Back Home, the ICW and more....

We returned to Kilmarnock on Monday Dec.14 from Brunswick Ga where we left Seabright at Brunswick Landing Marina http://www.brunswicklandingmarina.com/. We are on a T-head and, as is my practice, I rig the lines and fenders in the event of a storm. This means some doubling up and extra lines and I put out additional fenders. Better to over prepare than get caught short. We will return in early January to begin the next phase of our trip south.

With more time on my hands than usual I thought it would be productive to go back to some of the pictures from the trip south and see if there are any that might add color and interesting content.  Also I want to add some more information about Seabright's systems but that will be in a different section and aimed at those would have a more technical orientation.

What better way to begin than to catch me in one of my more natural habitats?  This is outside the Charleston Aquarium which we toured and had a great time. We had planned to take a water taxi across the harbor to tour the naval ships on display but the water taxis were closed for the season and it was a more logistically and costly challenge to get there so we opted for Lunch at the Fleet Landing Restaurant http://www.fleetlanding.net/. Good food and and interesting setting are always a good antidote to logistical headaches.  I had shrimp and grits again, yum.

When boaters go south most use the ICW in some form or fashion. As we have mentioned in previous posts there are many challenges associated with traveling south on the ICW. Shoaling or skinny water, bridges and no wake zones are a few of the common irritations.
However when the weather is bad there is no real alternative. Many folks will jump outside and travel offshore. There are some clear advantages if the weather and sea conditions are good: generally good water depths no bridges or no wake zones. Some will "jump outside" in the morning and back through an inlet in the evening, while some will travel overnight for a day or many days. If you need to make time this is the way to go. Last summer we traveled north from Fernandina Beach http://www.fbfl.us/index.aspx?nid=166 to Georgetown SC  http://georgetownlandingmarina.com/about 226 nm trip that took a bit over 24 hrs but we avoided the worst of the shoaling problems in Ga. Often traveling outside may take longer because the distance  including the travel from the inlet going out and the inlet going in. So in total there may not be any great savings, just the aggravation of the inconveniences of the ICW. As a result it is not uncommon to hear many complaints about the ICW and often referred to in many less flattering ways such as the ditch. Many people will run outside and look to skip as much of the ICW, focused on getting to wherever the destination is.

So for all of its many issues and problems I really like the ICW. Having dissed the ICW and extolled the virtues of running outside, let me explain. Traveling down the ICW is one of the most fascinating trips that can take you off the beaten path and give you a feel for what this country was like before the great land developments of the past 50 years. Sure, you see big cities and occasional high end development but you see the waterway as it has existed for  hundreds of years. Here is a sampling;

 

 

 

Sometimes there is such a remote felling that you feel civilization is far removed and this is more of a wilderness than a city just around the bend. Sometimes we would go hours without seeing a soul or any hint of human activity.

There were often many opportunities for bird watching in both flocks or a single egret feeding along the shore line.

We also enjoyed the many small towns that dotted the waterway. Some had fishing/shrimping fleets that worked the waters and inlets.

It seemed a common practice to have the name with "Lady" in it or a girlfriend or wife's name.

Another interesting aspect are the colorful homes that are dotted along the way!

 

We believed this was someone's home, certainly wins the prize for originality.  Click on this picture to see what we saw.

We encountered many different types of boats along the way.

As well as a bit of mast maintenance.

 Along the way we have enjoyed the company of good friends.





And as always  we enjoyed our time headed south. There is never a dull moment.