 I. Superb Blog Site Provides Dinghy Access Info for Western Florida Grocery Stores
Captain Mary Dixon has created a wonderfully useful list of grocery stores available by way of dinghy access, along the Western Florida Coastline. Click the link below to check out this excellent informational resource: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=73713 |
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 II. Marker # Changed at AICW/Bogue Inlet Intersection (North Carolina AICW, Statute Mile 227)
For years now, the AICW's southern flank has been shoaling badly at the intersection with shallow Bogue Inlet, between makers #45 and #45A. And, as if that were not problem enough, the northernmost Bogue Inlet aid to navigation, until recently numbered #21, is often mistaken for an AICW marker. Such a mis-identification often leads to groundings.
 Last Thursday, 11/10/11, I was gaily cruising down Highway 17 near Shallotte, NC via "land yacht," on a marina fact finding trip. As as aside, I might add that yours truly personally visited each and every marina and public dockage facility between Wrightsville Beach, NC and Georgetown, South Carolina during this little sojourn. Up-close, on-site, personal research was performed on all these facilities to be sure the info in our SSECN Marina Directories was complete and thoroughly up to date.
Anyway, as I was hunting for a hard to find (by road) marina in Ocean Isle, NC, my cell phone began warbling. Captain Jerry aboard "Suncatcher" was calling a few minutes after passing Bogue Inlet to let all SSECN readers know that the inlet channel's innermost marker was now a #20, rather than the long standing #21.
I pulled off the road, fired up my Verizon Mi-Fi card and Dell laptop, and within five  minutes had a notice posted on the SSECN describing Captain Jerry's findings. I also asked the cruising community's help in confirming this marker change. Forty-eight hours later, "Admiral Eileen" chimed in with an on-site verification of the change.
And, that's why all my work now is being down on the internet, instead of on paper. Formerly, it would probably have been at least a year before I could have noted this change in "Cruising Guide to Coastal North Carolina." Now, on the SSECN, the cruising community could read about this important navigational data within  minutes.
Well, enough of the commercial message. All year round NC Cruisers, and "snowbirds" who will be cruising by the AICW/Bogue Inlet intersection, will want to check out the full story at:
http://cruisersnet.net/?p=74342
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 III. Semi-Sunken Wreck Reported Near Florida Key's Hawk Channel
HEADS UP for those mariners following the Hawk Channel south from Miami to the Florida Keys. The Local Notice to Mariners, week 44/11, gives notice of a sunken wreck lying just 5 feet below the waters surface, .45 of a nautical miles east of the  center of Hawk Channel. ALL Florida Keys Mariners will want to check out the FULL story at: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=73876 |
 IV. Government Cut Vs. East Pass Inlets (Florida Panandle, between Apalachicola and Carrabelle, Florida)
Here's an item of sure and certain interest to all cruisers who are about to make the jump across Florida's waterwayless "Big Bend" section from the Florida Panhandle to Anclote Key or Clearwater, or the other way around. During this past week, we have posted not one, but two articles detailing the problems of Goverment Cut Inlet, south of Apalachicola, Florida, and conversely, extolling the virtues of East  Pass Inlet, hard by Dog Island, and just south of Carrabelle, FloridaI might add that Captains Tom, Heather and Derek's observations about Government Cut and East Pass, agree wholeheartedly with my own on-the-water observations and soundings. So, if you plan on crossing the sometimes daunting "Big Bend," run, don't walk to follow the link below and learn about where your cruise should begin (or end). |
 V. Improvements on the Way For St. Augustine Inlet (Statute Mile 776.5)
The Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net has posted a host of earlier articles detailing the shoaling and marker problems which have plagued St. Augustine Inlet for the past year or so. Now, we are happy to report publishing a very recent article by St. Augustine Port Commissioner, Captain Jay Bliss, that indicates extensive  dredging and marker maintenance are on the way for this seaward cut.Full details at:
http://cruisersnet.net/?p=73963 |
 VI. Port Royal Landing Marina Invites the Cruising Community for Thanksgiving Dinner (St. M. 540)
SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS' NET SPONSOR, Port Royal Landing Marina, announces a Thanksgiving Dinner for the cruising community. What a wonderful, wonderful service by an  excellent marina!Check out the full skinny at: |
 VII. Cruisers' Net Announces Availability of Alphabetical Marina Directory Listings For All Coastlines
Previously, we have let all of you on this "Alert" list know that alphabetical listings were available for all marinas in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, in addition to our traditional geographically sorted listings of these facilities. As we explained then, our new alphabetical marina listings are useful if a cruiser wants to check out the services and stats for a marina which is already known by name and coastline. Of course, you can continue to review marinas, anchorages and bridges  geographically, as has always been true on the Cruisers' Net. Our new alpha pages are what might be considered the proverbial icing on top of the cake!
Anyway, we have now expanded this capability to all the coastlines for which we offer Marina Directories, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Eastern Florida (including the St. Johns River), Florida Keys and Western Florida. To check out the new alphabetical listings, go to our home page at:
http://www.CruisersNet.net
Locate the red, vertically stacked, "Cruising News and Reference Directories"  menus on the right, upper side of the page and click the coastline of your choice. A drop down menu will appear. Now, click on "XX Marinas," where "XX" is your chosen coastline. A sub drop-down menu will appear with the usual geographic and sub geographic categories of marinas, EXCEPT at the very top of the sub-menu is a NEW choice entitled, "XX Marinas Alphabetical Listing." Click on this menu item, and a page will open listing all this coastline's facilities sorted alphabetically by marina name. Happy Clicking! |
 VIII. Tampa Bay's North Yacht Basin/Vinoy Basin CLOSED to Anchorage
As many of you already know, St. Petersburg was selected some time ago as one of five sites for the Florida Pilot Mooring Field Program. And, it was previously announced their mooring field would be located in the North Yacht Basin/Vinoy Basin, which borders on the northern side of the huge St. Petersburg Municipal Marina (A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS' NET SPONSOR) and just south of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort Marina.It appears that construction is about to begin on this mooring field, and,  consequently, the city of St. Petersburg is asking all the anchored vessel in the Vinoy Basin to leave. We present the full story, AS WELL AS WESTERN TAMPA BAY ANCHORING ALTERNATIVES, at: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=74588 |
 IX. Sunken Anchor Chain Reported Between the Crystal and Withlacoochee Rivers (Western Florida Coastline - Big Bend Region)
Yesterday (11/5/11), we cherry picked a rather important item out of the "Local Notice to Mariners," which describes a mass of sunken anchor chain, lying between the entrance channels of the Crystal and Withlacoochee Rivers, north of Anclote Key. This navigational  warning will be of interest to all mariners planning on crossing the waterwayless, Western Florida "Big Bend" region for the forseeable future.
Check out the full story at:
http://cruisersnet.net/?p=74528
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 X. Florida Keys Inside Route Aid to Navigaton Damaged and Temporarily Replaced
Here's another important item our fearless Eastern Seaboard Editor, Captain Larry Dorminy, has ferreted out of the voluminous verbiage in the latest "Local Notice to Mariners." It seems that one of the unlighted daybeacons along the Florida  Keys Inside Route between Cotton Key and Shell Key Banks, has been damaged. Florida Keys Mariners, please get the full story at: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=74519 |
 XI. AICW/Little Mud River - November, 2011 Depth Report (AICW Statute Mile 655)
If I had to pick the "AICW Problem Stretch" that's garnered the most postings here on the Cruisers' Net, stretching back at least six years, it would be the Waterway's traversal of Little Mud River, just north of Georgia's Altamaha Sound. That's not exactly an earth shaking surprise, as Little Mud River is our pick as the worst of the worst AICW Problem Stretches that we detail on the Cruisers' Net.  Well, just in time for the latter part of the fall, 2011 cruising season, we have received a bevy of fresh reports concerning these troubled waters. All year round Georgia cruisers, snowbirds still north of Little Mud River, and even those already farther south (but knowing you may well have to face this stretch next spring), will want to read all at: |
 XII. More on AICW/Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff Shoaling (Statute Mile 515)
And, while we are on the subject of "AICW Problem Stretches," let's also note a fresh report from Captain Pascal about shoaling on the man-made stretch of the AICW, north of Beaufort, SC, that links Rock Creek and the Coosaw River. Again, this has  long been one of the Net's "AICW Problem Stretches," but Pascal's report seems to indicate that the situation here is worsening. Check out the full story at: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=72438 |
 XIV. Anchoring Hassles Reported Near Anna Maria Island (near St. M. 92, south of Tampa Bay)
Not to end this "Alert" on a negative note, but Western Florida cruisers do need to know about a report we've received that mariners dropping the hook just south of Tampa Bay, near Anna Mari a Island, are being hassled. This is the first report of this nature we have received for these Western Florida Waters. Please follow the link below, read what has happened, and then let us know if you have had a similar or dissimilar experience on these waters: That's all for now. Good luck and good cruising to all! 
Claiborne S. Young
Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net
http://www.CruisersNet.net
CruisersNet@triad.twcbc.com
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