The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile (4,800-km) waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals. It provides a navigable route along its length without many of the hazards of travel on the open sea.
The shipping hazards and safe havens of the Atlantic coast were well known and appreciated since colonial times, and considered of great communication, commercial and military importance to both the colonial power and the newly established, independent United States. The physical features of the eastern coast were advantageous for intracoastal development, resulting from erosion and deposition of sediment over its geologic history, but also enhanced and redistributed by the action of the Atlantic ocean currents along it. Since the coastline represented their national border and commerce of the time was chiefly by water, the fledgling government established a degree of national control over it. Inland transportation to supply the coasting trade at the time however, was less known and virtually undeveloped, but when new lands and their favorable river systems were added in 1787, a radically new and free national policy was established for their development and transportation use.^[1] Over time, internal improvements of natural coastal and inland waterways would develop into the Great Loop, which provides water-borne traffic circumnavigation of the eastern continental United States, using minimal ocean travel, with the Intracoastal Waterway providing its eastern and southern route.

6th Graders from New Bremen Ohio asked Don Questions about Sailing and Adopting a Creature.

Hi Mrs. Niemeyer and students…

We apologize for not getting back for a couple days as we had very low wifi and cell phone connections. Steve and I anchored last night in upper NC, sailed and motored down through the Pamlico Sound to just above Beaufort NC. Tomorrow we hope to get going early and make some time up, but Sunday’s weather may be an issue, we’ll just have to wait and see.

To your questions, the boat has 2 sails, a main and a jib. The jib is the smaller sail on the front of the boat and the main is the “big one” that provides the main sailing force. Unfortunately we’ve not been able to use the sails as much as we would have liked due to either no wind or it blowing directly towards us.

I didn’t bring a fishing pole although Avery asked if I was. We actually really haven’t had time to fish as we’ve been sailing roughly 10-11 hours a day and haven’t and an opportunity to do so. We’re going to attempt to make it to Wrightsville NC on Sat and the see what that weather does for us going forward..

As far as Steve and I having disagreements; no we have not had any so far. He’s the Captain and I’m the first mate so what he says is what we do, unless it has something to do with where we’re going to stop to eat or stay. We really do get along because we both know that you have to work together all the time plotting courses, looking for marker buoys, and approaches to the route. That’s what teamwork is all about!.

By all means send any more questions and we’ll try and answer.

We have about 300 miles to go.

Don