Georgetown/Shrimping/4,000 Miles!

Early this morning the First Mate untied R&R, we used the thrusters to push off from our Charleston face dock, and spun around. Almost as soon as we headed downstream, a dolphin came over to greet us! Dolphins seem friendly or curious, but it’s also possible that they show up because our propellers stir up fish for them to eat. Regardless of their motivation, it always feel like a welcoming committee.

We said goodbye to Charleston and followed the shining path of the sun across the harbor, past Fort Sumter where the Civil War began in April of 1861, and back into the ICW Northbound.

Along the way today, we passed Mark and Barbara on First Light. We had met them in March at Ortega Landing in Jacksonville on Day One of their Great Loop adventure. First Light was traveling at trawler speed and we were going, er, faster. When we asked permission to do a “slow pass” they agreed and even texted us a picture of R&R making the pass and hopefully not annoying them much with our wake.

For more than 100 years, Georgetown has been a major shrimping port. A stone’s throw from our cockpit were a fleet of shrimp trawlers with workers preparing the boats for the shrimping season that opens in May. I was sad to learn that inexpensive imported shrimp have driven down prices to the point that it is hard for local shrimpers to earn a living.

During today’s trip we marked a major milestone: 4,000 Great Loop miles traveled! Here is an updated trip summary from the Captain’s Log:

R&R Location: Georgetown, SC – Northbound

Departed: September 8, 2019, Holland, Michigan

Travel Days: 72

Miles: 4,036

Fuel: 5,150 gallons

Locks: 39

Waterways Traveled: Lake Michigan, Calumet River, Cal-Sag Channel, Illinois River, Mississippi River, Ohio River, Tennessee River, Tenn-Tom Waterway, Tombigbee River, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico crossing from Florida Panhandle to Tarpon Springs, Anclote River (Tarpon Springs), Manatee River (Bradenton), Caloosahatchee River (Fort Myers), Marco River (Marco Island), Gulf of Mexico crossing to/from Florida Keys (4x), Indian Key Pass/Barron River (Everglades City), Gordon River (Naples), Caloosahatchee River (Fort Myers), Okeechobee Waterway, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

Adventures, Lessons, Smiles, Friends, Blessings: Still too many to count!