St. Petersburg Municipal Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is a great liveaboard marina located on the western shore of Tampa Bay in downtown St. Petersburg.
Refilled my charter boat on Labor Day after a weekend of sailing/motoring. Very nice chap met us at the docks and helped us tie up and pump the diesel that we needed. They have remodeled their marina supply store and it is very nice. Marc Holtzberg
Marathon Marina and Boat Yard lines the northern banks of the western Boot Key Harbor approach channel, west of the now permanently open bascule bridge.
We have stayed here several times and love it. The pool has the best view around and the people are friendly. Brought the boat down from Naples and booked a month and will go back and forth. I would recommend this marina highly. Nancy Meyers
Marathon Marina and Resort has become my winter base of operations. Great staff and continual improvements make this place special. Every accommodation you could wish including a heated salt-water infinity pool. Highly recommend to friends and strangers.
Everyone refers to the large, downtown Sarasota, Florida municipal marina as “Marina Jacks” but, in reality, that is the name of the on-site restaurant, and the maritime part of the operation is officially known as “Marina Operations.”
I have not stayed in Marina Jacks in a long time but, their service is unchanged. When you radio for a slip they come meet you and help you tie up. In the morning you will find a newspaper in your cockpit. The only problem I had was a Fountain powerboat that was next to me was incorrectly tied and threatened to crash into my boat when the winds shifted. I jumped on the boat and fixed his lines. Never saw the owner or any of the marina staff there at all to correct or comment on the issue. I guess he was a just another blow boater. Marc Holtzberg
Hey Marc, “blow boater” is a term of derision used by powerboaters to refer to us sailboat sailors. That Fountain power boat operator would probably best be called a “landlubber”, or you can use an anatomical term of choice.
Skipper Joe asks for advice on the three Pumpkin Key anchorages which lie north, west and south of the Key. Pumpkin Key is itself located on the eastern shores of Card Sound. See /?p=35466 for excellent reports on the area. Arsenicker Key lies due north across Card Sound and has no charted anchorages.
Thanks for the insight both Arsenickers and Pumpkin keys’¦wondering about possibility, weather permitting of course, of staying at either for a few nights while heading out to do some snorkeling in the Channel’¦ease of access and probability of getting a ball at one of the sites. Thanks’¦heading that way in end of April. Joe
Jane and MIchael Tigar- September 8, 2015 - 7:43 am
In our Hunter 420, we often anchored off Pumpkin Key, before heading out Angelfish Creek into Hawk Channel. We found good holding in the southernmost of the three spots on the chartlet, and perhaps a little to the West of that spot. Sometimes we had to set the anchor more than once, but once set we were fine. I would not try to anchor to the North of the Key. Our old posts, as “Captain Jane”, about Angelfish Creek, may still be available on this site. We found good depths there — we drew 4 feet.
We get a lot of requests for assistance on various aspects of boating and navigation, but this question is certainly one for the books. So come on all you noble Southern Sausage Chefs, lets hear your method of cooking the famous Bucksport Sausage! Bucksport Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, is located south of Waterway marker #36, along the western shores of the beautiful Waccamaw River.
My son Jeff Meyer brought me a Bucksport sausage and I have never seen one like it before. I have no idea how to cook it. Where can I find directions, I need help. June Dienes
Traveling south, the Dismal Swamp Canal route exits the Waterway westward immediately south of the I-64 fixed bridge at statute mile 7.1. The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is located on the east shore of the Canal at Statute Mile 28. Our thanks to Director Stewart for sharing this experience.
We had the pleasure of meeting Victor Mooney, a gentleman who has attempted for the past 10 years to travel across the ocean in a mission to raise Aids awareness. He is a gentle spirit who has had some serious challenges, including running out of food, underestimating the rations needed to cross the ocean while expending so many calories, sharks and pirates’¦’¦and is making the final journey to meet his family in New York.
He came to the Swamp yesterday and stayed with us overnight. He deeply respects the waterways and those who travel. He even did not fault the pirates or the shark who put a hole in his boat’¦’¦he stated they were `hungry’. He believes God has guided his path through all of this journey, even when he had to be rescued and stopped for periods of time.
I would like to ask the boating community to keep an eye out for Victor. Show him hospitality and slow down and calm the wake if you pass by. His vessels name is `Spirit of Malabo’ named after the capital of Equatorial Guinea. To read more about him, follow these links.
This fine article and advice is typical of the excellent information sent regularly to BoatUS members. Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net is proud to have BoatUS as a Sponsor. If you aren’t a member, you should be!
Smarter Anchoring By Bob Adriance
Following a few simple rules will make it much less likely that you’ll go bump in the night.
In a small cove at Washington state’s James Island, in Puget Sound. Just before dark, another sailboat motored into the cove with a man and woman aboard yelling at each other. They dropped anchor. Dan thought their boat was a bit too close, but always the gentleman, he kept it to himself and went below to make dinner. The weather forecast that night had been for winds around 15 knots, but at about 0200, it began gusting 20, then nearly 30. Dan was on deck checking his anchor when he noticed the husband and wife on the deck of their boat. Their boat now was much closer to Dan’s. The man glanced back at Dan and yelled, “You’re dragging your anchor!” Dan calmly explained that boats don’t drag anchor upwind. One can only hope that the couple learned some valuable lessons that night: about making sure they have enough anchoring room next time, about making sure their anchor really digs when they set it, about making sure they get this all done before darkness falls ‘” and doing it even if the forecast is for calm winds.
In calm conditions, anchoring fore and aft can prevent your boat from swinging into an area that might not be suitable, like the shallows in front of this beach.
Moving upstream from Winyah Bay, Hazzard Marine is the first facility cruisers will encounter on the downtown, Sampit River Georgetown waterfront. This facility was rebuilt several years ago and now, as Skippers Bill and Devon attest, is a far cry from the forgettable fishing craft dock that once it was.
Hazzard Marine is one of the best most friendly marinas my wife and I have ever stopped at! We were on our way from Carolina Beach NC to the Excuma islands in the Bahamas when we had some unexpected boat problems. Hazzard Marine was the closes marina with a travel lift so we limped on in not knowing anybody there or having reservations. WOW is all I can say!! the folks there we so helpful and friendly. The entire staff helped with all the repairs/rental cars/meal suggestions/shipping of repair parts,etc etc. After 5 days there we hated to leave and move on. The prices are reasonable and the marina is very well kept. GREAT PLACE FOR A LAYOVER/WEEKENDER/OR JUST TO MEET THESE WONDERFUL FOLKS. Bill and Devon `WIDEOPEN’
It is always nice to get a pat on the back and the collective backs of the SSECN Team wish Leonardo God’s Speed as he continues his voyage south! And we never get tired of hearing praise such as that below from Skipper Dindore.
Hi, thanks a lot for your comments, I’m going from Cape Coral to Miami and your comments help me a lot, thanks again. Leonardo
I recently purchased a dream vessel in South Carolina and will be bringing her to a new home in Houston Texas. I have 40+ years of boating experience but they do not entail a journey of this magnitude. After talking to a fine Captain in Little River who directed me to this site I feel as though a light burst through a stormy sky. The planning of this was at first overwhelming with fuel, anchorage, charts, help if needed, and numerous other items but with your help I feel a great relief. I am now using your site along with a few friends to lay out the path home with confidence. Now this might seem like a thousand letters you have received I can promise before the voyage is over I will reveal something that will put a big smile on your face. I don’t want to give ya’ll to much info right now. Coming soon Part 2. Thank you Michael Dindore
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