In This Issue
I. 2nd Annual Treasure Coast Oyster Festival, 3/10/2012 & 3/11/2012, Stuart, FL.
II. Anchored Sailcraft Located Near Western Florida ICW - No Longer An Impediment to Navigation (
III. Partially Sunken Vessel Reported Hard by Fort Myers Beach/Mantanzas Entrance Channel (Western Florida Coastline)
IV. Don't Dare Miss The Week's Photo Contest Winner
V. Okeechobee Waterway/St. Lucie River, South Fork Marker #25 Destroyed
VI. Shoaling in Big Foot Slough Channel, Ocracoke, NC, Pamlico Sound
VII. Disturbing News About Anchoring in St. Petersburg, Florida (off the Western Florida ICW, on Tampa Bay)
VIII. Manatee Pocket Dredging Complete (Statute Mile 987, near Stuart, Florida)
IX....Abandoned Vessel Reported Near Anclote River Entrance Channel (near Western Flroida ICW St. M
X. .\Dredging Underway at Lockwoods Folly/AICW Intersection, Statute Mile 321
XI. Dockage Basin Dredging Underway at Fernandina Habor Marina (Statute Mile 716.5)
XII. Massive Sewage Spill Reported in the Cape Fear River, South of Wilmington, NC
Intracoastal Yacht Sales I. 2nd Annual Treasure Coast Oyster Festival, 3/10/2012 & 3/11/2012, Stuart, FL

There is sooooo much cruising news to report in this SSECN Alert (of the good, bad and head scratching variety), that I plan to keep my introductory remarks short. PLEASE follow the provided links to learn much more about all these many topics of interest to the cruising community! 

 

St. Petersburg Municipal Marina First, let's start with some really "fun news." One of the great things about cruising in Floridian waters during the winter season, are the many festivals and special events that cruisers can take advantage of. Here's one in Stuart, Florida which will be held in early March, 2012, that sounds absolutely YUMMY!   

 

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=78924




Spotless Stainless
 
Kadey Krogen Yachts

II. Anchored Sailcraft Located Near Western Florida ICW - No Longer An Impediment to Navigation (Clearwater Beach, FL - St. M. 134)

 

In our 1/20/12 SSECN Alert, we asked for assistance from the Western Florida cruising community to help establish the real location of an anchored and unlit sailcraft reported in the  Local Notice to Mariners, somewhere near Clearwater, Florida. Trouble was the LNTM article was very confusing. The verbal description of the anchored vessel's position, "Between Clearwater Pass Channel LT 7 (LLNR 25700) and Clearwater Marina Channel DBN 5" DIFFERED markedly from the provided Lat/Lon position, which Key Lime Sailing Club plotted out to a point west of the Western Florida ICW's path between markers #5 and #7, well SOUTH of Clearwater Pass.

 

As usual the cruising community responded magnificently, and THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED. The answer is one of the least likely explanations that might be imagined. To learn the surprising resolution of this question, please go to:

 

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=78684

TowBoat/US III. Partially Sunken Vessel Reported Hard by Fort Myers Beach/Mantanzas Entrance Channel (Western Florida Coastline, south of the Caloosahatchee River) 

 

Now, here's a notice cherry picked from the latest Local Notice to Mariners (as of 1/25/12), which demands the attention of every cruiser bound for the popular mooring field at Fort Myers Beach (or one of the many marinas in this region). The partially sunken vessel in Froli Sleep System question seems to lie hard by the Fort Myers Beach entrance passage, between markers #7 and #8.

 

Full details at:

 

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=79209  

Georgetown, SC IV. Don't Dare Miss The Week's Photo Contest Winner

Since we instituted the Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net's "Photo of the Week" contest several years ago, we have been blessed with some truly outstanding images. However, this week's International Marine Service winner, "Jacksonville Blues," taken by Captain Jean Quigley, is REALLY SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL! See for yourself at:

http://cruisersnet.net/category/photo-of-the-week/
Old Port Cove Marinas V. Okeechobee Waterway/St. Lucie River, South Fork Marker #25 Destroyed (near Okee. Waterway St. M. 8.5)

Flashing daybeacon #25 is usually a prominent marker on the Okeechobee Waterway's run through the South Fork of the St. Lucie River, on its way to the St. Lucie Canal. Well, apparently some sort of commercial waterborne traffic has made short Washington NC work of this aid to navigation.

ALL cruisers bent on a cruise of the Okeechobee Waterway, not to mention local mariners around Stuart, Florida, should make haste to visit:

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=79225





ICWSupply.com
Bald Head Island Marina VI. Shoaling in Big Foot Slough Channel, Ocracoke, NC, Pamlico Sound

Here's some wintertime cruising news from North Carolina's Pamlico Sound (well off the AICW). Big Foot Slough is the primary conduit to Ocracoke Island, one of the North Carolina coastline's most popular ports of call. This passage was last dredged in June of 2011, but several reports on the Cruisers' Net have brought to Hidden Harbor light new shoaling.

Well, there is GOOD news to report. A dredging project is about to erase this problem, at least for a little while. Full details at:

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=79159





Longboat Key Club
VII. Disturbing News About Anchoring in St. Petersburg, Florida (off the Western Florida ICW, on Tampa Bay)
 
If we read the tea leaves rightly, some very disturbing news seems to have come forth from the first, 1/24/12,  public forum held to consider the city of St. Petersburg's participation in the Florida Pilot Mooring Field Program. It would appear that this community is attempting to limit anchorage in their corporate waters to 3-days in a particular spot, and 9 days total, within any 30 day period. As such, these are possibly the most Draconian proposals put forward by any of the five municipalities/counties which are part of the Florida Pilot Mooring Field Program.

Deep Point Marina Fortunately, there is still a LOT of public comment to be registered, and the FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission) must agree to all restrictions before they can be passed and enforced. As St. Augustine learned last fall, the FWC is very reluctant to approve such short term anchorage limits.

We have a lengthy posting on the Cruisers' Net concerning this developing situation, including reports from our very special Florida Keys correspondent, Captain Charmaine Smith Ladd, and a local cruiser, Captain David Burnham,  who attended the 1/24/12 meeting.

By following the link below, you will also learn the date, place and time of two more public meetings to be held between now and 3/1/12, on this same topic.Cocoa Village Marina

ALL cruisers who have the least interest in anchoring on Sunshine State waters should follow this link:

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=79129  
Pilot House Marina VIII. Manatee Pocket Dredging Complete (Statute Mile 987, near Stuart, Florida)

The body of water known as Manatee Pocket lies just off the AICW, on the easternmost reaches of the St. Lucie River and Okeechobee Waterway. The Pocket's shores are lined with an impressive array of marinas, repair yards and the Stuart Corinthian Yacht Club. The entrance cut was getting a bit shallow of late, but now dredging has deepened depths all the Marineland Marina way from the narrow entrance south to Pirates Cove Marina, one of the most upstream facilities on this body of water.

Full details at:

 

IX. Abandoned Vessel Reported Near Anclote River Entrance Channel (near Western Flroida ICW St. M. 150)

We have just posted a message, cherry picked from the latest Notice to Mariners (1/25/12), which reports an abandoned Point Lookout Marina vessel due east of Anclote River's outermost cha.nnel marker, #1. I can't imagine that this vessel will be allowed to stay in this disadvantageous position for long, but in the intervening period, all navigators bound for Anclote River should watch out for this potential hazard

Check out full details at:

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=79198


Inlet Marina   
Willoughby Marina X. Dredging Underway at Lockwoods Folly/AICW Intersection, Statute Mile 321

Here's some more GOOD winter news from the Tar Heel coastline. The intersection of the AICW and Lockwoods Folly Inlet, south of Southport, NC, is one of the two worst "AICW Problem Stretches" along the NC coastline. In spite of dredging here less than six months ago, reports of shoaling have been Vinings Marina coming in to the Cruisers' Net for weeks now.

We are happy to report that a new dredging project has just begun here. That's really GOOD news for the upcoming spring, 2012 migration! Check out the full story at:

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=79132
Little Creek Marina XI. Dockage Basin Dredging Underway at Fernandina Habor Marina (Statute Mile 716.5)

I just noticed that this seems to be an "Alert" crammed full of "dredging" news. That's not a bad thing, as projects of this ilk are more often than not, good news for the cruising community.

Ross Marine However, here's some dredging news with a bit of a twist. Fernandina Harbor Marina is Eastern Florida's northernmost pleasure craft facility, lying just a hop, skp and a jump south of the Georgia - Florida state line. Dockmaster, Captain Joe Springer, has shared photos with us of his dredging project,and they make for interesting viewing.

And, by the way, projected completion of the project is set for sometime during March of this year (2012), in plenty of time for the MTOA Spring Rendezous, which will be held at this facility.

To check out Captain Joe's photos, and more about his dredging project, please go Bennett Brothers to:

Mile Marker 0 Marine Supplies XII. Massive Sewage Spill Reported in the Cape Fear River, South of Wilmington, NC

A story is developing along North Carolina's Cape Fear River concerning a massive sewage spill on Bernard Creek. This body of water lies east of the Cape Fear River's "Lower Brunswick Range" channel, approximately 2.5 statute miles south of the Wilmington waterfront. This spill occurred January 24th. Follow the link below to discover what there is to know, though  undoubtedly more details will come to light over the next week or so:

http://cruisersnet.net/?p=79089

Boat Peeling That's all for now. Good luck and good cruising to all!  

  

Claiborne S. Young

Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net

http://www.CruisersNet.net 

[email protected] 

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