Sunset at Cumberland Island as a sub cruises by enroute to the base.

Friday morning dawned cool and windy in the Brickhill River anchorage as we prepared to depart for Fernandina Beach. The run was only 11 miles or so, but we wanted to fuel and water in preparation for our offshore trip to Cape Carnaveral. As we wound our way out of the river the vhf radio traffic hinted at military movement again but, as we had discovered they are rather secretive about their intentions. As we approached the sub base a supply ship hailed us to ask our intentions. Once we explained our plan he said we were good up to go however, he asked us to stick to the extreme right side of the channel as two ships would be leaving the base. These 250’ ships looked like the ships for the offshore oil rigs in Newfoundland, superstructure in the bow and long low aft decks for equipment. By now the wind was blowing steady 20 kts. with gusts to 25, Fernadina lay 7 miles ahead and the Seaport anchorage at Cumberland was only 2 miles away. We were debating stopping there for awhile to let the wind drop before attempting to dock for fuel when a 25’ military RIB pulled up beside us to once again ask our intentions. Actually, he suggested we stop at Cumberland, considering he was powered by 3 250hp outboards with a 50 calibre machine gun on the bow we wisely took his suggestion. Then it all made sense, the two ships were guides for the sub that was leaving the base behind us; some people have made this trip for years without seeing a sub and now we’ve seen 2 within a week.

The cold north wind never relented all day and the temperature barely got into the low teens Celsius so we decided to stay put in Cumberland for the night. After all we had less the 5 miles to the marina and we could easily fuel in the morning on our way out.The planned run to Cape Canaveral was about 27 hours and we needed to time our entrance to coincide with a bridge opening. Fueling was a bit of a challenge at Fernandina because a small cruise ship was blocking the fuel dock, but all went well and we were steaming out of the channel by 10 a.m. The forecast called for wnw winds of 10 -15 kts. the offshore breeze kept the seas to a minimum as we set the sails in bright sunshine. Unfortunately, the winds were lighter than forecast so we ended up running the engine at low rpm in order to keep our speed up. Eventually as the winds increased the Westerbeke got a break and we welcomed the silence as we managed to sail over 30% of the way. And guess what, another sub! As we approached the inbound channel to Jacksonville a sub and destroyer crossed our bow, inbound for the port, that makes 3 and counting.

The rest of the trip was uneventful under the starlit sky, and as dawn approached we set our course around the large shoal off Cape Canaveral. We enjoyed a beautiful sail for the last 3 hours as we cruised along at a leisurely 5 kts., our ETA showed us arriving only 15 minutes prior to the bridge opening. We had never been in here before and I must admit the views are impressive, from the numerous launch towers at the space Center that line the coast to the 7 huge cruise ships that are docked. As we drifted up to the bridge we were tired but happy to have made the trip, and even happier to discover that there would be another rocket launch that night.

Today’s picture is of Dagny and 2Outrageous in the Brickhill River anchorage.

Today's bonus picture is the ruins of Dungeness. This mansion had been lived in until the 1920s and was destroyed by fire in the 1950s

Whenever we're heading off shore we plan our trips carefully according to the weather forecasts available at the time and supplemented with info from other cruisers. Once we've decided on a route and schedule we try not to second guess ourselves too much, so it's always rewarding when other people come up with the same plan. Such was the case when we left Charleston for Cumberland Island Georgia. After waiting a few days for the seas to lay down we were one of 10 boats from around the harbour that left at the same time for the 165 mile trip down the coast. The 9.5 knot ebb tide carried us out the channel to a very smooth almost windless ocean as we set course for the south. The 24 hour motor sail was uneventful, with the exception of going through areas of Portuguese Man of War. However, Mother Nature did treat us to a spectacular sunset and followed by a beautiful full moon that lit our way all night.

We decided to spend a few days exploring Cumberland Island which is right on the Florida Georgia border. This 17 mile long barrier island is a beautiful national nature park that at one time was 90% owned by the Carnegie family. We spent the first 2 days anchored at the south end near Dungeness, which are the ruins of their 82 room mansion. The island is only accessible by ferry which certainly helps to protect the uniqueness of the island and it was interesting to note how respectful all the visitors are of the island. A popular attraction on the island is the dozens of feral horses that have roamed here for a few centuries.

After a couple of days we decided to move 8 miles north to another anchorage for a change of scenery. As we were preparing to move the Navy started broadcasting navigation restrictions that would affect us. There's a large submarine base that we could actually see from the anchorage and there was a sub inbound from the ocean. Needless to say they're very strict about anybody getting near them so we wisely held our position until they were by, but then we still had to sit in the channel for 20 minutes until they were fully docked.

The northern anchorage was in an area called Plum Orchard, which was the home of one of the Carnagie children. The 50 room mansion was lived in until the 1970s and is now open daily for free guided tours. The well informed guide gave us a very informative tour of the Plum Orchard Mansion that also gave a glimpse of the family history. As we wandered from room to room there were numerous candlestick holders but no sign of Professor Plum or Colonel Mustard. This island certainly is a gem and we hope to spend more time here but it's time to get moving again.

Today's picture is if a young feral horse at Plum Orchard.

Today’s bonus picture is of one of the many spectacular trees that line the Charleston streets.

Once we caught up on our sleep after our overnight trip it was time to go ashore and stretch our legs. However, as great a city as Charleston is to visit, it is not the most accessible for transient boaters who choose to anchor as we had. The marina at Patriot's Point charges $60 a day to tie up a dinghy versus $5 a day across the harbour at the Maritime Center. We chose to anchor at Patriot's Point for protection from the forecasted 30 knot north winds but that left us with a one mile wet dinghy ride across the harbour. After all it would be a good test for our new foul weather jackets and waterproof laundry bag. The first order of business ashore was, you guessed it, laundry, once that was done we met 2 Outrageous for lunch and laid out a plan for the next couple of days.

First on our list of things to see was the new African American museum which traces the history of the slave trade around the world. The museum displays are first class but like any museum it would be better to spread the visit over two days. The Civil Rights section was extremely moving since we have all lived through this era. Needless to say our heads were saturated with details when we left and we all found it hard to understand how cruel the power brokers could be.

Over the next couple of days we spent time exploring the historic downtown whenever the conditions were favourable for a dinghy run. We met up with our friend Debbie for lunch and enjoyed a guided tour of one of the waterfront mansions. As always we kept a keen eye on the weather as we awaited the next opportunity to continue south. The north winds had been blowing hard offshore for a couple of days and the 10' seas kept most people in the harbour or on the ICW. We were determined not to do the next section through Georgia in the ICW and we were finally rewarded with a break in the weather. Although the wind was forecasted to eventually fade away to under 5 knots it was time to get moving again. Dagny was prepared for a morning departure, and goodbyes were said, as we turned in early for a good rest prior to departure.

Todays picture is of The Old South Carriage Co, note the wagon leaving the stable with a load of tourists.