⛵ Ready to take the trip of a lifetime? I write a twice monthly, free newsletter with planning ideas for your next yacht charter trip: insider destination guides, sailing itineraries, and the latest news.
⛵ Dry Tortugas Suffers Direct Hit From Ian| Re-opening has Begun
Hi Reader,
This is Captain Matt with the Yacht Warriors.
I wanted to share what I currently know about the Dry Tortugas damage assessment and park re-opening.
Last week, the park suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Ian, and was the first unofficial US landfall in Florida. Sustained winds in the eyewall were estimated at 120 mph.
Status of damage assessment and re-opening
- Park waters are currently OPEN - exercise caution since channel markers and navigation aids have yet to be inspected/repaired
- Seaplane tours have resumed
- The boat slips and ferry dock sustained significant damage - the National Park Service (NPS) said today, October 4th, that they will remain closed through Thursday, October 6th
- It's unclear what sections, if any, of Fort Jefferson might be closed to the public
- There appears to be some damage to the camping area (vegetation, picnic tables)
I think it's promising the NPS provided a date for the ferry dock. It's possible ferry service could resume this Friday if you read between the lines.
For the latest information, I'll continue to update my article at the Yacht Warriors. The Dry Tortugas Twitter account is also a good follow for the latest news.
Dry Tortugas and Hurricane Ian Before/After Imagery
I'll leave you with a comparison of some before and after storm imagery released by NOAA.
Yacht Warriors
Sailing Vacations
⛵ Ready to take the trip of a lifetime? I write a twice monthly, free newsletter with planning ideas for your next yacht charter trip: insider destination guides, sailing itineraries, and the latest news.
Hi Reader, Before we hoist sails on today's journey, let's navigate through a couple of recent news items: Last week the Baths bore witness to a charter grounding on the rocks amidst Red Flag conditions. This incident mirrors the lee shore grounding of the Hillbilly a few weeks ago. Takeaways: monitor weather resources vigilantly, respect Red Flag warnings, and steer clear of anchorages that test fate (lee shores). There have been recent reports of multiple stolen dinghies at JVD, BVI. Raise...
Hi Reader, Reports are in: the BVI is buzzing with activity, reaching its peak around the Easter weekend. As the Yacht Warriors crew gears up for our BVI next adventure next month aboard a Lagoon 51, I’m hopeful the crowds will thin a bit. Meanwhile, I kicked off the provisioning for our journey, stowing away those essential hot sauces that no sailing trip can do without. Matouk's and Marie Sharp's are my two favorite hot sauces Safety update: recent groundings in BVI A quick note on safety,...
Hi Reader, We just returned from an amazing land-based trip to St. Thomas for Spring Break. We stayed on the north shore, close to Magens Bay, and enjoyed wonderful vistas stretching all the way to the palm tree-lined shore of White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. Though our sea legs took a brief hiatus, our spirit for exploration remained as we ventured into locales beloved by bareboat charter crews. Here are the pearls of wisdom we unearthed during our visit that might help you on your next USVI or BVI...