Lazaretto Creek to Private Rd 4
Published October 1, 2005 | 
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh…. join up with me, so joyous and free, this way to oh Sherwood high!
For I’m Robin Hood, and I’m very good, at avoiding the Sheriff’s eye!
So we’ll trip along merrily, o’er the greensward so gracefully!
To trip it, trip it, trip it, trip it, tri-ip it up and dowwwn!
To trip it, trip it, trippit, trippit, trip-trip-it, trip it,
to trip it uuuup aaaand dooowwwwwn!”- daffy duck
On the eastern end of Cockspur Island marking the southern channel of the Savannah River stands the Cockspur Island Lighthouse. Built in 1857, the forty-six foot light house often stands as a lone spire in the water as the island is buried below the tide. Interestingly the eastern side of the light house is shaped like the prow of a ship to help it withstand the force of the open sea.
When Union forces entered Tybee Island, GA in 1861, the rebel army retreated to Fort Pulaski on the opposite side of the river. On April 11, 1862 the Union artillery unleashed a massive assault on Fort Pulaski from Tybee Island with the Cockspur Light house in the direct line of fire. Surprisingly after over 5,000 shots were fired the lighthouse stood undamaged.
After the turn of the century, deep draft ships going to Savannah began using the north channel and the light house was soon deactivated. It was abandoned completely by the coast Guard in 1949.Today the lighthouse has been restored and is part of the Fort Pulaski national Monument. I took this picture a few years back when we had launched out from the Lazaretto Creek Marina to visit the dolphins.
So this all leads up to my news for the day. After a variety of logistical problems we realized that we would not be able to return to California this year. We’re going to really miss seeing the West Coast Gang. However, 
after I a couple days of feeding on the ashes I suddenly realized that we could easily make the trip to Georgia for the BCU week held at Sea Kayak Georgia. It is a week after the California symposium and we can drive. This meant that Gryphon could go with us as well, which solved a really big problem. So after a quick phone call to SKG and a nice long chat with Dale Williams (owner of SKG), we had everything set up and ready to go. Mary will spend the first day learning Greenland skills from Cherri Perri & company, then I will be taking classes from Dale and Nigel Foster, as well as doing some BCU workshops and assessment as well. So we’re relieved and excited that we were able to recover our kayak education trip for the year. I think I’m most looking forward to a day of sea kayak surfing with Dale’s class. Last year as you may know I did get some training in proper surf kayaks, but that does not exactly cross over to an eighteen foot missile.
Now if you follow my journal at all, you know that every time we plan any major kayaking trip things start going a bit awry. So. . The same day we realized we could drive down to Georgia our Jeep decided to have an oil gauge issue. One can only hope it’s the gauge and not the engine. So that goes into the shop Monday. THEN yesterday I had a filling fall out and now I have a nice hole in a tooth! Given that this stuff always happens when we’re planning a trip I can’t help but laugh off the karmic alignment as we “pre-pay” for a good time. I think if things did not go wrong before the trip I would fear the trip itself would be filled with ill tidings.
In other news I spoke via email with a rep at Great River Outfitters (Now in Rhode Island) yesterday and found out that our new Anas Acuta is not going to be here in November as expected. We just hope it will be here before next spring. It’s all dependent on US shops getting in their pre-season orders for 2006. So guys, please, please, get your Valley orders in right away!! We’re also still waiting for news on our custom requests for 1. gradient paintjob, 2. foam seat, 3. Rope Skeg, 4. Keelstrip all the way up the seem. Our personal requests are all up to the guys on Rd 4. I can only hope that their having a good day in Nottingham when they see my order!
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4 Responses to Lazaretto Creek to Private Rd 4
BCU week sounds like a blast! Send Cheri my regards when you see her.
Hey, are you guys free to join us for our Green Lake paddle tomorrow? That seems to be a nice halfway point between our two towns. We’re launching from the boatlaunch on the southwest corner of the lake and parking on “K” at 9:00 am. I believe they’re considering doing a circumnavigation which would be about 20 miles.
have a wonderful time. Cheri Perry – so near and yet so far for me. One of my few actual regrets about my carless status & overloaded schedule (primarily my own fault, I’m the only one who makes me work on a schooner) is that there is such a wonderful teacher fairly close by, but I have so little opportunity to take advantage of that.
Well, I look forward to the vicarious pleasure of one of your excellent writeups.
Hey Alex,
Sorry, my truck was down as I mentioned. It’s still in the shop today. Hope I don’t have to sell my kayak to fix it!!
Hi Bonnie!! Ahhhh, , yeah, but you work on a schooner. . .
Well, yes, there is that. And the sunset behind the Statue of Liberty on Thursday night was about as insanely beautiful as you’d ever hope to see. Yup.