News & Events
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I never was good at navigating!
Amendment to the Sportfishing Regulations in the Bahamas:
Nick Wardle writes, "For the avoidance of doubt and misrepresentation, spear fishing regulations have NOT been changed from what they have been for many years. You have always required your Fishing Permit to be endorsed to allow spear fishing, but Customs, when issuing the permits, appear to have been unaware of that requirement, so ignorance was bliss. You could and still can, of course, only use hand-propelled/aimed Hawaiian Sling or pole spear (with or without rubber band to propel) - spear guns have always been illegal. The regulation reads "unless otherwise authorised by the respective permit".
Update from Nick: (11-16-07) "They have relaxed the conch so you can now have six aboard at any time; also ten crawfish, but that depends on you having your fishing permit endorsed to allow spearfishing. That has always been the case, with no changes - Customs mostly did not bother to even ask, when you cleared in, but I believe they now do. It's not clear about demersal fish (60lb or 20 fish, as one grouper could be over 60lb!)
When we have more clarification, we'll announce it on the net."
You may download the Amended (Oct. 2007) Press Release (pdf file - requires Acrobat) explaining the new changes here.
DIY GPS Position Encoder: Sam, N4UAU, suggests using the "TinyTrak3" as an inexpensive way to transmit your position, connected between a serial GPS and your radio transmitter. You can purchase PCB, case and all parts, cables and assemble it yourself. Click image for details.
Latest Florida Anchoring Information:
BoatUS Offers Updated Florida Anchoring Information Tip Sheet
Great to Carry Aboard!
"Every boat owner wants to follow the law, but in Florida, some boaters, anglers and sailors may still fear a visit from law enforcement that will force them to move on from an anchorage," said BoatUS President Margaret Podlich.
Four of the five pilot project areas include the City of St. Augustine, Monroe County (Key West, Marathon), City of Sarasota and City of Petersburg which have established mooring fields and passed local anchoring ordinances. These areas will be used to test policies that promote public access, enhance navigational safety, protect maritime infrastructure and the environment, and deter improperly stored, abandoned, or derelict vessels. As of press time, the fifth pilot area, Martin County/City of Stuart, was still drafting an ordinance likely to come on line in 2013.
The 2009 law also clarified the meaning of "live-aboard": Full time, active cruisers who sleep on their boats with no permanent residence on land are no longer considered live-aboards under this law and, as a result, their anchoring cannot be regulated by local governments, other than in pilot project areas. (For more: FLHB 1423, Chapter 2009-86, Section 6)
BoatUS has been monitoring the pilot program and investigating its impact on boaters. "We recognize that there are still boaters who have not heard of the legislation but continue to arrive and enjoy Florida's gorgeous waterways," said Podlich. "They should know it is illegal to restrict anchoring of non-liveaboard vessels in Florida outside of mooring fields, except in the jurisdiction of the five pilot projects. In 2014, the anchoring ordinances of these five localities will expire unless renewed by the Florida Legislature. In the meantime, boaters should know that anchoring close to the any of the five pilot program mooring fields today can be limited by these participating local governments."
BoatUS encourages boaters to become familiar with these local regulations and provide the association with feedback on how they are working. To download and print a copy of the Anchoring Sheet, go to: www.BoatUS.com/gov/flanchoringsheet, or for more on this issue and to provide comment, go to www.BoatUS.com/gov/floridaanchoring.asp
CQ100 Virtual Radio: Read Terry's, K1LCH article about a new way to receive the Waterway Net over the Internet using VOIP technology. This could be of great help when you are traveling without your rig, or when propagation is poor. ARTICLE
Waterway Net Annual Picnic to be held Sunday, Dec. 9th, 2012
The 15th Annual Waterway Radio & Cruising Club picnic will be held in Melbourne, FL at Wickham Park. Above is a photo of the pavilion, while immediately below is a map showing where the pavilion is located. Note that the pavilion is located in the park, not right off Wickham Road as was the case in the past few years. Below that is an area map showing where in Melbourne the park is located, with interstate exits numbered.
For a more detailed map, check this site. Note: North, on this map, is to the right.
There will also be a ham radio/marine flea market just before the picnic, so bring your "stuff".
(Our thanks to Ned, W4KS for managing the Picnic.)
The flea market starts at 1000 ET, with the picnic set to begin at 1100 ET.
Hope to see everyone there! - N4UMS
(more picnic info from the latest Scuttlebutt, below the maps)
Provisioning: Please bring a covered dinner dish to share. The following will be provided: soft drinks, water, beer, ice, paper plates, cups, napkins and utensils. Drinks in cans are permitted, but no glass bottles.
Cost: This year, we will be asking for a donation of $4.00 per person to cover expenses.
Land Cruisers: Please make reservations for a campsite by calling 321-255-4307 after Oct. 15th, during the daytime. Please advise them that you are with the WRCC. Ask for a campsite on Loop B. Please have your Visa or MasterCard ready. The revised rental fee has not been determined as of yet. Please call 321-255-4307 after October 15 for reservations and further information.
Arriving by Boat: Transportation will be provided for WRCC members on boats anchored near the SSCA Gam site and the Eau Gallie Library on the west side of the ICW. Contact Ned Buck, W4KS, for pickup at 321-725-1591 or Email: nbuck@palmnet.net.
Arriving by Car: The pavilion is located At Wickham Park. Turn East off Wickham Road (Rte 509) onto Parkway Drive, and then left into Wickham Park. Turn right after entering Wickham Park and follow the road around until you reach Pavilion #4 or the Sam Fuller Jr. Pavilion. This is the site of the original Wickham Park Picnics.
Driving Directions to Wickham Park Picnic:
From I-95 South Bound:
Take Wickham Road, Exit 191. Turn left on Wickham Road East for about 8 miles. Turn left onto Parkway Drive at the next traffic light after passing Brevard Community College. Turn left into the entrance of Wickham Park, then right after the entrance and follow the road until you reach Pavilion #4.
From I-95 North Bound:
Take second Melbourne exit, Exit 183 (Rte. 518). At third light turn north (left) onto Wickham Road. Turn right at traffic light on Parkway Drive. Turn left into the entrance of Wickham Park, then right after the entrance and follow the road until you reach Pavilion #4.
Motels:
Near I-95 Exit 180 on US Highway 192
Holiday Inn Express, 321-724-2050
Days Inn, 321-724-2051
Hampton Inn, 321-956-6200
America's Best Value Inn, 321-768-8439
Near I-95 Exit 191 on Wickham Road (Viera)
Holiday Inn, 321-255-0077
La Quinta Inn, 321-242-9400
Hampton Inn, 321-255-6868
Marine Flea Market: For boaters that have recently changed boats or swallowed the anchor, this is a great opportunity to sell those items you no longer need. It is also a good place for boaters to look for items they "need' for their boats.
Update (2-24-2007): It's Official! Morse Code Requirement Has Been Dropped! -- As of Friday, February 23, the requirement to know Morse code has been dropped. That's when the 5 WPM Morse code requirement disappeared from the Amateur Radio Service Part 97 rules in accordance with the FCC's Report and Order. See ARRL site for more information.
ARRL charts showing new Ham frequencies. These are .pdf files and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. They can be printed from the same program. Choose either the color version or the B/W version.
Coast Guard to discontinue use of *CG: The U.S.C.G. has announced that they are asking all cell phone providers to stop allowing the sequence, *CG to be used to contact the Coast Guard. 911 will still be allowed as a secondary option, but VHF radio is highly recommended. Using VHF makes more sense anyway: if there are other boaters in your vicinity that can offer help, they're not going to know you have a problem if you use your cell phone! Also, using marine VHF gives the rescuers a chance to triangulate your position, saving valuable time in an emergency.
Weather Reporters Guide - Marti, KF4TRG has published her Weather Reporters Guide for Net reporters and any other interested parties. The Guide is in pdf format (Acrobat Reader required) and can be downloaded HERE.
Marinas with Wi-Fi Service. Listings of marinas that offer Wi-Fi service around the world.
For WRCC shirts, pins and burgees, check our new WRCC Store page .
Note: Membership in Boat U.S. increased from $19 to $25 on Jan. 1, 2006. WRCC members can get a 50% discount by using our group ID number when applying. The number is published in the current Scuttlebutt.
New U.S.C.G. SSB Emergency Hailing Frequencies
Florida Antenna Statutes and FCC ruling pertaining to amateur radio (pdf file)
New National Weather Service Offshore & Highseas Times for HF
Voice broadcasts of National Weather Service marine forecasts from NMN Chesapeake, VA and NMG New Orleans, LA were modified on June 15, 2005 to accommodate a greater range of products and reduce mutual interference between these and other stations.
NMG/NMN HF voice starting times were: 0330, 0500, 0930, 1130, 1600, 1730, 2200, 2230 UTC
NMG/NMN HF voice starting times are changing to: 0330, 0515, 0930, 1115, 1530, 1715, 2130, 2315 UTC
Frequencies for these stations are:
Chesapeake (NMN) 4426, 6501, 8764, 13089, 17314 kHz (USB)
New Orleans (NMG) 4316, 8502, 12788kHz (USB)
List of possible NASA Space Shuttle listening frequencies.
To check for any upcoming launches, try this NASA site.
Latest News On Bahamian Cruising Fees (12/09/2003) - According to
Noonsite.com, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism released the following information:
"The Bahamas has given due consideration to the concerns of the boating
community and has decided, as an interim measure, that, with effect from December 1, 2003, the current Fees of $150 for boats up to 35 feet in length and $300 for boats over 35 feet, shall be valid for two entries during any
90 day period."
"In the long-term, The Bahamas Government is considering an annual fee
structure and will continue the dialogue with both the domestic and international boating community to determine how such a policy can best be implemented."
According to the Noonsight article, the intent is to allow an additional entry into the Bahamas at no charge as long as it occurs within 90
days of the original issue of the Cruising Permit.