GREAT Videos of Key Largo (Florida Keys) Christmas Boat Parade, 2012
WOW, looks like a very FUN time was had by all!!!! Check out these videos, particularly the first one linked below!
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Dismal Swamp Canal Re-Opened! AICW Alternate Route
Dismal Swamp Canal Bridge
Supt. Joy Greenwood reports the bridge repairs have been completed and the Canal has reopened for transient boating traffic. Please help us get the word out!
Thank you!
Donna Stewart, Director
Dismal Swamp Welcome Center
2356 US Hwy 17N
South Mills, NC 27976
Phone ~ 252-771-8333
www.DismalSwampWelcomeCenter.comLarry and Claiborne,
Thanks for sharing the message. We were only closed for four and a half days due to hydraulic work on the bridge which crosses over the Canal to the Dismal Swamp State Park. We had a boat make the 1:30pm locking at Deep Creek and stay with us last night. If you’re still traveling south, we would love to see you.
Donna StewartClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Dismal Swamp Canal Swing Bridge.
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Higher than Normal Tides Lower Vertical Clearance at Hwy 802/McTeer Bridge, Beaufort, SC, AICW Statute Mile 540
Highway 802 Bridge - Click for Chartview
The moon and higher than normal tides this year have been causing problems for our tall masted friends. There are tide gauges missing from a number of bridges in NC and SC. The Coast Guard Chief of Operations of Bridge is aware of the missing boards and hopefully, they will be replaced and/or corrected soon! In the meantime, keep an eye on the tide tables for the particular area and proceed with caution at mid-tide through all the fixed height bridges.
The notices to report damage posted at most bridges generally refers to damage occurring to the bridge – usually the fender system – and not, unfortunately, for damages to vessels.NO GAGE ON THIS BRIDGE FOR HEIGHT.
We were told by Port Royal Landing that there was only 63 foot of Clearance at High Tide on 12-12-12.
(There is a notice to report bridge damage.)
With a phone number???????
Debra BaasWe passed through this bridge on 12/7/2012. No tide gauges. Most of the sixth fenderboard was showing above the water (we were told that if the top of the fifth was showing there was 65′ 5’³ of clearance). Predicted tide at the Beaufort Island tide station then was +1.2 feet. Out 66′ tall antennas passed under the bridge without touching.
John KremskiThe critical piece of information that’s often hard to come by is the relation of tide height (relatively easy) to MHW. MHW for a location is printed on some smaller-scale charts, but I haven’t seen it presented by chartplotters or applications (e.g. Wxtide32). We can get MHW indirectly from the NOAA Tides & Currents Datums pages. Careful though! The tabulated numbers are not based on MLW or MLLW, but on `station datum’ so there’s a little extra math. But it sure would be useful to have something more portable that doesn’t require Web access.
There’s no substitute for ACCURATE clearance boards, though.
As a footnote, with a mean sea level rise per annum of about 2mm, a bridge built 50 years ago at 65′ clearance would have lost about 4’³ of that.
Larry ShickClick Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Bridge Directory Listing For Highway 802 Bridge
Click Here To View the South Carolina Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Port Royal Landing
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Highway 802 Bridge
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Saturday Farmer’s Market in Fernandina Beach, FL (Statute Mile 716.5)
Fernandina Beach is the first port of call after crossing south from Georgia into Eastern Florida. This community features a GREAT downtown business district with LOTS of good places to eat and shop. Now, we hear there’s a weekly farmer’s market here as well!
[There is a farmer’s market in] Fernandina beach Florida every Saturday morn @ 7th street and main.
Ellen Langer
Roy DeLong
M/V Our TurnYes, there is a fabulous farmer’s market in historic Fernandina Beach, just blocks from the charming waterfront. Open every Saturday on lovely Amelia Island in NE Florida (except for Shrimp Festival Weekend) rain or shine, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The Market Place features organic fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, breads and other baked goods, seasonal surprises, light entertainment, and so much more! (Well behaved, leashed pets are welcome to join you for a stroll through the friendliest Farmers’ Market in Florida.)
For more information visit http://www.AmeliaIslandMarketPlace.com.
Judie MackieAs a local, I go there every Saturday. Yesterday I purchased some organic vegetables and range fed beef. The pricing is in line with regular stores but the quality can’t be beat.
MikeMy Personal Chef supplies deliciously prepared soups and entrees at the Fernandina Beach Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. This is great for cruisers because all our products are made from fresh ingredients, packaged and frozen for convenience to store on your boat. Since we do not use plastics and cardbord boxes our meal items will not take up precious space in your galley. The Market is a few blocks down Center Street-walking distance from the marina. Come by and see what we have!
Lauri Russell from My Personal ChefClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Fernandina Harbor Marina
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New Downtown Wilmington, NC Marina Under Construction, Cape Fear River
Port City Marina - Click for Chartview
Port City Marina is currently under construction with a Grand Opening scheduled for summer 2013. This facility will be a WONDERFUL addition to the cruising scene, and will furnish more reason than ever for captains to leave the comfortable confines of the AICW, and journey upstream on the Cape Fear River to downtown Wilmington!
For more information or to join the mailing list for updates, visit www.portcitymarina.com or call 910.251.6151.New Destination Marina on the North Carolina Coast
Wilmington, North Carolina, December 11, 2012
Wilmington, North Carolina is excited to welcome the Port City Marina.
North Carolina based developer, USA InvestCo, recently announced plans to construct a 204-slip state-of-the-art marina located on the Cape Fear River in the heart of Downtown Wilmington, NC. The floating docks, which will accommodate boats up-to 130 feet in length, is scheduled to open in early summer 2013. The marina will provide all the amenities and conveniences of a modern marina including on-site restaurants, fuel, pump out, high-speed wireless internet, and customer-service orientated staff. Port City Marina will pride itself as being the first full-service marina located in the heart of a Historic Downtown in the mid-Atlantic.
Within walking distance, Boaters will find a vibrant array of locally owned shops and restaurants, a thriving art and cultural scene, the Riverwalk and historic district, the USS North Carolina Battleship (open for tours), horse-drawn carriage rides, or the simple enjoyment of Wilmington’s great sunsets from the comfort of the boat. Wilmington offers a cosmopolitan scene or a retreat to the natural wonders. With over 30 miles of shoreline, the Wilmington area has access to 3 world-class beaches; Wrightsville, Carolina, and Kure, all a short drive away. For those who like to hit the links, Wilmington boasts some of the area’s most enjoyable and beautiful courses, challenging all levels of golfers. With convenient access to Wilmington International Airport (ILM), the marina expects a healthy transient & seasonal customer base to round-out the annual dockage from the local market.
Consistently ranked as one of the East Coast’s top 10 cities to visit, Wilmington, North Carolina is where old world charm and the 21st Century meet to create a memorable experience for all ages. Wilmington is not just another marina stop on the way to a destination, Wilmington is THE destination.
Amenities:
§ Located in the heart of Historic Downtown Wilmington
§ Only 5 Minutes from the Wilmington International Airport (ILM)
§ State-of-the-Art Floating Concrete Docks for Boats up to 250′ LOA
§ Drafts up to 25 Feet
§ On-Site Concierge Desk & Marina Store with ATM
§ Walking Distance To Shopping, Dinning & Entertainment
§ 2 Premier Bar/Restaurants On-Site
§ Future 10-story Indigo Hotel one block away
§ Fuel-Service Fuel Dock with Ethanol-Free Gasoline and High Speed Diesel
§ Metered Water & Electric Service (30, 50, & 100 amp; Single & Three Phase)
§ Free High-Speed WiFi
§ Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Seasonal/Annual Rates
Larry Rizzo
Port City Marina
720 N. 3rd Street, Third Floor
Wilmington, NC 28401
P: 910.251.6151
E: larryr@portcitymarina.comClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Port City Marina
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Fort Walton Beach Free Dock Closed, Gulf ICW, Mile 223, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Fort Walton Free Dock - Click for Chartview
The free dock in Ft Walton Beach is located between R6 and R8 on the north side of the ICW, just west of the Brook Bridge. The 3 deepest spots are on the SW corner of the dock, 1 being a lay along and the other 2 being the first two slips. Avoid blocking the pump out station as boaters do come to use it and then leave immediately.
When True North came by the Fort Walton Beach free dock on the north side of the ICW today, it was closed due to heavy damage from either a boat ramming it or a structural failure. Parts of the face dock were hanging into the water. A mastless sailboat was pulled into a shoreside slip but a sign was posted that the dock was closed.
Stay safe,
TomClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Free Dock
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Shallow Depths Encountered at Field Yacht Club (Sarasota, FL – Statute Mile 71)
I have had the good fortune to make presentations at the Field Club on many occasions over the years, and I have always been very impressed with the clubhouse and the greeting I received. As far as the wet slip dockage is concerned though, looks like it’s time for a dredging project!Yesterday we went into the SFC at mid-tide. We have a 50′ Ocean Alexander with a 4′ draft. They were expecting us. In the channel approaching them, our depth finder was reading .2!! We continued very slowly into the marina
to our assigned slip. As we backed into the slip, we were churning up mud. We waited 3 hours for high tide and left. The marina had never warned us.
Mark & Allyn CallahanAfter reading the above note, which originally appeared on the “GL” (Great Loop) Mail List, we e-mailed Captains Mar and Allyn, and asked for clarification as to whether the “SFC” was indeed the Field Yacht Club in southern Sarasota. We received the following affirmative reply:
Yes it is the Field Yacht Club in Sarasota. A beautiful Club but for us the approach was very thin and the slip we got would have been a problem at dead low, which was in the morning when we would have had to leave. Don’t want to take anything away from the Club and they were great let us wait for the tide to come up and then we left, no charges for Electric or the slip. Very accommodating.
Mark CallahanClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Field Yacht Club
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Controversial Martin County (Stuart, Florida) Anchorage Restrictions Approved by the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife (FWC)
It is not stretching the truth at all to report that this particular set of regulations is the most controversial of the five sites participating in the pilot program, with the possible exception of St. Augustine’s 30-day anchoring limit, which was ultimately shot down by the FWC. The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net has published several previous articles on the proposed Martin County regulations (see /?p=100456).
Now, with some FORTUNATE modification inserted by the FWC, these regulations have been approved, and will almost certainly go into effect shortly. ALL CRUISERS WHO EVER PLAN ON ANCHORING IN THE STUART, JENSEN BEACH REGION WILL WANT TO FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW, AND LEARN ALL THERE IS TO KNOW!Please visit:
After reading the verbiage linked above, the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net invites and encourages comments from the cruising community in regards to these new regulations. We will do all in our power to forward your thoughts to those who might make a difference in Martin County and the state of Florida! Follow the “Click Here to Submit Cruising News” link to the above right to quickly and easily register your reaction. Your words will be published as an addendum to this article!
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Good Words About the Downtown Fort Myers Waterfront (Caloosahatchee River/Okeechobee Waterway)
We were pleasantly surprised to see Fort Myers downtown waterfront area redeveloped into a first class entertainment destination. We ate
dinner at Ford’s Garage, a restaurant with a 1920,s service station atmosphere from the Model ‘A’ up on a rack ready for an oil change to a rag rolled into a hose clamp as a napkin ring. Fort Myers is about 15 miles into the Okeechobee Waterway (a short side trip for loopers heading south to the keys.) There are two first class marinas. I prefer the Municipal Yacht Basin for short term and Legacy Harbor for longer stays.
Alan Lloyd
Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes
http://www.NavigationNotes.comClick Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Downtown Fort Myers
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IMPORTANT – AICW Navigation Alert: More Groundings at Wrightsville Beach/SR 74 Bridge, Statute Mile 283.1, 12/5/12
SR 74 Bridge - Click for Chartview
With a closed vertical clearance of 20ft, and a very restrictive opening schedule, the Wrightsville Beach Bascule Bridge crosses the AICW at Statute Mile 283, southwest of marker #125. This is one of the most irksome spans on the entire North Carolina section of the AICW, and now we cruisers are going to have to contend with adjoining shallows north of the span!
Note that the shoal described below, on the “green side” lies on the Waterway’s eastern flank, north of the Wrightsville Bridge. As Captain Hardy advises, ALL captains should be SURE to wait for a bridge opening in mid-channel, and make every effort to avoid a drift to the east. Otherwise, you WILL be giving the local Sea Tow captain some business!12/04/2012
We ran aground at the bridge just north of the one mentioned here. We were racing the clock to be there on time, and being the only boat, the bridge tender did not open it for us, even though in the three minutes it took him to open the beige, we would have been in perfect position if he had started the opening at three. In backing out from the bridge, we ran aground on the east side. Worse than that, we ran aground again after going through the next bridge and hugging the shoreline to port coming around the corner to head for our night’s anchorage. didn’t bother looking at the chart; it seemed so simple, just stay close to the boats and head for green marker 23. Wrong! We ran up on the plainly marked shoal. this destroyed many years of boasting about almost never running aground, twice in one day!
Beverly FeigesCruising News:
At least 4 boats we know went aground while waiting for the Wrightsville Beach bridge to open in the past few days. The shallow spot is on the green side when approaching the bridge from the north. There aren’t any markers at the shoal but boaters should stay in the center of the channel when waiting for the bridge.
Harriet HardyGiving other boaters a tip when traveling south at the wrightsville beach bridge’¦. stop in center of channel before you get along side the false palm tree north and East of the Bridge and before coming along side of Green marker to port also for those anchoring in Banks channel and you are heading south following the shore south to just passed the Coast Guard Station on your port turn starboard at red and green marker keeping it to starboard following the green markers to ICW and turning south at floating green marker you are now in ICW.
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Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To A “Navigation Alert” Position at Wrightsville Beach Bridge
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