By this Author: greatgrandmaR

Monday 12 November 2001

The Morgan behind us which wants to get to Charleston today left at first light. We were underway by 6:20. BAY BOY passed us and so did the trawler ALLEY CAT.

Near Belle Grove Mansion

A big tug passed us by Belle Grove mansion.

Tug passes

I tried to see the Estherville Mansion from the water,

Estherville Mansion (obscured by seasonal foliage)

but it was obscured by 'seasonal foliage'.

We went into the Estherville-Mimm's canal and passed the Cat Island free running ferry.

Cat Island ferry

Looking back at the ferry

There is about 20 knots of wind. There is a group of boats anchored in Alligator Creek - we see their masts. WAYWARD is one of them and calls us on the radio to ask about conditions. I tell them that there is considerable cross current (we are crossing a whole delta of rivers and creeks) and wind, but no waves.

Passing McClellanville

MARY FRANCES (that we saw in GA coming up last year) passes us, and so does NORTH STAR the Gozzard that was in the South Mills lock with us.

We get to Isle of Palms, and the wind is really blowing. We come in to the marina and they tell us to put the boat in between two little sailboats on the face dock. Bob lines us up about 10 feet away from the dock, stops the boat, and the wind blows us sideways banging into the dock with considerable force, fortunately right in the middle of the available space. We tied up by 2 pm after 53.8 miles or a total of 521 nm.

MM 456.5 Isle of Palms Marina- We figure this is the halfway point between the Potomac and Miami, The price is $1.25/foot ($25 min) and $3/30A. We had cable TV, but the cable was overridden by the strength of the broadcast channels so that the weather channel for instance, which was on channel 6 couldn't be seen. They were also supposed to have phone connections, but the lines were dead. There is a marine store and deli on the premises, and sometimes there is a restaurant. If you walk out to the main road, you can get a CARTA bus.

We are going to the Charleston Maritime Center tomorrow and will be visiting our son Rob.

Bay Cafe

We ate dinner at the Bay Cafe at the marina. The bill for two was $40.78

Tuesday 13 November 2001

Squashed fender (looking down on the dock)

The wind is blowing us against the pier so hard that the fenders are squished.

Squashed fender (looking down on the dock)

We can't get off the dock. So we decided to stay here.

Bob coming down the dock early in the a.m.

Max went into town on the bus and picked up a rental car, and he and Lucette are driving back to pick up their own car. We will leave here Friday. We've canceled our reservation at Charleston Maritime Center.

They changed the combination on the bathrooms today and didn't tell us. We are picking up a rental car tomorrow.

Isle of Palms has a fascinating history. According to the IOP.net website:

"Originally named Hunting Island and then Long Island, it's thought to be at least 25,000 years old, and first inhabited by the indigenous Seewee Indians. The Seewees were said to have greeted the first English settlers to the area by swimming to the ships and carrying the travelers to shore." After the English visits, some of them were inspired to try and reach England in their canoes (which were all lost at sea in storms).

"During the Revolutionary War a British Army contingent of 2,500 men attempted to raid a colonial encampment on adjacent Sullivan's Island." Many men drowned and the attack was a failure.

"The area was of significance again during the Civil War, as a point of departure for the CSS Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel."

"The island remained without permanent inhabitants until the late 19th century when the island became recognized by locals of the area as a refuge from the summer heat and tempo of Charleston. The island was purchased in 1899 by J.S. Lawrence, who renamed it the Isle of Palms. In 1906 a 50 room resort hotel was built to offer the first permanent accommodations. By 1912, James Sottile constructed a spacious beach pavilion and an amusement park with Ferris wheel. Accompanying transportation developments enabled residents of Charleston to catch a ferry to Mt. Pleasant, and from there catch a rail trolley car to Sullivan's Island and the Isle of Palms."

Isle of Palms celebrated the 50th anniversary March 7-9, 2003

We had dinner at the Bay Cafe again. This restaurant is very handy to the marina and has a good view of the ICW, but is at the end of a dead end road and off the beaten track. It was empty each time we were there and has since changed its name. We had a long conversation on the second night with the only employee there - the waiter who was also cooking because the cook's wife was in the hospital having a baby. Claiborne Young's assessment of this restaurant when it was in business was that the food was ordinary. He was probably right, but it was good ordinary food. Our bill for the second night was $54.31

Wednesday 14 November 2001

We picked up a rental car and drove out to the AF base and Bob went to the commissary and put the perishable stuff in a cooler. We also went shopping for belts for the refrigeration compressor. We got various types - ending up with about 4 belts.

Then we went to our son's house, and he cooked stuffed apple pork chops for our daughter-in-law's birthday and we had cake. We got our mail that had been forwarded to him.

Thursday 15 November 2001

RosalieAnn at the Transient docks from top of restaurant

I got a shower, and paid for 2 more days. I took a pictures of the DeWeese Island ferry

Deweese Island ferry

which goes back and forth about every 45 minutes, and the DeWeese Island car ferry which only runs on Thursday - it is a barge pushed by a tug and they take construction equipment to DeWeese Island.

Weekly car ferry - Isle of Palms

Deweese Island is near Isle of Palms - accessible only by boat. It is apparently a real estate development. There is accommodation, bird watching, fishing, etc.

Marina from Lounge with the car ferry

I also took some photos of the big bread-loaf shaped boat in front of us (it is a golf tournament boat and Bob calls it the Big Mamu) . Her real name is THE CHARLESTONIAN. Apparently they charter her for golfing vacations and receptions. I couldn't find out the cost for a golf vacation but for a 3 hour reception - formal seating for 49 guests it is $3000 for three hour minimum.

The Charlestonian

Crew washing down Charlestonian

The Charlestonian - a golfing tour boat

From their website:

On the Charlestonian, it’s as if you are on the private yacht of a friend who knows the best bays, basins and waterways in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, can put together a great game of golf .. and sets a gourmet dinner table. With it’s six luxury staterooms, the ninety-three foot Charlestonian was designed to ensure gracious Southern hospitality while providing custom cruising itineraries and luxury golf charters along the Carolina coast. The Charlestonian combines the up-close and personal experience of private, small touring yachts with the onboard elegance of traditional cruising.

Then we drove over to visit Charlie and Sandy on WINDSTAR at Buzzard's Point.

We went to our son's house - we stopped on the way to have lunch (BBQ). We took our granddaughter out to a local park

Bob and granddaughter walking in a park

View from the park

We went to see our grandson practice on the bike race track (pedal bikes).

Bike on the back of Rob's car

Grandson

Bike racecourse

Granddaughter waving

We took them out to dinner afterwards. They wanted to go to a Japanese steak house, but we were following them around the city in the dark and my son couldn't find it so I suggested we stop at Red Lobster as it was getting quite late.

Lobster tank

We had a nice dinner, the service was quick, they brought the children's food right away,

Granddaughter enjoying dinner

and the food was good. The total including tip for 4 adults and 2 children was $80.28

Marina from where the cruise ship was in 2003

When we got back to the marina, they'd moved the boat (Bob complained that they don't know how to tied up a boat). The Big Mamu had left and they had put a boat called WILLOW and a catamaran called DOUBLE PLEASURE in front of us. The guy on DOUBLE PLEASURE was 6'10" tall

Friday 16 November 2001

Bob turned in the rental car and I was moving things to the cockpit when I discovered that my pocketmail was missing. I ran out to the parking lot barefoot and waited for the rental car guy (Enterprise) would return Bob to the marina, and looked in the rental car, but it wasn't there. I called Rob (after I'd emptied every possible place on the boat) and sure enough it was there. He brought it to me and also the two pictures that Lucette sent them that they printed out for me.

Leaving the Marina

Restaurant from the ICW

We finally got underway about 9:45. We turned into the waterway right behind CASSIOPEIA from Canada who we first met in the Dismal Swamp. The Ben Sawyer bridge made us wait a little bit, but not much,

Ben Sawyer Bridge

and we went on down past the lighthouse on the end of Sullivan's Island.

Lighthouse of Sullivan's Island

We crossed Charleston harbor upstream of Ft. Sumter. There was a ferry there.

Fort Sumter

TOURNE BRISE from Montreal that we met in Elizabeth City was behind us at the Ben Sawyer bridge, but they went up towards Charleston Harbor Marina.

Charleston waterfront

Waterfront

We went into the Ashley River with the current against us, and up past the Battery.

Bandersnatch and the Ashley Bridge

I saw a big BLACK bus which had a name something like Royal Tours on it cruising slowly down the street along the waterfront.

Charleston from the river

Charleston waterfront

When we came up to the anchorage in front of City Marina, we saw BANDERSNATCH anchored there, but their dinghy White Rabbit wasn't there.

Bandersnatch anchored in Charleston

The Wappo Creek bridge wasn't very cooperative, so we had to wait until 12:30.

The maximum current against us in Elliot Cut (4 knots) was to be between 12 and 1. Fortunately the Cut isn't long.

CASSIOPEIA turned off and anchored behind a little grass island. We came out into the Stono River. I had made a reservation at Ross Marine, so we headed there and tied up before 2 pm after a total trip of only 19 miles.

RosalieAnn at the dock

JOLIE DAME was already here. They were washing and putting away their dink. PENELOPE JAYNE and CJ VI came in afterwards (both from Canada). Last was a boat named ENKIDU from Wickford RI. There is a LOT of current here - the knotmeter says that we are going 2 knots in the slip.

My Shadow on RosalieAnn as I take a photo of the blemish on her side

Ross Marine is VERY isolated and there is not even a pizza delivery place nearby. It is a working marina with space for a few transients. It is within a day's travel from Beaufort SC, and has cheap docks (75 cents a foot, no extra charges). They have water at some slips, and electricity at some slips if your cord will reach. There is not even a bathroom available except maybe a portapot. When the office is open, you can bring a laptop up to do email. The marina has a 24 hour guard and he has to open the gate for you if you want to leave by car.

We think we have a reasonable chance of getting to Beaufort SC tomorrow. Maybe we'll be in Fernandina Beach by Thanksgiving.

Saturday 17 November 2001

In preparation for the trip to Beaufort SC, we spent the night at Johns Island, just south of Charleston. Bob heard a barge and tow go up the river early this morning.

Limehouse bridge early in the morning

We were up and about before 7, and Penelope on PENELOPE JAYNE told us that the tug had hit the Limehouse bridge. So I turned on the radio and I heard the tug captain who was really upset that he'd hit the bridge. A sailboat was on the radio asking to go through the bridge and the bridge tender told him the tug had just hit the fenders (hadn't damaged the bridge mechanism) and he could open. I checked on the radio, and the bridge tender told me the same as the other boater. We got underway about 7.

Limehouse bridge after run-in with barge

Looking back at the Limehouse Bridge

Barge moored near the new bridge

We got to the bridge, and I took a lot of pictures of the damage as we went through. I think the barge that hit it probably had construction materials for the new bridge. They are constructing a new high rise span, which may be open in a year or so.

New bridge

Cranes for the new bridge

Later, we heard some boats behind us go through, and then we heard the bridge tender say that he was closed to water traffic until further notice. Some people apparently anchored in front of the bridge. The bridge guy said the engineer was climbing down to inspect it.

Fixed bridge south of Charleston

We could also hear the Wappo Creek bridge tender saying that she would not open either, and that people had to go out Charleston Harbor and come in south of Johns Island. When I looked on the chart I saw that the route she recommended would have been impossible.

Fishermen north of Beaufort

About noon, the Limehouse Bridge opened and let the people waiting through. The Canadians (PENELOPE JAYNE, CJ VI and a ketch that had been anchored near Johns Island) caught up to us eventually, and then stopped and anchored before we got to Beaufort.

Side of the river at 12:13

We went on down toward Beaufort SC - saw again the yard doing work for the army and took pictures.

Army yard

Came into Beaufort and were tied up by about 3 pm.

Beaufort marina

Tide was low and ramps up to ground level were very steep. The word there was that the Limehouse bridge was not going to be open until about Weds. for boat traffic.

I did email at their counter inside the store on the fax line, and called Palmer-Johnson on my cell phone and they said they'd put me on the waiting list for tomorrow

We walked up and had dinner at the Bank Street Grill which was a very rich looking converted bank in the historic district. The bank was originally built between 1914 and 1916 but went out of business in 1926. Between '47 and the early '80s it served as a movie theatre. It was restored in 1988, and is "the only example of Beaux Arts Classicism in Beaufort"

Bank Street Grille

The menu carried through somewhat on the bank theme, with "Beginning Balance" (appetizers including "Initial Investment which is a $16 seafood assortment), "Combined Interest" (soup and salad- "ask your teller for today's selection"), "Prime Rate" (primarily beef altho the whole lobster and 10 oz rib eye for $Market Price$ is called 'Investment'), "Junior Investors" (kid's menu), "Ending Balance" (desserts featuring "$Dirty Money$", "Liquid and Frozen Asssets" (drinks and frosted drinks, which includes "Banker's Tea" - Long Island Tea with a splash of Sprite), and "From the Safe" (non-alcoholic drinks. Lucette would have loved it - they had herbal tea.

It was popular, but I didn't think much of the service. We both had prime rib, and I took some of mine home for lunch. I didn't like their garlic potatoes- too much garlic. Our bill for the two of us without dessert was $47.37.

When the Bank Grille didn't even offer us dessert, we left there and walked down the street to a small mall where there was an ice cream store, and got dessert there. The people were helpful and friendly.

Sunday 18 November 2001

Palmer Johnson was supposed to call me back if we could get a space and the Toshiba which I am using for charting keeps asking for virus software updates, I thought I'd do that. I made the mistake of trying to do it without plugging it in, and it is SO SLOW on the battery.

While I was doing that I heard that the Limehouse Bridge concrete supports had been damaged, not just the wooden fenders, and it was considered unsafe for motor vehicle traffic, so was permanently open for water traffic until they could repair it. That means that all the folks who want to drive to Johns Island have to get to James Island (possibly by the Wappo Creek bridge) and then from James to Johns Island via the bridge over the Stono River.

Then I had a shower. Afterward I found that Palmer Johnson had called back, and Bob couldn't figure out how to answer the phone. Even though we had gotten the thing I ordered which makes the cell phone into a speaker phone, playing the other person through the radio. Palmer Johnson had said we had a space, but now we had to hurry and leave.

We got underway about 10 just as PENELOPE JAYNE and CJ VI and a houseboat were coming through the Ladies Island Bridge just north of the marina. We followed them down to Port Royal Sound, past the Parris Island Marine Base.

Parris Island

From Beaufort, we had 47.5 statute miles to go, and we normally go about 6 mph. So that would put us there about 6. I was concerned that the dock master would have gone home by the time we got there.

Shrimp boat about 1:15

We did get some good wind, and also some good current to help us,and were averaging 6.6 mph. (Although Bob put out the whisker pole at one point not realizing that we were going to turn pretty soon and had to take it in)

Barge with multiple daymarks

We saw this barge anchored by the ICW - I took the photo because it had so many daymarks (the black shapes on the top poles) and so many cranes that I thought it looked like Edward Scissorhands.

We crossed the Savannah River about 4,

Tug pushing a barge about 4:00

Bridge near Thunderbolt 17:12

and came down to Palmer Johnson very close to 5 pm. Which is really pushing it from Beaufort (almost 48 miles). They charged us $5.00 for electric even though it was only 30 amp, and their literature says it is less for 30 amp. There are no longer separate lines in the mens and womens rooms for internet - you have to share.

Just as we were getting tied up (at the very tippy end of the dock because we were on the wait list), two rafted shrimp boats came in together to get fuel. One of them was completely out, so the other one was giving him a tow. I actually thought at one point that they would crush us to the dock as they seemed to think that they had the right away over all other traffic.

Shrimp boats rafted

The first time they tried to tie up, they threw the dockmaster a line and neglected to hold onto their end. Oops - then they missed the line he threw back and he had to do it a 2nd time. They took 199.9 gallons of fuel

Egret on back of a shrimp boat

Dock beside the shrimp boats

The restaurant by the marina was closed, so we walked up to Tubby's Tank (has a bathtub on the roof).

Looking back at Tubby's

There are two trees with spanish moss on them and a cross right in the middle of the road at that point.

Cross

I had an oyster stew

Cup of soup

which was very much like crab soup except with oysters, and fried asparagus and a chicken salad.

Inside downstairs

This was a shell with a tossed salad and chicken fingers on top.

Bow of our boat and the megayachts in yard

Our boat at sunset

Tomorrow - we went our way through the Georgia marshes. We will probably anchor in the Wahoo RIver tomorrow night.

We are starting to transit the Sounds, Bays, and Rivers of Georgia where there are eight foot tides. Claiborne Young warns the boater very sternly to be sure that they have to be sure they have sufficient supplies and fuel to get through this section of the Georgia ICW. There are very few services. It's very flat land (little wind protection) with big tides and currents.

Monday 19 November 2001 - Leaving Palmer Johnson

I had a little trouble casting off. This time I got the line off the cleat in a timely manner, but they had insisted that we put the fenders out parallel to the dock instead of vertical, and one of them got caught on the pier backing out. Bob powered forward and we touched the motor trawler in front of us. We waited while the owner looked, but he couldn't find any mark where we had done it. So we left.

As we passed the Herb River where we anchored last year a blue ketch named WITCH DOCTOR came out and followed us down to Skidaway Narrows Bridge. A boat named STEELAWAY called us on the radio and asked about our furler. (All three of our sails furl - not only the jib which normally furls and the staysail, but also the main which furls behind the mast.)

Houses along the water -Isle of Hope

We passed Isle of Hope where we had seen a friend at the marina last year, but there wasn't anyone we knew either at the anchorage or at the marina this year. We are getting into long stretches where we don't see anything but grasses with an occasional tree.

Typical landscape in Georgia sounds

The gulls sit on the osprey nests or on the solar panels that run the lighted ATONs.

Shrimp boat

The power boat MEANDER passed us again (for about the 3rd day), and a very large power boat named CALYX with the man on the bridge talking on the cell phone and not paying any attention, and also the trawler tug KNOCK OFF that we saw up at Barefoot. SEA YA calls back to us and tells us that she sees otters playing around, but all I see are mud plumes in the water. The winds were light, and we put up the staysail. AMERICAN EAGLE, the small cruise ship passed us going north

AMERICAN EAGLE (a small cruise ship) in Georgia Sounds

and then SEA YA went into Cattlepen Creek to anchor.

Shrimp boat with nets

We were followed by a catamaran that anchored in Moon River. Moon River is too shallow for us.

We were passed for a second time by a black power boat named BLACK something (Swan?) which tows the dinghy on a very long line - longer than our boat. So when he passes us, we can't cut in right behind him to avoid his wake or we will get caught in his dinghy tow rope.. Later, we mentioned him to Norm and Jan and Jan said that Norm had spoken to him about towing his dinghy that way. Others have also had a problem - he pays no attention. Very inconsiderate.

When we came to Hell Gate, we passed what appeared to be a cable laying barge with two tugs. They apparently also had a diver down.

Dredge

We went on down to the Wahoo River (MM 630), and anchored up the river about 1.25 miles in 16+ feet of water after 47 miles. There is someone anchored way up the river just up by the trees, and TRUE LOVE (Bob talked to him in Beaufort SC) came in and anchored too. He's single handing.

Since we can't get all the way through from Thunderbolt / Savannah to Jekyll Island in one go we have to stop somewhere. After the first trip when we went to Kilkenny Creek Marina (Richmond Hill, GA) and then anchored north of Little St. Simon Island, we've always anchored in the Wahoo River. It has enough depth so that we are in no danger of going aground even at low tide, and it is wide enough so that if we swing, we won't end up on a bank.

Anchorage on the Wahoo

You have to leave the ICW (being careful not to cut across the point where it is shallow) and go up the river - some people go all the way up to the island to anchor in the shelter of the bluff, but we don't usually do that.

Dolphins come in and play in the river and you can hear the shrimp clicking through the hull.

Tuesday, 20 November 2001

We pulled the anchor and were underway about 7:20. The boat way up the river proved to be WITCH DOCTOR - they came down and passed us. We passed a very large motor yacht and also a small cruise ship called NANTUCKET CLIPPER (with very smoky engines)

Nantucket Clipper cruise ship

coming north. In Altamaha Sound, we saw a shrimp boat named STRUGGLER towing a barge.

STRUGGLER with barge

As we came across the Brunswick River and turned down into the creek by Jekyll Island,

we saw WITCH DOCTOR anchored in what appeared to be a very bad place - near a lot of riprap. Later, I saw a SeaTow boat darting around at random in the inlet. Still later, saw WITCH DOCTOR being towed west.

We turn down the East River and we can see the millionaire's "Clubhouse"

Clubhouse - Disappearing behind trees

as we pass the Jekyll Wharf Marina docks

Docks

After 50 miles, we tied up at the Jekyll Harbor Marina MM 684.3 and got fuel by about 3:45. Bob complains that none of the deck hands know how to put a line on a cleat. They just keep wrapping it around, as if that would do it. The docks are all floating face docks, and they put us on the fuel dock pointing north toward the bridge. Depending on the wind and current, it can be hard to get to. It is in the shadow of the fixed bridge. One of the things that seems to be pretty common along the ICW, and it is true of Jekyll Island also is that when the old draw bridges are removed, the shore ends of the bridges are left in place. This is not only cheaper (because they don't have to pay people to knock them down and haul the debris away), but gives fisherman a ready made 'fishing pier'

Looking under the new bridge toward Brunswick

A little power boat with no name from MD (the owner said he was vacillating between naming it after his girl friend or his grandson, so was calling it ERIN D) that was in Thunderbolt across the dock from us is also here.

At the gas dock near the bridges

Jekyll Harbor Marina is $1.25/ft plus $4 for 30 amp. They let you have a courtesy car to go to market but the grocery story is pretty puny - almost no fresh veggies. They have an outside pay phone with a data port, but no 110 outlet, so since my laptop battery won't hold a charge I either have to use the dockmaster's phone (when his office is open) or run an extension cord, which gives the restaurant manager a heart attack because he's afraid that one of the old people will trip and sue him. I haven't had a chance to use the pool.

Dusk

They have a nice little restaurant (Sea Jay's Waterfront Cafe) with good service and not too expensive. Inside there is a bar, and you can seat yourself where you can watch TV or not.

Inside Sea Jay's

They have a signature buffet (all you can eat) dish called Low Country Boil which includes shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage for $14.95@, but Bob feels like there's too little shrimp and I think there's too much sausage, so we don't get it.

SeaJay's menu

Bob can't understand with all the shrimping going on how come shrimp is so expensive. Local shrimp was almost 9$/lb. Our bill was $39.66, but that included a big serving of Brunswick stew which we took back to the boat. I got it in case we had to eat on the boat at Thanksgiving.

SeeJay's Sunset Dinner specials

My all time favorite is the Brunswick stew (there are three places in the US named Brunswick - Maine, Virginia and Georgia - and they all claim Brunswick stew - I have had Brunswick stew in NC which I assume is the Virginia kind. I like the Georgia kind). The following is the “official recipe” distributed by the Georgia visitors bureau.

Jekyll Island's version of Brunswick stew

Start with the following ingredients:
1 3-lb. chicken,
1 lb. lean pork,
1 lb. lean beef, and
3 medium onions, chopped.

Place meat in large, heavy pot. Season with salt, pepper. Add onions and cover with water. Cook slowly until meat falls from bones (several hours). Remove from heat and allow to cool. Tear meat into shreds and return to stock.

Add:
4 cans (16 oz.) tomatoes,
5 T. Worcestershire sauce,
1½ bottles (14 oz.) catsup,
1 T. Tabasco sauce,
2 bay leaves,
½ bottle (12 oz.) chili sauce,
½ t. dry mustard,
½ stick butter.

Cook 1 hour, occasionally stirring to prevent sticking.

Add:
3 T. vinegar,
2 cans (16 oz.) small limas or butter beans,
2 cans (16 oz.) cream-style corn,
1 can small English peas
(3 small diced Irish potatoes and box of frozen, sliced okra—optional).

Cook slowly until thick.

Serve in a bowl with barbecue or fried shrimp.

Wednesday 21 November 2001 - leaving Jekyll

The guy from ERIN D gave us some help getting underway (we are very close to the bridge and have to get out against the current). The big power boat that came in last night, and two sailboats have already left

Sunk shrimp boat beside Jekyll Island

Several guys with big power boats at Palmer Johnson indicated that they wanted to spend Thanksgiving at Fernandina, so I am a little nervous that we won't have a space available. Bob put up the jib, but pulled it down again when we were in the lee of Little Cumberland Island.

The waves in St. Andrew Sound are one or two feet - Bob rigs the whisker pole.

Jekyll/Cumberland inlet

The current is with us - the GPS says we are doing 6.5 knots or 7.4 mph. But Bob has a brain fart and takes us down the wrong side of the river (there is a high spot in the middle). We could possibly get through at the end as there is a reported 5 feet there, and the tide is coming up, but he elects not to try and turns around, backwinding the jib.

KNOCK OFF passed us while we were working our way back to the channel against the wind and the current. The CG came up and tried to pass CONSORT (a sailboat which was behind us). CONSORT didn't slack up, so they eventually just passed and let them deal with the wake. We had a good pass. Did not see any wild horses on Cumberland Island.

Barrier island beaches from the ICW

Went by the Kings Bay sub base but did not see any subs. Mustard and white signs on the beach said "Waterway Closed, Stay Back 500 feet". We did see the degaussing range again.

DeGaussing Range at King's Bay sub base

I took some pictures, although Bob said I should not. It is marked on all the charts, so it's not as if it is a big secret. Apparently the nuclear subs pick up a magnetic signature which can be detected, so they need drive through the range to be de-gaussed.

De-Gausing range

We came down across the St. Mary's River,

Fort Clinch

past Ft. Clinch and into Fernandina

Tugs and a Rusty hulk

and asked for an inside berth on the north side - it got confused because they call the south piers A, B, C etc, and the ones on the north 1, 2, and 3. I asked for B when I meant two. Also they wanted us to turn and tie up pointing north, so Bob did that although he wasn't too thrilled about turning against the current. We were tied up by about noon at MM716

RosalieAnn getting fuel

Since the beginning of the trip in the Potomac, we have traveled 745 nm (nautical miles) in 20 actual travel days - an average of 37.25 nm or 42.9 m (miles) per day. The boat costs (dockage, fuel and parts) have averaged about $1.72/nm. We have 373 miles to go to Miami. Based on our current average miles per day, we will be in Miami in nine days - we are going to have to slow down or we will be in Miami (MM 1089 - Mile Marker) before Dec 7.

Visitor's Center which is the old Railway Depot

We found that the 27 North coffee shop had closed and the new place wasn't open (or no one was there), so we ate lunch at the 1878 Cafe. The literature says that there has been a restaurant here since 1878, and hence the name.It was very expensive at least for lunch - lunch cost as much as most dinners we get a reasonable restaurants

1878 Cafe

This is mainly a place that caters to tourists. I felt it was very precious (not in a good sense). We were there for lunch late, and the place was still crowded - people hanging from the ceiling - mostly because the service was so poor that it was hard to get waited on, you waited a long time for your food, and then an equally long time for the check. I didn't think the food was worth either the price or the wait. Poor service affects how I think about the place. For lunch I just want something good to eat fairly quickly, I don't want a 'dining experience'. Very expensive.

This place was formerly the 1878 Steakhouse, and it changed names and ownership and chef in 2001 near the time that we were there, so maybe the problems have been ironed out by now.

We also find that there are NO restaurants open on Thanksgiving except Shoney's which is some 4 miles out of town or a closer restaurant which has been taking reservations and has no more spaces and in any case is $47/person.

I bought a bird book to replace one I'd been looking for but couldn't find and then found the one I was originally looking for a couple of days later.
Also got fudge and pralines at the candy shop. TRUE LOVE came in and tied up behind us. We ate dinner at the Marina Restaurant (not connected with the Marina) which is not only closed tomorrow but also on Friday.

I tried to call B (our daughter the pilot) because she said she wasn't working Weds, but apparently that is another Weds. Our grandson answers and I ask him where she is and he goes and I hear him ask the nanny where she comes from. The nanny is confused at first (says she came from her house) - finally he asks her where she came from in the beginning, and she answers Guatemala. So he comes back and tells me that B has gone to Guatemala.

Thursday 22 November 2001 - Thanksgiving in Fernandina

TRUE LOVE left. Bob did some laundry and talked to the Bernadette from WINDIGO, a Canadian sailboat traveling with SWEET SENSATION. WINDIGO has a big gash in their rudder. (A diver looked at it apparently.) They are worried because their sons are meeting them in Nassau for Christmas. Some of the boaters in the anchorage are having a potluck (the lady from WINDIGO went out to the grocery and got a small turkey yesterday), but someone comes around and invites everyone to the Methodist Church for free turkey dinner.

Dinghy dock

They post a sign on the dinghy dock. I decide that we should do that, although Bob thinks that is only for the homeless. I tell him Fernandina doesn't have homeless, only boat people.

We phone our daughter E and talk to my mother who is there for Thanksgiving dinner. As we are walking up to the dinner, we see a CSY coming into the dock. It is HOOT MON, which belongs to Phyllis Fleming, Phillip's mother. (We met Phillip last year in Key West) They (Phyllis, son, DIL and two red haired granddaughters) were on their way to the park at Cumberland Island, and were hoping for one last restaurant meal. NOT. We ask if they want to walk up to the church, but Bill Fleming (Phillip's brother) says that they are all vegetarians 'except Mom', so they will just eat on the boat.

HOOT MON docking with the paper mill in the background

The dinner at the church was excellent, and Bob made a donation.

Friday 23 November 2001 - After Thanksgiving

We walked around the town and went to the museum which is in the old jail.

Museum

There we had a very informative tour by the docent. Then we ate lunch at the Happy Tomato, which was a nice courtyard cafe, but with somewhat erratic service.

Sign

We had sandwiches and soup. A large Canadian power boat comes in to anchor - has two solar panels and also two long poles on the top which Bob thought were wind generators, and which someone else said were anchors. I still don't know.

Model of shrimp boat

A sailboat named ELAINE PAGE with a guy with a Brit accent came in to provision and ties up behind us.

RosalieAnn

We ate dinner at Bretts and it was not very good and was expensive. I remember liking it last year.

Brett's From_the_dock

Leaving Fernandina -Sadockturday 24 November 2001

Sunrise is getting later and sunset is getting earlier and the sun is low in the sky. Sunrise this morning was at 7, and we were underway about 7:15. The power boat from Palmer Johnson passed us.

As we went under the fixed bridge, we saw the fake sternwheeler tour boat was docked there. The water gets a very long lasting foam from people's wakes which sparkles in the sun. We are starting to see white pelicans.

Passing Fort George where we anchored last year

We crossed Nassau Sound (where there is an old bascule bridge across the sound which doesn't open any more) and we go down Sawpit Creek.

Railroad bridge and the Canadian power boat LE BOUCLIER with the two solar panels

A boat named OLD HATT is too chicken to pass in the narrow creek, but they finally pass where it is wider but more shallow.

Following boat

The second SUNACO fuel barge passes going north - or maybe this is the same one again - name is SUN COMMANDER.

Tug

BLUE JACKET, a dark hulled power boat from Oxford MD passed, and also the Canadian power boat LE BOUCLIER with the two solar panels. We go through the first Florida bridge at 11:23 (Sister's Creek).

Sister's Creek bridge

We come out into the St. Johns River.

Shipyard

Shipyard

Shipyard

On the north side there is a shipyard where a giant catamaran hull is being built, plus CAPE COD LIGHT (looks like a small cruise ship) and assorted grey boats and tugs.

River panorama

Riprap with ATON

After crossing the river

We get to Pablo Creek marina after a short trip of 28.4 miles at MM 744.0

Dockage was $1/ft with $3 for 30 amp. They had a maintenance and parts department and boat storage facility (for power boats) here. There were also bathrooms and showers. The dock men were very helpful and knowledgeable.

Since it is Sat, the office where an internet connection is reputed to be is closed, so the dockmaster lets me use the line in his office. I have to use the credit card line as the phone line is some kind of switchboard and I can't get it to give me a line from the computer. Their restaurant Hurricane Hatties is closed (apparently went bankrupt as the employees last checks bounced). This marina is VERY isolated and there was no place that you could walk to or bike to and eat. So we ate on the boat. We had the Brunswick stew saved from Jekyll island and a salad.