Special East Coast Alerts

05/01/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale B.B. McCormick Bridge Channel Closed to Vessel Traffic: The old B.B. McCormick Bridge in Jacksonville Beach, Florida is being demolished as the new high level span has opened for both east and west-bound traffic.

04/25/08 Onslow Beach Bridge, NC ICW: Just received from the USCG 5th District Bridge Branch:
MARINERS ARE ADVISED THAT THE ONSLOW BEACH SWING BRIDGE ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA CUT AT AIWW MILE 240.7 AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NC WILL PROVIDE VESSEL OPENINGS ON THE HOUR AT ALL TIMES FROM MON 28 APR UNTIL SAT 3 MAY 2008 TO COMPLETE STRUCTURAL REPAIRS. MARINERS SHOULD ADJUST THEIR TRANSITS ACCORDINGLY.
This bridge normally opens on the hour and half hour. Remember that it is a very slow opening bridge.

04/25/08 Update on Ponce de Leon Inlet and ICW: The following information is from a very knowledgeable source (local TowBoatUS operator):

As of April 24, 2008 the Ponce Inlet Channel (the inlet from the ocean, not the ICW) is reported to be shoaling in the vicinity of "7A" and "7B", with frequent changes in the depth and location of the shoal area.

Dredging continues in the ICW in the area of Markers "4"-"10". NOTE: It's important to call the dredge (VHF Channels 13, 16, working channel 79A) for instructions and to follow those instructions. Some vessels not calling or not following directions have been going aground passing the dredge.

The area of floating markers (nuns and cans) in the ICW just north of the area being dredged (north of “4”) is reported to be remaining fairly stable. It is recommended that in following these floating markers, to stay in mid-channel. It is generally not very deep.

Sheephead Cut is reported to be have deeper water than the ICW Channel in the area between ICW markers "34" to "38". It is the recommended route until dredging takes place in the ICW channel up to the Harris Saxon Bridge (marker "38") later this summer.

04/24/08 BB McCormick Bridge Channel Closed to Vessel Traffic: According to reports from boaters and a local TV report, the old BB McCormick Bridge in Jacksonville Beach, Florida is being demolished as the new high level span has opened for both east and west-bound traffic. The ICW Channel under the bridge is reported to be closed to vessel traffic starting Wednesday, April 23 until May 14. Hours for closure are 7:00 a.m. till noon, and from 1:00 p.m. till 5:00 p.m.

04/17/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Ponce Area (New Smyrna Beach, FL) Dredging/Grounding Report: The USCG dredging announcement below was posted in the previous East Coast Alerts.

04/14/08 FM COMCOGARD SECTOR NORTH CAROLINA ATLANTIC BEACH NC
TO CCGDFIVE PORTSMOUTH VA//DPW/DR/DRMC/DP//
Onslow Beach Bridge, Mile 240.7, Schedule Change:
We have received the following information from the USCG 5 th District Bridge Branch:

MARINERS ARE ADVISED THAT THE ONSLOW BEACH SWING BRIDGE ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA CUT AT AIWW MILE 240.7 AT CAMP LEJEUNE NC WILL PROVIDE VESSEL OPENING ON THE HOUR AT ALL TIMES FROM MONDAY 14 APRIL UNTIL FRIDAY 19 APRIL 2008 TO COMPLETE STRUCTURAL REPAIRS. MARINERS SHOULD ADJUST THEIR TRANSITS ACCORDINGLY.

04/07/08 Figure Eight Island Swing Bridge Closed: The Figure Eight Island Swing Bridge at ICW Mile 278.1 is broken in the closed to navigation position as of April 3, 2008. Repairs are expected to take place on April 4, 2008. The bridge tender reports that the bridge may be open for navigation sometime in the afternoon on April 4.

04/03/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Shoaling at Matanzas Inlet Crossing of the ICW, FL: Mother Nature is at work again:* The USCG 7th District had two mentions of this area:

03/20/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Good News in North Carolina ICW: According to a USACE Wilmington District official with whom I spoke on March 17, 2008, two ICW dredging projects are nearing completion:

03/06/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Dismal Swamp Canal Route NOW OPEN: The 5th District LNM 09 announces that* effective February 22, 2008 the locks at Deep Creek, VA and South Mills, NC and the drawbridges on US Route 17 will return to their normal operating schedule to accommodate vessels desiring to use the Dismal Swamp Canal (Route 2) of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

02/26/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Margate Bridge, Mile 74, New Jersey ICW Emergency Repairs: From the USCG 5th District Bridge Branch: Mariners are advised that emergency structural steel repairs will be performed at the Margate Bridge, at ICW mile 74.0, across Beach Thorofare in Margate, NJ.

02/21/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The 1 st District LNM 07 states the* Coast Guard is conducting Waterways Analysis Reviews of Penobscot Bay and Tributaries. The Waterways Analysis Review is used to determine the effectiveness of aids to navigation within the waterways.

02/08/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Broward County, FL, Seeks Nighttime Closures of New River Bridges: Recent newspaper articles in Ft. Lauderdale have reported that Broward County, in an attempt to cut costs, is seeking a change in the regulations of three bridges crossing the New River, between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m.

01/24/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Finally!! Worst North Carolina ICW Problem Spot Now Being Dredged: The USCG 5th District LNM 03 on January 15 announced that the DREDGE RICHMOND will be conducting dredging operations in the AIWW at Bear Inlet to Brown Inlet from 15 January until 31 March, 2008.

01/10/08 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Weeks of Day-Long Closure at George C. Musson Bridge, ICW Mile 845: On January 7, 2008, frantic boaters were reporting that the George C. Musson Bridge (a.k.a. Coronado Beach Bridge) at ICW Mile 845 was closed all day and would continue to be closed during the day for an unknown period.

12/28/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Congress Approves Funding for ICW Dredging: Congress has approved some funding for some maintenance dredging of the ICW in Fiscal Year 2008.

12/13/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Ben Sawyer Bridge, Charleston, SC, Closure: We received the following notice regarding the closure of the Ben Sawyer Bridge.

11/30/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale ICW Closed in Norfolk for 36 hours: The following is a notice received from the USCG 5th District Bridge Branch:*

11/15/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale USACE Survey Shows 3-foot Controlling Depth, ICW Channel, Mile 237: The USACE Wilmington District survey conducted on September 25 and 26, 2007 in this area of the ICW shows 3 feet to be the controlling depth in the channel near green can “61A.”

11/01/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The Dockmaster of the Las Olas Marina, a Ft. Lauderdale City Marina, reports that the Las Olas Mooring Field is back in service with a complete new system.

10/18/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The following is the text of an email being sent to all BoatUS MMSI registrants: Did you know that you have to change your MMSI number if you want to cruise internationally?

10/04/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Jordan Bridge, ICW Mile 2.8, Closure: This is a one day event, but it could be an inconvenient one day. It’s closed to cars also. Notice received from the 5th District Bridge Branch:

09/20/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Drought Causes Change in Dismal Swamp Canal Schedule: There has been a severe drought in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina during most of 2007.

09/05/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Malaria on Great Exuma, Bahamas: There have been two confirmed cases of malaria reported on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas this summer. One was in a tourist who had visited the island. This follows an outbreak of several cases reported in the late spring and summer of 2006.

08/23/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New USACE Surveys Show More Shallow Water in ICW, SC and Georgia: The latest Savannah District USACE quarterly surveys of the ICW between Port Royal Sound, SC and the Florida line confirm that the same old spots are continuing to shoal.

08/09/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale ICW New River Shoaling Again, Same Spot: The most recent survey of the New River Crossing of the ICW (July 10, 2007) at Mile 246 reveals that the recently dredged channel has shoaled to 3.9 feet in the middle of the channel, half way between red nuns 72A and 72B.

07/26/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Second Sailboat in a Month Hits Overhead Power Line and Burns: In our June 28, 2007 East Coast Alerts we told you of a sailboat burning up after hitting an overhead power cable with a 45 ft. vertical clearance in St.

07/12/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine, FL, July 2007, Bridge Closure: We received the following information from the Bridge of Lions Rehabilitation Project: * The channel will be closed at the Bridge of Lions temporary bridge in St. Augustine as follows:

06/28/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Much Needed Dredging in Matanzas Inlet FL, ICW Mile 792.5: When we passed last April, it was only five feet deep in parts and getting shallower.

06/14/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Las Olas Moorings Closed Temporarily: The moorings at Las Olas Bight, just to the south of the Las Olas Bridge, are closed temporarily for maintenance.

05/31/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale USACE Savannah District Quarterly ICW Surveys Show Shallow Water: Now there’s MORE shallow water in the ICW between Port Royal Sound, SC and the Florida line.

05/17/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Centerville Turnpike Bridge, Mile 15.2, Proposed Schedule Change: This is a reminder that there is a public comment period for this proposal that ends May 21, 2007.

05/03/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Ladies Island Bridge, ICW Mile 536, SC Schedule Change: As reported in the last East Coast Alerts (May 1, 2007), the high level bridge at ICW Mile 639.7 in Beaufort, SC has been damaged and closed to vehicular traffic.

05/02/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale ADDITIONAL MODIFICATIONS TO OPERATING HOURS: LADY’S ISLAND SWING BRIDGE BEAUFORT, SC Effective 16:00 on May 1, 2007 the Coast Guard has approved further temporary amendments to the opening schedule in 33 CFR 117.911 for the Lady’s Island Swing Bridge across the Beaufort River, Mile 536.0, Beaufort, SC.

05/01/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Temporary Schedule for Lady’s Island Bridge, Mile 536: The high level bridge at ICW Mile 536.7, south of the Lady’s Island Swing Bridge in Beaufort, SC, was hit by a barge and damaged.

04/19/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Lake Okeechobee Level Continues Fall: New Lock Restrictions: Three “Notice to Navigation Interests” from the Jacksonville District US Army Corps of Engineers give grim news for Okeechobee Waterway boaters.

04/05/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale DGPS SAVANNAH, GEORGIA OFF AIR TIMES From USCG 7th District LNM 14: DGPS Savannah Broadcast site will be off air/unusable on April 6, 2007, for semi-annual PMS from 1300Z to 1500Z (0900-1100).

03/22/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Georgia ICW Surveys Show More Shallow Water: As would be expected with no maintenance dredging, the Georgia ICW continues to shoal.

03/08/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Old EPIRBS Prohibited: From Seventh District USCG LNM 10: Mariners are advised that as of January 1, 2007 the operation of Class A, B, and S EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) is PROHIBITED.

02/22/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale We just received the following Notice from the Bridge of Lions Rehabilitation Project: (This involves a shorter closure period than previously announced.)

02/08/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Bahamas Fishing Regulations, with Amendments: The following information is from the official website for the Bahamas, and it’s even more restrictive than the original proposal that we reported in the December 14, 2006 East Coast Alerts:

01/25/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale What’s the Future for LORAN? USCG Seeks Comments: The following excerpt from the Federal Register concerning the future of the LORAN-C system beyond fiscal year 2007 was included as an enclosure to USCG 5th District LNMs 03 and 04.

01/11/07 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES WARNING: The following warning appears in various forms in all Local Notices to Mariners for East Coast districts (This one is for the 7th District which also includes an Enclosure with detailed procedure for the requirement for large ships to report sightings):

12/28/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Casco Bay, ME Anchoring Regulations: From the USCG 1st District 51: The Coast Guard hereby amends the special anchorage area in Falmouth, Maine, Casco Bay.

12/14/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale More LED’s (Therefore “Reduced Nominal Range”) for Aids to Navigation in the Northeast: These are in major boating areas. From USCG 1st District LNM 49:

11/30/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Further Notes from Chez Nous’ Trip South on the ICW: The following information is based on our observation. It is not meant to be used for navigation.

11/17/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Notes From Chez Nous’ ICW Trip: Our trip south from the Chesapeake started late and has been slow, mostly due to weather. We’re now waiting out a severe weather system at the new Morehead City Yacht Basin.

11/02/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale North Carolina ICW USACE Surveys: Mostly Good News: The following surveys from the USACE Wilmington District show recent information about these shoal-prone areas of the North Carolina ICW.

10/19/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Okeechobee Waterway, Florida, Route 2 Finally Open: Enclosure 10 to the 7 th District USCG LNM 42 is an Oct 11, 2006 Notice to Navigation Interests from the Jacksonville District USACE announcing that finally, almost a year after being closed following Hurricane Wilma, Route 2, Okeechobee Waterway is now free of all “known debris” and is open.

10/05/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Florida Anchoring Law: Many of you will remember the 2005 Miami Beach law restricting anchoring by live-aboard vessels to seven days within the city limits.

09/21/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Torpedo (Inert) Exercise Offshore of Cape Cod: If you are cruising offshore waters east of Cape Cod, be aware that, according to USCG 1 st District LNM 37, U.S. Navy ships will be conducting surface and subsurface exercise including launching and recovery of inert exercise torpedoes from 24 September - 1 Oct 2006.

09/07/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Georgia ICW Continues to Shoal, with NO DREDGING in Sight: The USACE Savannah District has published its latest survey (August 23, 2006) of ICW depths.

08/24/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Erie Canal Finally Open: Lock 10, located in the approximate middle of the Erie Canal, has been closed since flooding damage on June 30, 2006, preventing passage from one end of the canal to the other.

08/10/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Malaria in Great Exuma, Bahamas Update: Check http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/2006/malaria_bahamas.htm for the latest information about malaria in the Bahamas, updated as of August 1, 2006.

07/27/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Free Booklet Charts Offered by NOAA: Check http://www.nauticalcharts.gov/bookletcharts/ for info about a new offering of free charts from NOAA. The only one available now is of the Chesapeake Bay. The downloads are huge, but the concept is great. You will need broadband access.

07/13/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Broward Bridges, Ft. Lauderdale, FL on New Schedule—Finally: The Final Rule for the Broward County Bridges (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) goes into effect on July 31, 2006.

06/29/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Special Restrictions for Shuttle Launch, July 1, 2006: 7 th District USCG LNM 25 reports the following restrictions for the Shuttle launch scheduled for July 1, 2006:  

06/21/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Various sources are reporting an outbreak of Malaria on Great Exuma in the Bahamas. It is being recommended that people going there or who have recently been there should take specific cautions.

06/15/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Manatee News: We just read that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously voted on June 7, 2006 to remove the manatee from the “endangered species” list. Manatee are now reclassified as a “threatened species” in Florida.

06/02/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Decreasing Depths in Lake Okeechobee, FL: The USACE Jacksonville issued a Notice to Navigation Interests on May 9, 2006 concerning Lake Okeechobee:

05/18/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Hell Gate, Georgia, Mile 602, Gets New Markers: Amidst the rumors and speculation on the fate of the ICW if Hell Gate were “closed” by the removal of its Aids to Navigation, the USCG has added new markers.

05/05/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New York State Canal System Summer Schedule: The New York State Canal System is scheduled to open for navigation at 7 A.M. on Monday May 1st, weather permitting.

04/20/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale IMPORTANT NEWS FOR SNOWBIRDS: Ernest Lyons Bridge (aka Indian River Bridge), Mile 984.9 Height Reduced: This is the bridge just north of the St Lucie River/Crossroads:

04/6/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine, FL Closure Schedule Revision:They’ve done it again. This is the THIRD schedule.

03/31/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale We received the following on March 31, 2006 in the late afternoon. It is the third change in this schedule of bridge closures.

03/29/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale We have been advised of the following information by Laurie Sanderson, Public Information Officer for the Bridge of Lions Rehabilitation Project, info@FDOTBridgeofLions.com.

03/24/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The following is a repeat of the VERY IMPORTANT INFO posted in the March 15 Interim Report: St Augustine, FL, Bridge of Lions ICW Closure:

03/15/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale St Augustine, FL Bridge of Lions Closure:
Just at the height of Snowbird Season, The ICW will be closed. And it starts March 16. Following is the schedule from the Florida DOT:

03/09/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale It's that time of the year again. Snowbirds are heading north. Summer vacationers are making plans. And the Atlantic ICW continues shoaling.

02/23/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Updated Bridge Information: We have noticed that the Coast Guard is reopening the period of public comments on various proposed changes to East Coast bridges.

02/09/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Special Event with Nigel Calder: Bluewater Books and Charts will host a seminar on navigation by Nigel Calder, noted marine writer, on Saturday, February 11, 2006, 6:00-8:00 PM, at their new store at 1811 Cordova Rd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316.

01/26/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The boating community is abuzz with information about the free NOAA charts available online. The USCG Local Notices just made this announcement: NOAA has posted all 1,000-plus of its U.S. nautical charts on the Internet at www.NauticalCharts.gov/viewer.

01/12/06 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Attention Long Island Sound, NY Boaters:
The First District USCG LNM 01, the first for 2006 announces that the Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound is conducting a study of the aids to navigation system in the Plum Gut waterway.

12/29/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Leap Second and AIS Announcement: This is the year that we're going to gain a second in time in order to make UTC catch up with Atomic Time. The concept of a leap second is simple.

12/15/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Tis the Season of the Right Whale: In March 2004 a North Atlantic right whale was followed by national television as rescuers sought to remove entangling lines, likely from fishing gear, which threatened to kill the huge animal.

12/02/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale AIS ADVISORY: The AIS (Automatic Identification System) is an important navigational tool for large vessels to help avoid collisions with each other and with us.

11/18/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Observations from Chez Nous, Southbound in the Atlantic ICW: There are a few problem areas of the ICW that I have covered in previous Alerts, but boaters are still having problems with them. And there is the same old shoaling.

11/03/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New River Crossing (Mile 246) Survey Shows Shallower Water: A new survey taken on September 28, 2005 by the USACE Wilmington shows that 5 ft. MLW is the controlling depth at the Crossing of the New River with the ICW at Mile 246.

10/20/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Rising (and Fluctuating) Diesel Prices on the ICW: On October 18, 2005 I called around thirty marinas between Mile 0 in Norfolk and Mile 1090 in Miami to get their prices on diesel fuel.

10/06/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Dredging in the Upper Chesapeake Bay: Local boaters as well as Snowbirds should look for the Dredge VIRGINIAN, which will be conducting dredging operations in the Upper Chesapeake Bay in the vicinity of Grove Point (Sassafras River) and Tolchester Beach between September 23 and December 31, 2005.

09/22/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Security Zone for the UN’s 60th Birthday Celebrations: USCG 1st District Local Notice to Mariners 37 (LNM 37) announces that the Captain of the Port New York has established a Security Zone in the East River in the vicinity of the United Nations.

09/09/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale For the past year we have been receiving the daily email weather reports and forecasts for the above areas from Chris Parker, a fellow cruiser and dedicated student of meteorology.

08/25/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Shoals in Same Old Places, NC ICW: LNM #34 from the 5th District USCG referred to two recent US Army Corps of Engineers surveys showing new shoals in, you guessed it, Lockwood's Folly Inlet Crossing and Shallotte Inlet Crossing, in the North Carolina ICW:

08/10/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Remote Control Unmanned Semi-Submersible at Lake Worth Inlet, FL: We saw this thing on our trip north in the spring, with its escort. It was weird--surreal almost, and it moves very fast.

07/28/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale NJ ICW, Manasquan River Rt. 35 Bridge Closures Planned: From the USCG Fifth District, LNM 05/30 dated July 26, 2005: The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily change the regulations that govern the operation of the Route 35 Bridge, at ICW mile 1.1, across Manasquan River, at Brielle, NJ.

07/15/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Block Island Sound - Port Access Route Study: On any summer weekend this can be one busy piece of ocean, but we sometimes forget that it’s ocean until the wind blows hard.

06/30/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale New Format for USCG Local Notices to Mariners, July 20, 2005: The Coast Guard has announced that it will discontinue the monthly editions of its published Local Notices to Mariners (LNM) on or about July 20, 2005.

06/17/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Causton Bluff Bridge, GA, Mile 579.9, OPEN: The Causton Bluff Bridge, closed for repairs since April 18, 2005 following a truck accident, passed a final inspection on June 16, 2005 and is OPEN for both vessel and vehicular traffic as of 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 17.

06/02/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Dominion Boulevard Bridge (AKA “Steel Bridge”), ICW Mile 8.8 in Chesapeake VA Proposed Restriction: A year and a half ago new rush hour weekday restrictions were placed on all the bridges in the Norfolk/Portsmouth/Chesapeake, VA area.

05/20/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Miami Beach, FL Seven Day Anchoring Ordinance Passes: Following is the wording, as reported to us, of the new anchoring ordinance passed by the Miami Beach City Commissioners on May 18, 2005.

05/19/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Miami Beach, FL: Seven-Day Liveaboard Anchoring Law Passes: As discussed in our East Coast Alerts of May 5, 2005, last night, May 18, 2005, was the final reading and vote by the City Commissioners on the seven-day limit for liveaboard boaters anchoring in the waters of the City of Miami Beach, FL.

05/05/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Miami Beach Anchorage Restriction Close to Becoming Law: This is how some Miami Beach waterfront property owners and officials view anchored boaters, in the words of a proposed ordinance:

04/29/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Causton Bluff Bridge, Mile 579.9 Update: Today, April 29, 2005, I spoke again with Mike Lieberum, Bridge management Specialist, USCG 7th District Bridge Branch, in regard to the Causton Bluff Bridge, Mile 579.9 in the Thunderbolt area of the Georgia ICW.

04/22/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Rudee Inlet, VA Shoaling The April 12, 2005 5th District USCG Local Notice to Mariners Number 15/05 urges mariners to use caution in Rudee Inlet.

04/08/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Cape May Inlet--Again?? They just dredged in January! The following appeared in the Fifth District Local Notice to Mariners No. 14/05 Page 15 of 20 04/05/05, www.navcen.uscg.gov/lnm/d5:

03/25/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Cape May Reported Shoaling—Yes, it has been fixed. Within two hours of the posting of my last Alerts on March 11, 2005, I had an answer.

03/11/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Cape May Reported Shoaling—Has it been fixed?? We don’t know--but we have been trying to find an answer.

02/25/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale North Carolina Inlets: The trend reported below is not merely of concern to North Carolina. It is of concern to communities along both coasts.

02/10/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale Jupiter Inlet, Florida, Dredging Operation - Thank goodness that Beaches need Nourishment and Sand Traps need Maintenance! Otherwise, "maintenance" dredging of Jupiter Inlet might not have been possible.

01/27/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale North Carolina Inlets—Problems OFF the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway The small inlets discussed below are not part of the Intracoastal Waterway, but intersect it at places called “crossings” (except for Oregon Inlet which is nowhere near the waterway).

01/12/05 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The Route 13/Lovelandtown Bridge across Point Pleasant Canal at ICW mile 3.9, in Point Pleasant Canal, NJ, will be maintained in the closed-to-navigation position beginning 8 a.m. on January 3, 2005, through 5 p.m. on March 31, 2005.

12/30/04 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The USCG Local Notices to Mariners 5th District #0551 and #552 dated December 21 and 29, 2004 report that there has been a report of shoaling in the Cape May Inlet to 6 ft or less at MLW between Cape May Inlet East Jetty Light “4” and Cape May West Jetty Light “5”.

12/17/04 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The Bahamian government has announced that there will be a two- month period this winter during which no Nassau grouper may be taken from the waters of the Bahamas. The ban starts on Dec. 16, 2004 and ends Feb. 16, 2005.

12/01/04 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale A press release we just received from Penny Leary-Smith, Director of the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, advises that the omnibus funding bill passed by Congress on Nov. 20, 2004 includes $785,000 for the continued maintenance of the Dismal Swamp Canal by the US Army Corps of Engineers through the end of fiscal year 2005 (Sept. 30, 2005).

11/21/04 East Coast Alerts By Mel Neale The Coast Guard has announced a test of a new bridge opening schedule for Ft Lauderdale/Broward County bridges. All bridges will open only twice an hour during this period, which begins on Dec. 1, 2004 and ends on Feb. 28, 2005.

10/29/04 ICW Bridge Delays As boats are heading south, many cruisers report that they are encountering unexpected delays caused when bridges do not open on request or as otherwise scheduled.

10/26/04 Unusual High Tides in Next Few Days Can Cause Extra Navigation Problems for East Coast Travelers The conjunction of a full moon (October 27) and a large storm far offshore which has been causing northeasterly wind and swell is creating unusually high tides along much of the east coast.

10/21/04 East Coast Alerts by Mel Neale
North Carolina ICW Shoaling updates: Lockwood’s Folly: US Army Corps of Engineers dredging of Lockwood’s Folly Inlet Crossing area of the ICW in NC is expected to be completed by Oct. 25, 2004.

10/11/04 Florida Hurricane Update: by Mel Neale
St Augustine: Camachee Cove: No damage, all services available
Conch House Marina and Resort: Some damage, they report that they should begin pumping fuel again "any day now".

9/24/04 East Coast Tips by Mel Neale
Maintenance dredging by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at New River Crossing, NC (Mile 246) in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has now been completed (September 16, 2004).

9/9/04 Catch and Kill—Snakehead Mania
The northern snakehead fish (channa argus) has invaded the upper tidal Potomac River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, on both the Maryland and Virginia sides.

8/26/04 Communications Experiences of staying in touch along the east coast follow, but these also pertain to much of the rest of the US cruising.

8/16/04 Finally!
The efforts of all interested parties (BoatUS, boaters, marine industries, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, and many others) have finally paid off for North Carolina.

7/29/04 An “Insider’s” Insight into the Norfolk, VA Bridge Schedule
Whether you boat in this area or are planning to make a trip south this fall, you’ll find that dealing with the schedules of the bridges can be a real problem. If you don’t catch them right, you could end up out in the ICW in the dark.

7/24/04 ICW New Bridge News
Many of you cruise in areas where there are no bridges to worry about. They either don’t exist or are high-rise. But in some areas of the east coast, bridges can be a serious problem for boaters, even to those with vessels requiring little vertical clearance.

7/13/04 Rule of Twelfths
When you are cruising most tidal areas of the coast, it is possible to quickly determine approximately how fast the tide is rising or falling and the velocity of the accompanying current by using the “Rule of Twelfths.”

6/18/04 Special East Coast Alerts
In the last column I told you that I’d help to keep you posted about important events relevant to east coast cruising and I discussed some of the problems in the ICW of North Carolina.

6/03/04 SPECIAL EAST COAST ALERT
The cruising area of the US east coast and Bahamas is one of the most popular and, in my opinion, among the best cruising areas in the world. It is our neighborhood on “Chez Nous.”