Catchin' Up on Travels
19 December 2012 | Northern Florida
Statute Miles 793-830
YEP, WE'RE IN FLORIDA
We left the St. George River before sunrise – anxious to get out before the water got shallow. Once back on the ICW we hit a huge fog bank that followed us all day long. Visibility wasn't too bad, especially when we crossed the St. John River, thankfully, since the last time we were there we had to dodge a Navy destroyer. We motored passed Jacksonville, then Fernandina Beach where we could barely see the boats anchored in the harbor. We never really got rid of the fog, but it did subside and we were able to see all the huge homes that line the ICW in Florida all the way down. Arriving in St. Augustine, we reluctantly motored on by, anxious to get some miles behind us and closer to Miami. We'll have to stop on our way north; it's a very fun place. We dropped the hook in the Ft. Matanzas anchorage, the only boat there. Our day ended around 2:30 which was nice because we were both tired of seeing through the fog. It rained a good share of the night, but we enjoyed swinging on the anchor, this time with plenty of water and room.
Next day was a repeat of Friday, only this time the fog was worse and the air was very cold. I had to dig out my long-johns again. And here I thought I wouldn't be needing them once we got into Florida! The fog didn't subside all day and there were many times when visibility was less than ½ mile. Shallow spots kept us alert. Not surprisingly, we didn't see many other boats, but the dolphins seemed not to care about the fog and they kept us entertained. Once again, that Magenta Line was an important tool. Just when we thought we'd never get out of the fog, we crossed under the LB Knox bridge into Daytona Beach – the fog lifted, and behind it was sunshine and blue skies – no more long-johns; back into shorts! We stopped at the Halifax River Yacht Club which was a perfect place to be – nice docks and a beautiful facility. There wasn't much time to explore the area, so we'll have to go back again. Saturday was their annual Toy's For Tot's drive; there were at least 100 bikes parked in various rooms and hallways – a very uplifting effort! We enjoyed our evening at the Tiki Bar trading stories with members and other boaters and enjoying a wonderful meal. Fun stop but time to move on the next morning.