Category Archives: Jeff’s Blog

Hell Gate 2: The Devil Went down to Georgia

Waking up on the Herb River, just south of Thunderbolt, Georgia, we took our time getting going in the morning. We only had about 16 miles to go before transiting Hell Gate, another short section of the Intracoastal where we … Continue reading

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Best Bar of the Intracoastal Waterway, Summer 2014

Since returning to Peoria, a few people have asked me what the best part of our summer aboard Bear was. I have given a variety of answers and hemmed and hawed a few times, as there were so many great … Continue reading

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Navigating Fields Cut on the ICW at the South Carolina – Georgia Border

Fields Cut is the last obstacle that we would have to overcome before we entered Georgia. In fact, it is the final stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway before the Savannah River, which marks the Georgia-South Carolina line. The project depth … Continue reading

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A Buoy in the Bushes

This morning, Margaret and I were out at the Illinois River Sweep, a river-long cleanup effort put on by the Friends of the Illinois River every September. Along with about 15 students from the local high school and a friend … Continue reading

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The Showers of Summer 2014

As you can imagine, after a long day on the water a nice shower to wash away the salt, sweat, and sunscreen is a real treat. Bear has a shower on board, which we make use of pretty frequently. However, … Continue reading

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Good Crew Are Hard to Come By

One night, my dad and I were at anchor somewhere along the ICW. While I was down below making nachos, my pops was in the cockpit enjoying the view and, undoubtedly, either taking pictures or reading “The Fort,” a Michigan … Continue reading

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Another Navigational Challenge on the ICW: The Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff

Leaving Charleston, we knew we had several areas of low water that we needed to be alert for. Since high tide was conveniently in the middle of the day, we imagined we would have no difficulties navigating the bulk of … Continue reading

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The Trials and Delectations of Charleston: Anchoring and Oysters

Coming into Charleston, South Carolina by boat was something that I have dreamed of doing for a while. Over the years, I have had some fun times in the city with my folks, a few drunken nights with buddies and … Continue reading

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On Our Way to Charleston: Navigating the Shoaling North of the Ben Sawyer Bridge

Initially, when my Dad and I arrived in Georgetown, SC, just off mile 403 on the Intracoastal Waterway, we thought we would push on the 65 miles to Charleston the next day, the Friday of Labor Day Weekend. However, as … Continue reading

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The Automobiles of the Trip

A list of cars we used on the trip: 1. My car – I originally drove it out to Branford and used it until we left Branford Landing Marina. It sat all summer at Greenwich Day School (many thanks to … Continue reading

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