Sunday, April 29, 2018

Kilkenny Marina - at a dock

The dockhouse is under the huge live oak
Crescent River was not as calm as the Jekyll anchorage but it was calm at night. Our dinghy continues to lose air and we need to buy a new one. We presently have an AB dinghy which has served us well for 15 years but it's started to leak through the fabric. Part of the problem there is that Hoolie favored one side for leaning over on trips to shore and he's worn the Hypalon down to the fabric. The present leaks are right through the fabric in several places. I had a patch on it but that's leaking too. So we're looking to pick one up on the way north.

The live oaks have been through multiple hurricanes with no damage. They were sought out
during the wooden boat era for their extreme strength and durability.
There were no real challenges today, just a day of being careful where you went and paying attention to Active Captain and Waterway Guide alerts. We wound up at Kilkenny Marina, one of our usual stops along the ICW. We are finding something now that we've never experienced before - full marinas! We called every marina in Charleston and they are all full. We called marinas in Savannah and they are all full too. I guess the problem is being in the thick of the spring migration. Everybody is going north at the same time! We are about two weeks late this year due to the Southern Blvd Bridge delay and one week of bad weather.

We are set for the night and will leave at first light on Monday
We were going to refuel but the pumps here were knocked out by a storm and blew a 200 amp fuse! So we have to wait for refueling later. We hope to get a daybreak start Monday to head for Windmill Marina where we have a dock waiting. The trick will be to beat the drain tide so we can get in the entrance. If we can leave when we want, we ought to reach Windmill by 2:00 which would give us a 1.5 ft tide - that ought to be enough we hope. Otherwise, we would have to wait for the rising tide at 5:30, much later. Wish us luck with the currents, an unknown over the length of the trip.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Bob!

I am hoping this doesn't show up as a duplicate post, but I don't see the previous comment I left..

When my wife and I retire in just two years, our goal is to cruise down the ICW and out into the Caribbean and Bahamas.

I would like to get a 40ft sailboat.. I know the biggest question is always, How much does it cost to cruise? And, I know the answer is always, It depends.. But Id just like to know about the typical cost of anchoring/mooring/dockage.How much do you spend in a typical month on your trips? How often do you anchor vs mooring or docking? I have been trying to do a lot of reading, and my impression is that good dock space/anchorages & moorings are getting harder to find. Can you've me an idea of what I might expect to spend on a monthly basis on a trip down the ICW for tying up for the night, assuming a 40ft sailboat?

Thanks so much!
Eric Sherer

Bob423 said...

Eric, this will take a little research. I’ll need some time when we’re not moving every day, probably in June. It’s a good topic to include in the 2018 edition of my Guide.

Unknown said...

Thanks Bob!