Jan. 24

As it usually happens the day after a bad day is a better day.  This was a much better day. We put in at the Isle of Palms boat ramp near the SR212 Bridge and followed the incoming tide for a ways in calm winds. Everything went well and I felt great getting back into the swing for what looked like it would be the longest day ever. Our intention to go all the way to St. Augustine fueled my morale as miles were ticking by in spite of rowing against a slight current. 

We entered the six-mile long canal we had tried unsuccessfully to get into yesterday at about 11:00 a.m. and found little, if any, tidal current.  This absolutely straight six miles, about 100 yards wide, was easy to navigate. My line of puddles went parallel to the shore on the starboard side and vanished as the mouth of the canal where we entered shrunk to a small opening on the horizon. Lavish homes on the port side with their unused but impressive docks stretched from the beginning of the canal to the other end. Not one of them seemed occupied! 

I again thought of all the people who needed housing.  If all of these unused palaces could be opened to them there would be more than enough housing for everyone including the tsunami victims.  These thoughts seemed similar to those I’d had last year as we rowed through the “Gold Coast” further south. I thought of all those displaced people living distraught lives without shelter and see them all being given a hug, a good meal, a hot shower and being tucked into the thousands of clean sheeted beds in the empty guest rooms of all of these mansions.  I am sure the hatred of America in those lands would go away if this dream could be only partly fulfilled.  These thoughts repeated themselves like my puddles and gradually faded away to the horizon in my mind.

By the time we reached the bridge at the end of the canal it was noon and to reach St. Augustine would be another 17 miles.  I had already rowed almost 13.  There was no ramp closer than our destination.  I was not ready to stop but I was not ready to row another 17 miles either.  We made the decision to call Verna Brown, our contact at Habitat in St. Augustine and have her drive up to give me a ride back to the car from here.  I was glad I did. She arrived in a brand new, two-seated, bright red Audi sports car. My ride to the car was in unprecedented style.