In This Issue
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I. IMPORTANT - Enlightening Study About the Economic Benefits of the AICW
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II. Potential Problems With Florida Fish and Wildlife Service Patrols (FWC) in Marathon, Florida's Boot Key Harbor
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III. SSECN ARGUS Chart View Layer UPDATED As of December 12, 2013 With a TON Of New Data
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IV. Holiday Boat Parades and Fireworks Displays, 2013 Holiday Season
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V. Depths of As Little as 4.5 Feet (MLW) Found on the AICW/Jekyll Creek Problem Stretch (St. M. 683) - Captains Mark and Diana Report
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VI. Moored Vessels in Seaplane Basin to be Evicted, Hillsborough Bay/Tampa Bay
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VII. Missing Marker at AICW/St. Augustine Inlet, Statute Mile 776
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VIII. A Frank Discussion of the Pros and Cons of Florida's New Mooring Fields
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IX. Missing Daybeacon Entering Okeechobee Waterway/St. Lucie River, Stuart, FL, off AICW Statute Mile 987.5
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X. Report on Punta Blanco Inner Anchorage, Western Florida ICW Statute Mile 23
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XI. Initial Dredging Work at Oregon Inlet and Bonner Bridge Completed, Pamlico Sound, Outer Banks, NC
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XII. Good Words for Twin Dolphin Marina, off Tampa Bay on the Manatee River
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XIII. Dredging Progressing Well in St. Lucie Inlet, near AICW Statute Mile 987
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XIV. Oriental, NC Merchant Requests Aid From the Cruising Community, AICW Statute Mile 181
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XV. More on Peck Lake Anchorage, AICW Statute Mile 992
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AICW
I. IMPORTANT - Enlightening Study About the Economic Benefits of the AICW
The Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net has just published an unusually large article which we think is one of the most important postings to ever appear on our web site concerning the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW). If you have even a passing interest in EVER cruising the AICW, we urge you to follow the link below, and then read and study all the text and graphics. You won't be disappointed! This all began on 11/22/13, when I had the good fortune to be a speaker at the annual Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association conference in Charleston, South Carolina. I spoke about how the entire Southeastern USA marine business is predicated on the semi-annual "snowbird migration," and, should the AICW become an unviable avenue for this twice a year migration, the entire pleasurecraft industry in our part of the world would be fundamentally altered. However, before I made my presentation, everyone's eyes practically popped out of their collective heads at the information imparted to the conference by Mr. Harry Simmons, Mayor of the town of Caswell Beach, North Carolina. Mayor Simmons gave all attendees an up close and personal look at an in-depth, survey of the Atlanic Intracoatal Waterway's economic benefits! This report was primarily funded by North Carolina Beach, Inlet and Waterway Association, which owns the published results, with major support from North Carolina Sea Grant and the NC Dept of Environment & Natural Resources. It was prepared by noted economic experts, Dr. Jim Herstine, Ph.D., Dr. Chris Dumas, Ph.D. (both of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington), and Dr. John Whitehead, Ph.D.- Appalachian State University. All of which is to say that this study/report comes with some genuine expertise and impressive credentials attached. I think it fair to say that the entire audience was stunned with what we heard. We think you will be too:So, run, don't walk to:http://cruisersnet.net/?p=129685
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Florida Keys
II. Potential Problems With Florida Fish and Wildlife Service Patrols (FWC) in Marathon, Florida's Boot Key Harbor
It has just been brought to the attention of the Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net that there is a lengthy thread of messages on the Cruisers Forum (http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f57/civil-rights-attorney-needed-marathon-fl-116693-11.html) about what has been described as "heavy handed tactics" on the part of the FWC (formerly the Florida Marine Patrol) regarding boats anchored, and on the city provided mooring balls, in Marathon, Florida's Boot Key Harbor. This lengthy chain of messages was begun by an article, posted by a local cruiser and employee of the Marathon City Marina. And, just to give you a little sampling:
"Every night for the past two weeks the boaters in Boot Key Harbor have been harassed by the FWC. I understand they need to do their job, however if the following is "doing their job" then I don't even recognize the place I grew up. Shining lights in boat windows at 10:30PM, boarding boats when people are fast asleep. This is my home and my daughters bed is right by the window, what right do they have to shine lights in my house waking us up when not investigating anything, it's become a nightly occurrence." And, this is only the beginning of what the SSECN reports in the below-linked, in-depth article. We URGE all members of the cruising community who are Florida Keys bound to follow the link below, read all the information, and form your own opinions. Already, we are receiving reports of cruisers altering their winter Florida Keys cruising plans because of these potential difficulties. EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS' NET URGES ALL CRUISERS WHO HAVE HAD DIRECT EXPERIENCE, GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT, WITH THE FWC IN BOOT KEY HARBOR TO LET US HEAR FROM YOU. We will do all in our power to help get the word out about what cruisers can really expect if they anchor or moor in Boot Key Harbor, but, first, we need MORE INPUT. And, please do NOT send us submissions about how the USA has become a "police state." This is not useful input, and will not be published on the SSECN. HOWEVER, with a nod to our Department of Redundancy Department, we DO need to hear from every possible cruiser who has first hand experience with the FWC in Boot Key Harbor. PLEASE make use of the "Click Here to Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge" link at the bottom of the below linked article, or send us e-mail at [email protected]. Your fellow cruisers heading for the Florida Keys can't wait to hear from you! So, please, without fail, visit: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=129366
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III. SSECN ARGUS Chart View Layer UPDATED As of December 12, 2013 With a TON Of New Data
We are very pleased to announce that, effective immediately, the latest "solution set" from the ARGUS Project is now LIVE on the Cruisers' Net's "Chart View" pages. As always, this superb data is being made available to the cruising community at NO CHARGE. You don't have to buy anything, join any organization, nor even provide a user name or a password! How's that for an "offer you can't refuse!"
What this means is that, right now, as we are about to enter the Florida winter, 2013-2014 cruising season, SSECN users have the very latest ARGUS AICW sounding data available.
First, let's hear directly from ARGUS's creator, Captain John Hersey, of Survice Engineering:
I wanted to let you know that we just updated the SSECN ARGUS solution with all of the fall's southbound traffic and an additional million or so soundings, thanks to M/V Altair, M/V Chez Nous, M/V Beach House, M/V Elixir, S/V Makai and a few others.
John For those not yet familiar with our Chart View ARGUS layer, be advised that users who have one of our "Chart View" pages open, can click a simple checkbox (just above the chart image, in the second, moving left to right, vertical row of check boxes), thereby opening an "ARGUS layer", set over up-to-date images of the NOAA nautical charts. Once selected, the ARGUS layer will display color coded markers (and a color code legend) which depict the tide corrected solution of soundings gathered by ARGUS cooperative research vessels. This invaluable tool provides the Southeastern USA cruising community with yet another resource to help make mariner's time on the water a safer and more enjoyable experience. We know the cruising community will find this updated ARGUS data to be very useful. Please join with me in thanking Survice Engineering as well as EarthNC for making this service possible, partnered with the Salty Southeast Cruiser' Net. To learn more, and see an striking example of this new data, please visit: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=129748
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2013 Holiday Season
IV. Holiday Boat Parades and Fireworks Displays, 2013 Holiday Season
To help you get into the Holiday Spirit, the Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net has compiled a listing of Christmas parades and firework displays, including some really eye catching photos!
Check out this Holiday cheer article at:
http://cruisersnet.net/?p=129232
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Georgia
V. Depths of As Little as 4.5 Feet (MLW) Found on the AICW/Jekyll Creek Problem Stretch (St. M. 683) - Captains Mark and Diana Report
Our good friends, and SSECN strategic partners, Captains Mark and Diana Doyle, founders and owners of "On The Water ChartGuides" (http://www.onthewaterchartguides.com/), give us an updated, graphic report in the below linked article, relaying what they discovered as they navigated through the Jekyll Creek section of the AICW, south of St. Simons Island and Brunswick, Georgia on 11/21/13!
Note that the Doyle's soundings were taken near high tide, so to calculate MLW depths, you must subtract 6.6 feet from their soundings depicted in the below linked article. Applying this correction, Diana and Mark noted soundings of "4.5 to 5.5 feet at MLLW! CLEARLY all cruisers should transit this AICW Problem Stretch at mid to high tide!
Incidentally, Diana and Mark have recently published a new edition of their immensely popular "ICW CruiseGuide." Click on the book graphic to the above left for more details, and to place an order!
Full information on the Doyle's Jekyll Creek article is found at:
http://cruisersnet.net/?p=129409
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Eastern Florida, Florida Keys, Western Florida
Now, linked below we have a LIVELY discussion about the pros and cons (in this case, mostly "cons") of mooring fields in Florida. It is only fair to note that other strings of messages here on the SSECN, and in other forums, have expressed good opinions of the Florida mooring fields. Clearly, this is an issue that arouses passions within the cruising community, no matter on which side of the issue you fall. WE ENCOURAGE SSECN READERS TO EXPRESS THEIR POINT OF VIEW ON THIS TIMELY TOPIC.
Please visit:
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Western Florida
X. Report on Punta Blanco Inner Anchorage, Western Florida ICW Statute Mile 23
One of the most potentially fascinating, but least known and little used anchorages on the Western Florida coastline, lies just off the Western Florida ICW's path through Pine Island Sound, on the charted bubble of deep water virtually surrounded by Punta Blanco, north-northwest of marker #65. There is a reason for these water's obscurity. There is NOTHING navigationally simple about entering this anchor down spot. However, Captain Jean Thomason gives us her personal insights concerning this anchorage at: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=128767
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North Carolina XI. Initial Dredging Work at Oregon Inlet and Bonner Bridge Completed, Pamlico Sound, Outer Banks, NC
Possibly the single most dangerous seaward passage on the North Carolina coastline, that is considered "navigable," is Oregon Inlet. This highly unstable channel splits the North Carolina Outer Banks, southeast of Roanoke Island's southern tip, and lies at the northern extreme of broad Pamlico Sound.
Oregon Inlet is spanned by the Bonner Bridge. This fixed, high-rise structure is the ONLY means for automobile traffic to travel to the southern 3/4 of the Outer Banks.
The movement of sand in Oregon Inlet can be a very swift process indeed. So swift, that some of the pillars of the Bonner Bridge have been recently left with little support, and the NCDOT has been forced to close the bridge to automobile traffic.
The state has rushed a dredge to the site, and it has been pumping sand at warp speed back under the bridge, hoping to shore up the pillars. It is yet to be seen whether this process will be successful. North Carolina cruisers will find the below linked article and photos concerning this emergency pumping of sand interesting. If this accurately describes you, please visit:
http://cruisersnet.net/?p=129461
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Eastern Florida
XV. More on Peck Lake Anchorage, AICW Statute Mile 992
The once popular anchorage on the waters of Peck Lake lie immediately off the AICW's path, south of the Waterway's intersection with the St. Lucie Inlet, east-southeast of marker #19. For many years, this has been a popular anchor down spot, though finding deep water across a bar separating the Waterway from the anchorage has always been challenging. Now, at least for a little while, the dredging of nearby St. Lucie Inlet, reported above in this Alert, has closed these waters to cruising craft. See why at: http://cruisersnet.net/?p=127886 That's all for now. Good luck, good cruising and Happy Holidays to all!!!! Claiborne S. Young Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net http://www.CruisersNet.net[email protected]
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