Didi Mau

A lot has happened since the last post and I’ll try to bring everyone up to date. As I type this note we are in Fernandina Beach, Florida, sitting just sound of the Georgia Border.
Since the last posting, we worked our way to Charleston and ended up spending five days there. An approaching storm system pushed us to extend our stay until this last Monday. We opted to skip South Carolina south Charleston and all of Georgia. In Charleston, we were able to dock in a marina which bordered on the historic area. Everyday we were able to walk the streets of old Charleston and admire the antebellum architecture. This part of Charleston is truly gorgeous.
We also met up with Bob and Marilynn Oates while in Charleston. They had rented a car and drove to our marina. While we were walking to meet them downtown, Eta had a major argument with a tree, and unfortunately, the tree won. As we were walking through a city park, I was leading the way. I ducked under a major limb which crossed our path. Unknown to me, Eta was walking with her head down to avoid the wind and rain, failed to see the limb, and crashed into it with her nose and head. Luckily Marilynn is a trained nurse and took over first aid, helping Eta to find ice to keep the swelling down. Now, five days later the bruise is barely visible.
We saw the cold weather closing in and decided to by-pass the ICW and leave on Monday morning following the Atlantic coastline. 24 hours later we found ourselves in Fernandina Beach. We had expected northerly winds up to 15 knots with following seas. What we got, was almost no wind and seas that were quartering from our stern. Because we were unable to use sails – simply not enough wind, the ride turned into a long motor run that was akin to driving in a washing machine.
It is amazing that one can be 25 miles off shore and still only be in 70 feet of water. I felt like we were still in the Chesapeake.
We arrived on Tuesday morning, short on sleep and eager to take a nap. By the time we got the anchor set and boat tidied-up it was noon. We slept till five, treated ourselves to large ribeye steaks on the grill and hit the sack. We slept for another 10 hours.
By Wednesday Morning, Sandy and Larry Stewart, also Mizzen Circle neighbors joined us and anchored about 50 yards from Didi Mau. We have enjoyed lunches with them and walking the historic area of Fernandina Beach. In fact, it is now 16-thirsty and we are headed to a Mexican restaurant for Margaritas and Nachos.
We leave on Friday morning for Jacksonville, where we plan to stay for the weekend, before heading to Saint Augustine.