Into the Sunshine State

Wednesday 10th December
After a late start, on again to our last stopover in Georgia, the lovely little town of St. Mary’s, up the St. Mary’s River. It’s a very cruiser friendly place with a splendid waterfront park

The weather forecast for the following day was not good so we decided to anchor out on arrival and then move over to a dock early the next morning. As we set about anchoring suddenly the engine lost power – very disconcerting. However, the first thing to do when this happens (so all cruisers advise) is two change the engine’s primary fuel filter. Sure enough, problem solved.

Thursday 11th December
We awoke to building winds and a threatening sky, so without delay we moved to the marina dock. The squalls came thick and fast with high winds and heavy rain but by the afternoon they had passed. In between squalls we looked out on the dock to see three otters. On seeing us, two of them high tailed it but the big guy with the fish decided to stay.


The sky cleared in the afternoon and I went in search of shrimp on a bicycle borrowed from Moana, the boat on the dock in front of us. It was a six mile one way haul but I was successful.
That night another cold front came through with 45knot winds. We got pounded against the dock, not pleasant at all.


Friday 12th December
We awake to a cold but sunny morning with the continuing high winds and decide another day in the marina is in order. A chance to clean the boat, do various jobs and visit Tom amd Lorraine aboard Moana for some wine and conviviality. We’re all big fans of the Daily Show and seem to share the same taste in movies.
Animal life is plentiful with many many dolphin sightings all along the intracoastal and egrets are everywhere.
Saturday 13th December
Another late start for us as we don’t intend to go very far, just a few miles across the border into Florida to Fernandina Beach. The beach of course is on the other side of the land from the ICW and about two miles away. We took a mooring ball there which gives you marina privileges for 15 smackers. The town is just a tourist trap with the usual parade of jewellery and clothing stores, restaurants and bars. The one shop within walking distance had nothing.
You know you’re in Florida when the pelicans outnumber the gulls.



Sunday 14th December
When we come to leave in the morning we find the mooring ball trapped under the boat due to strong currents in one direction and strong winds in the other. Going forward or backward didn’t rectify the problem so in the end we just loosed the lines and with a loud thwack, the mooring can popped up on the opposite side of the boat.

Let's put it this way, Fernandina Beach was not a high spot and we were very glad to leave and find a very pleasant anchorage in the Fort George River in front of the first slave plantation in the US. Those slaves had beautiful views if nothing else.



Monday 15th December
After the several short hops we went for a longer one to make it all the way to St. Augustine, the US’s oldest and probably most (architecturally beautiful) city.



Tuesday 16th December
FINALLY, the weather finally warms up and shorts can be worn. We take a walk through the city to finally get to a decent supermarket and a West marine store. Everywhere there are stunning buildings.



Wednesday 17th December
A foggy start to the day but that soon clears and it’s another summer’s day. We are anchored out in the river near the municipal marina and for 10 bucks a day you can dock your dinghy and use the outstanding washrooms and laundry facilities.

This is someone's private yacht.


So Carol’s day is mostly spent doing laundry while I do various boat jobs and take another trek to the supermarket to get some shrimps for supper.

Lots of boats never seem to move from the anchoring place and this osprey could usually be found somewhere on this boat.

In the marina, we have again met up with John and Rejeanne (from Quebec City) aboard Bilbo, as they try to get their dinghy repaired. We have been bumping into (not literally) them many times since North Carolina and invite them over to Incognita for Shrimps Alfredo which ends up being a very late night for cruisers – way past the ‘boater midnight’ of 9 o’clock.

Thursday 18th December.
We have a very leisurely start to the day as we don’t intend to go far. Tom and Trudy, who we met way, way back on the Erie canal live in Palm Coast which is not far away. They are returning from Atlantic City and we intend to meet up with them when they return.
So after re-fueling and re-watering we go for a couple of hours to anchor next to Fort Matanzas, founded by the Spanish at the time of a particularly nasty massacre.


Friday 19th December
It's misty morning when I take Buddy to the beach and I pass these fellows on their way up river.

Buddy is not impressed and barked at them. He soon forgot about them doing his favourite thing - racing around on a sandy beach.