The last two days have been really cold but the scenery has been absolutely beautiful as we worked our way through the magical marshes/swamps of Georgia via gorgeous slow moving creeks into fast rivers to finally reach our anchorage today at Bell River, Fernandina.

This river bed offers good holding in deep sticky mud - rather comforting as the winds have been gusting up to 42k. The brisk wind has made sailing possible in even the narrowest areas and lack of other boats means we could command the entire channel wherever we were.

This picture might give you an idea of the salt marshes we talk about - extending for hundreds of square miles preserving a haven for wildlife as well as a nursery area for blue crabs, oysters, shrimp, terrapins and small fish as it provides shelter and hiding places from predators.

It is also one of Georgia's precious natural parks - campsites, nature trails, wildlife refuge, environmental studies, eco-tours, secluded inns on several of the islands - you name it they do it here without destroying nature.