Editor's Note

Although we’re down to our “winter weight” with regard to fewer pages, we’ve still managed to pack quite a bit into this issue and I wanted to comment on a few things. 

First I want to welcome Coastal Electric Cooperative as a new advertiser – and thank you Mark Bolton for making it happen! This is a great example of the connectivity in our coastal community. Although this isn’t a boating or marine-related business, their ad is relevant to our readers and our community as a whole. This is exactly the way I want businesses to look at advertising in Southern Tides. Even though we’re “all about the water” we still interact with, utilize and rely on plenty of other businesses outside of the marine industry. Finding and drawing on these connections brings us together and broadens our sense of community. What role does your business play in the coastal region? Can Southern Tides work with you?

We’ve had a “first” this month. Aside from a couple photos with hands holding various sea life, this is the first time a human has ever been on the cover of Southern Tides. Mark Dodd, senior wildlife biologist with the GADNR, participated in rescuing a dolphin entangled in crab trap lines. He and the rest of the four-person team are proof that not all heroes wear capes. I find it fitting that the first person featured on the cover is someone who does so much for wildlife on our coast. Thank you, Mark!

The story of that rescue and photos are on pages 12 and 13. It’s a good reminder that the DNR is more than just a law enforcement agency – they do amazing work, including protecting the animals we consider symbols of our coast. This reminds me of something Doug Haymans, director of the DNR Coastal Resources Division, said to me several years ago. “It’s our job to find a balance between nature and people.” It’s not an easy job and it’s often a thankless one, but the DNR staff continue to do it. 

Organizing events in today’s world is a risky endeavor, so putting together a fishing tournament wasn’t possible this year, but Fishin’ for Jamie organizer, Chris Caldwell, was determined to continue to raise money and awareness for skin cancer research. Check out the promotional spot on page 15 for the Fishin’ for Jamie Christmas Party, featuring a cornhole tournament, raffle, food and music, at Hogans’ Marina. We’ll see you there!

You might have noticed this past couple months that we have a new regular column. The Riverkeeper Report brings you news from the five Riverkeepers on our coast, compiled by Meaghan Gerard, communications and administrative director for the Ogeechee Riverkeeper. Check this out each month for news, activities, and to stay up with the health of our local watersheds. 

Also this month, read about SCAD student, Abigail Askew, who recently won a $15,000.00 prize for her contest submission on recycling fishing line and soft baits. She’s also an angler and part of the bass fishing team at her school. You go Girl!

Readers, we hear you! After the September issue came out, we had countless comments about how glad you were that we finally brought Taste of the Tides back. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything planned for the October issue, but made sure we did this month with seafood dressing. In my house, dressing (and/or stuffing) doesn’t last long on Thanksgiving, so I usually make a couple pans of it, and a couple varieties, including this one.  Going forward we’ll make sure we have a tasty seafood recipe for you each month, and you can help if you have a favorite seafood dish you’d like to share!

I hope you all enjoy these stories and the rest. I also hope you find time each day, not just on Thanksgiving, to feel thankful for the good in your lives. I know I do. 

See you out there!

I've always been a warm weather girl. From the first early days of spring when everything starts blooming and you can feel the first hint of warmth in the air, on through the depths of August (there was no such thing as “too hot”), I was in my element. Shorts and flip flops, fresh vegetables, and long days. Things I most enjoy doing seemed more fun in warm weather: kayaking, fishing, crabbing, throwing a cast net, planting vegetables and flowers, having friends over for cookouts, lazy beach afternoons, and anything else I could find to keep me outside. 

And then I turned 50. 

I still love all those things associated with warm weather (and cooling off inside when it’s too hot), but these days when the temperatures start dropping, rather than mourn the loss of summer, I start looking forward to fall. Turns out there are a lot of things I love doing in cooler weather, too! 

Some of the best fishing of the year can be had in October and November, still plenty of time for kayaking without being cooked in the process, front porch sitting is more comfortable, fires in the fire pit, and of course, oyster roasts with old friends and new. I used to dislike the shorter days, but the reality is that I’m less likely to work excessive overtime when it gets dark early, so that’s not really a bad thing either.

To help you get a jumpstart on enjoy this fall, check out our list of ideas (right). 

I hope y’all enjoy this issue. We’ve gone down to our “winter weight” of 24 pages, but they’re packed full of articles for you. Enjoy!

Six years ago, in September of 2015, the first issue of Southern Tides Magazine was published. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, until I scroll through all the files on my computer (72 issues archived and this 73rd issue in progress) or look at the stacks of magazines in my office or think about all the work it’s entailed! Or when I think back over all the people I’ve met, the adventures I’ve had, and all I’ve learned and been able to share with you, our readers. 

One of my favorite adventures was one of the first I wrote for the magazine in the fall of 2015, about oyster farming in South Carolina, when I spent a couple days with Frank Roberts at his oyster farm on Ladys Island. Frank was an awesome host and gave me a real understanding of the process, plus we went for a couple boat rides, harvested some oysters, ate some oysters, drank a couple beers, and I got a couple great articles out of it. 

Many of my favorite articles involved getting out there and getting my hands dirty alongside people who make a living here on our coast. Spending a day crabbing with my dear friends Jamee and Don, during peeler crab season, is at the top of that list. Even though they didn’t put me through the hard work with no sleep they go through each peeler season, they taught me so much about blue crabs and the crabbing industry that I was able to share with readers through articles and photos. 

I also got to spend a morning out with Captain Michael Purvis, owner of Thunderbolt Bait, learning about bait shrimping. Getting up before God to head out in the dark, deploying nets and hauling them in, leases, sorting, weather, and shrimp habits and habitats. All in a day's work! 

Riding along with the Chatham County Marine Patrol was another interesting adventure. Talking with Danny, Gene and other officers about things they’ve seen and done on the job, learning about the waterways and history of the area and the challenges they face in trying to keep our water-based community safe. It might seem like the ideal job, riding around in a boat all day, but there’s so much more to it. 

Another ride-along that opened my eyes was with the Savannah Bar Pilots. Those guys gave me a history lesson dating back to biblical times and on up through the very foundation of our nation, as well as an education about the port, container ships, and an inside look at an international brotherhood.

One of the loveliest experiences I’ve had was getting to spend a few days as a guest at The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island. The words used on their website are “sustainable paradise” and I can’t think of a better way of putting it. From the garden which provides food for meals to living shorelines, from staff naturalists to minimizing trash, I learned so much, while escaping from the stress and pace of everyday life in a beautiful setting. 

The many times I’ve been able to get out in the field with researchers have been learning experiences too. From a nearly 12-hour day tagging sharks and redfish with the GADNR, to learning how to determine the sex of an alligator (you don’t want to know) with wildlife biologists on Jekyll Island, from shrimp assessment cruises to assess black gill with scientists with the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, to trammel netting for fisheries research with the SCDNR, and so many more. I’ve gotten a well-rounded education and have tried to share as much of what I’ve learned with you as these pages will hold. 

I could keep going for days. It’s been an interesting ride, and with the support of our advertisers, our community partners, and our contributors, there’s plenty more to come. Thank you all for reading each month – although I love what I do, if you didn’t read it, there wouldn’t be much point!

Enjoy the issue and please, please, remember to thank our advertisers for making Southern Tides Magazine possible.      

See you out there!

Public service announcement: Summer isn’t over yet! 

Yes, the kids have gone back to school, but we still have a couple months of weekends with good weather and water warm enough to enjoy without fear of hypothermia. And with busy schedules resuming, making time on the weekends to get outside, away from devices and into nature, is even more important.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Take a Saturday morning beach walk. The beaches are less crowded in the mornings and cooler. Look for shells, bits of driftwood, enjoy the sea breeze, or just let your mind wander. If you have kids, this also presents an opportunity to instill some good habits, like not leaving your trash behind and picking up stray bits of trash you come across. Also in not taking shells that are still inhabited or living sea life such as sand dollars or sea stars.

Go for a morning boat ride or an evening paddle and do a little nature watching – birds, dolphins, jumping fish. Maybe you’ll even get lucky and spot a sea turtle or a manatee. Whether you take a short trip in your local creek or river, or make a day of it and explore the Okefenokee Swamp or one of our barrier islands, being on the water at eye level with nature is always good.

Go fishing. Even if you’re not an experienced fisherman, you can find multiple local fishing reports online with tips and tricks, and any bait and tackle shop will be happy to give you plenty of pointers. You might even catch your dinner. Or go throw a cast net and see what you pull up – this time of year you’re unlikely to haul up an empty net. 

Take a walk in the woods. Every coastal Georgia county has some sort of outdoor area you can explore: state parks, nature preserves, or wildlife management areas, to name a few. Find one, fill your water jug, arm yourself with bug repellent, and head out. I highly recommend Thermacell for keeping your immediate space free of hungry flying critters. Just remember to keep an eye out for snakes – don’t let them deter you from getting outside, just be smart about watching where you put your feet and paying attention to your surroundings. And a good pair of snake boots wouldn’t hurt. 

Explore the history in your area. If you’re a history buff, you’re in the right place. I could probably fill every page of this magazine listing all the historic sites in coastal Georgia. One I plan to explore soon is the Savannah Ogeechee Canal Museum and Nature Center, in Chatham County. I’m also looking forward to visiting Ashantilly Center in McIntosh County, and a whole list of others. History is what got us where we are today and there’s always something to be learned from it. 

Contribute to the local economy by supporting local guides. There are countless fishing charter options in every coastal county and most of them will put you on the fish and teach you a few things in the process. You can find tours or instruction in kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding, rent either of those or even a boat, or go on an eco-tour, such as with our naturalist, Crawfish, or our Bitter End columnist, Captain Gator, each of whom is a wealth of knowledge. 

Whatever outdoor activities you prefer, there are options on our 100-mile coastline. Summer isn’t over! Get out there and enjoy the coast has to offer! 

See you out there!

Summer is in full swing and I hope you’re each able to get out there and enjoy all our lovely stretch of coast has to offer, or even travel further afield to explore more of the world. As you’re enjoying the season, please keep an eye toward potential articles for Southern Tides. If you enjoyed an experience, place or activity, others likely will too, so let us know. We may be interested in writing about it.

A few other thoughts, before you turn the page. 

Hurricane Season

As I write this, Hurricane Elsa is churning across the Greater Antilles and is predicted to turn and move up the west coast of Florida before curving eastward again and aiming for us, here on the coast. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) experts state clearly in the messages section of the storm information pages that the forecast remains largely uncertain because they’re unsure how the storm will behave after crossing Cuba and entering the Gulf, so all we can do is watch, wait, and be ready. 

Earlier in the week, Tropical Storm Danny developed right off our coast and thankfully it was a minor event. But two storms heading for our stretch of coast, this early in the season is a little worrisome. I know you’re probably sick of hearing me say it, but please, please make sure you’re prepared for whatever this hurricane season may throw at us. If you need help, send me an email and I’ll direct you to resources and potential assistance. 

Thank You SCYC

Kirk Glenn (AKA Captain Kirk) reached out to me recently to ask if Captain Gator and I would be guest speakers at the South Carolina Yacht Club monthly meeting at Windmill Harbor and we happily agreed. We enjoyed the opportunity to share stories of our experiences that led to the articles we write, and promote the magazine to a group of fellow boaters and coastal residents. Thank you, SCYC members, for the invitation, the warm reception, the awesome Yeti cups, our delicious dinners, and interesting conversations! 

Subscriptions

I know some of you may have had trouble finding the print issue recently and I sincerely apologize for that. As you all likely know, nearly every industry is dealing with being short-staffed and Southern Tides is as well. While we are lucky to have solid distribution in some areas, we’re struggling in others. If you know of a small marine business that would be interested in swapping advertising for delivery, or someone reliable who would like to earn a bit of extra spending money, please direct them to me. 

Alternatively, if you’d like to subscribe and have the magazine mailed directly to your home and/or office, please do! A link to our online store is on our homepage at SouthernTidesMagazine.com. 

The subscription cost is a little higher than what you might expect for a small magazine. The price covers the cost of envelopes, labels, and postage (we don’t yet qualify for bulk mailing rates), and the time it takes a staff member to package and mail them out each month for 12 months. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this issue. Please remember to tell our advertisers you saw their ads and appreciate their support of the magazine – without them Southern Tides wouldn’t exist.    

See you out there!

Summer has arrived! We’re safely done with cold snaps, marsh grass is greening up nicely, live oaks have finally stopped shedding, fresh produce is readily available (including in my garden), and everything related to the outdoors and the water is in full swing. I love this time of year, even the rainy days that are so prevalent in June. 

Three things I want to talk about this month. 

Trash on the Beach

While out with Crawfish on a nature adventure, we spent a little time on Wassaw Island’s north beach talking about the plants and animals we saw when we came across something that stopped us both. There on the beach, with no one around, were a dozen or more glass bottles, aluminum cans, and a can of sunscreen, clearly left behind by someone. Or two someones, as there were about a half-dozen empty Smirnoff Ice bottles and a half dozen empty pineapple hard seltzer cans. We picked everything up and took it back to the boat, but we shouldn’t have had to. We’re not your parents.

I’m thoroughly disgusted. Leaving your trash on the beach? Total disregard not only for our beautiful coastal area, which is bad enough, but leaving glass on the beach where it can break and some kid out enjoying a beautiful day could step on it? Whatever happened to personal responsibility? You care enough about yourself to use sunscreen, but not the beautiful beach you’re sitting on. Got it.  

PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. Others shouldn’t have to go behind you cleaning up your mess. If you’re old enough to drink on the beach, you’re old enough to know that. 

Conservation Begins at Home

There have been 761 manatee deaths in Florida waters since January 1 (see article on pages 26  27). They're starving to death due to a decline in seagrass and an increase in algal blooms, both of which can be caused by fertilizer and pesticide runoff into streams and rivers.

Although manatees only spend summers here and there's plenty of food available to them in our waters, other local species suffer the same fates here. 

Please pay attention as you fertilize your lawns and gardens and treat for pests. Is it possible for these chemicals to find a way into local waterways? If so, there are many measures now available to prevent runoff, such as plantings, retention zones, and other methods that are cost effective and attractive. If you'd like information, please email me. 

Every plant and animal species fits into the global ecosystem and serves a purpose. Let's all do our part to protect them.   

The Burger Boat

Now to finish out this column on a happy note! You might remember a couple years ago when Southern Tides stood behind Steve Martin and Margo Green in their efforts to get The Burger Boat licensed and legal to operate in Georgia waters? And they’ve been advertisers since they accomplished their mission. But in all this time, I’ve never been able to be in the same place they were to place an order myself, until this month. I caught up with Steve and The Burger Boat at Isle of Hope Marina (also an advertiser!) and ordered a cheeseburger with bacon. I have to tell you, it was the best burger I’ve eaten in recent memory! 

They’re at Isle of Hope Marina on Wednesdays, Daufuskie’s Melrose dock on Fridays, Williamson Island on Saturdays and Bull River Marina on Sundays. I highly recommend giving them a try!  

I hope you enjoy this issue of Southern Tides, and that your summer is off to a lovely start! 

See you out there!

Another hurricane season starts in just a few short weeks. Are you ready?

I have two questions for you. 

1)  If you were given six months’ notice that a major hurricane was going to make landfall in your community, what would you do now to prepare?

2)  How do you know you won’t get hit?

The answer to the latter is, you don’t know whether or not a hurricane will come through coastal Georgia. Another “higher than average” season is predicted, so it only makes sense to prepare, and starting now will spread out the cost, reduce the drain on the supply chain, and make life easier and safer if something does happen later.

Here’s a list of things to do now, before the threat of a storm is imminent.

•  Learn the risks at your location. Flooding? Downed trees? Wind damage? Spin-off tornadoes? Use these factors to develop your plans.

•  Determine where you’ll go if evacuation is necessary, how you’ll get there and what you’ll take with you.

•  Check your insurance coverage and be clear on what you’ll be dealing with if the worst happens. Make changes if needed.

•   Create a home inventory. A simple list of what’s in every room and photos of items you value will go a long way in helping you get reestablished if the worst happens.

•  Scan or copy important documents (medical, property, identification, insurance, legal, financial, pet records) and store in a secure location or your emergency kit.

•  Prepare an emergency kit with food, water, important documents, first aid kit and medicines, clothes, flashlights, phone chargers, and other essential items.

•  Make any repairs to your home or property such as roof leaks, loose shutters, or other issues that could be hazardous in high winds, heavy rain or flooding.

•  Service your generator or consider purchasing one.

•  Plan for what you’ll do with important family heirlooms if a major storm heads your way. Move them to higher locations in your home if flooding is possible, take them with you if you evacuate or move them to a storage facility inland?

•  Plan ahead for your pets. Do you have the carriers, leashes, and shot records you’ll need if you have to travel with them? Create a checklist of pet supplies you’ll need so you don’t miss anything if a storm heads this way. 

•  Begin saving water storage containers now. These can be purchased, or as simple as 2-liter soda bottles that have been cleaned and stored securely somewhere in your home. In the event of flooding, power outages or a no-use order, you’ll need a gallon per person for 3 – 14 days, water for your pets, and water for cleaning and handwashing. 

•  Begin now stocking up on food. If you purchase a few extra items each time you shop, you can avoid the run on the grocery store at the last minute. Purchase things your family will eat, that you can prepare without power, and that will store safely through the rest of the year. Dry beans are no good if your family won’t eat them, or if you have to run the generator for the better part of a day just to cook them. Canned foods, items you can freeze (if you have a generator), and dry goods you can easily prepare are your best options. 

•  Begin now purchasing fuel (and STA-BIL ®) for your generator. Take a look at your generator manual to see if you need oil/filters, how long it will operate on a tank of fuel, and load capacities to plan how much fuel you’ll need to get you through from three days to a week without power.

•  Put aside cash. ATM machines and card readers won’t work during power outages and you’ll need cash on hand to make any unexpected purchases. Small bills, nothing larger than a twenty. 

•  Have a plan for your boat. Where you’ll store it, how you’ll get it there, what you’ll remove to secure it, such a the bimini and coolers.

•  Plan for any special needs. Does someone in your household require power for a medical device? Have medical treatments they can’t miss? Plan ahead.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list; your plans will be based on your specific circumstances. For more information, the Southern Tides hurricane guide will be posted on our website prior to June 1. You can also visit your county’s emergency management agency website for checklists, evacuation guidelines, links to check your area’s flood probability, and more.  

Be ready and be safe.

See you out there!

The lowcountry coast is the most beautiful place on earth and every single time I get out there with water under the hull, I’m so grateful to live here. Heading out early, when the rising sun casts a surreal glow over a flood tide and the water is like glass, gives you a sense of peace that you just don’t get sitting inside. 

I love this time of year, when air and water temperatures have both started to rise and there’s a resurgence of life. Marsh grass is greening up, jasmine and wisteria are in bloom and the air smells amazing, other flora offers bursts of color everywhere you look, and our world is lush again. Any day now, horseshoe crabs will be nesting on beaches, shrimp will be returning to our creeks and rivers, as well as the fish species that feed on them; migratory shore birds will be making their annual visits, and dolphin will entertain us with their playful antics. Our world is waking up from winter. 

No, springtime in the South isn’t for the faint of heart. Between the pollen, the gnats and the humidity, you have to be tough to still enjoy being outdoors, but the rewards are worth it. 

Get out there! There are countless places to visit and explore within a couple hours by boat or car. Any of the Revolutionary or Civil War forts (most are near water), any of the lighthouses along our stretch of coast, hike Cumberland Island and see the marsh ponies roaming free, beach on a barrier island and have a picnic, paddle or motor up a creek you’ve never followed and see what there is to see. 

Pay attention. Look for eagles, osprey, herons, egrets, oystercatchers, roseate spoonbills, woodstorks or any of the countless other birds that hunt and nest along our waterways. Keep an eye on the water too, for schools of shrimp, fish jumping, and of course dolphins. Maybe you’ll spot a gator sunning on a creek bank, or some wild boar piglets foraging in the marsh. And don’t forget to look up. Birds in flight, pretty cloud patterns, rainbows, sunrises and sunsets, or even just the stunning clear blue of a warm spring sky. Use all of your senses, not just sight. Smell the marsh mud, listen to the bird calls and the soothing sound of water lapping against the hull or waves rolling onto the beach, feel the sun and saltwater on your skin. There’s so much beauty and life out there, and if you let it, it will soothe your soul.  

Our world is crazy these days. The political arena is a hotbed of antagonism and divisiveness. It seems that every segment of our society is trying to impose its will on every other segment and civil unrest is worse than it’s been since the 60s. 

But our little stretch of coast is a pocket of sanity. 

The water doesn’t care about politics or divisiveness. The water doesn’t know conservative from liberal, male from female, wealthy from poor, black from white, or Christian from atheist. Out there, those things don’t matter. When you have a fish on the hook, when you have an engine issue and a stranger gives you a tow, when an unexpected storm blows up, when you’re passing another boat and give a wave, when you have a boatload of kids looking in awe at dolphins playing off the bow, when you’re standing on the dock at the end of the day with a cold beer, none of those outside things matter. We’re just people with a shared love of, and respect for, the water. And hopefully each other.  

I hope each of you can get some time on the water this month and that it soothes your soul and puts things in perspective for you as well. 

See you out there!

Readers, Southern Tides Magazine needs your input. I know you’re picking up the magazines, and I know you’re mentioning the ads to our advertisers and I’m grateful for both of these things. I’m also grateful for the kind words you have about Southern Tides when I see you out somewhere or get email from you! That always makes my day!

We need your input on another level now. The state of things this past year has changed how we source content for you. In the past, many of our feature articles have involved a writer participating in some field activity with one of our community partners – the organizations whose missions are compatible with our own, such as the GADNR Coastal Resources Division, Gray’s Reef, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, the Riverkeepers, and others. Or they involved physically visiting a place and talking with people. Now, however, much of this is impossible. 

The article I wrote this month about Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a good example. In the past, I’d have made an appointment with someone there to spend a morning on a tour, asking questions, learning about the history, the geography, the flora and fauna, and getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the place. But that’s no longer possible with the state of the world today.

While we do have some new, unique and interesting content lined up for this year, we’d still like your input. As you’re reading the magazine or out living your life, if ideas occur to you, send them along to us. Maybe you live in a unique community, or work in a water-related field our readers would find interesting. Maybe you had a fun experience while out boating or took a daytrip that would make for a good article. Maybe you know a colorful local character we could interview and do a story on? 

Get in touch with us and let us know. I can’t guarantee we’ll definitely do an article on your proposed topic – there are multiple factors involved – but we’ll absolutely consider it.

On page 18, you’ll find a call for content for our upcoming paddling issue. Please give that a read and reach out if you can help. We’ll be running a similar call for content prior to our October oyster issue. 

I’d also like to get our Best of the Coast survey going again this year, but in order to make that happen, you, our readers, will have to participate.

Lastly, please let our writers know when they’re doing a good job. When y’all tell me how much you love Captain Gator or how much you enjoyed various articles, I do try to remember to pass it on, but it means so much more coming from you. Drop them a line!

This is a community magazine and it takes a community to keep it going. YOU are the community and this is YOUR magazine.  

See you out there!

This month I want to talk about a pending crisis in the marine community that seldom gets much attention: Our marine services providers aren’t getting any younger, while fewer and fewer young people are going into these trades. It’s become challenging for most coastal boat services companies to find qualified employees, and there are few training programs offered locally to help give potential candidates those qualifications.

Why is this a crisis? For many of you it may not be. Until you have a problem with your boat and it’s going to take three months to get it repaired because your mechanic or other boat service provider is so backed up they can’t get to it before then. There goes your summer on the water.

The Georgia Marine Business Association (GAMBA), made up of marine businesses in coastal Georgia, and of which I’m currently the executive director, has been looking into this for a while. What we’ve learned is that it’s a multi-faceted issue: a lack of available training, a lack of interest from local schools in offering the necessary courses, the lack of organized internships or hands-on training programs, and the younger generation’s lack of interest in or awareness of marine trades. All of which combined seems almost too large of a problem to tackle. GAMBA is working to develop a marine trades scholarship fund. But who would we award it to, and where would they go to get training?

Let’s break it down.

Lack of available training. While most outboard manufacturers offer training certification programs for their motors, these course typically only available through dealers. Meaning you have to get a job with a dealer before you can go through the school. There are similar programs through some electronics manufacturers. This is certainly one avenue, but there are no such programs for general engine repair, boat electrical systems, fiberglass, marine plumbing or heating and cooling, generator repair, rigging, or other general boat repair training. You can send your child to school outside the area (Florida, Annapolis, New England), but that can be costly in out-of-state tuition rates alone. 

This segues into the next problem, which is a lack of interest in local schools to offer courses. We do have several technical colleges in the region, and one would think given the number of boats in coastal Georgia that courses in boat repair and maintenance might seem logical offerings, but sadly that isn’t the case. And in reaching out to several of them, GAMBA representatives have gotten little if any interest or even response. 

Hands-on training and internships are how many tradesmen have learned their skills in the past and many would agree that this is often better than any formal training available. This is challenging in that the employer runs the risk of training someone only to have them leave and take their skills elsewhere. Agreements can be put in place to prevent this for a given period of time, but that requires an organized program to be established and most boat service providers are simply too busy to take time out to develop training plans and iron out employment agreements.

The next issue to overcome is getting young folks interested in even pursuing a career in marine trades. In recent decades, our society as a whole has been focused more on sending our kids out to get college degrees rather than to become tradesmen, and the repercussions of this have been rippling outward ever since. The K-12 education system seems geared more toward college than vocational training and it leads one to wonder if today’s teenager is even aware that they could earn a decent living by learning a trade. It’s hard to know if you have an interest in something if you don’t even know it’s an option. 

This all summarizes the marine trades problem. So how do we solve it?

One starting point that’s been put forth on multiple occasions is to approach area high schools and begin working with them to develop vocational training programs in partnership with area marine businesses. Reach kids when they’re figuring out what they want to do with their lives and present them with marine trades as an option. And while doing this, encourage local marine businesses to participate.

Next we would need to push area technical colleges harder to offer training programs, and possibly even assist in helping them procure qualified instructors. 

It’s going to take community effort to make any of this happen.

You might ask, “Why would my son or daughter want to learn a marine trade?” There are several answers to that question. Working in a great environment is one big reason. Other reasons include job security, earning a decent wage, staying close to family and friends in a local job, providing needed services in our community, and having skills that can easily transition to other industries if for some reason the boating industry ever takes a bad hit economically. 

There are solutions, we just need to come together, work together, to find them. We want to hear your thoughts and ideas. Get in touch.

See you out there!

Sometimes I read back through past columns I’ve written to see what I had to say at the same time in previous years. In part so I don’t repeat myself! And in part to see if something I wrote in the past might spark ideas for the current column. But as I sit down to write the sixth Happy New Year from Southern Tides, the previous five seem written in another lifetime.  

They were fitting at the time and offered bits of advice for heading into each new year.

•  Be the person you know you should be.

•  The path to reaching goals is up to what happens after you put your feet on the floor each new day.

•  Be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

•  Leave the world better than you found it when you look back on the coming months a year from now. 

After a year like 2020 though, it’s hard to look forward to 2021 with the positive attitudes we typically feel at the start of a new year. It feels more like we’re hanging back a bit, eyeing it warily, prepared for fight or flight should it lunge at us. 

That’s an uncomfortable feeling for a perpetual optimist, which I am (as wearisome as my friends sometimes find this trait). I can’t help myself. No matter how bad things get, optimism comes bubbling up to the surface and I find myself looking for the good in the chaos, the silver linings in the clouds, and ways to turn negatives into positives. 

How am I doing that now? By continuing to go forward, refusing to stand down. 

Last year when this mess all started, I built a website for the magazine. I discovered after only three months that it wasn’t big enough for all the content I need to upload with each new issue, and it threw me off track for a while. I’d just invested all that work for something that was essentially useless! I spent a lot of time (too much time) weighing my options, and as with most things in life, it came down to two choices. Quit or keep going. 

So, I did the research and found another hosting plan that would meet our size requirements and I’m now in the process of rebuilding the site. It’s time consuming, frustrating, challenging, hard, and there are times that I want to shuck the whole thing, run away to some deserted island, and never sit at a desk again. Sometimes I even make it as far as my front porch and a whiskey or rum drink while making a list of what to pack. And then some reader will reach out to me and tell me how much they love the magazine, how much they learn from it, or how much they look forward to seeing each new issue, and I slink back to my desk, open the WordPress template, and get back to work. I’m not making any promises of exactly when you can expect it, but there will be another new website up at some point in 2021. I’ve made too much progress to give up now, and I’ve accepted that if I want to keep Southern Tides alive and well, a website must be a significant component. 

I won’t stand down with the print version either. There’ve been many challenges this past year. No new growth because selling ads becomes nearly impossible when you can’t call on potential advertisers. So, I’m working on plans to get around that as well, some of which involve going back to the basics. We still have mail and email, we still have phones, and I can use those tools. 

Getting out into the community to write articles was also challenging, but this too can be overcome. Solo visits to take photos, reaching out to the community for their photos and stories, more interviews via phone and internet, more online research, and maybe even some new regular columns from key figures in the community. 

There are still choices, still options, still possibilities, still hope, and I’m not giving up. I’ll continue to do whatever it takes, and I hope each of you will too. Hello, 2021!  

See you out there!