Every morning when I take my walk, I walk along the Frederica River.  I walk past the Arch Ed building, through the woods by the street, then along the river.  It is always a gorgeous view over the marsh I often stop to take pictures.  The Frederica River is part of the intracoastal waterway.  The waterway is an improved navigable corridor that runs from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico.  People who love boating often dream about making the entire 3,000 mile trip.  Sometimes, when I am walking in the morning I see a boat anchored in the river that stopped for the night.

I like to take pictures of these boats because they are so pretty in the morning light.  I have absolutely no desire to travel the 3,000 miles of the intracoastal waterway, but I like talking to people who do.  They often come ashore at the Fort Frederica National Monument kayak dock.  They can tie up their dinghy and catch an Uber to the grocery store or laundromat.

A couple of weeks ago some people came ashore with really muddy boots.  They explained that their boat was anchored in the river for a couple of days and the tide was too low for them to use the kayak dock.  Instead, they had driven their dinghy onto the mudflats and walked through the mudflats to get to the fort.  Their boat was the Schooner Huron Jewel and they were on the Dream Inspiration Tour.

I spent some time talking with Julie Covert, the first mate on the ship.  Her husband, Hugh, was the Captain and builder of the Huron Jewel.  They were from Drummond Island, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and were taking nine months to make a loop from Drummond Island, down the Mississippi River to the Gulf Coast, and then back north along the Intracoastal waterway.  They were trying to spread the message that people should live their dreams and not put them off.

I asked Julie if she was going to write a book about their adventures but she said she was more interested in the stories she heard from the people they met along the way.  I assured her that Tom and I are living our dream.  Julie told me several stories about the people they have inspired and some of the places they have given talks.  She said that most people haven’t forgotten how to dream, they just make excuses for why their dreams can’t come true.

Captain Hugh Covert is an example of living his dream.  He built the 78-foot Huron Jewel over two years.  It was the culmination of many years of boat-building, but I doubt it will be his last.  The Huron Jewel is currently in Wilmington, North Carolina.  Julie mentioned that they were hoping to be back in Lake Huron by June because they do lots of shows and cruises in the summer.

It is fun to see the boats on the Frederica River.  Sailing is just like RVing, only on the water.  The RV just makes it easier to get to the grocery store.