Camping Along The ICW

My lovely wife and I booked a night at the Buck Hall Campground in South Carolina. We can watch boats going up and down the waterway from our campsite. I must admit, I get excited to see sailboats on the water. Miss being on one too!

One of the things we've done this trip is to check out conditions along the waterways. I'm still seriously considering doing a trip down the ICW (Intra Coastal Waterway) this fall. It's one thing to look at charts, maps and satellite photos. It's something else entirely to stand on the bank of a canal and see what it really looks like.

Looks like the fall sailing trip will be a solo one. With that in mind, I'm looking for ways to avoid staying in marinas. Finding places along the route that has free access to services is a big part of making that happen. Even simple things like free places to fill water jugs and dispose of trash is a big deal. Occasionally, I find places where I could pull in for a free shower. Nice.

The only way to squeeze in the fall trip is do it on a tight budget. Our little scouting missions this winter and spring encouraged me. It should be possible to do the trip like a true sea gypsy. My extensive testing of dehydrated foods has shown me they are good thing to have on a boat. They don't take up a lot of room, are easy to prepare, and taste pretty good. Having a lot of food on the boat means I don't have to stress about resupply.

One of the things I'm doing on this trip is using my down time to prepare for the next adventures. My notebook is full of written ideas and sketches. Some of my trip plans never happen, but if you don't plan, nothing ever happens. A surprisingly number of my adventures do take place, so that's pretty amazing.

-Sixbears