Yes, Drawbridges charge you, the good news is that it''s done through a painless payroll deduction plan call "income tax" and the rest of the country (even land lubbers) pitches in.
Most bridges near me monitor channel 9 and 16, when in sight of the bridge just say something like "Drawbridge SR3 (in this case, state road 3) this is the eastbound sailing vessel ''Anonymous'' requesting an opening" and most of the time they''ll
radio back something like "Captain, I have you in sight, once the traffic clears I''ll give you an opening, SR3 standing by"
Things to remember, if you know there''s a bridge just ahead, but you don''t see it yet and you hear someone else request an opening,
radio them and let them know your position, or you may be stuck waiting for the next open. As you approach an area with a bridge, begin to try to group up (slow down or speed up) so that more boats can get through on a single open.
Most bridges have signs marked what channel they listen to, if you''re not sure, pull out your binocs and take a look. It does vary from region to region.
On docking. There are marinas all over the place happy to take your money. Find a guide to the ICW (some are online) that lists marinas. You''ll pay anywhere from $1 a foot to $1.50 a foot per night (in that area). Some have minimums, such as 30 feet, that you''ll have to pay even if you only need 18 feet. Some places take reservations ahead of time, some are first-come first-serve.
Here''s one URL that will give you a feel:
http://www.sailmiami.com/Marinas/south_carolina.htm
Good luck