Florida - Here We Come!

Tuesday, November 25th: St. Mary's

The fellow who installed the solenoid to remedy our starting problem need no longer be called "mechanic #3". On the first push of the button, the engine has started every single time in the last three days. This is exemplary behavior for our erratic starter and we dare to think that our starter problems are in the past. I told Dan that if the engine behaved, then I'd mention him in the blog, so if you happen to be in south Georgia and you have a problem with just about anything on your boat, consider calling Dan Agmon, Agmon Marine Service, Savannah.

Since leaving the Isle of Hope, we are spending our third night at anchor. The first 2 nights, we moved off the ICW up rivers to where the water was deep enough (but not too deep) and where there were trees offering protection from winds. Each anchorage had it's own beauty and I pulled out the camera to take pictures of trees reflected in water and another perfect sunset and sunrise.

We debated today whether we should stop at St. Marys, at the very southern tip of Georgia or cross into Florida and spend the night in Fernandina. There is a huge anchorage in front of the town of St. Marys and in Fernandina for $15, we could stay on a mooring ball (if one were available) and have use of marina facilities. Since we stopped this afternoon at Jekyll Island Marina for a diesel fill-up, a pump-out and water top-up, we are good to hang on the hook comfortably - so we elected to check out St. Marys.

The ICW as it winds through Georgia is picturesque but challenging. There has been no money for dredging for 6 years and in some areas the water is very "skinny" - especially at low tide. Tidal variation can be as much as 8 feet. Not far from St. Marys but still along the ICW, we saw a sailboat that had gone aground. The keel was dug in and the boat, laying on it's side with the dinghy sitting at its stern resting on the sand. The sailboat was on the wrong side of the red marker. Perhaps a moment's inattention? The captain was standing on the transom at the back of the boat and a Seatow boat was circling around. There would be no hope of getting free until the tide rose.

A sailor who been traveling on the ICW at about the same time that we were, told us that not long after we had gone through the area called Mud Creek, 3 boats had gone aground. They were probably on the low end of the falling tide. Such news makes us doubly careful to watch our charts and attend to navigation aids.

But back to more carefree thoughts - we walked along St Marys' main street today. There is a narrow boulevard right up the centre said to be a product of its Spanish origin. Along the boulevard there are palm trees with Christmas wreaths on them. Among the cafes and stores along the street, there are homes with gardens. I really felt that I was in "the south" when I saw a tree with pink flowers hugging the side of one of the homes. This is an attractive town and with palms, pines, palmettos, and live oaks everywhere - the air was fragrant - mmm - it smelled good!

The town of St. Mary's puts on a Thanksgiving "pot-luck" lunch for boaters on Thanksgiving (Thursday). They supply the turkey and the boaters bring the sides. There are also other group events in the days before Thanksgiving. We'll possibly join in at some point but we're not sure about hanging in until Thursday.

Thursday, November 27th: Fernandina

Yesterday we did 2 very fun things.

The first was our ferry trip to Cumberland Island. We left at 11:45 a.m. and spent the day. 90% of the island is a "National Seashore Reserve". Visitors bring their own food and drink as nothing is sold on the island. Garbage must be carried out - there are no garbage cans there either.

Once on the island, we were free to explore the salt marshes, maritime forest, long sandy beaches and the dunes behind them. We disembarked at the first of 2 docks where we could take a guided walk and learn about the islands' history: its early Indian inhabitants, the families of European immigrants who cultivated the land and built plantations, and the Carnegie family who bought up most of the island, built a winter home and homes for the Carnegie children. Eventually, according to the wishes of Lucy Carnegie who had survived her husband, the Carnegie lands were deeded to the National Forest Reserve. As current Carnegie descendants on the island die, their homes and lands also become part of the reserve.

While we stood listening to the guide, a pure white horse came galloping out of the bush and ran across the road behind us. This was one of the 124 wild horses that live on the island. We walked along a dirt road through the maritime forest and saw a fawn peeking out from behind palmettos, an armadillo rummaging through forest undergrowth, a tiny snake resting on the dirt road, and more wild horses grazing in grassy spaces. At the end of the tour, we found ourselves beside the ruins of Dungeness, the mansion built for the Carnegies in the mid 1880s.

After the tour we walked on a board walk over the salt marshes, watched water birds feeding in mud banks exposed at low tide and then walked along a beautiful beach of fine white sand. It was a wonderful day.

The second fun thing was our visit to the pot luck hors d'oeuvres gathering for boaters at the Seagle hotel . It's great to be able to walk into such a friendly gathering of people who all have in common their love of being on the water and this trip down the coast in search of warm weather and new experiences. It also feels good to be able to walk in after a day outside carrying your backpack - in your super casual clothes, with hat head and hair sticking up here and there, and feel totally comfortable. No one is dressed up or beautifully coiffed. We had a great time talking about our experiences, our destinations, and trading information on where it's good to go and where it's not. As newbies in the group - "it's your first time?" they said - we did lots of listening and information gathering.

We were especially lucky to be able to reserve a mooring ball at the Fernandina harbour Marina for today and so here we sit on a sunny and warm (yes warm!) day - and guess what - we went to a Thanksgiving lunch after all - here in Fernandina. We dinghied in to check in at the office and to have a shower and were told by another boater about the free Thanksgiving lunch at the Methodist church up the street. So off we went along with another couple of sailors we had just met and had a full Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. How good is that? 

Friday, November 28th: Jacksonville Beach

Everything was closed yesterday so we thought that we would stay in Fernandina today to get groceries, do the laundry and have a further look around. Fernandina is a pretty town with buildings in the Spanish style along the main street and elaborate gingerbread trim on historic homes on streets in behind. But last night the wind changed sending us the awful smell of the pulp mill that sits right beside the town and we could hear it humming all night as well. If we weren't already rethinking our plans, the final straw was the clanking of our mooring ball against the boat hull. The current had turned and was pushing our boat up against it. We got up and got out. So much for Fernandina.

We're now at Jacksonville Beach. I assure you that there is no beach in sight where we are although there must be one somewhere. We chose this destination because the marina is close to a grocery store and has laundry facilities. Picturesque it's not. So we've put another 30 miles behind us and will be able to get to St. Augustine tomorrow, we've done the grocery shopping and laundry --- and Bob has used our access to water at the dock to scrub the boat thoroughly. We're going out to dinner tonight - we're too pooped to cook and do dishes.

We expect to enjoy St. Augustine - I haven't been there but Bob has and he tells me it's a must see place.