Oct. 8-29,2020

We were ready. Boy, were we ready to depart. We yearned for a different anchorage, a different temperature, an adventure. We bid goodbye to Annapolis and our friends. We practiced COVID precautions as we socialized with long time friends.

We shoved off the dock at Bert Jabin Yacht Yard just before sunset. Eight years ago we began our first passage south from High Island on the Rhode River. The night was peaceful and the plants showed faint colors of fall. At light we pulled anchor. We travel long days through Currituck, Albermarle and Pamlico Sounds. Oriental welcomed us back and we cherished our friendships. As usual, the mechanics and staff at Deaton Yacht Service completed our jobs professionally.

We tossed the lines and headed to Cape Lookout. We anchored under a starry sky. We pulled anchor and turned Dancing on the Edge southward. We plotted our course as we tracked Epsilon in the Atlantic and Zeta in the Gulf of Mexico. Two and a half days later, we anchored off the town of Fernandina. With hugs and smiles, we celebrated our accomplishment! We had not made any off shore passages for quite a while.

Florida has high rates of COVID infection so we decided to remain onboard. We watched the dredge equipment, the factory exhaust and connected to the world via Internet. The huge yellow ferris wheel type structure fascinated us. Versaboat 10000 is a heavy lift vessel that is contracted to aid in the salvage of the Golden Ray wreck in St. Simons Sound. The trusses are 25 stories tall and mounted on barges that are 200 feet apart. There is a hook to lift 7500 tons at one time and two 1100 ton claws to lift salvage from the topsides of the ship.

We had about a week before we wanted to arrive in St. Augustine. We changed our view and headed to Cumberland Island, Ga. Although the sub base is visible, we sat behind a shoal of grasses. In case you haven’t figured it out, I love marsh grasses. Cumberland Island is a National Seashore with some ponies, hikes and, of course, ticks and mosquitoes! After a summer of frenetic activity on Dancing on the Edge, we treasured the peace.

We departed St. Mary’s inlet for a beautiful sail to Jacksonville. We had consulted several sources for an anchorage near the AICW. Our plan A location was not acceptable. Plan B, we headed across the St. John’s River, moved toward the shore, out of the marked ship channel, and dropped the hook. Who knew we would find a spectacular roadstead—away from the barge and ship traffic and, of course, overlooking beautiful golden grasses.

We wanted to travel the AICW through the picturesque Tolamoto River basin. Oaks at water’s edge, stands of pines, and cabbage palms are surrounded by marshes (guess) of grasses. We saw eagle nests. A long eagle perched high above the water searching for fish while other raptors circled above. We spent a starry night behind a shoal. We began to feel the pull toward activity as we traveled a few short miles to the St. Augustine.