Exotic Brunswick GA?

Did you know Brunswick GA is an exotic location? It has to be.














The old cruising adage goes...."Cruising is fixing your boat in exotic locations." Given list of boat chores we accomplish last weekend, Brunswick GA is one exotic locale!

Some were planned such as installing the newly rebuild dinghy motor and dinghy light.
Some were not such as the dinghy still not working.


By process of elimination, we got it running.
Frequent marina dinghy rides ensued. You can make some great apparent wind on a hot, breathless Georgia day zipping around the marina.



















Belt check - planned
Impeller change - unplanned (more from Tom later on that)
Oil and filter change - planned
Wash - plan
Wax -plan *(look at that shine)
Complete steel polishing - planned *(sparkling)
Work on dodger canvas - planned
Aft head repair - UNPLANNED *(no pic)
New dock lines installed - planned YAY!
And so on and so forth. It is all part of getting to know Honey Ryder.





We were able to have some fun. The marina had a Labor Day grillout. They provided burgers and sausages. We all brought a side dish and whatever we wanted to drink. Around 25 showed up. After our tummies were stuffed with all the good food, Dock Mistress Sherrie had everyone intro themselves, their boat, where they are from and how many times they have been to Brunswick Landing Marina. There were people from all over including New Zealand and Austrilia. Tons of experience and some newbies like us as well.


But what about the sailing!!!! Fear not. We were able to take Honey Ryder out for a quick day sail on Tuesday. The wind was 10 to 15 knots. We ended up heading out at low tide. It was a tight squeeze getting by the end tie motor cruisers but we made it.




















Dredgers helping keep the way clear. Too bad they don't have the $ to dredge the Georgia ICW.
*(note the proper signals in the rigging)















Big car carrier ships up the other channel from us. *(not a good thing to have sneak up behind you)














The bridge heading south out of Brunswick.














St Simon island.














Dinner special at Cargo?














Beauty in action!

Bunswick Landing Marina

We are quickly learning our way around Brunswick and thought we would give you a tour.
First stop Brunswick Airport. No, this is not a resort or hotel. It just looks and acts like one. This airport is serviced by Delta through Atlanta. Our connections are very short but so far have been ok however we did have to run through the airport Wednesday evening to make our KC flight. Didn't some pro quarterback do that in the 70's wearing panty hose?

But I digress.

This airport is like a resort in their hands on customer service. When you arrive to fly out of Brunswick each time, the ticket counter has your itinerary printed off and ready to go. Then they walk you over to the two self check in booths and basically check you in while chatting you up. Next stop is the one security gate unless by some miracle the snack bar is open. It has only been open twice in all the times we have been there and both times it closed while we were there....at odd times like 4:40pm....hummm? Oh well, they don't seem to service alcohol so who cares really. Security is security however these people seems to have brains and personalities unlike all the other TSA manning the wands at every other airport. The one and only gate area is very nice. Generally the ticket taker is the same person that self checked you in. Or that person might be loading bags. I have yet to see them climb into the cockpit but I wouldn't be surprised if they did as they all seem to do whatever job needs doing at this airport.

Timing and day of the week are everything in Brunswick. Almost everything shuts down on Sunday. A few of the big box stores, West Marine and the grocery store stay open but all the downtown stores, including the Ace hardware shut down. This includes ALL liquor stores so plan accordingly.
One of our favorite spots to eat is Cargo Portside Grill in downtown Brunswick...just not on Sunday because they are closed. And not too late the rest of the week as they close at 10pm. The food is delicious. I take my camera each time but realize only after I have eaten every morsel that I forgot to take a pic of my spectacular meal when it first arrives. Of course it might have something to do with the great wine list and killer cocktails.
http://cargoportsidegrill.com/

Brunswick Landing Marina is turning out to be a great marina. The staff is terrific. Reasonable rates, free laundry, wide concrete floating docks, security and clean showers.





At the top of each dock is a covered area with a large gas grill, hose with water, trash, and benches. This is used by the boaters on each dock. Some gather each night for cocktails. Others use the grill and then head back to their boat. Still others chain up their bikes there or work on projects.






We used the grill most nights and dined with a view of the entire marina. There is also a bit more breeze up there than on the docks.

It's HOoooooT in Georgia

Yes, we knew it would be HOT in Georgia in the summer. Of course it will be. And while Honey Ryder is in a great hurricane hole, this also means very protected....no wind. No breeze. HOT, no wind, no breeze. HOOOOOOTTTTTT! Duh right? But there is hot and then there is southern, no breeze, nothin moving nowhere. We were puddling! Oh yeah...Honey Ryder doesn't have AC. Only fans. HOOOOOTTT in Georgia.
But even still....we were back on Honey Ryder so it was good. We survived. We got some boat chores accomplished, explored some of the area and even met a few people and made a dock friend. Not bad for a long weekend.

First order of business was to fix the outboard. Tom got it running and I had my first dinghy lesson on Friday. An additional lesson on Saturday proved to be too much for the motor. It started slowing down by itself even though I had topped out. Then it started smoking. That is never good. Luckily it only smoked. A long paddle home to our slip gave us plenty of exercise for the day.



Milt from Rochester NY took pity on our melting in the heat and invited us for happy hour aboard his lovely 55 ft powerboat cruiser. Lo Kee has SIX AC units making Milt our NEW best friend. Just kidding. He is a great guy and we had a blast hanging out with him and learning all about cruising to the Abacos. Can't wait to go on Honey Ryder.


Doing boat chores of course requires many errands. We also took advantage of the rental car and buzzed St Simon Island - very kewl and Jekyll Island -neat. A return trip the following day to St Simon, the beach and a dip in the ocean was required when it got to be too hot Sunday afternoon.





Boiled peanuts. Tom loves boiled peanuts. Attempts to make them at home have been mixed to bad so now these are a delicacy best purchased as a treat vs made at home. What a great surprise when we follow the iphone directions to the closest liquor store only to find a boiled peanut stand in the parking lot. Sure the local KwikMart gas stations in the south have boiled peanuts but those are the equivalent of eating a hot dog on the rolling heat bars at the KwikieMart in KS. YUCK! No, for truly good boiled peanuts, you need a a guy at a road side tent with a cooler, propane driven turkey fryer for boiling, that is unwilling to share his boiling secrets.




Drive ups rule in GA. Drive up peanuts, a drive up free standing-automated ice shack, even drive up ciggie hut for the smokers. No need to get out of your car ever in GA.














We ate well while there. Besides boiled peanuts, we ate at Largo Portside Grill -casual but gourmet offering, Oyster Shack - dive but yummy food and grilling out at the top of our dock (steak and shrimp) - dinning in COOL comfort on Milt's boat.
He even busted out the place mats and china. Ice cream rounded out our meal. *NY people serve up their ice cream funny - not with an ice cream scoop but with a big ole knife. Fa-get-about it!














No, we didn't fall in the water. Tom and I were drenched in sweat and looked like that the entire time we were there. Did I mention that it was HOT?

All in all a good trip to Honey Ryder.