Titusville Opens Mooring Field

Titusville has now opened a mooring field. The field has 50 moorings, with 25 each on the north and south sides of the channel into the Titusville Marina. The field, according to local sailors, is clearly marked with yellow buoys. The $15 daily fee includes restrooms and showers, laundry, pumpout, dingy dockage and vehicle parking. 

Titusville Marina advises us that anchoring will be allowed to the north and south of the boundaries marking the mooring field. Depths are from 5 - 6 feet according to the marina, with some deeper sections. Dinghy dockage when anchoring is $5 daily.
First Timers' Guide has requested a map showing the mooring field which we will post as soon as we receive it.

Write on the Water

For those interested in some interesting reading from other boating writers, check out Write on the Water.

It features a variety of interesting topics, plus my own latest piece, Icons and Irony, in which I speak about meeting some of my own personal icons at the 2011 Annapolis Sailboat Show - Lynn and Larry Pardey among them - and what being an icon is all about - at least, in my opinion.

Town Creek, Beaufort NC - problem.

October 16, 2011 New ICW cruiser Greg Lebreton and family on Off 2 C report a possible obstruction in Town Creek, Beaufort NC - they found themselves hung up in 13 feet of water with 6.5 foot draft, but were able to get off with a bit of effort. The lat/long is N34.43.476 W7639848 - we advise boaters in this area to proceed with caution as this is directly in front of Town Creek. Greg further reports that the anchorage as reported in Skipper Bob was fine. Any cruisers with further information or updates are encouraged to post the information here for our fellow cruisers.

South from Beaufort NC to Southport

Mile 229, at Caspar's Marina
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Many people are unsure of where they can safely and comfortably anchor when they head south from Beaufort NC. Here's the scoop! Your first viable anchorage is at mile 229 - at Caspars Marina - when you come in, make sure you aim for red 46C, then turn in to the channel to starboard. Don't come in too close to red 2. Holding is ok, but be sure you set the anchor well here, there's a lot of current. You might want to stay at Caspars for the night, up to you. Nice marina, GREAT showers.
Next anchorage is Mile Hammock, at 244.5. This is within the military range, no going ashore, there will likely be a number of boats in here but lots of room. Good protection. Let the anchor settle here for a while before you back down on it, the bottom is a bit silty. There is an anchorage at 264.5, well off the ICW, I've never used it. Word is, it's shoal.

Wrightsville B
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I go on through to Wrightsville beach from one of the previous two locations. Keep in mind, the bridge schedules here are difficult -note the openings and try to get your timing right or expect to wait for quite some time at each one. Get fuel at Seapath Marina, they'll permit you the use of the loaner car for groceries, etc. There is a West Marine close by, and a handy propane refill place. If you need propane, this is as easy as it gets until Florida. You can anchor out opposite the Seapath docks, or go around to the anchorage by the bridge. If you do, stay well clear of the green marks, tends to be shallow.

Southport, Cape Fear River
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When you head for Southport from Wrightsville Beach - make sure you come to the Cape Fear river at about an hour AFTER high tide at Southport. That way, you get to ride the tide downriver and make good time. Snow's Cut will be against you because it empties via Carolina Cut, but it's only a mile. In Southport, you can tie up to the docks at the restaurants for free, provided you eat there. The anchorage is small and shoals at about 5 feet, although there has been talk of dredging it, so tie up and relax. Southport is very pretty and worth exploring. NAPA nearby if you need marine parts.

Florida Anchoring Law Changes

That's right. Florida is AGAIN changing its anchoring regulations, only this time it's being set up as a 'Pilot Program' wherein five locations with mooring fields can set up regulations unique to their city. Some of the proposed regulations include a ten day anchoring limit in St. Augustine. For more details, click through to Anchors Away Free xml sitemap generator

Erie Canal to open for two weeks.

The Erie Canal will reopen to commercial and recreational traffic for a two-week navigation period starting Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24 and will close on Dec. 8 to allow vessels caught in the system by Hurricane Irene and subsequent flooding, to reach their destinations. Parts of the canal have been closed since major flooding overwhelmed locks between Fort Plain and Schenectady. Steel uprights that hold dam gates in place were twisted and displaced, and lock and power houses were swept away in the flooding. Machinery used to operate the locks and dams were flooded and, at three locations, flood waters carved new channels for the Mohawk River around the lock and dam structures. In addition to lock and dam repairs, the canal will also be dredged where fill deposited during the flooding has blocked the river. Gov. Cuomo has requested that Canada extend the season for the Chambly Canal which connects Canada to Lake Champlain. Normally the Chambly Canal season would end Oct. 10. For more information, visit www.canals.ny.gov.

Unexpected exposure!

I received some good news this week, I've been accepted as a regular contributor to Write on the Water, starting October 9. This is a rather unique blog comprised of authors who sail. Or perhaps they are sailors who write - there's some confusion amongst several of them as to which they are. Regardless of which description fits, this is one of the most popular online blogs for sailors, because sailors are readers as a rule,  and quite literate. Just look at the number of sailing blogs, websites, magazines and books out there concerned with this sport. And every other sailor I know has tried or is thinking of trying their hand at, submitting a story to one of the sailing magazines for publication. So - which am I you ask - a sailor who writes, or a writer who sails? As I think about it, I realize I'm not really sure. Perhaps I'll side with Christine Kling, who also posts on Write on the Water, and see how I feel from day to day - let the answer slide back and forth on the continuum between 100% writer and 100% sailor. Make sure you check out Write on the Water - click here on October 9 and see my first contribution, and of course, those of the other writers, which are quite, quite good.