Created: 11/26/2009 4:03:04 PM 
ST. MARYS, Ga. -- One after another they docked on the St. Marys river, ferrying precious cargo from their sailboats - Thanksgiving side dishes. Rusty and Bob Gray sailed down from Annapolis, Md., bringing a seafood pie side dish. "We heard this was the place to be for Thanksgiving so we decided we had to be here," said Bob Gray. "There (are) so many cities that aren't very boater friendly and then you have places like St. Marys where they really welcome you, it's great," said boater Carl Butler. And with 100 boats and every boater bringing a side dish, it adds up to a massive waterfront feast. It was nine years ago when Charlie Jacobs said he invited a few sailing friends stranded in St. Marys on Thanksgiving to his house. "And hence it began because they brought a few side dishes, and that was the beginning. They told their friends, they told friends," said Jacobs. At this year's Thanksgiving, there were 300 people and 150 sides. "St. Marys is special because all of us miss our families and our friends, and it's nice to feel like you're coming home to warm people. It's such a wonderful thing they do for us," said boater Kathy Dunn. And what everyone was thankful for, in the nine years of this new tradition, is that they've never run out of food.
