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    • St. Johns River, AICW Crossing to Jacksonville – An Article by SSECN Contributing Editor, Captain Jim Healy

      jimhealyThe Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net is very pleased and honored to welcome veteran cruiser, Captain Jim Healy, aboard as our first “Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net Contributing Editor.” Many of you know Jim from his participation in MTOA and various on-line nautical forums. Many are the cruisers who have sought Jim’s advice about computers, networking and wi-fi aboard.
      It also occurred to the SSECN that Jim is just a really GOOD writer as well. In fact, one of the best we’ve come across in quite some time. So, after some conversation at the recent MTOA Rendezvous in Fernandina Beach, Florida, Jim has joined the SSECN team, and it’s really GREAT to have him aboard.
      In his first SSECN article as “Contributing Editor,” Captain Healy guides us from the AICW/St. Johns River intersection upstream to the sprawling city of Jacksonville, and nearby Ortega River with its impressive collection of marinas and repair yards! Please check out this very useful account at:

      /?p=140723

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    • Announcing our New, Revolutionary Marina Directory Format!

      The entire Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net “bunch” takes great pride in announcing a MAJOR upgrade to our reporting of marina services, prices and statistics. This project has been a year in the making, and countless hours of work have gone into copying and pasting, line by line, data from our old format into the new.

      Behind the scenes, what we have done is to move our various Marina Directories from a document based scheme, to a database manger-like scheme! That may not mean much to you, but it allows us to present marina data in a far more readable and user friendly form. Throw in LIVE chart and satellite images of EVERY marina in our directories, and we think you will discover that SSECN’s reporting of marinas is now second to none in the marine publication business.

      Rather that prattle on, an example is worth another thousand words or so. AFTER reading to the end of this section, please go to:

      /marinas/030-georgetown-winyah-bay-pee-dee-river-black-river/

      This link will bring up an example of our NEW MARINA LISTING FORM! This particular section covers Georgetown, South Carolina. Normally, you would get here by using our red, vertically stacked menus on the right side of this, and all other (except Chart View) SSECN pages, click on “South Carolina,” then “SC Marinas,” then “Marinas, Georgetown, Winyah Bay, Pee Dee River, Black River (AICW Statute Mile 403 to 410).”

      Back to the Marina Listing Form. What you now see is a bare bones listing of marinas in the Georgetown, SC region. This is what you might call a “quick look” page.

      Scroll down until you come to the entry for Harborwalk Marina. You will see a list of service icons which depict what is available at this facility, and such basic data as “Phone,” “Website,” “Statute Mile,” “Location” and “Depths.”

      marinaexample1

      THIS IMAGE IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY – You must follow the link above to open a page where all features are active!

      Where this starts to get really EXCITING is discovered by making use of the three large, rectangular buttons on the bottom of this (and all other) marina entries. “View in Chartview” opens a Chart View page centered on Harborwalk Marina, and “Review This Marina” is pretty self explanatory.

      The “magic” begins to happen when you click the “View Full Marina Info” button.

      This button loads a page filled with everything you ever wanted to know about Harborwalk Marina! Scroll up and down and look at all the data fields. LOTS of info! Pretty neat, huh!

      Note that MUCH Additional Data Lies Below This Image As Seen on ALL Marina Directory Pages

      Note that MUCH Additional Data Lies Below This Image As Seen on ALL Marina Directory Pages THIS IMAGE IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY – You must follow the link above to open a page where all features are active!

      NOW, NOTICE THE TWO IMAGES BETWEEN THE “BASIC MARINA INFORMATION” AND “SERVICE DETAILS” SECTIONS! ONE IS A CHART IMAGE CENTERED ON HARBORWALK MARINA, AND THE OTHER IS A SATELLITE IMAGE OF THE SAME FACILITY. THESE ARE NOT STATIC IMAGES. THEY ARE LIVE!

      Put your pointer inside either the chart or satellite images, hold down your left mouse button and drag. The chart or satellite images MOVE. You could drag the image all the way north to Maine or south to Key West. You can also adjust the zoom level by using the “+” “-” vertically stacked zoom tool, or use your mouse wheel to zoom.

      Want to see a full size image of what’s in the window? Just click on the “View this Marina on a Full Sized ChartView Page” link, and, presto-chango, now you are looking at a full page image of the chart or satellite image. When you are finished with your perusal, simply click the “Return to Previous Page” button above the chart/satellite image, and now you are back to the full listing of specifications for Harborwalk Marina!

      marnaexample3

      THIS IMAGE IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY – You must follow the link above to open a page where all features are active!

      And, may I be so bold as to remind everyone that all our marina information has been PROFESSIONALLY RESEARCHED. All the data you see in our marina directories has been verified, in most cases on-site, by myself or the SSECN staff! You can’t get better accuracy than that!

      The future of this new “database manager” SSECN capability is VERY EXCITING. Next, we will bring our Anchorage Directories” into this new format, followed by bridges and AICW Problem Stretches. A few months from now, we will offer ADVANCE SEARCH CAPABILITY where you will be able to call up every marina within, for example, 20 miles of AICW Statute Mile 400 that has showers, 50 amp power hookups and diesel fuel! How’s that for a sterling service to the cruising community.

      And, of course, as always, our enhanced marina directories are usable by members of the cruising community at absolutely NO CHARGE, and without even the need to set up a user name nor a password.

      Our new marina directories ARE NOW READY FOR YOU TO USE! PLEASE USE THEM, and, oh yes, let us know what you think!

      One final but VERY IMPORTANT word! We could never have undertaken this HUGE project without the support of our loyal sponsors. WE ASK THE CRUISING COMMUNITY AGAIN TO PLEASE PATRONIZE AND SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WHENEVER POSSIBLE! And, when you are visiting a sponsoring marina, repair yard, coastal restaurant or other nautically related business, please take a moment to tell them how much you appreciate their support of the cruising community by way their support for the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net!

      Thanks so very much for your time and attention!

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    • Praise for Cape Harbour Marina, near mouth of Caloosahatchee River, West Florida

      Cape Harbour is indeed one of the best kept secrets on the Western Florida coastline. Yours truly, who has spent years personally research every marina (and anchorage) I could find on these waters never knew this marina was there until a fellow cruiser brought its existence to our collective attention.
      To access Cape Harbour Marina leave the Okeechobee Waterway/Caloosahatchee River at marker #92 and follow the marked channel into Glover Bight; break off to the northwest before reaching Tarpon Point Marina and follow canal through a LOCK into Cape Harbour’s well sheltered dockage basin.

      This marina is, indeed, a gem for cruisers. My husband and I were looking for a spot with amenities where we could relax for week aboard our 47′ Sabre motor vessel. Cape Harbour grows on you each day. Transient dockage is along the sea wall. Therefore, you have plenty of water and privacy on one side. The foot traffic on the dock side is light, and friendly.
      The pool is lightly used and cleaned each morning. There are four restaurants, including a coffee shop, in the marina village. Frank, the Harbour Master, is a great ambassador of this place. We also enjoyed this area for stand up paddling and touring the canals in our tender.
      Note: Harbour Master’s office closes at 4:30, so call or radio ahead of arrival.
      Clean, convenient showers, too. And, the 1-mile walk to Publix is a straight shot, and quite easy. Bicycle rentals are available in the marina village as an alternative.
      Melanie Humphrey

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Cape Harbour Marina

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Cape Harbour Marina

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    • Reports From Beaufort Town Docks (Statute Mile 201)

      jimhealy

      SSECN Contributing Editor – Captain Jim Healy

      As some of you may remember, this past fall, the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net published a partially negative review concerning Beaufort Town Docks, authored by SSECN frequent contributors, Skippers Chuck Baier and Susan Landry. This veteran cruising duo stopped here, and made their report, at my suggestion to do so.
      The reason for this commission was that, about a year ago, we began, for the first time, receiving several negative reviews of this facility from fellow cruisers. I must admit to being thunderstruck. Beaufort, NC was, and IS, one of my very favorite ports of call, anytime, anywhere. Everyone here knows me on sight, so that is why I asked Susan and Check for a review.
      Several cruisers, and particularly Beaufort Town Dock employees, objected to Susan and Chuck’s review as too negative, and not really fair. We eventually withdrew publication of this story at the specific request of Chuck and Susan.
      So, this year, in a conversation with new Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net Contributing Editor (more about this later), Jim Healy, I asked him, if it proved to be convenient, to stop by Beaufort, and share his impressions. As you will see below, this veteran cruiser has presented a largely positive, but, it is only fair to say, also a mixed review of Beaufort Town Docks.

      We bought our Sanctuary in June, 2004. We finished re-fit, commissioned and splashed by the last week of September, 2004. New to boating and cruising, we spent the winter of 2004-05 in North Carolina, first in New Bern and then in Morehead City. During that winter, we also discovered Beaufort, a rustic and historic seafarers and mercantile community.
      Beaufort is not far from the ICW route, but we haven’t visited there in several years. We do stop in Morehead City so I can visit the very best marine `toy store’ on the US East Coast, `Ace Marine and Rigging,’ which is just a short walk across Arundel Street from the Sanitary Restaurant’s dock. This trip northbound, we decided to divert and visit Beaufort.
      The many mercantile establishments in Beaufort carry a full range of upscale millenaries, clothing, gifts, bric-à-brac, curiosities and books. Merchandise prices are high; we observed `full retail price’ in all shoppes, and `well above MSRP’ in many. There is a very nice Maritime Museum on Front St. Since we last visited Beaufort, the Post Office has relocated, an inconvenience for those afoot. Local restaurants offer a fine range of victuals. We visited Clawsons for lunch, and were disappointed to find they have dropped their signature `Dirigible’ from their menu. Fortunately, their selection of craft beers somewhat compensated; somewhat. We thoroughly enjoyed an excellent ribeye steak dinner at the Grocery Company on Queen St.
      Access to the `Beaufort City Docks’ from the Beaufort Inlet is easy. During our visit, two megayachts made overnight stops. Approach depths to 12 ft and slip depths to 7 ft are fine for cruising boats. Taylor Creek currents are moderate. The marina is exposed to winds with an easterly component. The facility has widely separated infrastructure features. Modern, floating docks are in good condition. In-slip fueling and pumpout are available. Fairways and slips are commodious. Shower house/bathrooms are clean and functional in a 1940s high-school locker room style, but are located at the far western end of the facility, so can be a long walk. Complimentary wi-fi is provided and adequate for email and web browsing. There is a well worn courtesy car. Courtesy car use is complimentary and car availability was excellent; finding a place to park it on return was tedious. Net transient pricing (dockage plus electric) is above regional averages, even after organization discounts are applied. On a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being excellent, I’d rate the marina facility as a 7; OK, but overpriced.
      We arrived at the Beaufort City Docks at noon on Thursday. We stayed two nights and felt we had had two very different customer experiences. The reservation process was easy. When we arrived, slip assignment went smoothly. Docking assistance and electric set-up was excellent. It was our impression that there are two separate `crews’ of dock attendants and office staff which I will call `Team 1’ and `Team 2.’ Team 1 – our Thursday experience – was welcoming, friendly, responsive and helpful. They offered local information they knew we would want but did not know to ask about. They smiled and laughed a lot. Team 2 – our Friday experience – was markedly different. They were indifferent and remote. There was no smiling. We asked for information about the Beaufort drawbridge operation and the northbound `Russell Slough’ (pronounced: SLEW) navigation channel. `Team 2’ pointed to a sheet on the wall. No Captain’s handout was available. We were entirely `on our own’ to find a place to park the car. We circled the town for 20 minutes, and finally found a spot two blocks from the marina. `Team 2’ made it clear – `if looks could kill’ – they were annoyed that we had left the car `so far away.’ Our net is, the customer experience that a transient boater might have at the Beaufort City Docks is mixed, and seems to depend on which crew of attendants (and which attitude) is on duty. On a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being excellent, I’d rate `Team 1’ as a 10. `Team 2,’ well, not so much.

      Well done review, though I would caution that the term `moderate’ for the current in Taylor Creek probably depends on when you hit it. I have seen large powerboats have difficulty getting in and out when the current is full tilt and the wind is blowing. My advice to sailors is to time your arrival or departure for slack tide and wind, if at all possible. Anchoring for a short while to await better conditions can sometimes make the difference between a safe landing and an expensive mistake. Also, this is often the first strong current docking experience for many ICW newbies coming from the north where marinas tend to not be situated in current-swept locations for the most part. It’s good practice for places further south on the ICW where currents can be even stronger.
      John kettlewell

      We have stopped at Beaufort Town Docks many times in the past. The last time was in April 2010. Since then, we have regretfully by- passed this wonderful town. We simply will not pay the exorbitant price for a marina that has so little to offer but a superb location. On our 2009- 2010 cruise to Florida, Beaufort Town Docks was the MOST expensive marina we stayed in in four months. When we were there the last time, it was almost empty. Did the cost have something to do with this?
      Norman Mason
      Peggy Sue, Monk 36
      Norfolk, VA

      Having just returned from three nights in Beaufort I can report that we had a great time. The dock masters were extremely cordial and caring and handled any need. They checked on us several times and as we watched others come and go they paid them the same attention. Beaufort remains our favorite destination, besides Ocracoke, on the North Carolina coast.
      John Rebholz
      Just4Shell

      I arrived at Beaufort Marina on Fri. and experienced crew #2. I totally agree with Jim that there seemed to be an attitude. I think everybody not only wants to deal with competent dock helpers, which crew #2 certainly was, but also wants to feel welcome and treated like the reason for their employment instead of an interruption to their day.
      Joe Apicella

      Just amazes me as the the pettiness of many boaters..sometimes I feel reading this various reports that boaters expect these docks to be 5 star hotels with all the amenities of them. If i can talk to someone, make a reservation, someone meets to grasp a line , and get my power plugged in’¦.i am happy.
      I will bet if i flew into any airport in any city, I would be standing around figuring out what and where.
      PS: BEEN at these docks several time and enjoyed the experience which it is if the current is running!
      Larry Hemmerick

      I’ve gone to Beaufort Town Docks since the 90s. Know it from dock and shore.
      1. It’s expensive by comparison to all other locations within 200 miles.
      2. Roll the dice on whether they’re friendly or not. Honestly.
      3. The bath/shower by comparison to other locations is horrible.
      4. Great location.
      5. Shops are tourist traps, not for bargain seekers.
      6. Some of the best restaurants around. But you have to look and ask.
      If they fix the showers to compare with other local marinas, and get rid of some of the goober, huckster dock-hand behaviors, they’ll be awesome. Not $2.75 awesome, but pretty awesome. Many of their staff are very good, helpful folks, but they’ve got a knucklehead or two they should wish `good luck in your future endeavors’.
      Ben Matthews

      Beaufort Docks has a great location adjacent to a very nice town. We stayed here one night, and the dockhands were courteous and helpful. We dined at the Blue Moon Bistro, and had a wonderful meal. Walking the town and taking in the shops was easy, and the marina had a loaner car we used to provision. We did not use the showers or laundry, so can’t comment on them. The docks are in decent shape, and easy in and out if you know how to play the current.
      About $140 for one night (for a 48′ trawler), however, is a bit steep. Bald Head Island Marina just south was $100 a night. But, due to the location, the owner gets his price, and such is life. My only complaint was the pumpout. First, the hose was not long enough to reach both sides of my boat (I have two tanks and the caps are port and starboard). After untying and turning the boat around for the second tank, I was charged $10 per tank for a total of $20 for the pumpout. While $20 is not going to break the bank, it left a bad taste and is indicative of poor management. Had the pumpout dock and hose been adequate to handle the situation it would be less obtrusive (even though most pumpouts have been free with a slip rental), but the owner should not be surprised at some of the more negative reviews here and elsewhere. It is the little things which can turn a positive experience into a poor one. With that said, I still give the marina four out of five stars, based on our overall positive experience.
      Berwick Duval

      Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Beaufort Town Docks

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Beaufort Town Docks

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    • Main Street Bridge Frustrations, St. Johns River, Jacksonville, FL

      Main Street Bridge – Click for Chartview

      Like the headaches related to the FEC RR bridge in downtown Jacksonville, the Main Street bridge will be less than accommodating as it undergoes reconstruction that requires advanced notice for an opening. See /?p=134950. To make matters worse, the dates and hours that require advanced notice change weekly. A phone call to the tender, 904-891-2191, is still the best way to determine when an opening will be possible. This situation will continue until March of 2015. Skipper Charleston’s frustrations are surely shared by many.

      WRONG! I was TOLD this morning that there would be at least a TWO HOUR DELAY after the request is made to open the bridge! The boat behind me requested that the bridge be opened at 10 am today but the bridge tender said she had NO RECORD OF THE REQUEST HE MADE LAST NIGHT SO HE WAS TOLD HE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AT LEAST 2 PM as he arrived at 10 am as he said was scheduled.
      I got lucky as a SEATOW worker had scheduled an opening and was tied up at the JAX free dock near the GATOR BOWL (I will never call it any silly bank name, it’s always going to be the GATOR BOWL for me).
      IF you have to wait, from the NORTH go to the free GATOR BOWL marina sponsored by the City of JAX. From the south, go to the LANDING and have a beer at Hooters, or BBQ or anything. Arguing will not get the bridge opened as I listened to those who came after me until I arrived at the next bridge between me and sleep at the marina. When Small Craft warnings are issued, it is time to sail! What a great ride this week through the Keys and up past Miami on the East Coast.
      Bill Charleston

      Make sure you contact the bridge tender on the phone THAT SHIFT. I heard a boater who had called the day before to schedule an opening and the tender that day had no record of it.
      Bill Charleston

      Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Bridge Directory Listing For Main Street Bridge

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Main Street Bridge

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    • Shoaling Reported South of Anclote Key, near West Florida ICW Statute Mile 150, May 9, 2014


      From Skipper Bakos’ report and with the several shoalings reported on the chart, it would seem prudent to avoid the southern tip of Anclote Key when entering or exiting the ICW between Anclote Key and Three Rooker Bar. If you have navigated this channel recently, let us hear from you.
      See also /?p=145021 for update on shoaling.

      There is also shoaling due south of Anclote Key charted as 8 to 9 feet depth. I ran hard on the shoal last night for 6 hours. It is about halfway between marker #5 on the south side of Anclote Key and the partially submerged wreck shown on the chart. There is less than 5′ at low tide there. Further south, closer to the wreck there was good depth.
      Bob Bakos

      I have seen several boats aground at the southern tip of Anclote Key over the last couple of years. The odd thing is that I haven’t run aground there yet as I seem to have a natural affinity for sand bars. On a good day, the shoaling is easy to see by the color; watch carefully for signs of breakers. Capt Bakos’ advice is good, always give Anclote a wide berth and watch your depth carefully.
      Cambren Davis

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Anclote Key

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    • New Technology from NOAA for Surface and Tidal Currents

      Example Image - 600 x 150 pixels

      NOAA gives mariners new way to see surface and tidal currents

      Use of high frequency radar on water’s edge makes navigation safer

      Contact
      May 5, 2014
      HF Radar
      The newest form of HF Radar technology, seen here along a coastal beach, is being used for the new NOAA surface current product.

      A new NOAA National Ocean Service website will provide mariners near real-time coastal ocean surface current observations and tidal current predictions in coastal waters using high frequency (HF) radar, making marine navigation safer for mariners and commercial shippers.

      The web-based observations are now available for the Chesapeake and San Francisco Bays in areas vital for marine navigation, with additional locations to follow. The product was made possible by NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) using data from the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®).

      “By partnering to create new tools like HF radar surface currents, we are providing a more complete picture of a very dynamic environment.” said Richard Edwing, director of CO-OPS. “This is a great example of how coastal environmental intelligence better enables informed decisions to be made for safe navigation and other uses. We will continue to work with our partners in the navigation community to enhance and expand this product and eventually integrate it into NOAA’s Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) products.”

      Currents in the ocean are equivalent to winds in the atmosphere because they move things from one location to another. These currents carry nutrients as well as pollutants and marine debris, so it is important for scientists and mariners to know the currents for ecological, economic and safety reasons. HF radars can measure currents over a large region of the coastal ocean, from a few miles offshore up to 125 miles out, and can operate under any weather conditions.

      Located near the water’s edge, HF radar does not need to be atop a high point of land. Traditionally, crews placed current measuring devices directly into the water to retrieve current speeds. While these direct measurement systems are still widely used as a standard reference, HF radars are the only sensors, including satellites, which can measure large areas at once with the detail required for important applications.

      HF radar ocean surface current data complements NOAA’s PORTS®, a system that provides real-time water level, current and meteorological observations for safe navigation and also benefits search and rescue, oil spill response, harmful algal bloom monitoring, water quality assessments, ecosystem assessments, and fisheries management.

      “This is an excellent example of taking the environmental data that U.S.IOOS® collects, and putting that information into the hands of people who need it,” said Zdenka Willis, director of the NOAA-led U.S. IOOS® Program. “By working to translate that data into an existing suite of real time navigation products and services, we are showing that NOAA’s investment in key observational platforms provides the vital services our maritime communities rely upon to operate both safely and efficiently.”

      CO-OPS is an organization of experts in understanding tides, currents and water levels, turning operational oceanographic data into meaningful information, products and services for the nation.

      The NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a federal, regional, and private sector partnership for tracking, predicting, managing and adapting to changes in the marine environment. IOOS® delivers data and information needed to increase understanding of the nation’s waters to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.

      Coastal environmental intelligence provides timely, actionable information, developed from reliable and authoritative science, to provide insight to decision makers into present and future conditions in the coastal zone.

      NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook and our other social media channels. Visit our news release archive.

       

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    • The Primadonna Saga Continues, from Oriental, NC to Nassau

      Toucan Grill and Fresh Bar in Oriental, NC

      A search for a number of weeks in response to a request (/?p=129228) by Oriental merchant, Pat Stockwell, the errant sailing vessel, Primadonna, and her crew have been found.. Our thanks to Dave Boxmeyer for sending us this update from TownDock, http://towndock.net/news/primadonna-s-latest-controversy.

      It appears that the saga of the S/V Primadonna continues. The crew is in jail in Nassau and their boat has been stripped. And now it seems that the French government has gotten involved.
      While it is hard to feel any sympathy for the Primadonna’s crew, based on there stay in Oriental; I have absolutely no respect for the crew of the Fata Morgana. Things are pretty bad when we have started to eat our own.
      Dave Boxmeyer

      Very interesting’“thanks for the follow up. For some reading this I think there is some grey area here. For example, I remember seeing an intact motorboat washed up on the rocks in New England and by the morning it was toothpicks and an engine sitting on the reef. It might have been better to try to salvage some things off the boat before it became trash on the rocks. Sometimes it is hard to tell when a boat has been truly abandoned. I personally would not take to salvaging stuff unless I had the owner’s or the insurance company’s permission or somehow knew for certain that the boat was abandoned, but how would you ever know? Also, most of us are used to being in a country where a boat like Primadonna wouldn’t stay there for long, someone would come with a towboat and take it away. In the Out Islands of the Bahamas salvage would likely have been more expensive than the worth of the vessel, so essentially it was just trash on the reef.
      John Kettlewell

      We do not know the vessels involved but before we pass judgement, does anyone have relevant information as to what is correct in Bahamian & maritime law/rights? The vessel will most likely never be salvaged out there so who can give us more information? How does Dave know what went on and anything else that is pertinent.
      Cheers,
      Dick Anderson

      http://towndock.net/

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    • Another Vote For a Visit to Washington, NC

      Whether you want to revisit the past or satisfy your curiosities, discover the arts or explore your true nature, you can do it from the heart of the Inner Banks - Washington, North Carolina. 800 546 0 Skipper Susan Landry, co-owner of Beach House Publications, producers of the notable “Great Books of Anchorages” series, confirms what MANY have said before. It’s well worth all cruisers’ time to get off the familiar confines of the AICW, and cruise upstream on charming Pamlico River to the excellent city docks on Washington, NC’s downtown waterfront. And, these fine folks are a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET sponsor!!!

      We enjoy side trips off the ICW instead of just rushing north and south. One recent side trip we took was to Washington, NC. The free town docks are in a well protected basin and across the street from the historic district.
      Susan Landry

      How are the plans going for the new shower facilities in Washington? I think they would really help make the trip worth the extra effort.
      Dick Parker

      washingtonwaterfront

      Washington City Docks

      Click Here To View the North Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For the Washington City Docks

      Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Washington, NC

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    • Reminder: Rules for Meeting/Overtaking on the ICW

      From Rule 35 of the USCG Navigation Center for Inland vessels:
      Rule 35
      (a) When power-driven vessels are in sight of one another and meeting or crossing at a distance within half a mile of each other, each vessel underway, when maneuvering as authorized or required by these Rules:

      (i) shall indicate that maneuver by the following signals on her whistle:

      one short blast to mean “I intend to leave you on my port side”;
      two short blasts to mean “I intend to leave you on my starboard side”;
      three short blasts to mean “I am operating astern propulsion”.
      (ii) upon hearing the one or two blast signal of the other shall, if in agreement, sound the same whistle signal and take the steps necessary to effect a safe passing. If, however, from any cause, the vessel doubts the safety of the proposed maneuver, she shall sound the danger signal specified in paragraph (d) of this Rule and each vessel shall take appropriate precautionary action until a safe passing agreement is made.
      (d) When vessels in sight of one another are approaching each other and from any cause either vessel fails to understand the intentions or actions of the other, or is in doubt whether sufficient action is being taken by the other to avoid collision, the vessel in doubt shall immediately indicate such doubt by giving at least five short and rapid blasts on the whistle. [Such | This] signal may be supplemented by at least five short and rapid flashes.
      Remember that “Port” and “Starboard” always refer to your vessel.
      Our thanks to the AGLCA and the Burkes for this good advice and reminder to review the Rules of the Road!

      We live on the waterway just south of Mile Marker “0” and in the last week there have been two occasions of “five” whistles by passing tugs pushing barges. The Southbound tugs sounded signals at approaching Northbound cruisers. Each event was started by the tugs sounding appropriate passing whistle signals . . . the cruisers ignored the proposal, and the five whistle signals followed. Vessels passed very close, fortunately there were no mishaps. Norfolk is a very busy place and as the summer season is soon to begin, and, with the looper meeting taking place here in Norfolk, please know that we urge every boater to monitor channel 13 in the Harbor and to talk early to approaching large ships and tugs. Call them on 13 as soon as you see them. They will work with you and like very much to hear you on the radio, channel 13. They then know you see them, have a better feeling regarding your competence, all resulting in understanding and a reduction in everyone’s level of concern. Be sure you have a clear correct understanding of the Rules concerning One Whistle and Two Whistle passing. Be safe out there.
      Charlie & Bonnie Burke
      M/V SONATA (GB42 Ocean Marine Portsmouth)

      IMHO it is not wise to use actual horn signals. Commercial vessels rely on radio communication and they are unlikely to be able to hear your puny horn’“use VHF channel 13! Other pleasure boaters may be able to hear your horn, but 90+% won’t know what it means and it will just cause anger/confusion. Instead, first try contacting the other boat on the VHF’“usually channel 16 works for pleasure boats. Failing that, assume the other boat may do something unexpected and don’t try to cut it close in a narrow channel until you know it is safe to pass. If you do get a horn blast from another boat it often means `pull over to your starboard, I’m coming through’ irregardless of what the actual horn signal means. So if you hear one blast from astern and you see a fast boat coming up don’t immediately swing to port! The chances are very good they don’t understand what one horn blast means.
      John Kettlewell

      I have noticed that from Louisiana to Florida’s west coast, most recreational boaters, and all commercial skippers use the terms `one or two whistles’ according to the rules. On the east coast from Florida to NC, most recreational boaters say I am passing you on the port or starboard side, which can be very unclear in an overtaking situation. Is this a regional thing? Also, I have handled court cases involving boating accidents, and disregarding the proper sound signals will certainly work against you in that venue.
      Berwick Duval

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