Friday, April 14 - Container Terminal

Friday, April 14 - Container Terminal

Warning:  If you are not interested in cargo ships, skip way down in this post.

As long as we have been going to Tybee Island, we have been fascinated by the cargo ships entering the Savannah River.  Actually, Grandpa Walt passed that tradition to us - he loved watching the ships from the balcony of the condo on Tybee Island.  Several years ago, I tried to find a boat tour up the river to the container terminal, but they were on private boats and were  very expensive.  Danny and I even drove to the terminal one year to try to look round, but were turned around at the guard gate.  Finally, this was our chance to see the container terminal!

We left the downtown marina headed upriver, passing a massive renewal project.  It looks like they are saving the facade and adding on in the back.  Can't wait to check on the progress when we go to Tybee next March. 

This was the view of the industrial area of Savannah as we went under the bridge. 

Two huge  granaries.  Is that the right word?  Multiple grain silos. 

This is the equipment that loads and unloads the containers.  It lifts up to get out of the way when it's finished.

Ships being loaded - or unloaded.

We couldn't even estimate how many containers we saw on land. 

The "thing" in the middle of the pictures that looks like an open elevator clamps onto the containers and carries them onto the ship.

 

This is a different loading mechanism.  Containers are attached to the wires and "slide" out to the ship. 

Some interesting facts, at least to us:  The average container ship carries 3500 containers.  If these containers were put on a train, it would be 44 miles long.  There are 21 stories between the bridge no the engine room of a cargo ship.  These suckers are BIG!!!! 

One more look at the loading facilities. 

And a shot of a container being deposited on the ship. 

Going back down river, we took this shot of the downtown rock where we stayed. 

The Waving Girl statue is famous in Savannah, but it's hard to get a good picture from thee water.  The tour bus doesn't make a good background. 

We had planned to go out to the mouth of the Savannah River and take the "outside" route to Hilton Head, but the wind had really picked up, so we decided to stick with the Intracoastal.  This was our first view of South Carolina, at Mud River.

Bluffton, then Hilton Head were next.  Gorgeous water, gorgeous houses, lots of condominiums. 

Still lots of hurricane damage, dock builders should be busy for thee next few years.

We anchored for the night at the north end of Hilton Head, close to Skull Creek. 

Beautiful evening on the water.