Slow Boat to Florida (SBFL) Series – Page 12

October 10, 2018

Slow Boat to Florida

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes – SBFL* – THE START OF A DREAM – Years ago, I remember asking my local boatyard owner and trusted mechanic if we could go from our home port in the northern Chesapeake Bay to Florida with my then first powerboat, a 25’ Rinker Cruiser, Happy Time. His response was, “Sure, why not?” That surprising answer provoked a strong exclamation from me, saying, “Really!?” and sparked a huge curiosity on my end. I said, “Do you know of anyone who did that with a 25’ powerboat?” His response was even more surprising. He said that in the late 60’s and early 70’s, some people actually went to Florida with their 16’...

A lost colonial town

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes – Recently, a Scottish Weekend program took us to a fascinating spot on the banks of the South River in the Chesapeake Bay. (North 38 degrees 56’ and West 76 degrees 32’) We didn’t realize until much later that we could have gone by boat and docked there, rather than driving. We discovered a lost colonial town that we could do a day trip to with our boat. Back in its day, the town had up to 300 dwellings, a tavern, and a ferry boat that crossed the Chesapeake Bay’s South River. Apparently, ferries were a critical link in the colonial transportation system. By the 1730s, nearly every road in...