Penny does love her ice cream. I had a small cup, myself. It wasn't all that warm here either, Danielle. Not Alaska cold but chillier than I like it. But then, 74 degrees is too cold for me.
Our second day of travel brought us from Georgetown, SC to Jekyll Island, GA. By boat, along the magenta line of the ICW, it is through mostly marshes. (The route is marked on the charts by a magenta line.) The numerous streams meander through the marsh and the Army Corp of Engineers cut channels through to interconnect them to create the intercoastal waterway in this area. So what is about 130 miles in a straight line takes what seems like forever as you motor up and down streams and sounds to the next cut to the next body of water. Doing that at 5 or 6 miles per hour can take quite a while. The scenery does not change a lot, either. this is a section of out travels where we tried to head out an inlet onto the Atlantic to hop around and save some time. It did not always work out because the wind was on the nose or a winter cold front was due to pass over us.
However, this day we were in the car and made the journey in about six hours with a couple of stops to entertain our selves. As we travels the highway instead of the waterway, we recalled past time as the crossed over some of the streams we once plied in our boat.
Here on Jekyll Island, we visited another dock we once tied alongside to. The tide was low and still falling so I walked it alone, since the ramp was very step down to the floating section. Penny is not all that mobile or sure footed. About half way town the long dock, I came to a boat with a young couple on board. The boat was familiar. It was a smaller, 37 foot, version of our own boat, a 42 footer. I began a conversation with the couple. It turned out that they have just acquired the boat, for free, in Oriental, NC, that is where we live now. The boat was an older boat, built in 1980. It had been damaged on the port side in Hurricane Florence. They are in the process of moving it down to St. Augustine, FL, our next destination, as well, for repairs. We chatted about boat life, traveling the ICW in November in a fiberglass board with no heat, attempting to cross the sounds with 25 knots of cold wind blowing straight at you with no wind break in front of you, turning back to find a safe and comfortable dock to tie to. Typical cruising life that makes you instant friends because you are "in the same boat."
Penny and I left the marina and drove around the island, triggering memories of past experiences. After returning to the motel, we went for a walk in the beach in the near pitch dark. The sun was well down and the moon had not yet risen. The lights on the buildings here are low level and not directed toward the ocean so as not to confuse the emerging sea turtles. On the way back from the beach we went for a swim in the 85 degree pool followed by a dash to the hot tub before returning to our room for our night's rest.
This is one of many 65 foot clear bridges that cross the ICW. In the past, most bridges across the waterway were drawbridges or swing bridges. Those have been replaced with these high bridges that, as a standard, will allow a sailboat with up to a 65 foot mast to pass through. The remnants of the former drawbridge can be seen in the photo. If your mast is taller, you will need to sail out in the Atlantic to make your passage. This one crosses the Jekyll River that separates Jekyll Island from mainland. It is just to the north of the marina and this picture was taken from its dock.
The island is dressed up for Christmas.
Life is good in so many ways,
Stevi
