Last fall we took our parents out to the coast for an interesting excursion. There is a family there who built a commercial trawler to be able to handle passengers. You can either buy tickets on their scheduled days, or you can get a private charter for your group. Included is all-you-can-eat boiled shrimp and trust me, you aren’t getting any farm-raise shrimp. Nope, only the best – Wild Georgia Shrimp!

It’s interesting seeing the marsh from a different perspective.

On one of the beaches on Jekyll there are signs to stay off a certain place because of oyster beds. You really do not want to walk there. The beds are razor-sharp. [see beds below]

And then there’s the tall bridge that we drive over quite frequently. People llike to use this for running/walking. It’s the only place in southeast Georgia that’s not flat!  There used to be a draw-bridge there and if a boat or ship was coming through you had to wait close to 45 minutes for the whole process.

On our way out they put the 15-foot net down for the first run.

Some trawlers have nets up to 75 feet long. Others have 2 smaller nets.

Bringing it in:

It’s good I got these pictures the first time through because the next time there were many heads crowded around the table!

Hmmmm. I bet you just declared you’d never eat shrimp again!!!

First they take the more dangerous creatures out before they let you have free access to playing with what’s left. This young man did a great job of explaining what each creature was.

A snapping turtle:

A hammerhead shark:

There was also a small sand shark in there. We’ve caught those in seines [pronounced sanes] before on the beach. They are actually very good eating! And they are too small to do you any harm.

A group of boys was along for a birthday outing. I love this Norman Rockwell expression. He is not so sure about the blowfish!

Meanwhile the boat is still moving through the marsh toward the area where the SSI lighthouse is.

We passed another trawler who was moored for some reason.

Looking back into the sun.

The men below have a seine, they each have a pole and there is a net between them. They drag it along for a while and then onto the beach. It looks like they are on their way in here. You can use a seine up to 100 ft without needing a permit.

Our church use to have a seine back in the early starting up years. We would go out for a day and then have a cookout with our catch.

More SSI scenes:

There was a wedding going on here but the lighthouse museum. What a lovely evening and site except the no-see’ums [aka sand gnats] were bad. I usually am the first one to get bit! They are attracted to sweet people, so I’ve heard. Somewhere. Maybe in my imagination.

Meanwhile back at the ranch boat, there was more shrimpin’ bein’ done.

I felt so sorry for this little nearly translucent fish stuck in that net. They looked so …. pitiful.

Though the blowfish is shaped like a volleyball, it does not a good volleyball make.

The kids got over their sqeamishness.

And we all returned, safe and sound and full of steamed shrimp!!! I love being out on the water!! Except on days when it’s so rough you have to tie yourself down.