
Editor's Note: The ICW series of blog entries details the April 2010 cruise down the ICW made by WaterViewHome Network Publisher David Lott. The purpose of the trip is twofold: to accompany Captain Steve Weisbrod who is delivering a 43-foot Lagoon PowerCat from Lewis, DE, to Key West, FL, where it will become part of a charter fleet, and to visit golf and waterview communities and report on them. You can read all other posts by clicking on the headlines on the list of entries at the end of this installment.
DAY 5 - Early AM at St. James Plantation
I awoke early the next morning on board Becky Bad Girl--should go in the boat name Hall of Fame (shame?)--to head up to Tommy Thompson's grille and to send off the day's newsletter.

Stopped in to see Dock Master Jon Helms who was kind enough to participate in a time-honored tradition of exchanging burgees. Except that the St. James Marina doesn't have one yet. Gave him the scoop on where I got mine.
I had met one of the Auxiliary members the night before. He had been wearing a Red Sox jacket. After I had given him a 'Go, 'Sox!' cheer, he stopped to chat. He was from Connecticut and noted how there was a large contingent from there and had their own Nutmeg group. There's no reason to get homesick when you have a lot of company from your home state right there with you. Request more information about St. James Plantation.

The view above is similar to the one that the St. James Plantation Artisans' Gallery will have when it opens soon. Its windows will overlook the marina and harbor and will sell resident artwork. The gallery is further evidence that If you have an interest at St. James Plantation, there will be a way you can pursue it there.
I was met at Tommy Thompson's by St. James Plantation Marketing Director Julie Campbell with whom I have been working for many years, but had never met. It was a pleasure meeting her and finally putting a face with her name. We got into her car for a tour of what was new at St. James Plantation. Request more information.
Not far away, we stopped at the construction site for the new Reserve Clubhouse which will be completed in April 2011, the 20th anniversary of the St. James Plantation. I stood still for a moment to listen to the skill saws buzzing and hammers hammering as the work progressed. With the worst of the recession behind us, it was good to hear the sounds of construction coming from the building industry. Request more information about St. James Plantation.

Katie drove me back to the marina and Captain Steve was there waiting to hit the road again. We left via the entrance from the ICW and headed south towards Charleston.



Today we had to make up time that had been lost due to the engine problem. Fortunately, Captain Steve had found the answer to the 'malfunctioning' engine problem that two mechanics in Delaware couldn't find. It was a simple as finding the right switch to flip. Thus, with the engines both being fully available, today we were to go 'outside,' that is, we were to forgo the ICW and go out about 25 miles into the Atlantic and make a straight shot for Charleston.

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As the day came to an end and we neared Charleston Harbor, we passed Ft. Sumter, where the first shots were fired in the Civil War.
ICW Miles Traveled: 469. Next Entry: The MegaYachts of Charleston.
Follow the Complete Trip Down the ICW by clicking on the headlines below.
**ICW Trip Announcement
DAY 1 - Havre de Grace, MD - Engine Trouble**
DAY 2 - Alligator River Marina, NC - River Forest, NC
DAY 2: A Visit to River Dunes, Oriental NC
DAY 3 - The Oriental Boat Show Is a Town-Wide Celebration
DAY 4 - Tiptoeing Past Firing Lines to North River Club & Brunswick Forest
DAY 5 - St. James Plantation Marina - New Home Construction
DAY 6: Charleston's Mega Dock Is a Showcase for the World's Most Beautiful Yachts
Day 6: Daniel Island's Mitchell Wharf Offers Deepwater Docks, River Views
Day 6: Harbour Town Yacht Club with All the Trimmings on Hilton Head Island
Day 7: Discovering Windmill Harbour's Elegance and Privacy on HHI, SC