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FLORIDA EAST COAST AND KEYS NEWS

02 August 2010

Biscayne National Park, mooring buoy and marker plan

According to an article on miamiherald.com, Biscayne National Park officials will hold two public hearings this week on a mooring buoy and marking plan for the underwater recreation area.

The article states that for the past three years, Biscayne National Park officials have been working to develop a comprehensive mooring buoy and marker plan for the popular underwater recreation area. Now they have come up with a proposal and want to know what boaters, divers and anglers think about it.

``If we can reduce anchor damage and prevent vessel groundings, it's excellent for boating safety and resource protection,'' said Elsa Alvear, the park's chief of resource management.

The park will hold two public meetings this week to gather input: on Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Florida City Commission chambers, 404 West Palm Ave.; and Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Crowne Plaza Miami International Airport, 950 NW LeJeune Rd., Miami.

To read additional details go to miamiherald.com website by click here.

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13 June 2010

Indian River Nautical Flea Market and Seafood Fest

This event has something for everyone.

 *Massive Maritime Event*


New, used, close out, liquidation, boats, fishing rods, reels, lures and lines, antique collectibles and maps, teak furniture, tournament gear, nautical art, crafts and jewelry, marine artifacts, boating apparel, taxidermy and fish reproductions, diving equipment, marine accessories parts and floating docks.

*Nautical Bargains Galore * Seafood * Live Music *RV's* Trucks * New and Used Boats*

July 24-25 2010m, Sat. 9 am to 6 pm, Sun 9 am to 6 pm

Indian River Fairgrounds
7955 58th Ave
Vero Beach, FL 32967-5519

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31 May 2010

Vero Beach, Indian River Nautical Flea Market & Seafood Fest

New, used, close out, liquidation, boats, fishing rods, reels, lures and lines, antique collectibles and maps, teak furniture, tournament gear, nautical art, crafts and jewelry, marine artifacts, boating apparel, taxidermy and fish reproductions, diving equipment, marine accessories parts and floating docks.

July 24-25 2010

Sat. 9 am to 6 pm

Sun 9 am to 6 pm

Indian River Fairgrounds

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21 May 2010

Loggerhead Club and Marina offers dry storage plan to avoid oil spill

JUPITER, FL, May 21, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- While it remains a game of "wait and see" concerning the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, one Florida-based marina group is giving boaters the ability to protect their vessels before it's too late. Loggerhead Club & Marina is offering boaters a chance to get their vessels out of the water and into dry storage safely and quickly, without signing a lease.

This oil slick poses a significant threat to any boats left at a wet dock. Oil can permanently stain the white gel coat of a boat's hull. It can also cause problems if the oil is sucked into a boat's operating system. Insurance companies are now recommending that boaters remove their boats from any water that could be affected by the spill. As Florida severely lacks adequate dry storage space to handle a mass influx of vessels, Loggerhead Club & Marina is offering boaters a plan of action now.

Given the extraordinary circumstances of this spill, Loggerhead is offering boaters the option to reserve a space to dry dock their vessels. Boaters will pay a reservation fee of $500 to guarantee dry dockage in case it is needed. Boaters will then have the availability for six months to then dry dock their vessels at the current rate.

Loggerhead Club & Marina has the following locations across the state: Aventura, Daytona Beach, Hollywood, Jupiter, Lake Okeechobee, Lantana, Miami, Palm Beach Gardens, Riviera Beach, South Lantana, St. Petersburg, and Vero Beach.

The Loggerhead Club & Marina brand is owned by Seven Kings, Holdings, Inc., which is headquartered in Jupiter, Florida, and is a premier marina and development company of independently-owned and operated South Florida luxury marinas, serving the Southwest Florida boating and East Coast Florida marina industry.

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15 May 2010

Ft. Lauderdale, River Bend Marine Center faces foreclosure

The following is from the South Florida Business Journal.

The company that operates the River Bend Marine Center in Fort Lauderdale has been hit with a foreclosure action - the fourth against a company led by Palm Beach investor Robert V. Matthews.

New Orleans-based Iberiabank filed the action May 12 against Palm Beach Marina Holding Corp. concerning a leasehold mortgage on the 6-acre marina at 1515 S.W. 20th St. The $13.5 million mortgage was made in August 2007 by Orion Bank, which failed in 2009 and had its assets acquired by Iberiabank.

The property belongs to a local family, but it has a long-term lease with Palm Beach Marina Holding for the marina. Should the bank win the foreclosure lawsuit, the lease would go up for auction.

Palm Beach Marina Holdings obtained the lease in 1995 when it purchased it out of a foreclosure auction.

The complete article can be found here.

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07 May 2010

Flagler County to study boating speed limits of AIWW.

From the Daytona Beach News Journal.

A citizens committee will begin studying the issue of creating new manatee-protection zones with boat speed limits in Flagler County waterways.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notified the county in March it believes additional measures might be needed to protect the endangered marine mammals. According to state guidelines, the committee -- appointed Monday by the Flagler County Commission -- has 60 days to complete its work.

The commission will consider the group's recommendations in deciding whether to impose boat speed limits, primarily on the Intracoastal Waterway, to protect manatees.

The rules required equal representation between waterway users and manatee advocates, though a couple of people indicated an interest in both sides.

One committee member, Ed Caroe, was listed as a waterway user on his application but was appointed to represent Palm Coast as a manatee advocate.

"Flagler residents and manatees can live together without drastic actions mandated," Caroe wrote in his application. "A choice your committee needs to consider is whether we want to encourage manatees to '"hang around"' in Flagler, or primarily just migrate north or south through our Intracoastal waters. Our actions can noticeably impact that."

For more on the members of the committee, click here.

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28 February 2010

Nettles Island Marina, AIWW mile 979.3, cruiser report

Very nice stop. Minimum 8' approach depth, 9' at docks. Good restaurant on site and several others within walking distance. Marina has a well-stocked convenience store and small shopping plaza, Publix Market a short cab ride. 10% discount for Boat US. Does not answer VHF. Phone them at 772-229-2811.

Bill and Kathleen Root
m/v Tucandu

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19 February 2010

St. Augustine begins implementation of mooring field plan

The City of St. Augustine has established a schedule for removing private moorings and installing 227 city owned moorings in the surrounding waters. Four mooring fields will be established: Menendez Mooring Field south of the Bridge of Lions, San Marcos Mooring Field north of the bridge, and two mooring fields in Salt Run. All private moorings within the boundaries of the fields must be removed during March. Construction of the fields and a portion should be operational by summer.

Owners of private moorings must remove them if they fall within the boundary of the city field. Unattended or unused moorings will be removed as follows.

March 1-7, salt Run
March 8-14, San Sebastian River area
March 15 - 21, Areas north and south of Bridge of Lions
March 22 - 28, Hospital Creek area

To view the city ordinance, click here.

To view the mooring field layout, click here.

To view a summary of the program on the city website, click here.

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06 February 2010

Dinner Key Mooring Field

After ten years of trying to get permits, the City of Miami finally
acquired permission to build a mooring facility adjacent to Dinner Key
Marina.

As of November 2009 Dinner Key Marina, located on the western bank
of Biscayne Bay, now has a mooring field of 225 mooring balls. The new
facility will add to the service of the marina guests and provide many
amenities. Included in the $18.00 plus tax cost of the mooring, you will
get free pump-out service and a free water taxi service that will take you
into the marina which is very close to the attractions of Coconut Grove.
Also, a coin-operated laundry, showers, a customer lounge and a dinghy
dock are included in the daily fee. You can also come in to take on water.
Vehicle and bicycle parking, along with trash pickup and recycling are
available as well.

You can usually spot several transients, some waiting for favorable weather to cross to the Bahamas.
Anchoring is still possible outside of the mooring field to the north (on the opposite side of the channel) and to the east in 7 to 9 feet of water.

Bud and Elaine Lloyd
Waterway Guide Cruising Editors

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12 January 2010

Ft. Lauderdale: Anchored cruiser gets harasssed by City Dockmaster

Dear Fort Lauderdale Dockmaster,

This letter is to inform you that your so called "mooring field" and the anchoring limitations that you attempted to enforce using the now unenforceable city of Fort Lauderdale's City Ordinance on our TRANSIENT sailing vessel "Sponge" on the morning of Friday, January 08, 2010 are not compliant with Florida Statute chapter 327.

You do not have the legal right to threaten to tow our sailing vessel based on a Fort Lauderdale City Ordinance that is completely contradictory to state law. Florida Statute chapter 327 states that "Effective 10/1/09 (from Chapter 2009-86, section 14)(3) However, local governmental authorities are prohibited from regulating the anchoring outside of such mooring fields of vessels other than live-aboard vessels as defined in s. 327.02.".

In layman's terms, Under state law, boaters who use their boats for navigation (even if only occasionally) will not have their anchoring restricted by a local city or county outside of permitted mooring fields. Cities and counties will be expressly forbidden to "enact, continue in effect, or enforce any ordinance or local regulation ... regulating the anchoring of vessels other than live-aboard vessels outside the marked boundaries of mooring fields."

Although local governments are allowed to regulate anchoring within the marked boundaries of properly permitted mooring fields, there are currently a few such locations. These are Key West Mooring Field (149 moorings); Ft. Myers Beach Mooring Field (70 moorings); Fernandina Beach Municipal Mooring Field (20 moorings); Miami - Dinner Key Mooring Field (still under construction).

According to this law Fort Lauderdale's mooring field is not a properly permitted mooring field. Fort Lauderdale's mooring field is NOT marked at all. We were anchored 100 feet outside of the mooring field in public water that was not in any way affecting navigation.

We were appalled today when we returned from running errands and spending money in your city to find the note left on our vessel threatening to tow us. We moved but only because we were completely disgusted by your gross incompliance with state law and we had no interest in remaining in Fort Lauderdale.

We are full time cruisers. We enjoy exploring new cities and spending money in the cities we visit. I can assure you that we will not spend another dime in your city.

I have copied the Fort Lauderdale Mayor's Office, The Attorney General's Office, The Fish and Wildlife Commission, The Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, The websites www.cruisersnet.net & www.skipper bob.net  and the Sun-Sentinel newspaper with my complaint.  We also have told many of our cruising friends about our unpleasant experience within your city and have recommended they skip the city entirely in favor of a more boater friendly destination. For a city that dubs itself "Yachting Capital of the World" you certainly have done a nice job making every day cruisers feel unwelcomed in your city and I hope word of mouth discourages other cruisers from visiting your city.

Sincerely,

Nicole Chambers

Nicolechambers27@gmail.com

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17 December 2009

St. Augustine to build mooring field

The St. Augustine City Commission approved the city's Harbor Management Plan which authorizes the construction of three mooring fields; one south of the Bridge of Lions, one in Salt Run, and the third in Matanzas Bay near the fort.

Funding of the projects has yet to be worked out.

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15 December 2009

Peterson Fuel Delivery barges no longer "on restriction"

From the SunSentinel.com website:

Marine fuel barges may again operate without limitations along local waterways after the Fort Lauderdale City Commission lifted a restriction, in place for nearly a year, that kept the vessels to a single site along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Up until the restrictions were imposed, Peterson Fuel Delivery barges had delivered fuel to boats by appointment for more than 10 years without spill or incident.

Earlier this year, Ft. Lauderdale's marine unit, began citing the barges for odor, noise or being too close to waterfront homes.

Peterson's attorney, Amy Huber of Miami, told city commissioners at a recent meeting that only one marina and no homwowners complained about the operation. As a result the commissioners lifted the restriction.

To read the complete article click here.

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03 December 2009

Florida's Anchoring Law - Phase 2 - update

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission extended its deadline for local governments that have an interest in establishing mooring ordinances to participle in a mooring pilot program. Local governments interested in the program have until the close of business Dec. 31 to send letters of interest to the commission.

An article in KeysNet.com states that The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in consultation with the state Department of Environmental Protection, wants to work with city and county governments to find the best way to regulate boats that anchor outside of permitted mooring fields. Under a recently passed state law local ordinances for anchoring are unenforceable outside of mooring-field boundaries.

Local governments have until Nov. 13, to submit a "letter of interest" to the FWC stating that they have an interest in establishing mooring ordinances. From the letters received the FWC will choose by July 1, 2011 five locations to participate in a pilot program.

Under the program, the FWC will work with the selected local governments, to establish and enforce FWC-approved mooring ordinances outside of mooring fields. The program will not include ordinances for liveaboard boaters.

The FWC is required to submit a report on the pilot program to the governor and Legislature by Jan. 1, 2014.

For more information click here.

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17 November 2009

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - new sanitation rules proposed

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposes to amend the regulations for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) to require the marine sanitation devices on vessels operating within the NMS be locked to prevent discharges. Comments on this proposal should be submitted by February 17, 2010. 74 Fed. Reg. 58923 (November 16, 2009). Note: Because the seaward boundary of the FKNMS extends some miles offshore, this proposal could impact passing commercial and transiting vessels.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-27453.pdf

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13 November 2009

Dinner Key Municipal Mooring Facility Now Open

Press Release: 

(Miami, Florida) – The City of Miami celebrated the grand opening of its new Dinner Key Municipal Mooring Facility at a ceremony held on Monday, November 2, 2009 at City Hall. In attendance were Mayor Manuel A. Diaz, City Manager Pedro G. Hernandez, Florida Inland Navigation District Commissioner T. Spencer Crowley, and numerous other dignitaries. Commissioner Crowley presented a check in the amount of $847,248 to the City, representing F.I.N.D. grant reimbursement for much of the facility construction cost. The celebration capped a ten year effort by the City to improve water quality and environmental conditions in the waters of Biscayne Bay at Dinner Key.

The new facility, located just offshore from the City’s Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove, can accommodate 225 vessels up to forty feet in length, and features high quality steel helix anchors and Helmken StormSoft™ mooring systems. Amenities include a Harbormaster’s Office with customer lounge, dinghy dock with customer shuttle vessel service, pumpout service, restrooms and showers, vehicle and bicycle parking, and trash and recycling pickup. Moorings are available on an overnight, monthly, or annual basis.

For more information about the Dinner Key Municipal Mooring Facility, or the City of Miami’s three other municipal marinas, please visit their website at www.miami-marinas.com.