Post #37 Kilkenny Marina

Sunday and Monday, November 8 & 9, 2020

I haven’t devoted a post to a marina yet, but the stop at Kilkenny is worthy of more than a passing mention.

First, though, we left Savannah and headed down the twisty Skidaway River, passing Moon River—yes, that one! Savannah-born Johnny Mercer was co-founder of Capitol Records and composer or lyricist of scores of songs including “Autumn Leaves’, “That Old Black Magic”, “Accentuate the Positive”, “Summer Wind”, and the eponymous “Moon River.”  His uncle had a summer house near the river and he spent many months there over the years.  My parents had an album with Andy Williams singing that song so I cranked up the volume on my phone and made David listen to me croon away with Andy. In case you’re wondering, the mouth of the river is not “wider than a mile” but these “two drifters” did  cross it “in style.” (Sorry, I couldn’t35 resist.)

Gotta love the names of today’s voyage: we followed the Burnside River past Possum Point to the Vernon River to the Ogeechee River to the Florida Passage (sounds good to me!) which flows into the Bear River behind Ossabaw Island, one of Georgia’s major Sea Islands. Finally we crept through the appropriately named Hell Gate, home of the aforementioned grabbing tentacles. If we had decided to drop the hook for the night we could have chosen Cane Patch Creek, Buckhead Creek, Big Tom Creek or even Birthday Creek. 

Tell me, who gets to choose the names of these places???

Kilkenny Marina is one long face dock, a rustic fish camp, live bait shop, and limited general store run by brothers Robert and Danny Bacot.  Their father started the place in 1960 and, well, nothing much has changed since then. As one contributor to Active Captain wrote, “Now this is Georgia, basic docks and facilities but great views, friendly folks, good fishin’.” 

There was the “grandest display of ancient live oaks draped with mystical Spanish moss” lining the road (more of a pathway) away from the edge of the creek. The live oak David is standing near is purported to be over 300 years old!

We stayed for two nights as we obsessively watched the predictions for Eta’s path before heading out again. We thought about ordering out for pizza since we were given the menu upon arrival.  We were reassured that they deliver, since it’s only 11 miles away.

On Monday we talked with two crabbers as they loaded up their pick-up truck with their daily catch, bound “for the DC market.  Most crabs y’all eat are from Georgia or Alabama.” They get these crabs all from “within 7-8 miles hereabouts.” Not an easy way to make a living but at least it’s warmer than lobstering.