On The Waterway Again

We left Brunswick on Thursday, Dec. 6....finally. So anxious to be on our way again, we both awoke before the 6am alarm. Of course it was pitch black outside, but we started on preparations while we enjoyed morning coffee. As I stepped outside just before sunrise, I was pleased to feel the warm outside air and felt sure my decision to wear shorts was a good one. We left our slip at 7:30 under partly cloudy skies with the sun peeking through. Our friend, Diana was standing at her dock to give us a proper send-off. As we motored out of the Brunswick River, clouds overtook the sunshine and we quickly put on rain coats to stay dry.

It was a 5 mile motor to the mouth of Jekyll Creek where we rejoined the ICW. Water was skinny so traveling that stretch took some extra time, but once in Jekyll Sound we had a current push that helped overcome the chop all the way to the Cumberland River. We remembered this trip from last time, past Brickhill Creek and the Degaussing Station and into Cumberland Sound, where we finally crossed into Florida as we entered the Amelia River. But before we crossed the Sound fog set in and created some challenges as we searched for the marks into the Amelia River. However, we reminded ourselves that this fog was nothing like what we experienced sailing in New England, so we kept moving – and followed the magenta line. We passed through Fernandina Beach before the fog lifted some, and by the time we were in Kingsley Creek, the sun was back. Crazy weather!

We managed some motor-sailing on and off throughout the day as the winds jumped from 4 knots to 19 at various spots. This was helpful, for when the current was against us we were happy for any assistance. It was a long day and we were happy to reach our chosen anchorage for the night – the St. George River. We stopped there on our last trip south and knew it was a good spot. Unfortunately, we had to share the anchorage with another sailboat, which would have been fine, except he took his spot out of the middle and with no chain, only rope on his anchor, he'd put out quite a bit of scope. Finding a place to drop our hook was also compromised by current opposing the wind, and a couple of strings of crab pots. We certainly didn't want to swing over those lines in the night. We know from experience how angry a crabber gets if “sailboaters” are over his lines. So we spent some time searching for the right spot – finally dropped the hook and hoped for the best. It was very cold by then and almost dark, so we hunkered inside the cabin and watched the shoreline get closer and closer. Mike ended up taking in some of the scope a couple of times until finally the tide turned and water filled the river. Long day, pretty tired, happy to be there – and with plans to be gone before water got skinny in the morning!