Day 165 - March 27, 2013: Sunbury

Our day started early, departing with the temperature in the high 30s and with the winds building. It was time to move north again with the promise of warming weather. This part of Georgia has numerous channels through flat marshland, and the ICW winds like a snake through the grass. This was typical of the scenery we had for the entire day's cruise.

Georgia's flat marshland

We crossed the Brunswick River and St Simons Sound with 2 to 3 ft. waves, which reminded us of the Great Lakes. We were taking salt water spray over the bow, and it quickly clouded the windows of the clean boat I had washed yesterday.

The scenery was calming, but the navigation was a challenge. While the channels are wide in places, they were also very shallow and there is shoaling at intersections where inlets cross the ICW. The shoaling is constantly changing and not represented on the charts. As we entered the Mud River, known for its shallow depths, I was glad we were advised to go through this area as much as possible at high tide. In just a few seconds, you could go from 12 ft. to 5 ft., and frequently I needed to quickly pull back on the throttle while trying to decide whether to continue or seek deeper water. The river was milk chocolate brown, so there was no way to judge the depth by sight.

We had planned to anchor out, but just last night we learned of the Sunbury Crab Co. Restaurant & Marina, which is a seven-mile detour up the Medway River near St. Catherine's Sound. They feature fresh steamed blue crabs caught daily, wild Georgia shrimp, and local oysters. The food alone sounded so intriguing that we decided to give it a try. Sunbury was a favorite location for plantation owners to build second homes to escape the summer heat, and two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence owned land here. We spent time with the owners, Barney and Elaine, who have been here over 30 years. They are genuine Southerners and a pleasure to get to know. Anne had a wonderful mahi-mahi, and here I am shucking clams and making a general mess in the process. The wind is down, and the forecast is for temperatures to go up. Life is good.

Larry shucking clams

Great Laker at Sunbury Marina (taken from the restaurant)