Be sure to follow the link below and read the article which appeared in the “Jacksonville Daily News.” This will clue one and all into why this is an exciting prospect, and how to view the artifacts!
For those of you heading south still – stop in Beaufort, NC and see the artifacts from Blackbeards ship – salvage underway!!! Check out:
The “Gulf County Canal,” which intersects the Northern Gulf ICW, lies between Apalachicola and Panama City, leads fortunate cruisers to the waters of St. Joseph Bay, where they will discover SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Port St. Joe Marina. Sounds like GOOD pizza is available nearby!
We stayed in Port St. Joe last year by boat and we are here with our motorcoach again this year. IF you love pizza, you must go to “Joe Mama’s” and have their wood=fired pizza…..it is amazing! AND please save room for the “Joe’s Pot of Chocolate” dessert….!! Being a TRUE chocoholic it is a MUST! There are other good places to eat, but if you are craving great pizza, this is the place! Safe travels to you all! Dorene/Jeff DeVine “30 Below”
Below you will find a SUPER article authored by our very special Florida Keys correspondent, Captain Charmaine Smith Ladd. This story concerns some recent changes you will need to be aware of if you plan to visit the Dry Tortugas from Key West!
October 29th, 2011
Dry Tortugas – Mooring Balls at RNA & Park Permits Required by Charmaine Smith Ladd
The Dry Tortugas is so named due to the combination that none of its islands have fresh water, and that there are many differing species of sea turtles found in its gorgeously turquoise waters (including loggerhead, leatherback, green, and hawksbill). Only 70 miles west of Key West, it’s a fabulous passage whether under sail or power. However, just be sure to have an optimal weather window during the time of your trip. Of course, the faster the vessel, the less time needed for this ever prudent caution. If you’d rather not invest the time or travel to sail there on your own, one can always opt to use one of the Dry Tortugas’ Official transportation services out of Key West:
The Dry Tortugas National Park has changed its rules since the last time I visited. Currently:
All vessels (except those in transit merely passing through without stopping) visiting the Dry Tortugas National Park must now have a free-of-charge permit (including kayaks and dinghies). Once there, permits can be obtained a number of ways. 1) Hailing a Park Ranger on VHF channel 16, or 2) appearing in person at the Garden Key Visitor Center [Fort Jefferson] or 3) appearing in person at the Park’s Headquarters Office. Park Rangers will patrol and monitor vessels for permits. If you do not have one, there is no penalty–instead, the Ranger will fill one out for you on the spot. Nice!
Six mooring balls have been installed for use at the Dry Tortugas’ Research Natural Area (RNA). Anchoring is no longer allowed in the RNA area. Those who wish to anchor within the National Park can do so only in sandy bottoms (sea grass is protected) located within one nautical mile of Garden Key Harbor Light.
I have written about the Dry Tortugas for SSECN in the past, but our server didn’t carry many items over when things were recently updated. I’ll be sure to resubmit that article so you can familiarize yourself again with the beauty and tranquility of the Dry Tortugas and its many unique attractions. In the meantime, here are some photos from my last visit there:
Charmaine Smith Ladd (SSECN Special Correspondent for the Florida Keys) “Bringing you the low down from down low!” csmithladd@marinersbarr.org or charmaine@septembersea.com
Where is the dry toryugas’ research natural area? Bill
Below are two follow-up notes from Captain Charmaine:
I believe the Windjammer was the original one and may be reserved for private use. The six that follow are those put in for public use. Hugs, Charmaine
Remember, this is a National Park. Even though much of it is comprised of being part of the RNA, that simply means it is a no-fishing zone and no-take zone of its natural wildlife and flora. But it IS a `People-Zone’ for others to enjoy it! Please reference: http://www.nps.gov/drto/naturescience/upload/What’s%20a%20RNA%20-%20edit%205.pdf The Research Natural Area is a 46-square-mile area in the northwest portion of the park. It is the area enclosed by connecting with straight lines the coordinates of 82:51:00 W and 24:36:00 N with 82:58:00 W and 24:36:00 N, and with 82:51:00 W and 24:43:32 N. Not included in the RNA is an area one nautical mile in diameter around the Garden Key Light, and the developed areas of Loggerhead Key. Before boating in the park, please key these points into your GPS system. Charmaine
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
24thesea- December 7, 2014 - 4:21 pm
GPS N24°37.413 W082°56.548 is directly on top of a wreck and the rest of the points are in shallow or near shallow water… Copy and paste to Google maps and take a look.
Titusville City Marina is a very valued SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR. This facility has been working on a new mooring field for sometime now. An earlier article here on the Cruisers’ Net reported the field was nearing completion, but now, IT’S OPEN! This welcome addition will make it even more convenient to visit this charming port of call. Please note that the Titusville Mooring Field is NOT part of the Florida Pilot Mooring Field Program, so there is no rankling about anchorage regulations on adjacent waters!
Cruising News: The Titusville Municipal Marina is excited to announce our new MOORING FIELD is now OPEN. The mooring field consist of 50 moorings accommodating vessels up to a maximum of sixty feet. Wet slips, fuel and water are also available. Daily rate is $15.00 plus 6% sales tax. Rates include: trash removal, use of restrooms, showers, laundry facilities, holding tank pump out, vehicle parking and dinghy dockage. Please click the link below for additional information. Moorings will be assigned on a first come first served basis. Boaters wishing a mooring are asked to contact the Titusville Marina on VHF channel 16 or phone 321-383-5600.
Just in case anyone didn’t think the fall 2011 transient season wasn’t well underway. Take a look at this photo!
Robert of Deep Creek Lock squeezed 18 boats in the lock yesterday – we were like sardines in a can. I found the whole thing quite hilarious! Arnold Parkinson
By special permission from the author, Captain Bill Bishop, the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net is proud to present, “The Mourning Field,” one of the wittiest, wry-est (is that a word) articles ever written concerning Florida anchorage regulations and mooring fields. IF YOU HAVE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST INTEREST IN EVER DROPPING YOUR HOOK IN SUNSHINE STATE WATERS, or just want to read very well written prose, follow the link below. YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY!!!
SSECN’s newest sponsor is an experienced, well informed, expert a repairing that dreaded bottom condition called BLISTERS !! Captain Phil Turner has have been serving boaters and boat yards on the Northern Gulf for 15 years. His new website is now linked to “The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net” in his effort to connect with boaters in his expanded service area, serving West and North East coast of Florida. Click on the sponsorship panel to the left to visit BoatPeel’s site.
Phil’s practical down to earth discussion informs potential customers about the problem and his services. Phil’s website hopes to better inform vessel owners of the causes of the blistering of fiberglass boats and the proper repair of them. Much has been written about these subjects and there is nothing to be gained by repeating them here, but he will give you some links that should be helpful. We hope you will visit Boat-Peel’s website to better inform yourself about this serious maintenance issue.
The “Rock Pile” is a three mile section of a man-made canal, officially known as the Pine Island Cut, used by the AICW to run between Little River and the Waccamaw River. Capt. Marquet was wise to heed the “dire warnings” about the Rock Pile, but misses the point of those warnings. The channel is narrow and lined with submerged concrete and rocks. Cruisers are urged to announce their presence on VHF in case large commercial traffic is approaching which could force you out of the channel’s mid-width and onto the “rocks”, especially at high tide when the rocks are fully submerged. Capt. Marquet is correct in stating that the passage is easy “if you stay well within the channel”, but that becomes a “big if” when facing an approaching barge in the narrowest sections.
Cruising News: Because of dire warnings, we slogged through here @ 6 knots, but if you stay well within the channel there is no problem going faster. Carolou Marquet
The dredging of 2009 is slowly being overcome by shoaling through this perennial problem stretch, making Hell Gate another section that requires mid-to-high tide passage for vessels carrying 4ft or more draft. With his 6.25ft draft, Capt. Pascal is very alert to depth changes and his is the kind of vessel you would hope to be following through these trouble spots!
Definitely more shallow, by a couple of feet, again on the same lines I usually run thru there. MM602, Hell Gate, 8′ to 9′ MLW thru most of the cut but some readings as low as 5′ to 6′ MLW around R90 and G89. Had 8′ of tides so I tried poking around for better readings, no luck. I usually pass about 40′ from R90, and about 30′ from G89; this time around it s definitely shallower by about 2 to 2.5′ compared to earlier this year. Capt. Pascal Gademer
Always a pleasure to hear such good words about A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! Charleston Harbor Marina is located on the eastern banks of the Cooper River downstream of Patriots Point between Horse Reach’s flashing buoys #34 and #36.
My husband and I made Charleston Harbor Marina our 1st stop in a month long cruise out of Southport. Capt. Stan, the Harbormaster, and his crew made our stay carefree and he even offered to make reservations for our destinations along our route. The breakwater out front does its job to deaden the wakes of boat/ship traffic and lessens any current, which makes the boat happy. The showers and bathrooms were clean, laundry on site and the hotel amenities and a shuttle to Charleston are available. We enjoyed our stay and look forward to stopping again on our return. The Callemyn’s aboard M/V Turning Point, 320EC World Cat
Cruising News: We are staying at Charleston Harbor Marina and find it an excellent facility. It’s really windy (20-30knots) but we are comfortable in a slip. Shuttle serve to Charleston was convenient. Enjoyed a nice light supper at the Reel Bar. Definitely recommend this marina if you can’t get in to the City Marina. Eve-Marie Lacroix
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