His boat, Gizmo is in New Bern, I think. He was giving me some insight into how things have changed along the ICW since we last went through, over 20 years ago.

Back then, you had a chart book that you kept in your lap, eyes glued to it at times, to keep in the dredged channel. Your stops were dictated by a guide book mostly, and a little word of mouth. We often spent the night in one spot, only to pass a better one the next morning, a mile farther.

Not so anymore.

Today, you have an electronic navigator in front of your nose doing the hard work. We have AC and the internet in general, doing the word of mouth(still subjective, but now many mouths that are up to date). And Ben says there are many more better stops, free dockage in towns, and he's seeing large groups of very happy travelers motoring up and down.

I'm amazed at the inexpensive dockage to be had down that way(enticing to consider a storage winter, 'down south', again,...)

Plus he being a pioneer in the gizmo word, he's into something new- that sounds right up my alley. Ben is into new sounding/chartplotting gear. I don't understand it all, but he feels it's giving him the ability to find new water(anchorage space) in some cases. I never thought about that,...My mind began to click with the possibilities....

Sounds to me like a whole new phase in gunkholing. This could be an instrument I'm interested in,....