Join the Ships of the Sea Museum in Savannah, Georgia, May 22nd as they celebrate National Maritime Day.
“In 1933, Congress declared National Maritime Day to commemorate the American steamship Savannah’s voyage from the United States to England, marking the first successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean with steam propulsion,” states the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation.
Since the original settlers arrived by ships, the United States has been a seafaring nation built upon our ocean-going trade. The museum is open with free admission on Tuesday, May 22nd in honor of Maritime Day and the tradition that recognizes the men and women who dedicate their lives to the sea.
This annual tradition in Darien, Georgia, is the largest Blessing of the Fleet on the U.S.
East Coast. Join the fun April 14-15 as this community blesses the shrimp boat captains
with a safe and prosperous season. The Blessing becomes a weekend-long festival
with a marine parade, live music, juried art show, 5K run, children’s events, and some
of the best seafood in the Southeast.
With more than 30,000 attendees expected throughout the weekend, the celebration has become one of Georgia’s largest and most anticipated coastal events. For seasonal cruisers heading north in April, Darien is only seven miles off the ICW with free municipal dockage that includes electric.
The 16th annual Savannah Boat Show welcomes all of those boaters to one of the
Southeast’s premier winter boat shows. Located at the Savannah International Trade
and Convention Center on Hutchinson Island, March 2-4, the Show overlooks the
Savannah River and is adjacent to the Westin Harbor Golf Resort Spa and Marina.
With a focus on powerboats, demonstrations, and seminars on fishing, boating electronics and accessories are included as well as local seafood, music and shag dancing competitions.
As one of the largest indoor shows in the Southeast, the weather will not be a factor; rain
or shine, the show will go on. Two-day passes are available at a 50-percent discount off
the one-day rate.
Seasonal cruisers make their way toward warmer weather late in November, and many will arrive in the Southeast by Thanksgiving, this year on November 24th. If you’ll be cruising on Thanksgiving, you’re in luck!
Many communities offer a Thanksgiving dinner or organized potluck, and transient cruisers can gather together in a warm and inviting setting. The following four are just a few of the locations holding community celebrations.
Beaufort, North Carolina: Ann Street United Methodist Church hosts one of the most popular Thanksgiving dinners in the South. It’s located at 417 Ann Street, only two blocks away from the Beaufort Town Docks. The church provides turkey along with other main features, while cruisers are welcome to bring a side dish. Dinner is served from 12:00PM until 2:00PM.
Port Royal, South Carolina: The Port Royal Landing Marina begins their holiday event the night before Thanksgiving. Cruisers are invited to bring a beverage and stop by while the turkeys are smoking. The Thanksgiving Day meal will be served at 1:00PM—diners need only bring a side dish. The marina is located at mile marker 539 on the ICW.
St. Marys, Georgia: Riverview Hotel hosts a cruiser’s potluck dinner and provides the turkey; cruisers contribute side dishes. Dinner begins at 1:00PM at this historic waterfront hotel on 105 Osborne Street. Docking is available at Lang’s Marina, St. Mary’s Docks or anchoring in the river nearby.
Vero Beach, Florida: The Vero Beach City Marina will once again hold its annual Thanksgiving dinner at the River House adjacent to the marina. Turkeys are donated and prepared by members of the community, Cruisers Living on Dirt, that have settled in the area. Tie up the boat, bring a side dish and enjoy some fellowship with this lively bunch. Dinner will be served at 2:00PM.
Waterfront improvement There are more reasons for cruisers to visit Fort Pierce, Florida’s renovated waterfront, especially after the successful rebuilding of the City Marina. Just in time for the November 11th Veterans Day holiday, Fort Pierce unveils a multi-million dollar renovation of Veterans Memorial Park. It will occupy eight acres of prime riverfront property. The new Veterans Memorial Park features covered pavilions and a palm tree-lined pond. The park is also home to the Fort Pierce Yacht Club, Liberty Garden, Manatee Center, and the Seven Gables House Visitors Center.
As nice as the new park amenities will be, the real beauty is in the park’s environmental benefits. According to the City Manager’s office, the renovation will prevent over 1,000 lbs. of pollutants and debris from entering the adjacent Indian River Lagoon annually. The new park layout channels surface water through a series of specially designed ponds and swales, which traps debris, nutrients and heavy metals, allowing cleaner water to continue on to the lagoon and river.
PGA Classic If where you keep your golf clubs on board is as important as where you keep your anchor, you won’t want to miss this favorite annual PGA tournament. The tournament will be played at the Sea Island Golf Club on Sea Island, Georgia, from November 14-20. This popular event has raised more than $4.8 million for a variety of children’s and family charities. Tickets are available at rsmclassic.com.
You never know whom you might run into in downtown Brunswick, Georgia. This past fall, a downtown street became Prohibition-era Ybor City, Florida, for the film Live by Night, which is to be released in 2017. The organized crime-theme story is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane and directed by Ben Affleck who also wrote and stars in the film. During production, vintage cars drove through town, Spanish signage appeared on buildings and extras strolled the streets in 1920s attire. Brunswick Landings Marina is just steps away.
Stone crab season continues.
Stone crabs are in season until early May. Photo: Dave C. of Destin, FL
Stone crab harvesting is on in Florida through May 15th. The law permits taking one claw per crab measuring at least 2.75 inches in length from the elbow to immovable tip. No claws are permitted from egg-bearing stone crabs. Noncommercial harvesters may take up to five stone crab traps per person, and devices used must leave the crab’s body intact and uninjured. Collier, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties do not allow round entrances on traps in state or federal waters off their counties. A bag limit of one gallon of claws per person or two gallons per vessel, whichever is less, is allowed for recreational harvesters. For more stone crab harvesting information visit: myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/regulations/stone-crabs.
Ground transportation for boaters Mariners visiting St. Marys, Georgia, can run errands and visit the historic town with free ground transportation provided by the wonderful volunteers of the St. Mary’s Yacht Club. They may grant permission to board their 46-foot houseboat The Clubhouse as well, a unique and fun experience. Phone numbers of volunteer drivers are listed in a flyer within the documents and flyers section of stmaryswelcome.com.
Dredging in Breach Inlet There’s no need to bypass Isle of Palm (IOP) Marina or Charleston City Marina in South Carolina now that the Breach Inlet is dredged. The ICW at the inlet between Sullivan’s Island and IOP was dangerously shallow—almost dry at low tide—due to shoaling, and the low water led to several boating injuries. Charleston County and the federal government fund the project that also includes dredging Jeremy Creek in McClellanville. Dredging of the creek started in January.
Grounded boat creates oil spill. In November 2015, a 60-foot relief boat loaded with supplies headed to Haiti grounded and sank in the St. Lucie River in Florida. No injury to passengers or crew was reported, but it did, however, create a large oil spill and debris field of barrels, boxes of food and produce in the St. Lucie River and the ICW. Locals suspect that the boat’s shaft strut punched a hole in the hull during its grounding. Martin County paid for its $1,800 salvage cost.
By Nancy E. Spraker – Southern Boating Magazine, Ferbruary 2016
If you love oysters and a good time, The Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation near Charleston, South Carolina is the place to be on January 31st from 10AM until 5PM. Oyster shucking and oyster eating contests, live music, wine, domestic and imported beers, a children’s area, and a food court showcasing favorite local restaurants await. It claims to be the world’s largest oyster festival. boonehallplantation.com/annual_oyster_roast.php
Bluewater Yacht Sales moves to new location
Bluewater Yacht Sales of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, moved from a Marina Pierhouse office space to a new multi-story structure with a perfect view of ICW boat traffic and close proximity to Wrightsville Marina, Bluewater Grill restaurant and Highway 74’s eastbound traffic across the drawbridge. It is located at ICW MM 283.2.
Archeologists Parker Brooks, Jim Jobling and James Duff, examine a piece of casemate, made of railroad ties and timber, which served as the outer layer of armor for CSS Georgia.
Raising the CSS Georgia
The Confederate ironclad CSS Georgia that was scuttled by its crew to prevent capture in 1864 has been raised from the depth of the Savannah River one five-ton chunk at a time. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recovered cannons, 132 unexploded shells and 250,000 pounds of casemates (iron sidings) from the vessel. Recovery will help understand how ironclads were built in the South. “A lot of these ironclads are built by house carpenters—they’re not built by shipwrights,” said Jeff Seymour, historian and curator for the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia. The ship sank without ever firing a single shot in combat.
John Weller of Freedom Waters Foundation took a group of children with life-threatening illnesses on boat rides off Palm Beach.
“Weller Days”
Freedom Waters Foundation co-founder and Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based yacht broker John Weller recently took a group of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families on boat rides off Palm Beach, Florida. Manatee-watching, dancing and taking the helm of the renovated antique motor yacht Mariner III was a welcome relief from doctors, nurses and medications. Weller, a six-time cancer survivor, co-founded the charity 10 years ago to provide boating opportunities for children with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses, at-risk youth, veterans, and those with special needs. “Weller Days” was started in 2004 and has been a tradition ever since. “This is a getaway from reality,” says Weller. “And to be on a boat like this is something very, very special.”
North Carolina bridges in progress
Two new bridges are in the works in North Carolina. A high level fixed bridge to be completed in May 2017 is being constructed between Radio Island and Michael J. Field in Carteret County with waterway closures planned. It will have a vertical clearance of 65 feet above mean high water (MHW) with a horizontal clearance of 100 feet. Tugboats and barges are being used for in-water work. Construction vessels monitor VHF channel 13 for mariner communication. The Wilmington Bypass Bridge in Brunswick and New Hanover Counties is set for a vertical clearance of 64 feet above MHW and horizontal clearance of 160 feet upon completion in December. The channel remains open to navigation with work barges and structures along the shore.
By Nancy E. Spraker, Southern Boating Magazine January 2016
Jerry Cash, 31, an Iraq war veteran, took over as marina manager at The Boathouse at Harbor Club in Greensboro, Georgia. Thankful for the opportunity the marine industry offered him upon his return from Iraq, Cash works tirelessly to get the new marina up and running with principles that were instilled into him during his time in the military—strive for the best and get the job done, no matter what.
SB: Tell me about what you’re doing now. JC: What I’m trying to implement is an all-inclusive dry storage facility and marina, where customers can come and not have to worry about service, maintenance or anything in regards with their boat. I want them to come out, call in their boat, leave, go out, enjoy their day, then come back and drop it off. So that’s something that I’m pushing to do, such as getting a mechanic on hand . . . that’s one of my main goals here at the Boathouse.
This is a new marina; they completed construction last year. I believe it used to be like a campsite from what I heard, and a hangout spot for a lot of old timers. The restaurant was redone, gas pumps were added and the dry storage was built. But when I came on board in August, nothing really had been implemented [as far as logistics and the creation of the all-inclusive facility]. We don’t have a [forklift] so I had a special trailer made, where we can move the boat from dry storage to the water. It’s actually safer believe it or not because you’re not traveling with the boat on the forklift, it’s sitting on the trailer. I got the idea from one of the other facilities I worked at, so I kind of took some dimensions and had it made for me.
The Boathouse at The Harbor Club in Greensboro, GA.
SB: How important is it for you to be able to implement that kind of all-inclusive service? JC: That’s what boating is all about, your only concern should be getting here and to the boat, you shouldn’t have to worry about scheduling maintenance or details such as shrink wrap. . . . I just want to be a full service where customers just show up and get on the boat. I think it’s important to shoot for, customers are paying for storage and other amenities, so I want that to be the main focus of this marina.
I’m in the process of working out the maintenance, of determining whether I’m going to work something out with the local maintenance shop, where the customer can let me or one of my guys know that their boat needs to be serviced, or have someone on hand, maybe someone who’s versatile and can help dock the boats and do maintenance work . . . but shrink wrap and anything else to get the boat ready for winter, that’s something I can handle.
SB: What do you like most about your job? JC: I like dealing with the customers, I like seeing them have fun while they’re out there. And at a marina, day-to-day operations are never the same, so it’s always a surprise coming in. New issues pop up. It never gets boring. There’s always something new to look forward to.
One of the boat lift at The Boathouse at The Harbor Club.
SB: Tell us about your background, where you’re from. JC: I was born in Gardena, California, and I was raised in South East Los Angeles. After high school I joined the army and spent three years in service including a tour in Iraq. I was in Iraq from ’05 to ’06. I got back from Iraq in April and then got out at the end of that month. I was stationed in Fort Stewart, right outside of Savannah, Georgia. I had some family members, who moved from California to Woodstock, and I like Georgia, the slow pace, a lot slower than California and less expensive, so I just decided to stay out here.
SB: Is there anything you’ve learned while you were in the military that you still use in your day-to-day activities? JC: Getting the job done. In the military if you’re handed an assignment it is your obligation to complete it, and I think that carries well to your work life. You start out with an idea and you pursue it until you get it done, just get the job done, see the task through. I think that’s one of the biggest things I took from the military. In the military you have to finish, you don’t have an option. Today for example I have a job, I know I could stretch out [my task] but that’s not part of me, so I get the job done, whatever it is.
SB: Did you grow up with a passion for the ocean, fishing, boating? How did that come about? JC: Believe it or not I just kind of fell into it. I do have a degree in Information Technology, but when I got out of the military I was just job hunting and I started off part time at Little River Marina [in Lake Allatoona, Georgia] and just moved up the chain from there. Prior to that I had actually no experience with boats at all; I’d never been on a boat. Little River Marina offered me a part time position so I took it. At the time I had just gotten married so I needed an income. I started part time there, and I was doing construction. Eventually I was offered full time. I was there for about eight years. Before I left I got promoted to assistant manager, but prior to that I was operations manager.
SB: When was the first time you went on a boat? JC: It was a few years when I was in Little River until I was able to take out a rental. It was a pontoon, a Harris float boat. I went out a little bit with one of the older guys who lived in the apartment complex I lived in. We did a little fishing with no luck; we didn’t catch anything, but it was a blast for the first time.
SB: Do you go boating more often now? JC: Believe it or not, I don’t get out on the lake as much, but my experience with boats is plentiful, I tow boats daily, drive… I can drive just about any boats. I don’t get out as much as you would think working at a marina. I spend most of my time helping out customers making sure things are the way there’re supposed to be at the marina. Making sure people are having a good time on their boat, that’s my purpose.
SB: Would you want to own a boat? JC: I do, definitely. Just a little 20-foot bowrider would be perfect for me and my little family; I have a 4-year-old daughter.
SB: Where do you see yourself in a few years from now? JC: The marine industry has treated me pretty well, and I’ve developed a knack for it, so I think I will continue. I don’t know which avenue in the marine industry I’d like to pursue next, but I can definitely see myself sticking with it.
By Nathalie Gouillou, Southern Exposure, December 2015
An old steam engine sputters along the canals of Key Largo, Florida these days. Lance and Suzanne Holmquist restored the original 30-foot, steel hulled 1912 steamship African Queen used in the film of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. They give 80-minute cruises on the vessel for up to six passengers. Captain Wayne toots a steam whistle as it passes homes along Port Largo canals to the Atlantic Ocean. Cruises depart from the Marina Del Mar and cost $49. africanqueenflkeys.com
Bring on the lobster!
Spiny lobster season in Florida, both recreational and commercial, started in late July and continues through March 31st. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) allows up to six lobsters per person per day. Carapace length must be larger than three inches and harvesting of egg-bearing females is not allowed. Lobsters must remain whole until brought ashore—whole lobsters must be kept in a cooler and no tools should alter shells. During the two-day sport season this year (July 29-30) the FWC permitted one extra lobster for every 10 lionfish caught. Divers-down buoys are required when diving.
New marina in historic Wilmington
Port City Marina on the Cape Fear River, North Carolina, 14 miles north of the ICW (Mile 300) opened for business in July. Port City management says, “Due to hard work and dedication we are more than thrilled and proud to be the gateway to historic downtown Wilmington.” The marina handles boats up to 250 feet in their 200 state-of-the-art floating wet slips with a controlled depth of 10 feet in its basin, accommodating deeper drafts in slips along the Cape Fear River. First class amenities—30, 50 and 100-amp electric service, free Wi-Fi, full service fuel dock, and more—as well as concierge services complete the marina. Downtown Wilmington offers restaurants, art galleries and boutiques, and Wilmington International Airport is just 10 minutes away. portcitymarina.com
A spaceport in coastal Georgia?
If Camden County, Georgia, officials have their way, Titusville, Florida, won’t be the only place within the Southeast Seaboard region to be a vantage point for cruisers to view rocket launches. The county has been working to bring a spaceport to a site located on the I-95 corridor next to the Atlantic Ocean for two years. Launches could affect navigable waterways—required to close as per most spaceports’ procedures around the country—and impose timed closures of the ICW. Fallen debris from launch failures might also disturb the birthing of right whales off Georgia’s coast and pose a threat to nearby Kings Bay Naval Base, home to nuclear powered submarines.
Reduced vertical clearance
Work on the main channel at Buckman Bridge on the St. Johns River near Jacksonville, Florida, continues through November. Although horizontal clearance in the channel is unchanged, vertical clearance is 60 feet 6 inches on one half of the channel. The original 64 feet 2 inches remains on the other half. Original vertical clearance will be restored throughout at construction’s completion.
By Nancy E. Spraker, Southern Boating, November 2015
Four South Carolina marine businesses received hefty Boating Infrastructure Grants (BIG) this year. The Charleston City Marina replaces electrical receptacles on its MegaDock with about $20,000; The Myrtle Beach Yacht Club replaces its fuel system with nearly $45,000; Beaufort’s Downtown Marina upgrades its transient dock with almost $1 million, and St. Johns Yacht Harbor constructs 50 transient slips and installs a state-of-the-art fueling system with over $953,000. Boating excise duties finance the BIG trust fund.
The aggressive lionfish significantly threatens Florida’s native wildlife and habitat. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) held a Lionfish Summit in 2013 to catalyze the necessary changes for reduction and easy removal of lionfish, and to develop markets for them. The commission launched the free app “Report Florida Lionfish” with educational information, safe handling guidelines and a data-reporting form for public lionfish spotters and harvesters. App users can also share their photos of lionfish in Florida waters. Those without smart devices may submit reports at myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish.
Miami Megayacht Marina will provide much-needed slips for 200-foot megayachts on the Miami River next summer. This 14-slip facility replaces an existing well-worn marina. Each covered slip comes with sheltered parking for three vehicles, indoor storage and quarters for captain and crew (unique in the U.S.). Covered tender storage, an owner’s vault and additional flexible space are also included. Marina amenities include a clubhouse with a coffee shop, internet, dining area, spa, exercise room, media room, and swimming pool. Marine-related businesses are onsite. Dredging and a new seawall are planned. The Miami Megayacht Marina is expected to revitalize the area and its economy.
New Smyrna Beach, Florida, was the final destination for 67-year-old kayaker Alexander “Olek” Doba. He paddled solo more than 6,000 miles from Portugal over the course of 195 days. After leaving Lisbon last October he encountered storms, mechanical problems, a challenging Gulf Stream, and winds that blew him off course. In April, Doba and his 21-foot kayak was escorted into a New Smyrna Beach harbor by 15 local kayakers. When he kissed Florida’s sandy soil his admirers on shore called him a “tough guy.”
ICW drawbridges in Daytona Beach’s Volusia County and other ICW locales will vanish in future years due to expensive bridge maintenance with custom-made parts and tender costs as much as $400,000 per year. A high-rise bridge replacing a Volusia County drawbridge next year will cost $43 million with mostly federal funds. Although expensive to build, high-rise bridges’ annual costs are less. ICW cruisers will still have to wait for bridge openings since fundraising for new bridges takes time.
S.E. Seaboard boat drivers of certain ages will now be required to take classes on safe boat handling. States’ age requirements are North Carolina, under 26; South Carolina, under 16 if operating a boat with 15 horsepower or more; Georgia, born on or after January 1, 1998; Florida, born on or after January 1, 1988, if the boat has 10 horsepower or more.
