Kilkenny Creek to Brunswick, GA

“Wheels up” at 6:10 am….I’m beginning to see a pattern! We are underway before sunrise and are treated to clear skies, no wind and a beautiful view of Kilkenny Creek. Predominately in Georgia, the ICW is a series of (dozens) rivers and creeks winding through marsh grass with several prominent Sounds to the ocean to be transited, totaling 130+ miles. Often a boat will appear across the marsh and look as thought its in front of you…a hairpin turn or two and now its behind you.??…sometimes impossible to tell until after several more turns or a straighter section is reached.

Tides here can average 7-8 feet producing very strong currents in the many inlets from the ocean and also in the rivers and creeks. There are many narrow cuts dredged along the Georgia ICW from one winding river or creek to another. Usually making a turn into one of these cuts, and out the other side, completely changes the direction of the current!

The scenery is beautiful but can get repetitive. Very little of the waterway is as developed as in Florida or the Carolinas and Steve and I devised a way to entertain ourselves. Noting the next scheduled high or low tide, whether we had favorable or unfavorable current, and what speed we were cruising, we would bet on what time we would reach the next cut. Or what speed we would be traveling after making the cut (current change). We had a spirited competition going for most of our 9 hour run today!!

I guess you had to be there :o) By the way, Steve bought dinner tonight.

The gateway to the city of Brunswick, Georgia is the very impressive Sidney Lanier Bridge. It was opened in 2003 with a total length of 7,779 feet and 79.5 feet in width. The longest span is 1,250 feet with a clearance of 185 feet! I think we can fit under that :p

“The City of Brunswick is laid out in traditional British fashion with a grid-like street pattern interspersed with pleasant squares and green parks.” “During the Civil War, the City of Brunswick was abandoned when citizens were ordered to evacuate. Similar to most southern cities, Brunswick suffered from a post-war depression, but naval stores and timber created a building boom. When World War II hit, there came a call for both male and females to construct and launch over 99 Liberty ships from the J.A. Jones Shipyard and were an integral part of the American war effort. Today Brunswick continues to flourish as a coastal city. With its deep-water terminal at Mayor’s Point, Colonel’s Island and Marine Point, as well as shrimp boats that travel up and down the coast, Brunswick provides a coastal haven for all that live and visit here.” Brunswickga.org/history

We arrived at Brunswick Landing Marina at 3:00 pm. The marina is great with LOTS of free amenities, daily boater get-togethers, close to downtown and purported to be a great “hurricane hole.” The marina is in a deep, narrow inlet and is far enough inland to avoid the most severe winds, waves and tides during a hurricane. We made the short walk to the historic downtown and, at the suggestion of the marina staff and a couple boaters, ate at a restaurant serving sushi. Thanks for steering us in the right direction the sushi was awesome! My spoils of the day!