On Wednesday morning, November 13th, we waited for both the sunshine to warm up the outside temp and the tide to rise before our transit through the notoriously shallow ICW miles 570 to 575. The day's three hour passage began at 12:15 PM, with only one boat passing us and hearing only a few on the VHF, even the dolphins appeared to be hunkered down that day. Another voltage spike led to replacing the alternator belt after our anchorage in the Herb River near Thunderbolt, Georgia.

Again allowing Thursday's morning sunshine to warm the day, we hauled anchor shortly before 11:00 AM, motor-sailing with the genoa for a good portion of the passage, which concluded when we dropped the hook at 4:30 PM in Walburg Creek.

Friday it was determined that there was a missing alternator wire, and communication with the manufacturer confirmed that is no issue. Following raising anchor at 10:00 AM we were able to put the genoa to use on and off, and after light rain began to fall we anchored at 2:30 PM for our first time in the Duplin River.

Thick fog lingered Saturday for a short time into the day's passage which began at 9:15 AM. We successfully transited another notoriously shallow area, Little Mud, before mid-tide, and were able to motor-sail with the genoa for quite a while during the passage which also took us through Jekyll Creek (also shallow) at low tide without incident for us (although following behind four others who are deeper draft than Grace and were in constant communication on the VHF as some met the bottom). The blower motor provided its last service before we dropped the hook shortly before 4:00 PM for our first time at the northwest tip of Little Cumberland Island, where we were reunited with Ken, Francie, and their dog Skipper on s/v Release.

While awaiting fog and sprinkles on Sunday morning the blower motor was replaced with an onboard spare before raising anchor at 11:15 AM and then dropping it at 2:45 PM at Cumberland Island (pictured above), where we got to enjoy a walk to the Dungeness ruins and see not only horses and deer, but also Ken, Francie, and Skipper.

Monday we went for a long walk and got to see horses on the beach. That evening s/v Release hosted a cocktail party for eight in their cockpit, including the crews of s/v Zama Dawn and s/v Circe II.

During the start of Tuesday's passage we got to see a Coast Guard convoy escorting a submarine into Kings Bay Naval Base. The day's passage from shortly after 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM, brought us to the town of St Marys, Georgia, where we partook of lunch with Ken and Francie at the nearby seafood restaurant followed by wandering around town, including our first time to the Visitor Center with its almost museum-like displays.

At 10:45 AM on Wednesday we were underway. After Kevin got pooped on by the biggest spray from abeam yet, the rain began once we passed Fernandina Beach, Florida, and then the skies opened up as we dropped the hook at 1:45 PM in Alligator Creek.

Thursday we hauled anchor at 10:00 AM and dropped it at 1:00 PM in the Trout River, near the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, which we spent the day at Friday.

Shortly before 10:30 AM on Saturday we headed towards downtown Jacksonville, where we tied up at the free dock at The Landing at 11:45 AM and commenced to shore-side chores, Saturday night outdoor live entertainment, and dining through Sunday night.

We cast off and transited the limited opening at the railroad bridge near downtown at 9:30 AM on Monday, motor-sailing with the genoa until shortly before picking up a mooring ball at 1:30 PM at Green Cove Springs Marina for our first time, as well as a first time survey of Grace, which took place this morning and concluded with a lunch-time short haul-out with Grace in the slings of the travel-lift. Once Grace was splashed again, the strong WNW winds have kept us pinned to the pier outside the lift well. The winds are forecast to die down this evening, so perhaps we will be back on the mooring ball for the night.

During these passages we have gotten to see numerous brown and white pelicans, dolphins, ducks, and four bald eagles.

Another photo album, "New Jersey", has been added under the Photo Gallery link on the right.