Day #273 – Savannah, GA

Today we left St. Simons as planned at 6:30 and were treated to a beautiful sunrise.

We even passed the lighthouse that we visited yesterday.  It looks different from the water side.

We traveled out in the Atlantic Ocean for about 65 miles.  It was relatively clam for the ocean, however it still makes it tough to walk around much.  After leaving the ocean we entered Wassaw Harbor and it really began to feel like “low country” that I have heard so much about.”

This home with the red roof really stood out.

We will be staying for two days at Thunderbolt Marina.  They have a forty year tradition of delivering Krispy Creme doughnuts and the newspaper to your boat each morning…nice.

And look who pulled in right behind us…Salvage Crew! Later this afternoon we are expecting North Light to arrive.  Our trip today was 85.6 miles and 7.75 hours.

Brad and Susan aboard Northern Light invited us for horsdeuvres, conversation and a Captain’s meeting.  It was a nice surprise to see them again.

Tomorrow we will spend the day exploring historic downtown Savannah.

Day #272 – St. Simons Island, GA

We met a wonderful couple from Charlevoix last night.  They are Susan and Brad Light aboard Northern Light.  They stopped by for our Captain’s meeting and we thoroughly enjoyed their company.  Hope to see them again.

Before we left Jekyll Island, a Coast Guard boat went by.  They were carrying buoys.  We hoped they weren’t ones that we were going to need to navigate these shallow, winding waters today.

The scenery remains much the same today.  The salt marshes line the banks of the ICW.  Notice the low tide in the picture below.

Salvage Crew leads the way today.

We arrived at Golden Isle Marina 1 hour (9 miles) after leaving Jekyll Island.

Bob and Deb arrived about 1:00 and the girls took off to go exploring in the marina courtesy car while the fellas did boat chores.

You can only take the courtesy car for one hour so we did a whirlwind tour of the island.  First stop was the lighthouse.

Next we toured and drove to the beach and through their cute little downtown area.  And of course the grocery store.  I am quite sure that the stops at the grocery store actually work out to be more often than when I was at home.  You just never know when you are going to get the opportunity again, so you don’t pass up the chance.

We came back to the marina, unloaded and walked around.  Turtles are everywhere, their shells are almost iridescent and notice the color of the water.  The Bahamas water was turquoise, Florida’s blue and Georgia’s is brown.

Tonight we are meeting on Salvage Crew for a cocktail

and then going up to the marina restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, for a seafood dinner.  Looking forward to a fun night and finally all being together.

Tomorrow will be an early day as we are going all the way to Savannah, about 95 miles.  6:30 AM departure planned to account for the huge tide swings and the distance.

Day #271 – Jekyll Island, GA

We had a beautiful, peaceful night at anchor at Cumberland Island.  The stars were everywhere and you felt like you could reach out and touch them.

King’s Bay Naval Base is in this area and early this morning they must have been going out on a mission.  It was quite an odd feeling…like you are in the middle of nowhere and then a navy ship goes by.

We went right by the submarine base on our way through.  The security was tight and they hailed another boater on the radio and cautioned him to change his course as he was getting too close.

If you look closely, a submarine is in the background and the security boat is guarding it. Salvage Crew managed to pass through right behind us.

The navigation is really tight and the shoaling is big in this area.  Andy did a masterful job getting us through.  The entire area is salt marshes and the introduction of large, biting bugs has begun.

Today’s destination is historic Jekyll Island and Jekyll Harbor Marina. We arrived at 11:30 and traveled 28.3 miles.

Jekyll Island is located off the Georgia coast, midway between Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida.  Situated between St. Simons Island and Cumberland Island, Jekyll is the smallest of Georgia’s barrier islands.  It was purchased by the state of Georgia in 1947.  The island measures about 7 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, has 8 miles of wide, flat beaches on its east shore and boasts 20 miles of hiking trails.

After we rinsed the boat and got settled we borrowed the courtesy van from the marina and went exploring.  Our first stop was the historic Jeykll Island Club.  For a little history, their site states, “At the turn of the century, tycoons, politicians, and socialites flocked to Jekyll Island to revel in their own luxury and America’s burgeoning wealth. The historic club was described in the February 1904 issue of Munsey’s Magazine as ‘the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the world.’  Its impressive members included such luminaries as J.P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Vincent Astor, Joseph Pulitzer, William K. Vanderbilt, and other recognizable names on the roster were Macy, Goodyear, and Gould.’ ”  It is now the Jekyll Island Club Hotel and is rated among the top 500 resorts in the world by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

When we arrived they were enjoying a game of croquet on the front lawn.  Brad was sorry he had forgotten his “dress whites.”

Day #270 – Cumberland Island, GA

Our last morning in Florida began with a beautiful sunrise.  We left Fernandina Beach at 9:15 and stopped at Florida Petroleum for fuel.  They deal with mainly commercial fishing boats, but will sell to individuals.  That was our first pleasant surprise of the day.

With taxes included the final price was $1.91 per gallon.  Much better than the $4.60 per gallon we paid on the first day of our trip.

We crossed over the Georgia state line when we entered the St. Mary’s River.  Current was strong, but we were traveling with it and made good time to Cumberland Island. We were anxious to explore Cumberland Island, we had heard so much about.  85% of the island is owned by the federal government.  There is one hotel, the Greyfield Inn, and a few private cottages passed down through several generations.

We rode the dinghy ashore to the Visitor Center and began exploring the beautiful island.

We walked through heavily covered trails

across the island all the way to the expansive beach.

It was a real treat to come across the wild horses.  We walked by them while they were grazing and they were completely undisturbed.

Revolutionary War Hero General Nathanial Greene purchased land on Cumberland Island in 1783. Following his death, his widow constructed a four-story tabby home that she named Dungeness. Thomas Carnegie and his wife Lucy began building another Dungeness on the original foundation in 1884. The Carnegie’s Dungeness burned in 1959 and today only the ruins remain on the site.  Dungeness was a 59 room Scottish castle.

They also built pools, a golf course, and 40 smaller buildings to house the 200 servants that worked at the mansion.

What remains of the servant’s quarters

and the carriage house.

The small, private  chapel on the island was the site of the September 1996 wedding of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.  It only seats 40 people.

It was a beautiful day on Cumberland Island and we are so glad we made the stop here.

Day #269 – Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island), FL

This was a beautiful day to go out and walk around the little historic downtown Fernandina Beach area.   It is a town rich in history.  Known as the “Isle of 8 Flags”, it has flown the following flags since 1562: France, Spain, Great Britain, Spain (again), the Patriots of Amelia Island, the Green Cross of Florida, Mexico, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. It is the only municipality in the United States that has flown eight different national flags.

As you walk the street, there are many art galleries and shops.

If you peek down the areas between buildings and there are beautifully decorated courtyards as well as little bistros and coffee stops.

Even some of the commercial buildings in town are historic, such as the post office.

and this insurance agency which used to be the railroad station.

This beautiful old hotel was built in 1857.

Patti and I not only walked through town, but up and down their 6th Street and their residential areas. They are lined with beautifully maintained historic homes.

And my favorite…

We walked back to the marina and found the Captains deep in discussion.

We went into town for dinner at The Marina restaurant.  Dinner was fair, but we were treated to a wonderful sunset while walking back to the boat.

For the final thought of the day on our last night in Florida…

Day #268 – Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island), FL

We left beautiful St. Augustine this morning as the sun was rising and Bob helped us off with our lines.

We passed under the infamous Bridge of Lions and hope to see it when it is completed.

A last minute decision was made to leave the ICW and travel outside in the Atlantic today.  The ocean is unbelievably calm and we are glad we decided to travel this route.

The ICW is very shallow and there is considerable shoaling in this area and the tides are huge.  Because of the phase of the moon, the tides swings are seven and a half feet.  That is a lot of tide to consider when you are boating.

We are definitely heading north now as the compass shows.

Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) will be our last stop in Florida.  I decided to do a little reflection of our time spent in this beautiful state.

Our first stop in Pensacola, Florida was on November 13, 2008. From that day we have  enjoyed 101 days here, traveled 1,344 miles and 185 hours.  We have stayed in 29 different ports and the weather has been stupendous.  We have loved every minute.  We also toured the Abacos traveling 533 miles and 55 hours.  We cannot imagine a better way to spend five and a half months.

Shrimp boats are everywhere as you approach Fernandina Beach.  As we looked off the bow of the boat at one point we counted fifteen in sight.

We were sad to say good bye to Deb and Bob.  We always enjoy our time together and hope to do it again soon.  Today we look forward to getting back together with Patti and Brad.  They have been off Salvage Crew for two weeks as they went home for a visit with family.  We look forward to exploring and discovering Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island with them.

Patti and Brad even bought a bottle of champagne for the reunion!

Day #267 – St. Augustine, FL

What a great city St. Augustine is.  As soon as we arrived yesterday, Andy and I did the “tourist thing” and rode the trolley around town and saw the sights.  It is a great way to see it and all the city has to offer.

We went to dinner at Harry’s with Bob and Deb.

It was a great spot they had found earlier in the day and we enjoyed our etouffee and jambalaya dinners in the outdoor patio area complete with guitar player and singer.  St. Augustine has more restaurants  per capita than any other city in the United States.

This morning Deb and I rode the same trolley again so she could see the area and Andy decided once was plenty for him.

St. Augustine is where Juan Ponce de León (1474–1521) came ashore in search of treasures, riches and The Fountain of Youth in 1493 and is the oldest city in the United States.

The Bridge of Lions is a beautiful bridge that spans the ICW.   It spans Mantanzas Bay from St. Augustine to Anastasia Island and was originally built in 1927 .  The city is attempting to reconstruct the bridge to the tune of $78 million. It was included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation list of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Sites” in the nation.

This is what it looked like before they tore it down.

This is the stage it is at now.

Our boat sits in the marina right below as they drive pilings and barges work from 7 AM to 9 PM.

The Spanish oak trees line the streets and are dripping with Spanish moss.  Story has it that Henry Ford was in town visiting Henry Flagler who brought the railroad to this part of the country.  Ford thought that he could take the abundant Spanish moss and stuff his car seats with it.  After a couple of months, bugs started crawling out of the upholstery.  No one told him that you had to boil it first.

The largest, oldest (600+ years)  and most well know of these trees is the one they call the Old Senator.  Story has it that it was no named because it is old, shady and crooked.

To better show off the city the pictures are below with their captions.

The original city gates.

A couple of the many churches in the city.

A couple of the downtown shopping areas.

One of the many Bed and Breakfast’s in the area.

The St. Augustine Municial Marina where we have kept Good News for two days.

The history and architecture of this old city is amazing.  Unfortunately, pictures do not really do it justice.  Perhaps you will just have to visit it yourself one day to find out.

Day #266 – St. Augustine, FL

Good News and Headquarters pulled out of Daytona/Halifax Marina at 8:00 as planned.  They have quite a different procedure for returning their gate key.  An attendant comes out to the fuel dock and passes a long net to your boat and hopefully you place it in.  Glad to report…mission accomplished.

The day was predicted to be sunny and 83.  Fog and haze filled the air this morning as we left and the sun is struggling to come out.

The ICW is very narrow in this stretch and shallow.  The houses on the eastern shore are very close to the channel.

By 10:00 the fog has lifted and the sun is shining through.  The vegetation has changes considerably as we progress further north.

Today we pass under several bridges, however only one requires that we wait for an opening (thanks Deb).

Of course, we never tire of the dolphin shows.  We’re not sure how much further north the dolphins will travel with us, but we enjoy seeing them every time.  This one was particularly entertaining.

The terrain has changed and there is much more evidence of sandy banks, they look like small dunes.

And something else we haven’t see in quite some time…barges.

At one point, near Mantanzas Island, the ICW passes so close to the ocean, it is visible in the distance.

We arrived in St. Augustine 5.75 hours and 53 miles after we left.  Glad to be here.  Time to go exploring!

Day #265 – Daytona, FL

We had quite an exciting morning in the marina.  Deb and I were about to walk  into town when helicopters started circling overhead.  Andy was walking back from West Marine (again) and he said there were about 20 squad cars up at the corner and they had closed the streets down.  The news reported that yesterday someone was held up with a sawed off shotgun and they were carjacked.  This morning the car was spotted and the robber seen running from the scene.  Needless to say, we decided against walking up town as they still have not found the guy.

A lady on the dock overheard Deb and I talking about walking to the 7- Eleven up the street.  She and her husband have lived on their boat here at the marina for five years.  She immediately offered to drive us to Publix.  She encouraged us to take our time and she was in no hurry and really didn’t need anything.  Never to miss an opportunity to visit a Publix, Deb and I jumped at the chance.  Very kind gesture and much appreciated.  Thank you Fran!

It is another picture perfect day in Daytona.  The sky is deep blue and cloudless.  High today is 84 and very low humidity.

Day #264 – Daytona, FL

This photo was sent to me in an email and I wanted to share it.  This morning is a fresh, clean morning after our afternoon showers yesterday and this picture sort of says it all.

Last night we were treated to a beautiful sunset.  We haven’t really seen many sunsets since we left Key West, an unobstructed view looking west.  We really miss them.

Today we are awaiting the arrival of Bob and Deb on Headquarters.  We are finally in the same area again.  We cruised with them for some time coming down the rivers and into the west coast of Florida.  We saw them last in Ft. Meyers as we made our way to Key West for the holidays.  It will be great to see them again and catch up.

Chores are on the agenda today.  I will do cleaning, laundry and cooking (pink jobs).  Andy is doing a few repairs as well as polishing and waxing the starboard side of the boat (blue jobs).  He wanted to take advantage of  the floating docks and the position the boat was in.  Beautiful day to do just about anything…sunny, clear, low humidity and 83 degrees.

Also, he needed a hole saw and we are too far (3 miles) to walk to the nearest hardware store.  Several people on the dock offered tools, however none were the exact size he needed.  A handy man working on the docks, offered to take Andy to the hardware store on his lunch hour.  They have returned with part in hand.  It really restores your faith in humanity when people all pull together for total strangers.  You gotta love this boating community.

Andy doing something every captain fears…having to drill holes in his boat!

Bob and Deb arrived about 3:30.  Great to see them again and shared dinner and conversation aboard Good News just like old times.