forward to the results of the state’s on-going Pilot Anchoring program this fall. The Florida Senate voted this morning to pass Florida House Bill 1051 – which was accepted in the House on Friday – that carves out special “no anchoring” ordinances on waters adjacent to privileged groups of homeowners. “Even after hearing from thousands of Florida boaters requesting they not approve this legislation, the Florida Senate has just decided to treat a few areas differently than the rest of the state when it comes to public access to the waterways,” said BoatUS President Margaret Bonds Podlich. “Despite today’s vote, we remain committed to seeing the Pilot Program through to completion. We want to work with all communities so that responsible cruising boaters are welcome in their waters.” The Florida Mooring and Anchoring Pilot Program, created through legislation in 2009, allowed five localities to experiment with anchoring ordinances to find practical recommendations to develop a uniform statewide anchoring solution. At the same time, it limited other local governments from enacting general anchoring restrictions. Originally scheduled to end in 2014, the Pilot Program was extended until 2017, with recommendations due from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission to the legislature this fall. Florida HB 1051 prohibits anchoring from a half hour after sunset until a half hour before sunrise on the Middle River N.E. 21st Court and the Intracoastal Waterway in Broward County; Sunset Lake in Miami-Dade County, and sections of Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade County between Rivo Alto Island and Di Lido Island, San Marino Island and San Marco Island, and San Marco Island and Biscayne Island. The bill contains a provision that will remove these anchoring restrictions once statewide anchoring regulations are enacted.
About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS): Celebrating 50 years in 2016, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with over a half million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We help ensure a roadside breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins, and on the water, we bring boaters safely back to the launch ramp or dock when their boat won’t, day or night. The BoatUS Insurance Program gives boat owners the specialized coverage and superior service they need, and we help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the non-profit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
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: Hazard in the Barraterre channel Hazard in the Barraterre channel Posted: 07 Mar 2016 04:14 AM PST A 20′ X 2′ X 1/2″ piece of fiberglass with one end in the mud bottom & one end at the surface has been found to exist in the channel north of Barraterre. The object is just west of the recommended route to Barraterre near 23° 42.167′ N 76°02.919′ W. See Chart EX 27, page 43, Explorer Chartbook Exumas and Ragged Islands, Seventh Edition.
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