The summertime climate of the southeastern US is not to my liking; it's generally too hot and humid, plus since we arrived on July 10, 2011, the area has been subject to a couple of heat waves. Daytime highs have been in the mid-90s (35C), and with the 60%-75% humidity the heat index pushes the apparent temperatures into the 105-115F (40-46C) range. And have I mentioned the mosquitos?
The heat and humidity (and swamp angels) have temporarily dampened our desire for extended tourism, but Brunswick Landing Marina is still a very nice place to have The Fox. Here's a high-tide view of the adjacent marshes – where guys in bass boats fish – and one of the docks:
The approach up the Brunswick and East Rivers is deep enough for our 6'3" keel and then some. In contrast to what we saw in our travels in Florida, about 70% of the boats here in Brunswick Landing Marina are sailboats – both multihulls and monohulls. It's obvious that almost all the boats in the marina, whether power or sail, are cruising boats – there are hardly any derelict or neglected boats in the 315 slips here. In general these boats are properly prepared for hurricane season, i.e., sails, canvas and deck gear have been removed and stowed. It's nice to see boats that have attentive owners and I suspect we'll have lots of company when we head for the Bahamas come November.
Brunswick Landing Marina's facilities include the best onshore showers I've ever seen in any marina, anywhere in the Western Hemisphere between Canada and Ecuador. Each of the showers here is a full-size private bathroom. Lavish, I tell you. Laundry is free for marina customers and there are plenty of washers/dryers to go around. The shrimpers' docks and a 3-day-per-week farmers' market are about 1/4 mile away from our boat (they're even closer if your boat is in a slip further downriver than our Dock 12). A few blocks' walk takes you to a small grocery with basic necessities, and the historic downtown with a few more shops and restaurants is just a short walk further. Observe some of the scenery:
Here's a shrimper with a sense of humor – check out the name on the stern:
Schnort.
The only disadvantage to living aboard a boat in Brunswick – and it's a big one but one that seems to be inherent in every marina throughout the US – is that for any other necessity (hardware, boat parts, grocery items such as grains, bread, dairy, detergent, toilet paper, etc.), the nearest store is 2 miles away. The nearest gym is 5 miles away and local tourism opportunities are even further afield. Public transportation is virtually nonexistent; around here you either travel by personal car or taxi (and the fares ain't the Ecuadorean $1-for-anywhere-in-town). It seems like all the liveaboards here in Brunswick Landing Marina own bicycles, or a car, or both. For transients like us who don't have a boat big enough to stow bicycles long term, the transportation solution of choice might be a rental car but we'll have to examine our post-refit budget more closely to make it as economical as possible– because car rental is $750-$1300/month. Meh – we'll think of something.
Meanwhile we have plenty of projects to keep us busy.
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