Marinas on the ICW Day 2

posted by Ardys

We “solved” the problem of getting Jax to shore by spending last night, our first night on the ICW, at a marina.  This, in spite of the fact that our plan has always been to find anchorages as we travel down the ditch.  The marina was  Atlantic Yacht Basin, at STM 12.  Sounds rather upscale doesn’t it? It is not.  But the important thing was that it was where we were by the time we had traveled far enough for one day and there were no anchorages with access to the shore within our ability to continue on.  “Far enough” on the ICW, for us, means that it will be dark before we stop if we keep going.  Therefore, we are constricted by daylight hours and our dog’s bladder and bowel habits.  Yes yes yes, we had planned to have Jax trained to relieve himself and do his “business” on a carpet sample on the deck of the boat so that we would not be obligated to discard half of the potential anchorages for lack of dinghy access.

This is NOT where we stayed.  Interesting artwork though.

The jury is out yet on whether Jax will at some point, learn to empty his bowel and bladder on the boat.  As my husband says, “no dog has ever exploded.  Eventually he’ll go.”  So, toward that miraculous goal, we have a small carpet that we have carried with us so that it could be “seasoned” by thrusting it beneath Jax when he pees.  Okay, so here’s our language.  We say, “Go pee, Jax.”  And “Good Boy” every time he does when we’re on land.  We praise him in hopes that it will translate to peeing on command on the boat.  Over the past months, when Jax gives “the clue” that he is preparing to evacuate his bowels, we quickly tell him to do so, by saying “Do your business.  Do your business.” and we praise him immediately for doing so, again, in hopes that it will translate to doing this at our suggestion to do so, on the boat.  We have “marked” that same carpet with his scat as well.  The carpet has a hole in two corners with a rope attached between them so that it can be connected to the boat.  We wouldn’t want such a valuable piece of carpet to go overboard.  We chose to place it against the mast, since he doesn’t walk there.  He does walk everywhere else on the boat, so the mast seemed the best location. 

"The Carpet"

So the carpet is there.  It’s “ready.”  We bring Jax to it occasionally and “suggest” that he pee and do his business there.  He wags his tail, sniffs it a bit since we seem very interested in the carpet, and then he gives us one of those, “What do you want from me, you wacky human?”  That’s as far as this “training” has gone.  I dread the night when there is no option to bring him to shore.  Will I be able to sleep, with that little high-pitched “meh, meh” coming from the floor?  Poor guy.  We hate to put him through that. 

Approaching marina, minutes before cloudburst

These marinas along the man-made portions of the ICW, seem to be (at least based on my limited exposure to them over the past two days) just a single long line of docks extending along the length of the channel.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing like the other marinas I’ve seen over the past months.  If there is water and a pump-out service available that’s really all that one could reasonably expect.  If there’s shore power available, showers and laundry facilities, we’re really happy.  If there is also Wi-Fi, that is worth a handstand.  

We crossed the border into North Carolina this morning.  There were fewer bridges today than yesterday, so we made better time.  We’re hearing more folks on VHF with Southern accents now.  A woman on the radio was given a “Yes, ma’am” response today, and the Coast Guard is broadcasting from places south of us.  Most notably, we witnessed some remarkably colorful language today on Channel 16 from an angry boat captain who clearly felt his manhood had been threatened by the speed of a large elegant power boat flying a Canadian flag.  How did we know that detail?  The irate “gentleman” called that power boater every name imaginable, including some that were disparaging toward those of of our neighbors to the North.  Plus, said power boat later passed us.  

Coinjock Marina alongside ICW

Well, we wimped out again tonight.  No anchorages with shore access, but there was a marina alongside the canal.  AND they had a restaurant!  With prime rib special, no less.  We invited a singlehanded sailor we’d met to eat with us and Jax was once again—on shore.  Sigh.