03/12/2025 ICW Day 71 : A Greg-arious Evening
Fast and easy sailing with following seas (current and wind) all day long!
A couple weeks ago, a guy named Greg reached out to take us to dinner—an offer Janet and I may have declined in years past - preferring our quiet tent life. But with the AIS beacon letting people track us, we can plan ahead, and I’ve come to see how cool it is to meet energetic folks who cheer on expeditions.
We set up to meet Greg at Southern Salt, a restaurant with a dock that made parking a breeze for me and Janet. Greg, meanwhile, left work early and drove an hour and a half each way just to join us.
We grabbed a table since we arrived early, and when Greg walked in, if you looked up “Southern Hospitality” in the encyclopedia, Greg’s photo would be there. He sat down, locked eyes with me and Janet, and dove right into questions. We swapped adventure stories—Greg owned a 21 foot skiff and he had been eying this 27 footer. One day, God told him he should buy it - and he did! He and his friend Andy took the skiff with a big motor down the entire ICW in 11 days, 9 of them soaking wet from rain, slapping the water as they zoomed over the surface like a skipping stone. He knew the ICW like the back of his hand and shared sage advice for our upcoming stretch. Usually, “local knowledge” is hit-or-miss, but Greg’s was spot on.
When the food arrived, Greg bowed his head for a blessing, and we dug into the delicious meal. I was sad we didn’t have more time, but we got in a couple hours with him. He paid the tab, thanking us for “letting me repay some kindness I got on my skiff trip.” He had pitched that journey on a website called “the hull truth” during the pandemic. At one point during his journey, a crowd of boats even showed up to cheer them on. People took him in and offered kindness.
As Greg said goodbye, I felt a pang—we’d just scratched the surface with a guy who’d given us more than a meal. Greg was the kind of person who Janet and I would be friends with if we lived in the same place. I do hope we meet again.
A couple weeks ago, a guy named Greg reached out to take us to dinner—an offer Janet and I may have declined in years past - preferring our quiet tent life. But with the AIS beacon letting people track us, we can plan ahead, and I’ve come to see how cool it is to meet energetic folks who cheer on expeditions.
We set up to meet Greg at Southern Salt, a restaurant with a dock that made parking a breeze for me and Janet. Greg, meanwhile, left work early and drove an hour and a half each way just to join us.
We grabbed a table since we arrived early, and when Greg walked in, if you looked up “Southern Hospitality” in the encyclopedia, Greg’s photo would be there. He sat down, locked eyes with me and Janet, and dove right into questions. We swapped adventure stories—Greg owned a 21 foot skiff and he had been eying this 27 footer. One day, God told him he should buy it - and he did! He and his friend Andy took the skiff with a big motor down the entire ICW in 11 days, 9 of them soaking wet from rain, slapping the water as they zoomed over the surface like a skipping stone. He knew the ICW like the back of his hand and shared sage advice for our upcoming stretch. Usually, “local knowledge” is hit-or-miss, but Greg’s was spot on.
When the food arrived, Greg bowed his head for a blessing, and we dug into the delicious meal. I was sad we didn’t have more time, but we got in a couple hours with him. He paid the tab, thanking us for “letting me repay some kindness I got on my skiff trip.” He had pitched that journey on a website called “the hull truth” during the pandemic. At one point during his journey, a crowd of boats even showed up to cheer them on. People took him in and offered kindness.
As Greg said goodbye, I felt a pang—we’d just scratched the surface with a guy who’d given us more than a meal. Greg was the kind of person who Janet and I would be friends with if we lived in the same place. I do hope we meet again.
Photos:
This photo taken by Greg. The one we took wasn’t as good.
After getting kicked out of the hotel and being escorted down the road by the police as we wheeled our kayak, it was worth it! Best Western was way better than the Waterway Inn anyway. Plus they had a nice breakfast and friendly staff.
We found a dock in a condo complex that was only 0.5 miles from Best Western. It had been over a mile to the public dock on the 4 lane road. This was on a driveway and no cars came down it while we were pushing the stuff along. Janet seen here with the hotel luggage rack.
Only 0.4 miles left to go!
We met John and Pat from Ohio while we were killing time. We checked out Sugarloaf island and planned to camp. John and his son Bradley had hiked much of the PCT, CDT, and parts of the AT. His son wanted to do the triple crown, but then he “met a girl.” They live aboard “Sweet Surrender” and are going as far as Georgia.
Exploring the island.
John and Pat had alerted us to the free showers at the marina. So why not? We boated over after dinner for a quick wash before bed.
Ride Stats:
| Elapsed Time | Moving Time | Distance | Average Speed | Max Speed | Elevation Gain | Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
12:10:28
hours
|
06:25:06
hours
|
41.29
km
|
6.43
km/h
|
12.84
km/h
|
0.00
meters
|
1,743
kcal
|
