It’s Monday morning and I awoke to a really nice sunrise.  We arrived in St Augustine on Sunday afternoon, yesterday, and were immediately struck by just how beautiful this city is.  I have never really heard much about St Augustine but visiting here was highly recommended by a number of folks.

Wow, we are sure glad to be here.  We have a friend, a past SAGA 43 owner, Peter who moved here a few years ago after visiting here on a trip south with his wife.  After many years of cruising out of Maine, where they have had a home for many years, they decided that spending the winters in a warmer place was a good idea, so here they are and about to enjoy their 4th winter.

Peter took us under his wing within hours of our arrival and showed us the sights.  We drove around town and out to a great beach bar to have a beer as the sun set over the harbor.

After a few hours with Peter I see that there is so much to do here that my head is swimming with possibilities.  Perhaps we will have to extend our stay to more than a few days.  One of the best parts of this city is that there is so much to see within a short distance of the waterfront.   However, to make it easy, Peter gave us a few dining ideas.  The brew pub he recommended, where we ate last night was great.  I highly recommend the stout.  Excellent.

Yesterday we continued our way down on the ICW and again enjoyed the sights.

In the morning, as we crossed the St John’s River we spied this shipyard working on several mega-yachts.  I have seen this one Azteca, in one of the magazines that I get at home.  Check out the link and see just how amazing this boat, er ship, is. This must be a yard with flexible capabilities as they also had a Aegis Cruiser in a dry dock right near Azteca.  I’ll bet that the interior is a bit different between the two ships.  You don’t want to tangle with one of these, that’s for sure.  Even though Azteca is a BIG boat, she is dwarfed by this cruiser. As we head south, so far from home, it’s amazing how different things are and yet the same.  Here we were, motoring along over 1,000 miles from home and what do we see but Aphrodite, the historic barrel-backed commuter yacht from Watch Hill RI, near our home waters.   We also saw her in Annapolis in early October.   Heading south?  There seems to be a pattern here for many boats.  As we continue south we do tend to bump into boats that we have seen before.  If we see her again, perhaps I will have to visit to borrow a cup of Chivas Regal or Grey Poupon.   Perhaps not.  Plenty of Christmas spirit along the way.  Do these decorations look out of place to you too?  Nice pad though if a bit over the top. As we passed Jacksonville we spied the Mayo Clinic, a group, the Rochester MN group anyway, that I worked with during much of my career.   This location looks a lot different than the one that I often visited in the cold MN winters. With all the marshland we have been seeing I have been wondering when we would see an air boat zipping along.   Pretty neat, and VERY LOUD.Off they want across the marsh.  I need one of these!However, the marsh does often give way to development.  And develop they do.  Homes on top of homes all along the coast as we got closer to St Augustine. But, still plenty of lovely woodlands to enjoy in between developments as they can’t build on marsh at least not any more. And, the ever present pelicans.  Brenda likes to call them pelidactyl.  I agree, they do look primeval. I just can’t get enough of these guys.  But, they look a lot more contemporary when viewed against the backdrop of an arching bridge.  Get it, arching bird, arching bridge?This trip is just so full of wonder for me.  I can’t imagine how it’s going to be when we finally get to the Bahamas, the land of 80 degree water with 100′ visibility.  Tiki bars, you know the ones with little umbrellas in the drinks?  I am soo ready!!!

For now, St Augustine beckons and I am there, totally…   Tiki?  That will have to wait for now.

It’s Saturday morning and the sun is out.  We were thinking about making a run to St Augustine offshore today but decided to take the easy way by going inside.   The winds are from the right direction, NW at 20 but the distance is pretty far for a one day run and it’s getting late.   Besides, the wind in the anchorage is gusting to 22kts and it’s only 8:30 so I expect that it will be stronger than forecast.

In any event, we have plenty of time so inside it is.    Today we will leave mid morning and run about half of the way to St. Augustine and continue for the rest of the way on Sunday.

Thanksgiving was great fun with about 100 in attendance.  In past years the crowd has been up to three times that size but some think that the nasty weather over the last few weeks has kept some from making it there or that they just decided to bypass the festivities and head south where it is warmer.  It has been plenty cold, that’s for sure.

So, yesterday we made the one hour run down to Cumberland Island, one of the many barrier islands that run down the coast and make the ICW possible.  These islands form a barrier from the ocean and the ICW runs behind them all the way from Norfolk VA to Key West.   One of these islands, Cumberland, is now a state park and there are trails and great beaches to explore.  There is even a dock that you can tie up the dink to so getting ashore is very easy.  As you head in past the visitor center, a small building manned by a park ranger, you instantly see how rugged this island would be without paths.   The ground is completely covered in Sago Palm and above that is a dense forest of Live Oak.  It’s very primeval looking.  I’d hate to have to bushwhack through this place in the dark. Once you are off of the wide trails, not so inviting. We followed the wide path out to the beach.  They have a number of nice boardwalks to take you over the dunes.  The dunes are very pretty, sculpted by the wind. After a walk on the beach we headed inland and walked across a landscape that looked a lot less inviting.  Pretty gnarly looking, actually. The surface of the weathered wood was very interesting.  There are loads of critter footprints   I expect that this was some sort of small bird.   The trails were everywhere. There are ruins of a large mansion built here in the late 1800s by the Carnegie family.    You can certainly see how it must have been a magnificent home and made possible by great wealth and no income tax.  Some very nice details like these flower urns.   You can imagine how grand this place must have been. And, some old cars.  The only way to get to this spot is by water so they must have been brought in by ferry.   Not much left of these. Plenty of other outbuildings on the estate.  Some were probably very fancy.  I liked this one. Some really interesting outbuildings including this tower.   Pretty ornate and fragile looking.

So fragile, in fact, that while we sat nearby and enjoyed a snack, we heard some cracking and creaking and the whole thing came down in a cloud of dust.   Amazing timing.  “Honest, Ranger Rick, we didn’t touch it.  Really!!”Some of the local turkey population.   I guess that these guys knew that it was the day after Thanksgiving and that they were once again safe. When the property was abandoned fore-bearers of  these horses were left behind.  They were completely unconcerned by our presence. We also took some time to dig in some of the dredging spoil sand piles for fossil shark teeth.   We found two small ones.  Not much to write home about but it was fun.  I was lucky to stumble on a framed sifter.  Had there been more time I expect that I would have found more. Tiny but pretty neat.    I guess that these were’t the large sort of prehistoric sharks you imagine making a meal out of something the size of Pandora.  Plenty sharp though. We also picked up some great shells on the beach.  Don’t know what we will do with them but you can bet that by the time Pandora returns from the Bahamas she will be groaning under the weight of all the shells aboard. To end the day we had a really nice sunset followed with dinner with some friends aboard Pandora.  It looks fake doesn’t it.   No, I just used a standard lens with no filter.  That’s really the way it looked, trust me.

So, time to get going and catch the fair tide as we continue south.

It’s Wednesday here in St. Mary’s and Brenda is cooking away in preparation for the Thanksgiving celebration on Thursday.  Cruisers continue to arrive and there are now more than 40 visiting boats in the harbor.  As you recall, the locals supply turkey for all comers and those partaking are asked to contribute a dish.  Pandora, (Brenda) is bringing one of her signature stuffing dishes.  Umm…

This morning we visited a used book store in town that was having a special sale and reception for boaters.  As you can imagine, reading is a very popular pastime for folks that spend time afloat so there were plenty of folks shopping.   The owner, a very personable young woman, was so enthusiastic and even baked a variety of muffins and cookies.  There was even some of her home-made candy.   Well, we felt obligated to buy something, and eat her fine baked goods.  And buy and eat we did.  I think that we purchased ten books.  Of course, they were a bargain, but ten?   Who knows where we will store them all.  Well, we will just have to read them soon and pass them along to others.

Speaking of provisioning, we also made a visit yesterday to a local laundromat and Super Walmart where it seemed like we bought one of everything in the store.  Actually, the store was so MASSIVE that even if we purchased one in a thousand items, Pandora would founder under the weight.  We brought back plenty and the dink was groaning under the weight of our stash upon our return.  Somehow we found a way to stow everything.  When it comes to shopping, boaters know that it may be a week or more until the next market, so they tend to purchase as much as they can carry.  Pandora’s crew?  Yea, we get that.

Today we went for a walk around town and enjoyed the sights.  It’s obvious that the town fathers (mothers?) take pride in how things look.  There’s even a large banner on one of the bulkheads near the town dock proclaiming in large type “WELCOME TO ST. MARY’S BOATERS”.  That’s so unlike many of the places in New England where it seems that they locals would prefer if boats just stayed away.

As you come off of the town dock this is the view.  Very scenic.  We have been here for three days and it seems that there are men working all day, every day, in keeping the park looking just so.   That triangular building in the distance is a band shell.  The view of the harbor from the stage is really impressive.   I would imagine that an evening concert would be great fun.  However, you’d have to bring plenty of bug repellent as the no-seeums here are really out in force each evening.  The view in every direction is really nice.  There are Christmas wreaths tacked on some of the palms along with lights, something that I can’t quite get used to.

There is a really lovely fountain, complete with a sign discouraging wading.  The water in the fountain is sparkling clean so wading was an appealing idea.Speaking of signs, the locals, it seems, want to keep the town clean in more ways than one.  There is even a sign stating that profanity is not allowed.  For us New Yorkers  both me and Brenda, that requires continual diligence and self control.  So far, we haven’t been caught in the act by the local “ya’ll be decent now?” patrol.  Fingers crossed.

If we find ourselves descending into bad behavior there are plenty of churches that would be more than happy to redeem us.   This one, I believe the oldest in St. Mary’s is ready to serve. However, if a “profanity free life” life gets too hard to manage.  Cindy, the ever colorful bartender, at the Seagles Pub in the Riverview Hotel, the nightly gathering spot for visiting cruisers, stands ready with a supportive and profanity rich environment.   Ok, it seems that I have beaten that topic to death for the moment so I will move on.

Before I wrap this up, I must include a shot of our newest friend, we’ll call him Picky the Pelican.   Our buddy Picky hung around Pandora for quite a while this morning hoping for a handout.  I handed out plenty but nothing that he/she was willing to eat.  I tried bread, several types, as well as an assortment of cheeses.  Alas, noting suited Picky who would scarf up my offerings, swirl them around in his pouch with all the concentration of a sommelier, only to spit them out after careful consideration.  Perhaps if I had some fine 2012 Georgian sardines.   After a while he left surely muttering in disgust.    Pretty cute though, our particularly picky friend, Picky. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Oh Bob, quit it with the milestone stuff.  Not another one… Sorry, but it’s my blog and if I want to talk about YET another milestone, I can.  So, “what is this one about Bob?”.

Thanks for asking, I thought that you would eventually. St. Mary’s, our last stop before we get to Florida, is a big one for us as it means that we have made it all the way through Connecticut, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, the dreaded Georgia, with it’s dreaded shallow spots and put nearly 1,300 miles under our keel.  And, that’s a lot of miles when you are only going around 7kts.  Now we only have ONE more state, Florida, to traverse until we head out to the Bahamas.

Speaking of Georgia, we had heard all of this bad stuff about the water being so thin here and that getting through with our 6′ draft was going to be very tough.  Oddly, it wasn’t.  We actually didn’t run aground even once.  And, that seemed odd to me as we ran aground five times in North Carolina, where there’s supposed to be lots of water.  I expect that we did better in GA because we are getting more used to all that goes with the ICW and how to make it through.  The fact that there is a 9′ tide also helps.  Note to self, “don’t go ANYWHERE unless the tide is high enough”.  Having enough water is a lot easier here as there is a big tide with an extra 4-9′ of water for hours each day as opposed to up in NC where the tidal range is only a few feet.  Anyway, we are now here in St Mary’s.

Oh, did I mention that the sun is out FINALLY?  It’s been DREARY, DREARY and very WINDY for days, no, make that weeks, which has been tough.  Cold too.  These pictures, taken over the last few days show just how g-r-e-y it’s been.  Not my favorite mood lighting.   Seeing this view out of the cockpit late in the afternoon a few days ago was particularly unsettling.  Note the green buoy, which was supposed to mark the edge of the channel.  It’s up on the sand, high an dry.  Doesn’t give you a lot of confidence, does it?We went past this mark after traversing what was the most distressing piece of water that we have yet encountered on this trip.  It involved heading down a river, late in the day when the light wasn’t good.  (Did I mention that the sun wasn’t out at all and it was cold and windy?  Thought so.)  Anyway, we couldn’t see very well and had to head down the channel, all the way out of the inlet, past several buoys that were really way too small to see easily, crossed a piece of water that was less than ten feet deep (remember that we draw 6′) and made a nearly 180 degree turn to head back up the river.  Oh yea, I should mention that,  as we headed out into this shallow water mess, we were doing 9 1/2 knots over the bottom because of the tremendous ebb tide that was pulling us out to sea.

And all the while, we were within a few hundred yards of breaking seas from the ocean where there were gale warnings posted with gusts to 30kts.  Those breakers might as well have been a few feet as it looked WAY TOO CLOSE.  All that foaming water, shallow depths, fast currents, small buoys…  Unsettling to say the least.   These tiny buoys were also really hard to spot on the grey water in the grey late afternoon light.

Once we were past the last buoy marking the most shallow area,  and turned back to “re-enter” the inlet, that 2 1/2 knot tide that had swept us so quickly toward what seemed like “certain doom”  at nearly ten knots was now against us and we were now just poking along at just over five knots.   And, all this was happening at nearly dead low tide, so the water where we made the turn was so shallow that, had we misjudged a buoy, we would have surely hit the bottom.  And, hitting bottom is not a good thing in case you are wondering.

I was not a happy camper at all. Actually, I think that Brenda was doing better than I was.  With both of us reading the plotter and checking the buoy locations against the paper charts we had spread out in the cockpit, we did finally feel like we understood what we were seeing out in front of us.   I wish that I could show all of this on a picture of a chart that would make the point but it’s a good example of “you had to be there” to appreciate how unsettling it was.  For me, it was perhaps the most unsettling piece of water that I have ever been over.  Well, we made it…  And, as they say, with “no loss of life”.

Yesterday, Monday our trip to St Mary’s was a lot less exciting as we only had a short distance to go and the channels were well marked and plenty deep.  St Mary’s is a big Navy town with their buildings and ships dominating the landscape.   We got plenty close to this sub as the channel put us very near to where it was docked.   However, they don’t want you to be too close so there are plenty of patrol boats to keep an eye on you as you motor by. I liked this Navy tug.   Notice how everything is color coded?  Sky, ship, water…All GREY.    Did I say that the sun never seemed to come out for weeks?  A bit of color here and there though.   This Coast Guard patrol boat came blasting by.   I wonder if they were chasing a bad guy?  Perhaps just going out for donuts and coffee.  Hmm…Perhaps to keep the subs from “prying eyes” there are three of these massive buildings on the base.   They are really big and certainly the biggest buildings in the area.  They dominate the skyline. The tradition of cruisers visiting St Mary’s for Thanksgiving began in the 80s and the event now draws about 75 boats and several hundred folks for the big day.  The locals provide turkey for everyone and the cruisers bring side dishes.   And, it’s free except for the bar.  The festivities begin days earlier with a happy hour each night at the host hotel in town.  It’s actually a very quaint old time hotel that looks like it hasn’t changed in 40 years.   No doorman or brass revolving doors here.

Last night we enjoyed catching up with friends and making new ones over a few beers.  I was surprised when I realized that we had already met perhaps half of the 4o or so who were there.   We had a great time.

Today, laundry and some shopping for provisions.  One of our friends has offered us the use of their car.  How great is that?

And, before I sign off.   About that dreary weather.   Not today.   The sun is glistening on the water.Lovely St. Mary’s beckons in the sunshine. So, that milestone thing?  It keeps me going and makes the trip even more terrific, grey cold, warm sunshine and all.  And there will be plenty more milestones to come.  You can count on it!

It’s Sunday afternoon, the sun is out, it’s a lovely day and we are at anchor just north of Jekyl Island GA.   You might want to ask “So, Bob, why are you anchored near a bridge in the middle of the day when y0u should be underway and heading south?”  Thanks for asking.

We are anchored because we reached the bridge at high tide and with the strong NE winds over the last few days the tide is VERY, VERY HIGH.  The posted clearance at high tide is supposed to be 65’ but with the winds the board is showing only 62 ½’ of clearance.  As I require at least 64 ½’ to make it under the bridge that would suggest a bad outcome if I don’t wait a bit.  Can you say “shear off the gear on the top of the mast or worse?”  High tide was supposed to be at 12:30 but by the time the current slacked, signaling that the tide had stopped rising, it was actually 1pm.   That means that I will have to wait perhaps as much as two more hours until the tide drops enough for me to make it under the bridge with good clearance.  Oh well.

The problem is that with the days so short combined with some problem spots along the way with shoaling, this will certainly slow me up for today.  Happily, we should still be able to make St Mary’s by Monday afternoon.  Well, with that extra two or three hours to sit here, perhaps it’s time for a post.

Georgia is the part of the ICW that we had planned to skip because of the wind-y course that the waterway takes combined with shoaling issues that limit the times of the tide when a boat with Pandora’s draft can make it though.  However, with the nasty NE gale force winds offshore we decided to make the run inside, slow or not.  I have to say, circuitous route and all, it’s been a very pretty run.   The route as the crow flies Georgia is about 100 miles but the ICW route is close to 140 miles.  That’s a lot of to-ing and fro-ing to get from here to there.

Well, enough of why we are anchored instead of going south.  So, how was Savannah?

We had a lovely visit to Savannah for a few days and enjoyed the city.  We tied up at the city docks which are located right adjacent to the historic district.   As is the case with so many things nautical, there was ample opinion as to the best way to visit this particular city by boat.  Most say that going to the nearby town Thunderbolt, and taking a bus into the city was the better way. That way you can avoid the 8 mile run up and back down the river to rejoin the ICW.  Others said that the best way to visit is to be right in the thick of things and use the city marina.

It’s hard to say which is better but I do have to say that the amount of debris in the water including the tarp that I snagged on my prop does give one pause for thought about visiting by water.  Having said that, it was very pretty, nautical trash aside.

This shot of Pandora is particularly interesting for us as the hotel in the background is where Brenda and I stayed a few years ago when we visited the city for business.  Me, I like visiting aboard Pandora, minus the “business” thing.If one shot of Pandora at the dock is good, two is even better.The area down near the water is very scenic.   Speaking about high tides, the water came within 6” of flooding this brick walk area at high tide both days that we were there. Just adjacent to this is a row of old buildings that were once business that catered to the ships coming to the city.   Now, it’s candy shops and tee shirts.   Still pretty.

Just above the waterfront is where the city is.  These buildings are the back side of the ones in the picture above.  Not likely to get flooded there.  This is a very nice wrought iron bridge.   Below is the river. The local architecture is really great and perhaps one of the most famous is the house where the murder as chronicled in the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.   Nice place.  Me.  Not sure I would be willing to kill to live there though. 

There is a big park in the city and this fountain is particularly nice. I just love the amount of greenery everywhere.  Very lush.  However, I expect that plenty of gardeners are needed to keep up with even the ivy that is all over the buildings.

No, not exactly one-of-a-kind but what a nice run of porches and rails. 

This garden was hidden, sort of, behind a gate.  Glad that there was a slot to peek through to get this photo.  Imagine what sorts of gardens we must have missed.

The visit was really nice but it’s good to be on our way again.  Well, sort of on our way given the bridge thing.   The marshes that we are traveling through seem to go on for ever.   The last few days have been cold and grey but today, sunny!  It’s amazing how different things, and life in general, look in the sunshine.   While most of the land, if you can call it that, is covered by marsh, there is the occasional hump with a few trees.  It’s really very pretty.

Well, it’s nearly 2:30 and I do so hope that my next post won’t be about shearing the gear off of the top of my mast.  Fingers crossed.