The Marathon from Marathon: Part 7

The Rivers on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)

The ICW crosses and follows many natural waterways, including rivers and sounds.  One of the more unusual sections was the stretch along the Waccamaw River, SC.  Lined with towering Cypress trees with their knees projecting above the water, this section was full of nesting osprey.  Although wide and deep, the river had a fairly strong current, slowing our progress down to 1.8 knots at one point, and creating swirling eddies.  In addition to dealing with the current, we had to dodge lots of floating debris, sometimes as big as a tree.

Swirling eddies in the Waccamaw River.

The strong current in the Waccamaw River swirling around the channel markers.

One of the many logs we missed hitting along the Waccamaw River.

Rivers also symbolize life and change.  Crossing the Savannah River, we reflected on another sailing buddy who also had a dream to cruise the oceans.  He became very sick about two years ago, and lost his battle with a kidney transplant on my last day at work.  We visited his wife before leaving Atlanta, asking if we could dedicate this trip to him.  His wife gave us his favorite baseball cap so we could take Jeff with us on our adventures.  Rest in peace, Jeff.

Paying tribute to Jeff with his favorite cap as we crossed the Savannah River, GA - Jeff's old sailing grounds.