Trip 4 - On the move again

Leg 23 - Fernandina Harbor Marina

We awoke to some very thick fog this morning. Since it looked like we would be a while we warmed up the pancakes from yesterday and added fresh sausage and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. I assembled and deployed our radar reflector ball to ensure that the boats going in and out would see us (assuming they had radar). We waited for the fog to lift and finally we were underway, slowly, around 11 am. We motored out through the Cumberland Sound and down the Amelia River. About a mile and a half down we arrived at the Fernandina Harbor Marina. We stopped for a quick pump out and then into our slip. After a small late lunch we stepped out to investigate the quaint town. Sue tried making reservations at a number of restaurants unsuccessfully as apparently today is a day full of people. Lots and lots of people walking about in the cool, sunny afternoon. We ended up deciding on an early dinner and were able to get a table at The Salty Pelican. It was very good food and, of course, we had Gator bites – you know you are in FL when alligator is on the menu. We continued exploring the town after dinner walking off our meal and found a nice book store. Sue found a ‘Birds of Florida’ book as well as one on the history of Cumberland Island. Now, two more books in our library. Back aboard for pictures of the sunset and now down below getting ready for tomorrow. Possibly a laundry day - depending on the weather. Right now it calls for rain. Either case, we are here until Tuesday, unless they find a spot for us Tuesday night. If not, I need to find a place to travel to on Tuesday. Maybe I will get a jump on the schedule but since I already have reservations in St. Augustine we will need to improvise.

Leg 24A Gunnison Crossing

Fernandina was a quiet town and we enjoyed walking around on Sunday but it was rainy and windy all day on Monday. The winds averaged 25+ with gusting over 35 mph. Also, the water was extremely choppy making us feel like we were underway all day, bouncing the boat around. Finally it started to calm down in the evening but the water slapping on the transom was annoying all night. It also got down to 53 last night making us feel better about cutting out time on Cumberland Island short a day to be in port for the bad weather. We had a simple breakfast this morning and then filed the water tanks, took out the trash and prepared to get underway. I also wanted to wait for the tide to change so I could spring my bow out into the current and not smash into the mega yacht in front of us. Well, all went smoothy and we were underway south in the Amelia River. After a short time we turned off the river into Kingsley Cut/Creek. We had one potential bridge that could cause us some grief – a railway bridge – normally open – used to haul materials to the local paper factory – but we heard train traffic this morning so we cautiously searched to be sure it was open. No drama, again, it was open. We then slowly motored along, not in any hurry, and arrived at Gunnison Crossing off of Sawpit Creek and Nassau Cut in the Timucuan Ecological And Historic Preserve. It is quiet here except the honking Canadian Geese and American kayakers. The current is quite strong though as a quick look at the B&G showed 2.1 knots of boat speed – at anchor. Finally sunset arrived and we were mostly alone in the anchorage. Dinner was grilled burger (me) chicken (Sue), noodles, broccoli, and fresh salad. While in Fernandina Sue went on-line with the local Public’s store using Instacart to replenish our fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, milk, etc. and they delivered to the boat by 9 am. Great service and now we can have good salads again. Well, it is forecasted to get into the 50’s again tonight so I suspect we will fire up Buddy (our heater) – hopefully for the last time. Good thing I didn’t put away my warm night clothes yet. It is a beautiful stary night to night so we will put on a coat and check out the stars before we get back into civilization – and everything that comes with it.

Tomorrow we finish the second half of Leg 24 and arrive at Sisters Creek Anchorage as originally planned. The winds are predicted to be light and temps in the high 60’s and low 70’s.  

Leg 24B - Sisters Creek

Boy, was it cold this morning. I got up around 7 and was greeted with 50+ degrees temperatures in the cabin. So I fired up Buddy and started the coffee on the stove to get the cabin warmer. I also decided to cook bacon and eggs to also help warm up the place. Finally, by the time we sat down to breakfast it had wormed up to a comfortable 70 degrees. It was planned to be a short trip today. Remember, I too the original Leg 24 and split it in half to keep us from arriving at St. Augustine too soon. Also, as it turned out, the low tide in Sisters Cree, would have caused problems. Numerous boats were traveling south down Sawpit Creek including the very large passenger boat / ferry that was docked in Fernandina Harbor before we left. It was quite a sight to watch as it went by. Finally, underway we slowly headed south on a light northerly wind and a sunny sky. We took our time and enjoyed the sights. We saw several Oyster Catchers with their long red bills on the marsh mud shores. Within an hour, we saw over 10 Great Blue Heron and a plethora of Great Egrets, Brown Pelicans, White Pelicans, Terns and Cormorants. The marshlands host such a perfect habitat for a varied wildlife. Just to be clear, Sue provide that last bit of input. I just drove as she enjoyed the sights. There was one area on Sawpit Creek that, if we were going through at low tide, would have caused an issue. Other than that one, all was fine and it was an enjoyable no drama traveling day. We drove past the anchorage and then back to it as the tide was going out. Sue found a great spot, I dropped the hook and Bobbie (remember, the anchor buoy) and we soon found ourselves relaxing in the cockpit having lunch in the warm afternoon sun. Dinner is grilled pork chops, green beans, and mac and cheese. Oh, I had a Klondike bar for my lunch desert. We were looking for the pork chops which were low in the freezer and I saw the ice cream so I decided to enjoy. The weather is warm although it still is projected to go into the 50’s again tonight so Buddy will be used yet again. Other than that, all is well and we are certainly enjoying the adventure.

Tomorrow we have a 4.5 hour day with no real issues. One more anchorage before checking into the marina in St. Augustine for 5 days. Remember, if anyone is getting tired of my daily emails please just email me and I can remove you from the list. You can always keep tabs on the travels by going to the SpinSheet website as I post these to that site when I have access.

Leg 26 - St Augustine

It was not as cold this morning and I ran the heater for only about 30 minutes before all was good and toasty. Cereal and hardboiled eggs along with coffee got us started. It was an easy anchor recovery and we were quickly on our way. We had 1 bridge (bascule) opening to worry about and it was 2 hours away but since there was no opening at noon we just took our time, especially when we got closer. A few miles north of the city Sue spied a helicopter carrying a small airplane through the air. Turns out a pilot crashed in the marshes and they were recovering the aircraft. Things you see along the way as you move at a slower pace. We waited against the current for about 10 minutes and then went through the famous Bridge of Lions. Our marina was right after the bridge, so I had to make a quick hard right and then a hard left to get into the fariway that our slip was in. A 2 knot current was running against us as I was backing into the slip. I used almost full throttle to make the turn – a guy in a 65’ catamaran quickly ran out with his fender just in case I hit him – as I  moved past his boat. All went well and the dock hand secured our lines – then I slipped away and changed my shorts - haha. We cleaned up and had a quick lunch before taking a stroll into Old Town. After a bit we stopped into a restaurant that was recommended to us by a boater friend for some brick oven baked pizza. Afterwards, we explored the town a bit more and headed back to the boat. We have 5 days here so I won’t have anymore emails until next Wednesday.