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CAROLINAS & GEORGIA NEWS

06 July 2010

NC: New pump out "log law" delayed until 2011

7/15/10

If this did not have an impact on any one of us boating along the ICW here, it might be funny. This interesting phenomenon In North Carolina which requires a log be kept on board for pump out in certain North Carolina waters is now taking another turn. Lu-Ann Perryman is Commodore of Blackbeard Sailing Club in New Bern and is also a paid Lobbyist. Lu-Ann has been keeping us updated on potential changes to this regulation. According to Lu-Ann,

"The bill filed this session was hijacked by Sen Basnight. He added language to allow the use of terminal groins (jetties). This was a bill killer once it went back to the House for concurrence.

I took the language in Clean Marinas and placed it the Amend Environmental Laws 2010 bill ensuring that the original eff date (July 1 2010) was pushed back. After much discussion, the sponsor pushed the effective date to April 1, 2011, allowing an opportunity for the bill to be rewritten."

Lu-Ann C. Perryman
DLC & Associates, Inc.
116 Spring Cove Dr
Cary NC 27511
Cell 919-818-0965
Fax 877-414-9176
LCOE@BELLSOUTH.NET

If you really want to read this piece of legislation, click here.

7/6/10

Well, it is now July and this bill is still not law. Here is a brief summary from an individual who is working on the legislation.

"The Senate Ag and Environment Committee just amended the bill by changing the effective date to April 1 2011. The bill sponsor agreed to the change. One of the sponsors has asked me to pull together a stakeholders group to work on the legislation. The bill now heads to the Senate floor and then to the House floor for concurrence."

Lu-Ann C. Perryman
DLC & Associates, Inc.

5/6/10

The State of North Carolina, in a 2009 session, has added requirements that recreational boaters must now keep a log of pump outs on board your vessels, and the new regulation goes into affect July 1, 2010. House Bill 1378 makes it a misdemeanor for a vessel to not have this log on board.

The bill states that all vessel owners and operators are required to keep a log of pumpout dates. Any owner or operator of a vessel that has a marine sanitation device shall maintain a record of the date of each pumpout of the marine sanitation device and the location of the pumpout facility. Each record shall be maintained for a period of one year from the date of the pumpout. Section 1 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2010.

So as you see, although this is considered a misdemeanor, the fines can be considerable depending on the interpretation of the regulations. Section 1, 77-128 says no civil penalties shall be assessed and Section 1, 77-130 states fines can be up to $10,000.00. As we reported earlier in an April Waterway Alert, sections of the ICW in North Carolina have been designated a No Discharge Zone. The state of North Carolina joins a growing number of states that are taking a hard approach to the discharge of waste from recreation vessels.

Chuck Baier,
General Manager
www.waterwayguide.com
cbaier@waterwayguide.com


We have received some further clarification on this which makes it about as
clear as mud. According to the legislation the definition for the exact areas
covered are as follows,

A vessel in coastal waters that are either designated as a no discharge zone
or are included in a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency to be
designated as a no discharge zone unless the petition has been denied by the
Environmental Protection Agency.

So to know if it applies, you will need to know what waters have been petitioned
as no discharge zones. That certainly will make it clear. Many have questioned whether this applies only to North Carolina boats or boats in transit. As the legislation is written, it applies to ANY vessel, which we will have to assume means transient, registered in other states, or documented vessels. We will provide you with more information as it becomes available. Stay tuned since it is not July yet.

Chuck Baier,
General Manager
www.waterwayguide.com
cbaier@waterwayguide.com

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14 May 2010

SC: Waccama River, Bucksport Plantation Marina & Restaurant closed

Waterway Guide confirmed today that the Bucksport Plantation Marina & Restaurant recently changed ownership and is now closed until Labor Day. The new owners are developing a plan to install a new fuel dock and fuel delivery system, build a new ships store, and complete other renovations to the restaurant and other facilities.

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11 May 2010

Savannah City Dock to reinstate fees

The City of Savannah is preparing to once again charge for docking at the Riverfront Plaza facilities. Per a phone conversation with Shawn Emerson of the Mobility and Parking Services Department, the policy will be in place by the end of May. The information below was taken directly from the city website.

ACCOMMODATIONS

• Dock 1 West River Street: vessels up to 250 feet in overall length. This area of the bulkhead is located on the western end of the plaza up-river from the Hyatt Hotel. The pier has vertical stationary pilings. It can accommodate vessels with a minimum length of 35 feet and a maximum overall length of 250 feet. Utility services are not available at this time.

• Dock 2 (floating), River Street at Abercorn Ramp: up to 100 feet - Is the area beginning just east of the tour boats dock behind City Hall and extending eastward to Abercorn Ramp. See the Dock 2 Policy for guidelines specific to this dock. – (no reservations, first-come, first-reserved) Utility services are not available at this time.

• Dock 3 East River Street: vessels up to 250 feet in overall length. This area of the bulkhead is located on the eastern end of the plaza up-river from the River St. Market Place Dock which has vertical stationary pilings, cleats and requires fenders, can accommodate any vessel up to about 250 feet that does not need a floating pier. Utility services are not available at this time.

REGULATIONS

• All vessels using a City dock must be registered upon arrival with the Mobility & Parking Services Department, call (912) 651-3634; Fax (912) 525-1625, Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm. After 5pm, weekends and holidays, call (912) 651-6477, control booth, attendant is on duty 24/7 to collect fees. Mobility & Parking Services is located at the Bryan Street Parking Garage, 100 East Bryan Street behind the Holiday Inn Express Hotel at Bay St and Abercorn St.
• Reservations may be made for Dock 1 and Dock 3 up to one year in advance. Fees are to be paid to the Mobility &Parking Services Department upon arrival of the vessel, or by mail if prior arrangements have been made.
• No reservations are accepted for Dock 2; use is first-come, first-served, with registration required for more than three hours. Fees are to be paid to the City Mobility & Parking Services Department.
• Use and reserving of docking facilities is at the discretion of the City of Savannah and may be denied or terminated at any time.
• All vessels using the Riverfront Plaza Dock will be governed by the Savannah Port Authority's Regulations for the Port District of Savannah.
• The owner/operator shall be fully responsible for his/her vessel and guests at all times.
• The City of Savannah shall not be held liable for any loss, damage, or injury of any kind to person or property arising from the use of the docking facilities or services.
• Boat toilets shall not be used while boat is docked, unless the boat is equipped with an operating holding tank, so that no effluent is discharged into the Savannah River.
• All refuse scheduled for City collection is to be securely bagged and stowed on board until City pick-up is made.

DOCKING FEES
Rates are based on extreme vessel length, and will be computed per 24 hour period.
.
(A) Non-Commercial Vessels. Rates are based on extreme vessel length, and will be computed per 24 hour period.

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24 April 2010

North Carolina No Discharge Zone

Just a reminder to our friends that will be transiting the North Carolina Coastal area around Carolina Beach, Snows Cut and even sections of the Cape Fear River, There is currently a no discharge regulation in affect. Please read the following notice:

The Division of Water Quality received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its petition to designate coastal waters along the entire length of New Hanover County as a No Discharge Zone - an area where the discharge of boat vessel sewage, both treated and untreated, is prohibited. The approval appeared in the federal register on Feb. 22 and the NDZ designation is now activated.
Waters affected by the prohibition include waters extending three nautical miles into the Atlantic Ocean along the entire length of New Hanover County.

Included are Futch Creek, Pages Creek, Bradley Creek, Hewlett's Creek, Howe Creek, Whiskey Creek, Snow's Cut and all unnamed tributaries and tidal creeks to those waters. Under federal regulations, states can prohibit the discharge of any sewage, whether treated or not, if they determine that greater protections for water quality are needed.  As part of the process, petitioners must demonstrate in a petition to EPA that an adequate number of reasonably available pumpout facilities exist. Nine marinas are located within the New Hanover NDZ and two are located within seven nautical miles of the zone. Toilets on boats, also called marine sanitary devices or MSDs, generally come in three types. MSD Type I and Type II are designed to discharge into the waterway at each use. This is prohibited in a No Discharge Zone. Type III MSDs, which store waste for later disposal, must be emptied at a marina pumpout.

The total vessel population for New Hanover County as of August 2008 was 13,940, according to registrations with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. This number reflected an increase from 2006 registrations of nearly 15 percent. Boats with MSD equipment, both locally registered and transient, were estimated in 2008 at 2,194 or approximately 244 boats per each of the nine pumpout facilities within the NDZ.

For more information about federal No Discharge Zone regulations, go to the EPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/vessel_sewage/vsdarticle.html.
Source: North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Chuck Baier,
General Manager
www.waterwayguide.com

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15 March 2010

Harbourgate Marina in Myrtle Beach voted

There were 11,196 votes in the 2009 "Best of the Grand Strand" contest. Click here to see who all the nominees were.

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03 March 2010

North Carolina to require boating education certificate effective May 1

From the NC Wildlife Resources Commission web site.

A new boating safety education law, initiated by the boating community and passed by the General Assembly, will be implemented by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Beginning May 1, 2010, vessel operators will be asked by law enforcement officers to present a certification card or proof of compliance with General Statute 75A-16.2.

"The law, with certain exemptions, applies to anyone younger than 26 years old who is operating a vessel powered by a 10 horsepower or greater motor on public waterways," said Capt. Chris Huebner, the state boating safety coordinator. "Violation is an infraction, subject to a citation and court appearance."

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09 December 2009

SC: North Myrtle Beach, AIWW Mile 354.0, Barefoot Resort Yacht Club

Waterway Guide confirmed today with Bill Rathbun that the marina at the former Barefoot Resort Yacht Club is still operational. To make slip reservations you may reach bill at either 843-390-7908 or 843-385-1829 (cell).

Bill, who operates the marina under contract stated that the marina is for sale. He hopes to be operating under new owners and a new name right after the first of the year.

The condominium complex that was associated with the marina has new ownership and is now called The Grand Strand Resort at Barefoot Resort.

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24 November 2009

The Marina at Grande Dunes, cruiser's comment

The Marina at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach S.C., SM 357, looks grande. We received a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival(10/31/09). We left the wine and a loaner power adaptor inside the sink cabinet in the secure shower room at the marina while we went across the road for dinner. We returned 45 minutes later(about 5:30 PM) and the wine was gone. I emailed the marina for a response- it's been three weeks and still no word from them.
Bottom line: no matter how 'grande' a place looks, no matter how much security they appear to have, take care of your own posessions.

Frank Coleman

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17 February 2009

NC: Carolina Beach State Park Marina closed for renovation

Since we live in Carolina Beach, Carolina Beach State Park is one of the routes where we ride our bikes. As we rode to the marina area we saw that the entire marina is closed and all the slips, fuel dock, etc, have all been torn out. Only the sea wall remains. There are several dredge boats parked in the lagoon and once they get the permit, they will dredge the entire marina. Once that is complete they will rebuild the marina, fuel dock and boat ramp but they have not received that permit yet either. The lady at the office said she didn't think the marina would be open at all in 2009 and hopefully will be open by March of 2010. So for those of you who like to stop there you should make other plans for this season. The good news is that it should be a very nice facility for locals and transients in future seasons.
I will keep checking the progress and keep people informed.

May you have fair skies and calm seas,

Capt. Jackie and Capt. Lynn Millikin
Nauti Dreams
40 Sea Ray MY
Carolina Beach, NC

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19 December 2008

SC: Horry County votes on tax break for transient boaters

I'm pleased to announce that the Horry County Council (Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Little River areas)gave final approval to an ordinance at their meeting on 12/16/08 extending the tax free interval for transient boaters in Horry County to 180 days per year (consecutive or aggregate). Cruising boaters can now spend the winter months with us (as so many have done over the years) without concern that the County will levy property taxes on their boats(as has unfortunately been the case over the last several years - until last night, that is!) So for all you Myrtle Beach fans out there, WELCOME BACK!
George Corvin, M.D.
President
Myrtle Beach Yacht Club
Little River, South Carolina

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11 November 2008

SC: Beaufort County gives transient boaters a tax break

From the Beaufort Gazette webiste.

The Beaufort County Council provided tax relief Monday to boaters who travel up and down the coast, in hopes they'll spend more time and money on shore.

The council passed an ordinance by a 6-3 vote allowing noncommercial boaters to stay in the county waters longer before taxes are levied.

The new law gives boaters a total of 180 days before they are required to pay their taxes. However, there is no official mechanism in place to monitor the length of time a boat stays.

Previously, boaters had 60 consecutive days or 90 days total before they had to pay taxes. The council dropped "60 consecutive days" from the ordinance after getting an opinion from the state Department of Revenue. The council deliberated at its last meeting whether it was able to remove the wording because the ordinance mirrored a state law.

For more details click here.

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14 October 2008

Conway, SC - a great stop for this cruiser

Just wanted to let those of you who are not in a big hurry to head south this winter that Conway, SC is a wonderful stop and a BEAUTIFUL trip up the Waccamaw River. Conway is located about 12 miles up the Waccamaw River, head up the river where it leaves the ICW. Life's2Short runs about 8mph, and between our "speed" and the no-wake areas on the river it took us a little over 2 hours to get up here. Our charts were only good for the first 6 miles of the river, however the river is well marked and we never saw less than 8' (at low tide) the entire trip. As an added bonus the 2 free 40' floating docks at the Riverwalk now have 30 & 50 amp power, for FREE!! The docks are located just below the bridge on your port side. The town is very friendly and offers a number of places to drink, dine, & shop. Life's2Short tips their hat to the City of Conway for having such a nice place for cruisers to visit, keep up
the great work!

Try the Gouda & Bacon Spinach Cakes @ Berni's, they are to die for!!!

Brenda & Todd Lanning
M/V Life's2Short
40' Oceania
btlifes2short@aol.com

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22 September 2008

NC: Manteo has a new marina

Recreational boaters looking for access to Manteo's historic waterfront from nearby Shallowbag Bay, the Roanoke Sound and beyond have a new option with the opening of Marshes Light Marina.

Developer Kitty Hawk Land Company says the new marina is opening with 45 full-service dock slips already completed and another 113 slips approved by the Town of Manteo. In addition, Marshes Light Marina provides boaters with picturesque views and a 5-minute walk along a new boardwalk to Manteo's nearby downtown shopping and restaurants.

A small dock master's office is being completed this month and will provide ice, soft drinks, snacks as well as marine products, according to the marina's dock master, Joe Chambliss. Restroom facilities are also available on site.

The new marina provides transient recreational boat slips by the day, week and month as well as a limited number of slips for purchase by individuals and Marshes Light property owners. Boat slip sale prices start at $75,000.

Marshes Light Marina's slips can accommodate recreational boats up to 70 feet with running water and 30 and 50-amp shore power service, according to Chambliss. The marina is under 10 miles by boat from the IntraCoastal Waterway and some 15 miles from Oregon Inlet and the Atlantic.

Marshes Light and Kitty Hawk Land Company are making plans for construction of the additional marina docks, including a design to minimize wave disturbances in the marina. The marina also hopes to eventually have a full ship's store as it grows, said Chambliss. Sound Marine Inc. of Wilmington is providing assistance with the launch and operations of the marina.

Marshes Light Marina is located on Shallowbag Bay just south of the entrance to Manteo's downtown waterfront and is within easy walking distance of Manteo's Town Marina. For boaters using the Global Positioning System (GPS), the new marina is located at Latitude 35 deg. 54.327' N and Longitude 75 deg. 40.143' W.

For additional visit www.marsheslight.com

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23 July 2008

SC: Horry County Auditor's Office Explains Property Tax Law

There is a lot of confusion relative to how SC treats transient boaters as it relates to property taxes. The following explains how one county applies the law.

I am a tax supervisor for the county of Horry in northeastern South Carolina. My duties include the identifying, locating, assessing, and billing of watercraft that are taxable in Horry County. Let me give a few details of how the tax currently works in Horry
County.

1) Under current state statue, boats are subject to property tax in South Carolina when physically present for 60 consecutive or 90 cumulative days in a calendar year. The tax notice would be issued the following year. (There is a bill under consideration in the state legislature that, if passed, will extend the stay to 180 days before being subject to local taxation.)The
60/90 rule is currently in effect for every county in the state of South Carolina.

2) The state legislature has also passed legislation allowing for a valuation exemption of 42.75% for ALL watercraft taxable in the state effective for tax year 2008. This is subject to adoption by local ordinance on a county-by-bounty basis. Horry County has adopted the exemption, and to my knowledge, is the only county in the state to do so at this point.

3) The assessment rate for watercraft remains at 10.5% for non-live aboards. (4% for approved legal resident live-aboards.)

4) Millage rates vary from county to county around the state. My experience has been that millage in Horry County is the near the lowest in the state, if not THE lowest.

5) Example: $100,000 boat docked in unincorporated area of Horry County and taxable this year...

Fair market value of Boat: $100,000
42.75% exemption: - 42,750
Taxable Value: $ 57,250
Assessment rate: x .105
Assessed Value: 6,010 (rounded to nearest 10)
County Millage (2007) x .2133
Total Tax Due: $1,281.93

Note: For boats docked in incorporated areas (within city limits),there would also be city millage included. The highest combined (city + county) millage in Horry County for 2007 was .2851.

6) THERE IS NO 6% ASSESSMENT RATE THIS YEAR.

7) Typically, boats depreciate at a minimum rate of 5% per year. Therefore, there would be a proportionate reduction annually in the taxes billed.

My job is a tough job, and it's an honorable job. Neither I, nor the county of Horry, write tax laws for the state. We simply abide by what the state hands down to counties. With the input of the counties, county associations, members of the boating/marina industry, and others, we
are making progress toward "fixing" watercraft tax laws in this state. Are we there yet?....no. Are we heading in the right direction?....DEFINITELY!

I hope by spreading this information, we can overcome some of the MISINFORMATION floating around the state with regard to the watercraft tax issue.

Glenn Hardee
Supervisor
Horry County Auditor's Office
Myrtle Beach SC
www.horrycounty.org

This update was received the day following the email above.

The SC state legislature has passed an amendment to 12-37-714
which gives counties the option of replacing the 60/90 provision with a "180 aggregate
days" option. This is subject to passage of a local ordinance adopting the new
option. Horry County council has shown a willingness to adopt this change by local ordinance.
They will take up the issue at their next regulary-scheduled meeting.

Thanks for your interest in this issue.

Glenn Hardee
Supervisor
Horry County Auditor's Office
(843) 915-6643

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31 May 2008

Morehead City's new town dock - a cruiser's report

Surprise, Morehead city has just finished erecting a new city dock in front of their waterfront park, located between Captain Bills Waterfront Restaurant and Russell Yachts on the inside channel. Details are a little sketchy, but they have 50A power and water and at the moment it all appears to be free. The city is negioating with Morehead City Yacht Basin to manage the site, but so far details haven't been worked out. Maybe Ted or Elaine can talk to the city fathers to get better details. There are 10 slips in a new floating dock system. Dock is exposed to any south wind so could be a little lumpy in any south wind.

Tonight there was also a free concert in the park. Morehead City wants us to come stay with them rather than going across the river to Beaufort.

Always fun to get on the bikes and do a little exploring! Never know what you will find!

Chuck Gorgen
ODYSSEE