Sheppie
New member
Captain Wayne Church and Joan Church 12:24 a.m. EST November 9, 2014
Let us take a trip up the river about 12 miles east of Cape Coral/Fort Myers to the Franklin Lock. There are two very important rules to remember:
1. Stay within the channel markers (buoys). The river outside of the dredged channel has areas that are less than one or two feet deep. In the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean “you see brown turn around.” However, the local waters are always brown, so “when you see birds standing, turn around.” I have been in mud when I was just on the outside of the markers and have hit bottom several times. Consequently, to avoid trouble, I now stay inside the channels. If you get out of the main channel, you should look at your chart to see whether you have deep water and keep a sharp eye on your depth finder. The same is true with regard to following the day markers into shore or harbor.
2. You must know where you are at all times and obey the speed limits and manatee zones. Also remember not to stop under bridges or loiter at the power plants. We begin our trip at the west side of the Cape Coral Bridge. We leave the shore in the harbor channel, with “red left leaving” and the numbers, decreasing toward the main channel. After day marker No. 1, a turn to port (left) and we are on the ICW. This is tricky since it appears opposite from coastal navigation aids, i.e. the green would be to port and the red to starboard and buoys should be increasing. Remember, red, right, return. Not so on the ICW, which starts in the northeast U.S. and runs clockwise south and west around the U.S., with buoy numbers getting smaller as we go east or north. This puts red left going upstream. Normally , it would be red, right returning from the sea. But again the markers into shore or harbor are “red, right, return.” The ICW continues west and north along the west coast of Florida. This is down river from our trip heading east. At buoy No. 99, you can split from the ICW heading towards Sanibel or Fort Myers and we have reverted to standard coastal markers.
We will be in a 25 mph speed zone in the main river channel and slow, no wake speed zones in manatee areas. Our first buoy is No. 70 and we can run at cruising speed of 25 mph to near buoy No. 49, where you will see the sign “Manatee Zone, slow, no wake.” Your bow must not be raised and can only go fast enough to be able to steer your boat. You will find this speed zone under the U.S. 41 bridges to approximately No. 38, where you again can cruise at 25 mph keeping to the starboard side of the channel. These speed zone change after Nov. 15, so keep a sharp eye out for “slow manatee zones” along the way. You will now be arriving at Franklin Lock at buoy No. 1. Should you decide to go through the lock, wait for the green light before proceeding into the lock. Above the lock, you are in fresh water with no speed limit. Water ski, have fun, but at a safe pace.
http://www.news-press.com/story/new...9/boating-know-keys-navigating-lock/18717611/
http://www.scienceclarified.com/Io-Ma/Logarithm.html
http://www.itv.com/news/west/update/2014-11-14/its-all-done-with-ropes-and-water/
Let us take a trip up the river about 12 miles east of Cape Coral/Fort Myers to the Franklin Lock. There are two very important rules to remember:
1. Stay within the channel markers (buoys). The river outside of the dredged channel has areas that are less than one or two feet deep. In the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean “you see brown turn around.” However, the local waters are always brown, so “when you see birds standing, turn around.” I have been in mud when I was just on the outside of the markers and have hit bottom several times. Consequently, to avoid trouble, I now stay inside the channels. If you get out of the main channel, you should look at your chart to see whether you have deep water and keep a sharp eye on your depth finder. The same is true with regard to following the day markers into shore or harbor.
2. You must know where you are at all times and obey the speed limits and manatee zones. Also remember not to stop under bridges or loiter at the power plants. We begin our trip at the west side of the Cape Coral Bridge. We leave the shore in the harbor channel, with “red left leaving” and the numbers, decreasing toward the main channel. After day marker No. 1, a turn to port (left) and we are on the ICW. This is tricky since it appears opposite from coastal navigation aids, i.e. the green would be to port and the red to starboard and buoys should be increasing. Remember, red, right, return. Not so on the ICW, which starts in the northeast U.S. and runs clockwise south and west around the U.S., with buoy numbers getting smaller as we go east or north. This puts red left going upstream. Normally , it would be red, right returning from the sea. But again the markers into shore or harbor are “red, right, return.” The ICW continues west and north along the west coast of Florida. This is down river from our trip heading east. At buoy No. 99, you can split from the ICW heading towards Sanibel or Fort Myers and we have reverted to standard coastal markers.
We will be in a 25 mph speed zone in the main river channel and slow, no wake speed zones in manatee areas. Our first buoy is No. 70 and we can run at cruising speed of 25 mph to near buoy No. 49, where you will see the sign “Manatee Zone, slow, no wake.” Your bow must not be raised and can only go fast enough to be able to steer your boat. You will find this speed zone under the U.S. 41 bridges to approximately No. 38, where you again can cruise at 25 mph keeping to the starboard side of the channel. These speed zone change after Nov. 15, so keep a sharp eye out for “slow manatee zones” along the way. You will now be arriving at Franklin Lock at buoy No. 1. Should you decide to go through the lock, wait for the green light before proceeding into the lock. Above the lock, you are in fresh water with no speed limit. Water ski, have fun, but at a safe pace.
http://www.news-press.com/story/new...9/boating-know-keys-navigating-lock/18717611/
http://www.scienceclarified.com/Io-Ma/Logarithm.html
http://www.itv.com/news/west/update/2014-11-14/its-all-done-with-ropes-and-water/