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CRUISERS NET
Cruisers Helping Cruisers
Comprehensive cruising resource for the Intracoastal Waterways
from Norfolk to the Northern Gulf and Bahamas.
from Norfolk to the Northern Gulf and Bahamas.
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BOARDING SOLO – Janice Anne Wheeler
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SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE brings you aboard as we joust our way back onto the water. We’ve come a long way with a ways to go… Your support is essential. Thank you. J
If you’ve just joined our engaging little community, please read SPARS & SPARRING, my introductory piece.…. ~J
Please find this interconnectedness story a pleasant diversion from boatwork. For all of us.
I recounted this story at a friend’s dinner party and we could not stop raising our eyebrows. I’m not a big believer in coincidence; there are higher powers at work. This tale is not fiction. Let’s consider it the power of the universe, if you believe in such things. Or even if you don’t.
A handful of years ago, I booked a window ticket on one of those bulky, world-covering Boeings from Washington, DC southeast across a large portion of the planet; a trip through both time and space to Johannesburg, South Africa. My receipt indicated no stops, seventeen hours in the air. I settled in, gazing out and about. I can never stop myself from wondering how so many people can be going to the same place from the same place at the very same time as I am.
The passenger assigned next to me arrived as late as possible with an eclectic assortment of carry-ons. She settled in as well, clearly a seasoned traveler in colorful garb that emphasized her shiny, exotic, elephant-wrinkled ebony skin and regal air. A brilliantly aged African character in a tall head wrap straight out of National Geographic Magazine was sitting in 29B.
I was awed, and, for once, quietly considered protocol. She leaned her cane between us, greeting me politely but not openly, socks pulled high. The standard take-off rigamarole ensued with the pilot announcing that our arrival in Ghana was estimated to be slightly ahead of schedule. Ghana? Seriously? I scanned the cabin. “You are leaving me there,” she told me in a stunning mix of accents, and then, a completely different topic, “Where’s your husband?” she asked gently while somehow also eyeing me suspiciously. I explained my rendezvous plan to no avail or approval and we settled in, she watching a movie and me reading, dozing, gazing. With barely a glance in my direction, as sunrise arrived with croissants and tea, she began to speak, the same low, lyrical tone and clear command of English I had been treated to the evening prior.
Borrowed from SAA, couldn’t locate mine… “In my country you pick your husband by his foofoo soup,” was her opening line. I raised my eyebrows, universal for that was unexpected….among other things…she continued, unphased. “Now, you remember dis,” it was a softly commanded request that I pay attention to her story, and her culture, and the importance of both.” In order to be a good husband you have to make foofoo soup. And just right. If he can’t make foofoo soup, he’s no good.” She nodded her elegant, wisened visage seriously, “I taught my son, and he married happy. I just saw him, two months, with a grandbebe.,” She went through the recipe and that, I admittedly, have lost to time, but I recall Cassava, which even as a Caterer I didn’t utilize on my traditional American menu.
As she spoke the animation grew; she told of a boy who failed the test and was heartbroken, and one who excelled and was chosen, assumably to live happily ever after. I was enthralled far more by the telling, even, than by the tale.
As the day brightened we landed on the beach-outlined coastline of Ghana, West Africa, a place I had never expected to be. I stood and she solemnly shook my hand upon departure; ensuring with a single finger in front of my nose that I would always remember what she had shared. Her straight, retreating back is the last thing I recall of her, shrugging off all offers of assistance.
I settled back into 29A and allowed my phone to find a cell tower, regardless of the fees. Those of us continuing on were not allowed to touch the ground here, and we had a tropical two-hour wait. I went through my peeps, especially those I had lost track of and sent them a text that simply said, “The only text message you will ever receive from Ghana.” Those random messages, my favorite kind, elicited interesting responses, amusing me for days. One was something about being shanghaied on a pirate ship; and now I wonder, how’s that for foreshadowing?
Upon my return to DC two weeks later I requested a long UBER ride and found myself behind the driver of a spotlessly clean older model Mercedes, remarkably reminiscent of Thailand and the gentleman I had hired there for pennies on the dollar. He peered at me in his rear-view mirror with a beautiful smile that split his strong coffee-colored face, and was careful to annunciate his words as he read the address of our destination. “Yes, thank you,” I told him, as he focused on his (I assume) lonely customer service job, the one where people aren’t interested, don’t inquire, don’t converse, preferring the comfort zone of their phone. My eyes were tired, my phone tucked away.
I let him navigate Dulles International Airport traffic and hesitated for a moment or two, wondering selfishly if a conversation would be complicated as he was clearly from far elsewhere, and a bit uncomfortable, perhaps, trying to make a living in a foreign land. I had a feeling, call it intuition, six sense, whatever, that I should delve in. “Where are you from?” I inquired, an ordinary go-to, given the circumstances. “Ah. West Africa, Miss. I am from Ghana,” he glanced again in the small rear-view, to gauge my reaction, my knowledge of geography, my inclusion, my acceptance.
“Ah,” I said in return. “You make good fufu soup?” The dark eyes widened. “You know fufu soup?” he was comically incredulous and expressive to hear of something from his homeland, I’m sure of it. I’m no hero, and not trying to be, but let me tell you that the connection I made with that man in that car will never be forgotten. I told him that I had just been there, and it was beautiful, and about the seemingly powerful, impressive woman on the plane. “When did you fly?” he asked, and I considered, finally producing the date. “That is my mother,” he told me, his voice mimicking hers now, “I miss her very much.”
I have never forgotten. ~J
Tell the world about your otherworldly connection, please.
I took this and 700 others in Kruger National Park, SA. GO. It’s brilliant. 
This tremendous Bull desperately wanted to SPAR with our car. Tad blurry due to windscreen., apologies….oh, and my hands were shaking, too…. 
A place like no other. See you next week back aboard STEADFAST. Elizabeth Beggins aren’t you pleased I talked to all those strangers?!
I so appreciate your support of my work. Have a wonderful week!
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© 2025 Janice Anne Wheeler
Living aboard Sailing Yacht STEADFAST again soon!
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What’s Happening in Your Parks – Charleston County Parks
What’s Happening In Your Parks Aug/Sept – Charleston County Parks
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Elizabeth City: Your Autumn Escape Awaits
Elizabeth City sits at the southern terminus of the Dismal Swamp Canal and has the well-earned reputation of being a transient friendly town with free dockage for 72 hours.
DOWNTOWN FEATURED EVENTS PLACES TO STAY Autumn unwinds in Elizabeth City and you should too!
Our new self-service kayak kiosk at College Park (600 Southern Avenue) allows users to quickly grab a kayak by downloading the Rent.Fun app and scanning the QR code on the kiosk. The launch brings a splash of adventure right to our community’s doorstep! Read more here.
On Friday September 4 at 4 pm, Elizabeth City Downtown Inc. is hosting the First Friday ArtWalk where downtown art studios and businesses host guest artists and musicians.
Tuesday’s in September through September 23rd enjoy free live music at Music on the Green, held at Mariners’ Wharf on our beautiful downtown waterfront at 6 pm. This event is hosted by Elizabeth City Downtown Inc. and free to attend.
On Thursday September 11th at 8 pm, ECSU Community Connections presents, Step Afrika! which blends stepping, live drumming and storytelling into an electrifying performance. This event is free to attend but registration is required.
September 13th at 7 pm, College of the Albemarle Performing arts center presents, The “Original” Moonlighters- One of the country’s premier Motown and variety cover bands. Tickets can be purchased here.
September 29th through October 3rd 9 am – 4 pm, Arts of the Albemarle presents, SPLASH Week, a week long artist retreat for artists of all levels and disciplines to create in a communal studio.
Looking for a perfect place to stay? Explore our lodging accommodations and while you’re in town, discover our local shops and restaurants waiting to welcome you!
Copyright (C) 2025, Visit Elizabeth City. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Visit Elizabeth City
400 South Water Street Suite 100
Elizabeth City, NC 27909This email was sent to senioreditor@cruisersnet.net
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Cruisers’ Net Weekly Newsletter – August 22, 2025
Cruisers’ Net Newsletter for this week has just been emailed via Constant Contact.
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Jetski/Pontoon Maker Appears To Have Settled in Virginia Death – Loose Cannon
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year, and you may cancel at any time.
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Jetski/Pontoon Maker Appears To Have Settled in Virginia Death
Florida Case Continues, as Facebook Scrubbed of Other Sea-Doo Stories
POLICE REPORT: The victim’s father, who was operating the vessel, proved his sobriety with a breath test at the scene. The redaction of this report was atrocious, accidentally leaving the name of the witness, Shwarting, for all to see, as well as that of another passenger and the father himself. Neeya Hussain, 9, died in the accident. Her family posted that photo of Neeya on Facebook just after her death. At one point, the death of Neeya Hussain was going to become a nationwide “class-action lawsuit,” according to the family’s lawyer, Emily Mapp Brannon. That was in October 2024, a few months after the nine-year-old was killed when the Hussain’s Sea-Doo Switch flipped over on a Virginia Lake on the Fourth of July.
Now, Brannon isn’t talking, except to say: “You are not permitted to call my client. We are also not permitted to discuss this matter. There is no comment.” Client Nadim Hussain, who is 40, did not respond to a text.
“This is confidential information and we are not commenting on such topics publicly,” said Emilie Proulx, spokesperson for BRP, the Canadian manufacturer of the Switch, the hybrid jetski-pontoon boat in question.
Sounds like things people say when they’ve reached an out-of-court cash settlement, no?
When Loose Cannon first published stories about Neeya’s death on Lake Anna and a similar accident that has incapacitated a Florida toddler for life, Switch owners on Facebook reacted by sharing their stories of having flipped or almost flipping when they too had suddently decelerated.
Those Facebook threads are gone, having apparently been scrubbed.
(Pro tip: Don’t assume “saving” a Facebook post is permanent. For a permanent record, take screenshots of the commentary or convert it to PDF format instead. Ask me how I know. Those “saved threads” have all been replaced by markers labeled “content not available.”)
Luigi Bazzani is an investigator working for the Miami law firm Goldberg and Rosen, which represents the family of 28-month-old Vianca Grullon in a $30 million lawsuit against BRP. She nearly died when her family’s Switch flipped over forward on the St. Johns River in Florida over Labor Day Weekend a year ago.
Bazzani is trying to find owners such as those who told their (now disappeared) Switch stories on Facebook or anyone else who recalls flipping or almost flipping the same model of jet-powered Sea-Doo watercraft. (Bazzani can be reached at 305-219-8840. His email is bazzani@me.com)
SOME EARLIER STORIES
Flipping a Switch: A ‘Quirky’ Boat and the Accident That Nearly Killed a Little Girl
·September 22, 2024Read full story 
Child Dies After Sea-Doo Switch Flips in Virginia
October 26, 2024Read full story 
Safety Recall for Sea-Doo Switch Cites Handling Issues
·Feb 27Read full story 
The 13-foot Seadoo Switch, the smallest model and the one involved in both accidents. LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
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© 2025
411 Walnut St. No. 1944, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
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Bonus for Premium Readers: Will Walk Your Dog, Loose Cannon
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year, and you may cancel at any time.
Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for moreBonus for Premium Readers: Will Walk Your Dog
Cancel the Post, Toss the Times, Support a Nautical News Hound Instead
Dear Readers,
History, humor and hard news—it’s been another busy couple of months at the Loose Cannon one-man media empire. Subscriptions keep growing, though the free people continue to outpace the paying ones by a lot. Alas.
So, today’s message is a sales pitch. Please be like Ginger Clark, who wrote this:
Good writing for one, such a pleasure to read. And a good nose for what’s really interesting. Decided to subscribe when I realized that if I saw Loose Cannon in my in-box it was the first mail I turned to. Only fair that I pay for it. Thanks!
Or Richard Wingfield:
You seem to be fearless. Great stuff.
Or Richard Simpson:
“I have worked in the yachting industry for 45 years. I find that you provide us with excellent insight, oversight and timely notification.
Or Andre Cocquyt:
You are doing an amazing job, flushing out the shenanigans and concisely reporting on them. I canceled my WAPO today and I am spending that money on your Loose Cannon. You deserve it, Bezosky does not!
Or Scott Marquis:
I decided to subscribe because I like your style, your matter-of-fact articles, and your non-allegiance to advertisers. Keep up the good work.
Addison Chan is the author of Bahamas and Cuba cruising guides, plus the Bahamas Land & Sea Facebook Page. He said nice things too:
Peter Swanson is like a dog on a bone when he is working a story. His work has been relied upon by several important publications like the New York Times to shed light on black-box situations.
Speaking of dogs, don’t forget the extra-special bonus available only to paying subscribers. If you come to our world headquarters in Green Cove Springs, Florida, I promise to walk your dog. Who doesn’t like dogs? Maybe, I will use your money to get a boat dog of my own. It’s about time.
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
The author’s first dog steals his jelly beans. © 2025
411 Walnut St. No. 1944, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
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Cast Off Fishing Continues! – Charleston County Parks
What’s Happening In Your Parks – Charleston County Parks
Cast Off Fishing Tournaments Mark your calendar, organize your tackle box, and prepare to cast those lines. The 2025 Cast Off Fishing Tournament season continues on September 13 at the Mount Pleasant Pier!
2025 Tournament Schedule
September 13, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
October 11, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
September 20, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
October 25, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tournament Details Presented By 
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Politician Says This Species Is Getting Too Greedy – Loose Cannon
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with salt water in their veins will subscribe. $7 a month or $56 for the year, and you may cancel at any time.
Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for moreWhen all else fails, try journalism.
Politician Says This Species Is Getting Too Greedy
Bill To Address Sharks Bitting off Hunks of Fish We’ve Caught
Sharks bitting off hunks of fish being reeled in by sportsfishermen is apparently a problem worthy of federal attention, according to Florida Senator Rick Scott. The author is an 8th-generation Floridian, born and bred in Tallahassee, which probably explains her unhealthy fascination with Florida politics. Educated at Florida State University and Oxford University in England, she has been writing for newspapers since 1983. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Times of London, the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Oxford American, and Flamingo. This opinion piece was published on August 11, 2025 in the Florida Phoenix and is reprinted here with permission.
By DIANE ROBERTS
The sharks are eating the fish.
Too many fish.
Our damn fish.
For 450 million years, the sharks have had everything their way, swimming around the ocean like they own the place, chowing down on that endless seafood buffet.
Who do those sharks think they are? Other than, like, sharks.
We celebrate George Washington and Abraham Lincoln one lousy day a year.
Sharks get a whole week.
No más. Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott means to show these arrogant top predators he means business.
Sen. Scott’s elegantly named and creatively capitalized “Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research, Knowledge, and Enhanced Dialogue (or SHARKED) Act will address bad behavior in the shark community.¹
No longer will the sharks be allowed to appropriate fish for their own selfish nutritional ends.
It’s a bipartisan effort: Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat, is Scott’s SHARKED co-sponsor, although he’s being cautious about what he says.
Schatz is from Hawaii, where certain sharks are considered sacred, what with them being people’s reincarnated ancestors.
Funnily enough, Schatz was once part of the shark-coddling caucus, all-in on legislation to protect those deep sea devils.
But he’s clearly seen the light, read the room, and smelled the Trumpy zeitgeist: It’s all about the money.
Sport fishing in Hawaii is worth hundreds of millions.
Scott also once expressed a bit of sympathy for sharks.
When he saw images of boaters “abusing a young tiger shark in Citrus County,” he wrote a tough letter to the head of NOAA demanding somebody do something.
The senator still wants somebody to do something, and, by God, the Scott-Schatz bill is going to do it.
More or less.
‘Unnatural Food Source’
It directs the secretary of commerce to put together a task force to figure out why elasmobranch cartilaginous fishes (as ichthyology nerds call them) gobble up the very fish sportsmen and women spend so much cash to catch.
You drop big money on a three-day charter out of Destin, spend another grand on your Yeti cooler, your Bora Bora hat, your Columbia convertible pants, your Coors, your Jack, your Pringles, your Publix subs, your peanut M&Ms, you finally get something on the line, but next thing you know, Mister Jerk Shark smells the blood in the water, swims up, and takes a big old bite of your 400 lb. blue marlin.
OK, maybe the shark was hungry, but that’s no excuse.
The American Sportfishing Association, the American Fisheries Society, and others rightly upset about sharks’ indefensible habit of consuming their usual source of protein, complain “shark depredation is clearly detrimental to anglers and predated fish that would otherwise be released.”
They point out all that illicit predation “creates an unnatural food source for sharks.”
The sharks would argue fish are, in fact, their entirely natural food source, but if it comes to a choice between those toothy behemoths and a $230 billion industry, the sharks lose.
Bottom line: Sharks are hurting the economy.
This is a condensed version of Diane Robert’s full essay “Pitted against capitalism, poor sharks don’t stand a chance,” linked here.
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
1
Yes, humor aside, this is an actual bill. It’s goal is to “address shark depredation” and develop “techniques and strategies to reduce harmful interactions between sharks and humans, including the development and use of non-lethal deterrents.” National Marine Fisheries must report back to congress on this topic in two years.
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© 2025
411 Walnut St. No. 1944, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
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Here’s What’s Coming Up This Winter in Marsh Harbour with RMHYC!
Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club is a premier yacht club in the Abacos and A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR! If you cruise to the Abacos and the Marsh Harbour area, you should consider joining this great group of like-minded cruisers.
Here’s What’s Coming Up This Winter in Marsh Harbour with RMHYC! It’s never too early to start planning, and your Social Chairs, Beth Pohle and Michele Rubeor, have been busy putting together an exciting calendar of fun for the upcoming season! This is a tentative calendar, and events may change based on weather, or if we’re out cruising,—so stay flexible. Beth and Michele would love your help in making this a fantastic season. Get involved! Volunteer to lead an activity—it’s easy, and they’ll be around to assist as needed. Send an email to activities@rmhyc.com to let them know you want to help!You can find the most current information on the RMHYC website home page under ‘Upcoming Events’, or check out the Monthly Calendar page.Planned seminars and activity sessions this year include:- Medical & Health
- Fishing
- Creative Workshops
- And more!
And don’t forget about the ongoing daily or weekly activities, including:- Water Aerobics
- Pickleball
- Yoga
- Bocce
- Movie Nights
- Happy Hours
December 13
Christmas White Elephant – bring a boat related item no greater than $20 16
Activity to be announced 18
Birthday Night Vibes with Appetizers 24
Christmas Eve Potluck 31
New Year’s Eve Celebration January
6
Activity to be announced 9
Activity to be announced 12
Birthday Night Vibes with Appetizers 15
Activity to be announced 15-21
Korn Ferry Tour (The Abaco Club at Winding Bay) 19
College Football Championship 20
Activity to be announced 22
RMHYC Annual Cook-off – Bring your favorite family casserole recipe 27
Annual General Meeting (AGM) 31
2nd Annual RMHYC Open (Bucket Golf) February2
Birthday Night Vibes with Appetizers 4
Bonfire on the Beach – Gilligan Island Style (come as your favorite character) 7
2nd Annual Pickleball Tournament 8
Superbowl Sunday 17
B I N G O Night 19
Commodore’s Ball – Under the Sea 21
Bocce Ball Tournament 24
Activity to be announced March
3
Birthday Night Vibes with Appetizers 5
Cinco de Marcho Bonfire 11
Activity – Let’s talk about going south Don’t forget about these great events in Hope Town!- Box Cart Race at The Big Hill – Saturday, November 29, 2025
- Combustion Music – December 5 thru December 7, 2025 – for more details go to Combustion Music
- HT Songwriters Festival – February 11 thru February 15, 2026
We’re looking forward to a fun-filled season—see you there! MaryMary ColesRC Communications
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