Many things are done differently in the South than they are done in the Midwest, but one the most challenging things is that many marinas “parallel park” the boats. Well, they don’t do the actual parking, the captain does the parking and Captain Mark has become very good at getting the Lolligag in and out of some very tight spaces. At Isle of Hope Marina, there were seven long docks and boats were lined up on both sides of the dock like cars parked on a street in a long parallel fashion. If the inner most boat was going out, the staff and all of the boat owners along that dock would grab their boat hooks to guide the departing boat along the very narrow fairway until the boat reached open water. We could just see the stress and concentration on the face of the boat driver as he made his way along the narrow row of thirty-some boats. I think there are several reasons why the marinas are configured in this manner but the primary reasons are utilization of space and tidal waters. The tides in Georgia are among the highest in US waters and navigating in and out of dockage with the tide is extremely tricky. It is amazing how strong the tidal currents are and when you add the wind factor, it can be very treacherous. We have been most fortunate in that most marinas have dock staff to assist with the docking. Even if all they do is catch the lines, it is a good feeling to know that the staff is there to assist if need be.
This was our spot at Isle of Hope and I snapped this picture just as we left.
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