The hours in the notice below from the CG 5th District have actually been in effect since December 2010 on a test basis.Pleasure craft need to be aware of the 3 hour delays that could be encountered in the morning or afternoons.

TEMPORARY REGULATIONS

RUSH HOUR RESTRICTIONSMON TO FRI, EXCEPT FEDERAL HOLIDAYSFrom 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Need not open. Commercial vessels must provide a two-hour advance notice for an on-demand opening.* 1, 2

MON TO FRI, EXCEPT FEDERAL HOLIDAYSFrom 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Opens on request every hour on the half hour. Commercial vessels must provide a two-hour advance notice for an on-demand opening.* 1, 2

SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS AND FEDERAL HOLIDAYSFrom 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Opens on request every hour on the half hour. Commercial vessels must provide a two-hour advance notice for an on-demand opening.* 1, 2

*BRIDGE WILL OPEN ON DEMAND ANYTIME FOR VESSELS CARRYING HAZARDOUS LIQUEFIED FLAMMABLE GAS OR OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; AND OPEN ON DEMAND AT ALL OTHER TIMES.

1IF ANY VESSEL IS APPROACHING THE BRIDGE AND CANNOT REACH THE DRAW EXACTLY ON THE HALF HOUR, THE DRAW TENDER MAY DELAY THE OPENING UP TO 10 MINUTES PAST THE HALF HOUR FOR PASSAGE OF THE APPROACHING VESSEL AND ANY OTHER VESSELS THAT ARE WAITING TO PASS

2IF THE NORFOLK & SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE #7, AT MILE 5.8 IS NOT OPENED DURING A PARTICULAR SCHEDULED OPENING FOR THE GILMERTON BRIDGE AND VESSELS WERE DELAYED, THE DRAW TENDER AT THE GILMERTON BRIDGE MAY PROVIDE A SINGLE OPENING FOR WAITING VESSELS, ONCE THE NORFOLK & SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE #7 REOPENS FOR VESSELS.

The following is from the Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers website.

On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, the Corps of Engineers will begin repairs to the South Mills Lock on the Dismal Swamp Canal. Therefore, the locks at Deep Creek, Virginia and South Mills, North Carolina will stop operating after the last scheduled locking at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. The Dismal Swamp Canal, Route 2 of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, will be temporarily closed to through vessel traffic until repairs are complete. The repairs are expected to take 60 to 90 days.

The Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, Route 1 through the Great Bridge lock at Chesapeake, Virginia, will be open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Operators will monitor Channel 13. Should you have any questions concerning this matter, please call 757-201-7642.

Ed Note: The good news is that this the least busy time on the canal.

From the CG 5th District Notice to Mariners 14/11.

“Shoaling to a depth of 3.9 ft MLW has been reported between VIP Daybeacon 122 (LLNR 5995) and Wachapreague Channel Light 10 (LLNR 6680) and shoaling ranging from 3.0 ft to 4.6 ft MLW from VIP Light 124 (LLNR 6005) TO VIP Light 126 (LLNR 6015). Mariners should use extreme caution when transiting the area.”
Chart : 12210.

Ted Stehle, editor
Skiper Bob Publications

Two grocery stores frequented by cruisers on the Chesapeake Bay have closed their doors in the past few months: Woodburn’s Food Market in Solomons, MD, and The Market at Harbor Heights in downtown Norfolk.

Woodburn’s, a well-known stop located in the same plaza as the West Marine in Solomons and convenient to a paid dinghy dock at the Holiday Inn there, had been under increasing pressure from a relatively new Food Lion just up the road.

To obtain groceries in Solomons, cruisers now will need to walk from that same Holiday Inn dinghy dock up Route 4 to the Food Lion, about one mile away. The road carries considerable traffic, but it features a concrete sidewalk protected from the traffic by a guard rail.

In Norfolk, the Harbor Heights market — which had been located just about seven blocks from Waterside — also fell victim to competitive pressures. Unfortunately, there’s now no grocery store within walking distance of the Norfolk waterfront.

Skipper Bob’s Anchorages Along the Intracoastal Waterway includes details of grocery stores and other services important to cruisers (such as laundry facilities) located within walking distance of dinghy landings on the Bay. This Skipper Bob guide now is available as an e-book as well as in print form.

The U.S. Coast Guard has become aware that the information used to chart range structures may not be of sufficient accuracy and as such may depict a range line inaccurately on an electronic navigation chart (ENC). Mariners are advised to use extreme caution and not rely solely on ranges or any other aid to navigation as an exclusive means of navigation.

The following is from the CG 5th District NTM 42/11.

Shoaling to a depth of 4.0 feet MHW has been reported across the channel between Havre De Grace Yacht Basin Buoy 4 (LLNR 27685) and Havre De Grace Yacht Basin Buoy 5 (LLNR 27690). Chart: 12274.

5 years ago this morning I had to tell my children that their dad had died. It seems like yesterday but still like forever ago. 5 years ago today I lost the best friend I ever had.

Elaine Reib

Exactly five years ago today, I got out of bed and checked my email and saw
there was one from Skipper Bob. The evening before, I had sent him my
latest batch of updates for the New York Canals book. The email was a
short thank you note from Bob, time-stamped exactly 8 AM that morning. I
could picture Bob sitting at his desk, probably looking forward to doing
some editing on the books that morning.

It turned out sending me that email was the last thing Bob did … and then
he slumped to the floor and died. The email remained on his screen
afterwards.

Bob is a great guy. He wrote the Skipper Bob books to asist the long
distance cruisers, and with the help of his wife Elaine Reib, he did a
mighty fine job.

I first saw a copy of the New York Canals book, on my first visit up here
in 2003. I was amazed how it contained absolutely everything I needed to
know for my cruise, and I got my own copy the first chance I had. Kathy
and I spend many days planning our future trips with the Skipper Bob book
open as the ultimate reference. It wasn’t very wordy, but it was concise
and to the point, the perfect cruiser’s helm reference. I loved the book,
so I contacted Bob and started helping with it.

Since about 2004, I had been sending Bob all kinds of updates and
corrections, so that the book might be correct and complete and benefit
future boaters, as it had done for me. The books are now continued by Ted
Stehle, who continues Bob’s excellent work, and I continue to send Ted
updates for it. Bob is often in my mind as I gather info for the next
updates.

When Bob died, he left a big gap, but I always talk about Bob in the
present tense as he will always be around. He will live on in the memory
of those who knew him, those who worked with him, and his family. Skipper
Bob is out there on the canals and waterways somewhere even now. You may
not see him on your cruises, but he’s out there with you.

Skipper Bob, December 11th, 2006. May he cruise with us forever.

Fred Wehner

The following is from the CG 5th District NTM 26/11.

Shoaling to a depth of 5.0 feet MLW has been reported extending channelward of Knapps Narrows East Channel Light 6. Chart:
12266.

Ted Stehle