Destinations From Long Ago

 My earliest memories involve the water; a swimming hole with its own spring flowing into a river. 

Image courtesy John C. Karjanis

When I was two years old, my father died and my mother moved our family to Florida. By a lucky chance, she picked a place for us to live that offered cheap fun in close proximity; a place that fit the bill for recreation, employment, and generally kept her kids out of her hair. 

It was DeLeon Springs, near Daytona Beach. Today it is a State Park, but between 1953 and 1982, it was a privately-owned "roadside attraction."

Rusty Fleetwood mentions this spring by name in his book "Tidecraft," as it was here where the two oldest examples of dugout canoes in the western hemisphere were discovered! They are dated at 5000 and 6000 years old. This is the first topic in Tidecraft; page 1, paragraph 1. And I grew up there! Coincidence or what?

As a boy, I stood on the walkway at the spring and gazed down the run. Burt's Park stood on the left bank where the river turned left and ran out of sight, and like explorers since time out of mind, I wondered what lay around that corner. 

Adventure? Excitement? Danger? All the things to stir a young person's heart were waiting 'round the bend--if only I could get there. When I got a small plastic boat as a gift in those early years, I did paddle my way down and around that corner. 

My first command

When I went missing the lifeguard (who ended up marrying a sister) came and found me and asked if I needed help. 

"Nope, I'm going somewhere!" 

The headwaters of Spring Garden Run, Deleon Springs Florida

It is entirely possible and even probable that a steamboat departed Savannah in the 1800s, and by way of the inland passage (today's ICW) and the Saint John's river, reached the tributary that leads to this spring. They could have pulled up to a wharf and loaded cargo and passengers. 

From the web, 

"The first water-powered sugar mill in Florida was built here in 1832. (Some of the brickwork and machinery is preserved behind the on-site restaurant.) In 1835, Seminoles attacked the plantation, destroying the mill and stealing slaves and cattle. Troops under the command of General Zachary Taylor finally drove the Seminoles out two years later. The mill was rebuilt in 1849 and continued to produce cotton and sugar, with up to 100 slaves performing the work. During the Civil War, in April 1864, Union troops, upon hearing the owner was providing supplies to the Confederate Army, destroyed the plantation. This was known as Birney's Raid. By the late 1800s, Spring Garden became a tourist destination with a steamboat and the railroad providing transportation to the area.

The mill was in operation when I was young, grinding wheat into flour
for bread and...pancakes! They are served there to this day at 
The Old Spanish Sugar Mill. 

Click here for more about this area, originally known as Spring Garden and later as De Leon Springs. 

So, with a mill producing cotton and sugar in the 1800s, it stands to reason that these products would need to get to Savannah for export via ocean-going ship. And the steamboats working the river also worked the inland passage between Charleston, Savannah, and the St. John's River. Perhaps smaller locally-operated steamboats took the cargoes to Jacksonville, where they could be trans-loaded onto larger boats for Savannah.  

Sidebar: I would have loved to have made that journey by steamer. I have made several houseboat cruises on the St. Johns, even taking friends from Savannah and showing them new places, like Silver Glen Spring on Lake George. Jeanne and I took our Sea Ray from Savannah almost to Palatka before mechanical problems landed us back in Jacksonville. Even cut short, our journey was great fun. On separate trips with Shriner buddies, I've been as far south on the ICW as St. Augustine and as far north as Charleston. Traveling by water is tremendously fun.

Maybe, before I'm done, I'll be able to do the entire trip from Savannah to Deleon Springs. I think it would be a great adventure. There are lots of great spots to stop and get refreshed and rested along the way!

Mike Neal, owner of Bull River Cruises, has taken the Island Explorer (the 45' excursion vessel I crew and captain) to Jacksonville; he got a gig ferrying thousands of people across the river for a Super Bowl. He and the boat were over halfway...

Rivers And Rails?

Imagine a trip down and back, with two groups of passengers, each riding the boat one way and the train the other. The historic Deland Train Station is just a few miles from the park and the train passes right by the gate. It would let people experience two modes of travel that have largely gone by the boards. Overnight stops at Fernandina, Jacksonville, and Palatka, and an all-hands dinner and celebration at the state park would let both groups mingle and tell stories. And the first thing the next morning we'd be off on the return journey. What a cruise that would be!

Ah, idle speculation; but what the hell--it never hurts to dream right? Most great adventures start with a dream.

Now, where were we?

As I look for more information about steamboats traveling from Savannah to the St. John's River, I open JSTOR and sign in. (JSTOR.ORG). I am directed to "East Coast Florida Steamboating" 1831-1861 by Edward A. Mueller, published in the Florida Historical Quarterly in 1962. If you are familiar with Ruby Rahn's excellent history of steam on the Savannah, Mr. Mueller's name will come to mind. She credits him for his research and information in the opening of her book. 

Here's a link... to Mr. Mueller's article in the Florida Historical Quarterly. It's an entertaining piece of writing! 

By the second paragraph, Mr. Mueller is writing about Savannah and steamboats in Florida! We're onto something! 

Mueller next writes that the first steamboat to travel to Jacksonville from Savannah was "apparently" the George Washington, arriving on May 18th or 19th 1831, after a trip lasting 34 hours. Not bad time all things considered. By August of 1835, weekly service was available between Savannah and Picolata Florida (a small outpost on the river below Jacksonville, with overland carriage service to St. Augustine). This route included stops at Darien, St. Mary's, and Jacksonville. As I continue reading I realize that Mr. Mueller was having fun as he wrote this article circa 1962, and that he inevitably did some smiling and shaking of the head as he banged away on his typewriter. The true story of the rise of steamboating between Savannah and the St. Johns is stranger than fiction! 

One of the repeatedly mentioned and sought-after types of travelers for Florida was the "invalid." Northern winters gave people respiratory illnesses, and the Florida climate was thought to be the answer. That trend later led Henry Flagler to bring his invalid wife to Jacksonville. This would set in motion a chain of events that would change everything about Florida!

In 1843, the steamboat St. Matthews extended the service up the river (but down the peninsula) as far as Palatka. (Getting closer to the springs!)

A U.S. Mail contract led to twice-weekly service from Savannah to Jacksonville and then up the St. Johns in 1847. The farthest up the river commercial traffic went was Enterprise, on Lake Monroe. Enterprise is a sleepy little village today, but when the river was the highway for goods and people, Enterprise was happening. (If you somehow find yourself in Enterprise, don't miss Cassadega, the spiritualist center of the south.)

When the river was a matter of life and death instead of simply a playground as it is today, riverfront spots were part and parcel of life. For my money, they still are...

 

Any trip on the St. John's River requires a stop at Silver Glen Spring

A Wonderful Story From The Creek--The Peanut Butter Falcon!

Now available for viewing on Amazon Prime
Video and HULU, and filmed right here!

 I was trained to be a Captain by two friends, Michael Neal and Buddy Lee. Mike owns Bull River Cruises. Buddy and Mike have worked together for a long time. 

It's been like this; when Mike makes a movie I work the boat. Mike is a marine coordinator for the film industry and is the go-to guy in our area for water scenes. He hires boats and people for on-water filming. He get's dressed in survival-gear and ready to go in the water and save the talent.

When a movie crew comes to town--it means I'm going to work on a boat! I'm aware of the movies being made around me, without paying too much attention to them. (I got to do a day of production work for Council of Dads, and I think it sucks that the series got the ax.)

The best films work magic on you. They "reel" you in, slowly at first; with plausible storylines and settings. Once you are firmly hooked, they take you on a journey that always involves the willing suspension of disbelief. Fantastical scenes have you looking at the person sitting next to you and smiling as you share the moment. And a little child-like part of your brain is thinking "yeah, sure, it could happen!"

Want to see where the movies get made?
We can take you there!
Call 912 657-5222

In no particular order; The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Gift, Camilla, and Forest Gump are all examples of this that were filmed here. It's our willingness--indeed our desire-- to believe in something better, something magic, that makes these stories so powerful. They provide an endorphinous happiness that leaves us smiling and shaking our heads and wondering "How did that happen?"

Jessica Tandy wasn't just fantastic in "Driving Miss Daisy" and 
"Fried Green Tomatoes." She also starred in "Camilla" which had scenes filmed in Isle of Hope.
She made being old look beautiful.

Peanut Butter Falcon is such a film. It has parallels to all "life as a journey" stories, such as The Odyssey, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, The Wizard of Oz--heck, there's too many to name but we're always glad to be along for the ride. 

In this film, when the raft gets built you realize that you are getting ready to see some Huck Finn stuff, and you can't wait! And it doesn't disappoint! Any kid with salt in their blood has dreamed of building that raft!

When you spend a day on these creeks and the rivers into which they flow, you sense the wonder and beauty that has enchanted us since the first Europeans came here (and probably the native Americans who were here first.) It's no wonder that Hollywood comes here to expose so much film, and so many miracles.

Enjoy the show!

www.SavannahBoater.com

But For The Grace of God...

A safety professional attempts to anticipate the next loss and prevent it. She reviews event-reports about near-misses, accident reports, orders for replacement parts, and any other trend-indicators at hand.

A sinking, collision, injury, or drowning is a loss. Our proximity to the event determines the effect on us individually; but to an extent, we are ALL affected by anyone's disaster.

I spent the last decade thinking about who would crash a medical helicopter next and why--and writing about it to try and prevent it. I experienced some success as evidenced by the number of people killed while working in HEMS.

That work is available here. If you want to know the most common sequence of events that lead up to a fatal crash in HEMS check out "No One Rings a Bell."

As I eased out of the cockpit and behind the console I sensed similarities between helicopter emergency medical services and boating. I thought to write about what might hurt you.

This picture from the Callawassie Island causeway at low tide is meant to highlight the sandbars and oyster rakes that lie in our waterways. When the incoming tide puts more than a few inches of water over them they are invisible. But they are still there, waiting to damage your boat and injure you. 

Imagine hitting one of those oyster-covered humps at speed!

It happened. A crowd in a boat experienced a high-speed grounding. The boat stopped and passengers kept going. Several were ejected from the boat. There was blood everywhere. (I spoke with a Coast Guardsman who responded to the call and he told me that it was terrible. The flesh wounds and bleeding were significant)

Boating is fun, but like aviation, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect. This isn't something that "happens to those other people." This happens to people just. like. you. And me too. 

I don't care how long you've been running these waters; no one, absolutely no one is immune to tragedy. I can't tell you how many smug, complacent, aviation-experts have expressed surprise at learning this, with a second or two left to live; and registered this dreadful realization with an "Oh Shit!" on the voice recorder. Smarter people than you and me have been killed in both aviation and boating accidents. (Note to self)

We've suffered a mishap in our midst. Beyond that we've seen a rash of mistakes lately. Anecdotally: groundings, damage, and carelessness are up--big time!

In the aviation world, this is when you have a safety stand--down. Maybe we should have a virtual one in our world. You can have your own safety-stand down right now. All it takes is a paper and pen or a keyboard.

Write down every mistake you made on your last couple of boating trips. What contributed to those mistakes? How will you make sure you don't repeat them. What will you do differently? This is your own S.O.P. you are writing. Your own "standard operating procedure." It will save you money and may save your life.

Write down your recent near-misses; you know, when you were saved by luck, not skill. Decide what you learned from them.

Review the latest charts of this area and refresh your memory on where hazards and bars are. 

You can download a chart booklet for Savannah's waters here in PDF format. It's not for commercial use.

For extra-credit review the latest Notice-To-Mariners for our area.

You can see the latest notice for our area by clicking here.

In this latest local accident, people were seriously hurt. Let's learn from history--from their mistake-- so that we don't repeat it.

Our rivers and creeks are full of hazards. Read that last sentence again, please!

Imagine hitting this at speed. It's a prop-stopper and might remove your lower unit.
Stay vigilant, friends!

Speed Versus Your Wallet

I have been performing orientation training lately for members of Savannah's Freedom Boat Club in the new 28' twin-engine NauticStar offshore fishing boat. This is a beautiful machine with two Yamaha 300 horsepower motors. It is "fly-by-wire" with computerized monitoring systems, so we can see exactly how much fuel we are consuming at any speed, with an additional miles-per-gallon readout.

At 30 miles per hour with full fuel and 3 on board, total fuel consumption is at or near 14 gallons per hour. This is pretty amazing, as a single engine 24' boat running the same speed burns a comparable amount of fuel. But what is REALLY amazing is what happens to that fuel consumption number when I have a customer advance the throttles during training.

A relatively small increase in speed increases fuel burn--in a word--significantly! At one point during training yesterday I pointed to the consumption indicator and we noted 52 gallons per hour being turned into speed, noise, and excitement.

"Okay, that's enough of that! Back it down to 30 miles per hour..."

Speed, noise, and excitement are expensive! Because marinas are few and far between with limited competition, they can charge much higher prices for fuel than a corner gas station does. They do have to pay more for fuel from the supplier, and the fuel is higher quality, but today's marina fuel price is $3.50 per gallon versus less than $2.00 per gallon for fuel from a gas station. 52 gallons per hour at 3.50 per gallon comes to $182.00 dollars per hour for fuel costs. Maybe you have "different money," but if you're the average boater, the fuel bill matters.

If fuel cost does matter, check your speed and consumption. Every planing hull has a planing speed at which fuel consumption is least per mile traveled. This corresponds to the minimum drag speed for the hull in conjunction with the engine's power-production characteristics. It's usually between 25 and 30 miles per hour for all the boats I operate. Go faster than that and you are just burning money!

Safe Boating!

SavannahBoater

It's all fun and games until the boat rolls over!

Some stories are better heard than told...

Thanks to friend and fellow FBC member Keith P. for sharing this story. We can either learn from history or repeat it. 

Here is a Savannah Boater challenge. The next time you are on your boat with passengers, do a drill. 

With everyone on board and the life vests in their normal storage location, see how long it takes for every person on board to don a vest and prepare for going in the water. Ready, Set, GO! You are going to be surprised, and better prepared.

While stationed at NAS Kingsville, two buddies and I decided to rent a boat from the base motor pool to fish in Baffin Bay. We got more than we bargained for...

The bay is about 3 miles wide at it’s widest and around 10 miles long. None of us had any formal training in operating a boat in open water. We all just assumed it was not much different than a large lake. The boat was 18 feet long and well designed. Like any other boat, it possessed strengths and limitations.
I can't recall the horsepower, but it also had a small trolling motor on it that we used my car
battery to power.

We arrived early in the morning and launched the boat into the bay. We motored around
to various areas near the shore for several hours, with none of us was really paying attention to the
boat's position because we were all 3 drinking and fishing. Eventually, we noticed that we were
roughly ¾ - mile from any shoreline. We decided that we should head back after seeing a storm building off to our east and realizing we could probably not outrun it.

In those days, we didn’t have GPS or apps to warn us of predicted winds and tide. As one would
expect, the seas started getting rough and water was entering the boat from the rain and waves.
Ironically, we were all in the Navy but not one of us knew exactly how to navigate the waves and
they were growing more intense. At the time we were running parallel to the waves – big
mistake.

We were quickly swamped by the waves and the boat capsized in an amazingly short
period of time.

One person in our party did not know how to swim, so we secured him to the boat with a
piece of anchor line. None of us had life jackets on and I couldn’t swear that there were any on board to begin with. We lost everything – my car battery, wallets, tackle and gear, and the trolling motor.

We clung to the capsized boat for what seemed an eternity and were all stung at least once by jellyfish. It was miserable and terrifying because the waves were still very choppy and the wind was not helping anything.

Fortunately, the storms there are similar to the storms here, it came in ferocious but
didn’t last too long. After an hour or so we saw another boat and got help. We
towed our capsized boat slowly to shore and had to leave it on a rocky beach because the ramp
was quite the distance around the bay.

We retrieved that boat once a wife brought us some keys for the truck. We attached a winch and pulled the boat up that embankment along the beach. Needless to say, the boat was badly damaged.

I cannot stress strongly enough that a person should not attempt using a watercraft
without some sort of formal training. I also cannot stress enough to inspecting the boat ahead of
time to ensure there are lifejackets onboard, and that they are readily accessible if not being
worn.

Also, one should always check forecasts and ensure someone knows where you are going.
A person should be cognizant of their surroundings at all times and tides as well as
understanding the limits of the equipment which you are operating. I tell this story to people
today in a joking manner, but I can assure it was terrifying at the time. All of us survived but the
story could have ended very differently. We were very lucky and I would advise others to get
educated on safe-boating practices and not just rely on luck.

Navigating Your Way Through A Vessel Safety Check

Kids love the water, and boating. They also love to dip their toes and fingertips in it as they ride.
But law-enforcement sees this as a ticketing offense, bow rail notwithstanding. If the motor is on and the boat is making way, no part of a passenger's body may be outside the boat.

My friend Brian was returning to Savannah from Daufuskie last weekend. South Carolina DNR was responding to a flood of recreational boat-traffic with a significant on-water presence to ensure safety and sanity on the water. Brian observed a DNR boat coming his way and announced to his passengers, "okay guys, we are going to get stopped and checked, could everyone sit down and be quiet, please."

Just then, another boater on the far side of the DNR boat entered the "no-wake" zone at "plow" speed. This is a relatively slow speed with the motor pushing hard enough to raise the bow and bury the stern, and it results in a massive wake that rocks boats violently and can damage docks and erode shorelines. A novice boater might not understand the logic and intent of a no-wake zone, but trust me, law enforcement is ready to explain.

Plowing is a visual "screw you and your wake zone" signal to any officer of the law. As the DNR officer approaching Brian's boat swung his head and saw the other boat's massive wake, he smoothly swung his bow in that direction. That guy got the blue-light special.

Don't be that guy.

This weekend I had a charter trip with a family on a USCG-inspected vessel with rails taller than 39.5 inches above the deck. The high rails negate the requirement for children younger than 13 years of age to wear a life jacket.

While idling through the Isle of Hope section of the Skidaway River I was explaining to my African-American passengers the history and etymology of Freedom Creek.  I was on a roll and working the tip hard.

As this was happening, the mom moved to sit on the front deck of the boat, with her feet and legs inside the hull and railed area, but her upper torso out. The mom then lifted her toddler onto her lap. So now the toddler was just outside the railed area as well. And that was when we idled by the Chatham County Police boat.

I waved at the officer while giving my spiel, and saw him giving us a long look. That look raised my situational awareness antennae and I quickly discerned what he was thinking. "Are they in compliance? Is that kid--not wearing a vest--being protected by the rails?" I snapped out of my tour-guide role and back into role as the safety-monitor.

"Hey mom! Could I get you and your baby to come all the way back inside the hull of the boat please? I need you both inside the rails." She smiled and complied immediately (and I still crushed the tip.). Story continues below...

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A small vessel captain has to be both host and safety-monitor, no matter the size of the boat or ratings held. If you captain a recreational boat and take guests on a ride, this applies to you too. It's hard to think of everything and have your attention everywhere at once, but it's part and parcel of being a successful and safe boater. You must be prepared to shed distractions and ignore distracting passengers. (Note to self!)

If you get stopped by law enforcement for a safety check it's best to remain calm, polite, and helpful. Keep in mind that these are the folks who deal with the aftermath of violent and sometimes fatal boating accidents. They have been there and seen what happens when things get out of hand, and their job is to protect us. Sometimes from ourselves.

There are things you must have onboard your boat, like the previously mentioned life-jackets, and depending on where you are and what type of boat you are in or on, flares that aren't out of date,  and a daytime distress signal. (There is a newer approved signal device that uses batteries instead of pyrotechnics). It's common practice for folks to keep out of date flares in addition to "fresh" ones, as they will probably work fine in an emergency, and more is better, right?

Well, some law-enforcement folks will take you to task if you have the old flares stored together with the newer ones. Another sticking point is not having your throw cushion (or throw-ring on an inspected vessel) "readily available." If you have the throw cushion stored in the center console under a pile of stuff, the officer may ask you to keep it closer to hand, perhaps hanging from a rod-holder behind the center seat. Some of the rules are subjective and the officer is the one doing the interpretation. Best to politely roll with that interpretation and thank them for their advice. One Type IV throwable device must be on board all vessels except Class A vessels (boats less than 15’ 11” which also includes personal-watercraft, canoes and kayaks).

In most cases a law enforcement officer (or team) will not board your boat. They will put large fenders out and pull up alongside you. As long as you are polite and aren't obviously impaired, you will probably come through this experience with some advice, maybe a verbal or written warning, and maybe even a citation. If you are drunk you are going straight to jail. If there are illegal drugs on the boat it's getting impounded. Marine law-enforcement officers have breathalyzers just like their brethren on the roads. The Coast Guard may board you if they stop you.

Law enforcement is familiar with Freedom Boat Club boats and they know that these boats have all required safety equipment. This may preclude you from getting a safety check on a Freedom Boat. Even so, it's a good idea to periodically refresh yourself on exactly where on the boat these items are. In an emergency you might need something in a hurry. The fact that someone else takes care of the safety stuff on a Freedom boat can lead to complacency, and complacency is the key that unlocks the brain-box in which all other hazardous attitudes are waiting to have their way with you.

Click here for the Georgia Boating Rules and Regulations.

Social Boating While Keeping Your Distance: Moon River Kayak Tours and Rentals

For the foreseeable future, this virus is going to affect how we socialize. Even as things work their way toward a new normal, being in a group with other people will  be accompanied by nagging thoughts.

"What if I or my family is getting more from  this experience than we bargained for?"

A kayak trip is a safe way to experience fun with others.

As we enjoy one of the most beautiful spring seasons in memory, with fresh cool mornings and comfortably warm afternoons--keep one thing in mind-- it's wonderful to live it at water level. Gliding through our maritime history and ecology is a fantastic way to put your mind at ease and restore the peace within you. Tranquility outside becomes tranquility inside.

Image of kayakers on the Skidaway River; from Skidaway Island State Park.
Image courtesy "thedyrt.com"

Want to spend quality time with others but don't want to risk the spread of infection? A kayak tour is the perfect way to do this.

Michael Neal and his team of guides at Moon River Kayak can make this happen for you and your friends. They can show you what is--in our humble opinion--the most beautiful stretch of water in the Savannah area. The Skidaway Narrows was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1905, and in creating the Narrows they engineered a masterpiece of natural beauty. Johnny Mercer's  Moon River is waitin' round the bend. You can cross it in style...

Ospreys and eagles live, hunt, and raise their families here. Manatees use the Narrows to move up and down the coast. Dolphins frolic and froth the water. Wildlife abounds. At times you will talk and laugh and tell stories.  At other times your entire group will be spellbound by the boundless beauty that surrounds you.

It's that good. No kidding.

During the Great Depression work crews with the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) dug channels deep into Skidaway Island State Park. You can explore these creeks, get into "skinny water," and see things that other boaters can't. Your kayak is the perfect stealth transporter, allowing you to observe the workings of the natural world without disturbing it. Your friends can be with you, but not too close.

The creeks here are gorgeous. uncrowded, and off the beaten path.

Moon River Kayak Tours and Rentals depart from the Rodney J. Hall Boat Ramp on the Skidaway River at the Narrows, and must be scheduled in advance! (912 398-7400)  Diamond Causeway takes you there. Tours are $50 per person with a minimum of two and a maximum of six paddlers. Each tour lasts between 2 and 2.5 hours. Kayak rentals are also available for self-guided exploration, the cost for 4 hours is $40 for a single-seat boat and $55 for a two-person "tandem" boat.

Call Michael Neal, owner of Moon River Kayak Company and Bull River Cruises (and a Savannah movie industry icon) to schedule your tour. (912 398-7400) Check his operation out on Tripadvisor to read reviews like this one, "Moon River Kayaking was amazing, both the journey down the river and their customer service. Michael took care of us, made us feel like part of his kayaking family, and kept us interested and amused the whole time. Totally recommend!!"

Safe Boating friends.

SavannahBoater.com