One of the most irritating things about the ICW in Florida is the number of bridges the boat must go under. Today it was 10--and four of them were bridges that had to open. But those aren't so bad--it is the ones that are supposed to be 65 feet high but show height boards that measure 62+. Anyway, we are now in the small down of New Smyrna Beach, which even has a shuffleboard park! I'll try to get a photo of it tomorrow before we leave for the blog.
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One of the most irritating things about the ICW in Florida is the number of bridges the boat must go under.
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After a windy and bumpy night at anchor off Cumberland Island on the Georgia/Florida border, we went south of the mythical "hurricane zone line" on the first day we could--Nov. 2. The afternoon of Nov. 1 we arrived at the Cumberland Island anchorage early and took the dogs to shore. We saw no wild horses on the walk, but the dogs REALLY wanted to go catch the 2 armadillos they scared off into the underbrush! The next morning we came into Jacksonville Beach with no problem--although we saw at least one sailboat that had gone aground at (unfortunately!) high water. I wonder if he is still there. And going under the Atlantic Blvd. Bridge was interesting--there the current was at least 5mph--we slowed from 7mph to .5 mph, and the standing waves were almost 5 feet tall. That short episode made the currents in the St. John River in New Brunswick look tame. Here's a photo of Elixir coming into the marina here--where we plan to stay for several days while we stock up and do laundry.
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Since we are moving along so fast, we decided to take time and visit Brunswick, GA since we have never stopped here before. The marina is very nice, right downtown. Clearly the city demolished some old warehouses along the river and put in a lovely park and marina facility that is within easy walking distance of downtown which has a number of nice shops and restaurants. It was rather quiet today because every REAL Georgian was home getting ready for the Florida-Georgia football game which is a real BIG deal around these parts. We went for a walk and found an absolutely gorgeous big city park, full of amazing huge oak trees and this (almost required) statue of a Confederate soldier.
By the way, I've now added several more pictures to the Gallery, which you can access from the regular page. Check them out--now I am no longer limited to one photo per day. I also understand I can add videos (per Leslie's request) so as soon as I figure that out, I'll let you know.
Happy Halloween!
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The Kilkenny Marina has been a stop for us on our trips north and south on the ICW before. The people are very helpful, the protection is better than most other spots in this area of the waterway, and it is...quaint. Wooden docks that haven't changed in years, no amenities (but there now is a very good restaurant nearby that was crowded on a Thursday night), gorgeous setting with big oak trees that have to be at least 300 years old, and quiet (except when the fishing boats go by!)
We love this spot. Here is a photo of the shrimp boat that docked next door at the restaurant---and probably brought the shrimp we ate for dinner.
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