Departing Jekyll Island
Anchoring in Plum Orchard
Going ashore - this is what happens when you leave the ladder in the water too long.
An old out building still in use by descendants of Carnegie family.
The mansion at Plum Orchard
Spanish moss on Live Oak. All over the island, so majestic.
Leaving Plum Orchard
Arriving to Dungeness area.
The dock to the southern access.
A walk on the white sandy beaches.
Look closely and see a friendly armadillo.
Sunset at Dungeness.
A wild horse wanted some of my lunch. No, sir, go get your own.
The second house on Dungeness.
A different view of the house.
Another horse comes to visit with us.
An old out building still in use.
A walk on the southern marsh boardwalk.
Gee, I wonder which way the wind blows.
Some friendly local wild turkeys.
Another sunset.
Even more sunset in Dungennes.
This is what we woke up to. Will wait to get underway.
We hoist the reflector and wait for the fog to burn off.
Leg 22A - Jekyll Harbor to Plum Orchard
We finished up visiting sights at Jekyll Island and decided to depart one day early. Also, a storm is predicted for this weekend and we wanted to get in good hiking weather when we could. So, because high tide was after noon we took our time getting ready to go. With a final pump out we were on our way out of Jekyll River. It was a simple departure and soon we were out in St Andrew Sound, out almost into the ocean, and then turned back inland to Cumberland River. It looks like we went out of our way until you realize the area has many shoals. So, no drama as we entered Cumberland River and followed it all the way to Brickhill River (southern entrance). Once there, we turned up the river and went about ½ mile to drop the anchor. The winds were strong, as was the current, but we snagged the bottom first try, deployed Bobbie, and backed down on the anchor to set it firmly as strong winds are predicted for tonight and tomorrow. With that done we started talking about our procedures to deploy the dinghy. It had been a while so we made sure we both understood what we needed to do as it was still quite windy. All went well and soon I was rowing myself to the dinghy docks to check out the sights. There is a historic house we want to tour tomorrow so I got the hours as well as the envelop to collect our entrance fee. I met a bunch of folks who were out hiking for the week on the island. They enjoyed the tour and pointed out some areas for us to hike tomorrow. I returned to the boat and after securing the dinghy we sat back for cocktails and appetizers. A dinghy with boaters from the catamaran north of us stopped by to say hi as they were on their way to get a closer look at the grazing wild horses. Sue identified 3 new birds today - Wood Storks, Forester Terns, and Night Herons – her bird book is very handy for sure. Dinner was left overs with grilled hot dogs for me and salmon for Sue. Temperatures outside right now are in the high 60’s and in the low 70’s indoors so it is very comfortable. Tomorrow we will pack lunch and row into the dinghy dock to tour the house and hike looking for more wildlife – especially armadillos. So, boaters midnight soon.
Tomorrow we will be at anchor but plan to head to the southern part of the Island Thursday. Here is the original plan for leg 22 though.
Leg 22A Exploring Plum Orchard on Cumberland Island
It was a calm night after a successful day of travel and anchoring. The sun was hiding a bit in the early morning as we had a simple breakfast. It was finally warming up with temperatures in the low 70’s already. We readied the dinghy for departure and got underway much too early but I was anxious not to be late for the 11 am showing of the Carnegie House – named Plum Orchard (the guide said there was no orchard but the area was called that before the house was built so they called it that anyway). So, we were there at 10:15 and walked around the quiet property until the showing. The tour was quite splendid as we were the only people and I could ask the silly questions I ask. This house was a honeymoon cottage gift to George and Margret Carnegie one of the children of the wife and husband (Lucy and Thomas Carnegie) of the brother of Andrew Carnegie and passed down through time. At one point Lucy owned about 90% of the island. She gave a house to each of her children but not the land so they could never sell it. Eventually as time wore on decendents were allowed to sell and started selling to pay for upkeep. Then in the early 70’s many of them got together and decided to donate their property to the National Park Service who now owns the entire island and runs it as a national park. It cost a whopping 10$ per person for a 7 day pass. There are a lot of nature things to do – quite a wonderful place. After the almost 90 minute tour we sat under a 200 year old live oak on a picnic table and had lunch. We watched as a small herd of horses grazed across the way towards the river. Then we took an inspiring walk in a canopy of moss draped live oak, long needle pine, and palm trees. Quietly walking Sue spotted our first armadillo. I tired to get a picture but alas, he was too far away. Maybe tomorrow. Then we rowed back to The Office in the dinghy cubicle to relax in the warm 78 degree sun with a gentle breeze blowing. Dinner tonight will be grilled filets, egg noodles, green beans, and a salad.
Tomorrow we will get up early to head down to the southern part of the island and visit Dungeness, the main house for Lucy and Thomas. We were told we should be able to see many more wild horses, armadillos, deer, turkey vultures and humans.
Leg 22B Move to the southern part of the island
Another calm night and we awoke to nice temperatures again. We had a calm breakfast as we needed to wait for the tide to start coming back in before we headed out for our short trip to the southern part of the island. This meant we had to come close to the Navy Sub base where we had a nice coast guard escort to be sure we didn’t try anything funny. We headed into the river and past the first park dock landing and then past the second. I wanted to see what the third one looked like but it turned out to be a private dock. So, we headed into the current, found the perfect spot, and dropped the anchor. At first it didn’t stick but we persisted and got a good dig into the bottom – which this time is supposed to be sand. We cleaned up from that exercise and had some lunch before deploying the engine onto the dinghy. We reviewed our procedures a few times since it had been a while since we did this. But, all came back quickly and the engine was on the dinghy ready to go. We got our lift jackets, water bottles and snacks, and hiking shoes and jumped into the dinghy (well, not jump). Before we cast off the lines I wanted to get the engine going as it hadn’t run since the fall. I told Sue to be prepared for a lot of cursing, just in case. Well, to my amazement, it started on the 3rd pull and we cast off the lines and headed to the National Park Service docks. We had a successful docking there and tied Cubical up tightly and walked to the rangers office. We got some guidance on where to go and headed off towards the beach. The trails are very nice, easy to walk, and nicely marked. We made it to the beach, removed our shoes, and strolled down to the gentle waves rolling ashore. While the water wasn’t warm, it certainly wasn’t horribly cold either. Then we walked back up to some dry sand, sat down and had a nice mid afternoon snack and water. Sue then went off to look for shells and I studied the inside of my eyelids enjoying the warm sun upon my face. After a bit we headed back to the landing and on the way saw another armadillo, this time we got some good pictures and a nice video clip. Then back to the dinghy for a ride to check out the other dock before heading back to the office. Dinner was grilled port, rice and squash in tomato sauce. With all the fresh air and hiking about boaters midnight will be very soon.
Tomorrow we will dinghy down to the other dock and check out the sights there.
Leg 22B Explore the southern part of the island
After a full breakfast of bacon and eggs Sue made our picnic lunch and we jumped into the dinghy for a short trip to the Dungeness dock. These are the docks to the southern part of the park with lots to see. We tied the dinghy and went ashore for today’s adventure. After visiting the old ice house, now a museum, and the captains lodge, we headed off on the trail to visit the ruins of the second mansion on the site – Dungeness. There is an interesting history of the island starting with the European founder, James Oglethorpe, until the time Lucy Carnegie bought most of the island. Check out the National Parks site to learn more. After walking around the mansion site and many of its outbuildings (one that housed a squash court, swimming pool, and other athletic facilities), we headed out to visit the family grave plot before taking the long walk through the marsh lands and finally onto the beach. We once again waded in the refreshingly cool water and sat on the warm sand soaking in the bright sun before hiking back through the beautiful live oak trees. This is touted as the largest live oak forest in the US and is certainly breathtaking at every turn along the way. We sat eating lunch at a picnic table when two wild horses walked up to check us out. Seeing as we were stingy and not going to share our lunch with them they trotted away. We also saw multiple armadillos through out the day and I actually walked to within 2 feet of one while he was snorting through the grass looking for bugs. And we finally were treated to a rafter of wild turkeys. And, yes, we did run into the obnoxious animal called humankind. Boy are they a noisy bunch, running and screaming splashing and jumping in the water. We stayed our distance as one never knows what will happen with them. We were quite tired after our 3 mile hike out and back but thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Once back to the docks we waited until the ferry departed taking the masses with them and leaving us to a tranquil site once again. It was a quick dinghy ride back to The Office. We cleaned up a bit and had drinks and appetizers to chill in the late evening sun and finally descended below after a peaceful sunset. Dinner was grilled shrimp, southern style spinach, and rice. Then, we cleaned up the dishes, listened to music for a bit and, of course, boaters midnight. Cumberland Island is well worth the trip.
Leg 22B - Relaxing in Cumberland Island
It was another calm night at anchorage pivoting on our anchor chain with the changing of the tides. I made pancakes and sausage for breakfast to prepare us for a relaxing day doing boat chores before lunch. Then after lunch we took an 8 mile dinghy ride around the sound exploring areas not accessible by foot. Then we recovered the engine and the dinghy, preparing us for our travels tomorrow. The rest of the afternoon was just enjoying the sun and cool breezes listening to Spotify. Really, we didn’t do much of anything. And that is a good thing. Dinner is grilled salmon, spinach (leftovers) and egg noodles. Pudding for desert! While Cumberland Island is absolutely wonderful and anchoring out has been extremely enjoyable, it will be good to be on the go again tomorrow. But, an entire day devoted to relaxing is just super.
Tomorrow we head south to Fernandina Beach after a relaxing breakfast since we don’t have far to go.
Days: 5 Days to date: 15
Miles 27.1 Miles to date: 245.5