Fort Matanzas to Ponce Inlet

Today, Linda and Mercy went ashore in the morning at Fort Matanzas.  We ran up the beach at low tide (Mercy's third favorite activity behind eating and sleeping) before returning to the boat and loading her up and getting underway again.

The ICW is a lot straighter and narrower here than it is in Georgia and South Carolina.  I''ve sure seen a lot of big herons today.

I heard from the Izzy R, the Sawdust, and the Rachel today.  It is fun keeping up with friends.

Tonight we pulled into Inlet Harbor Marina in Ponce Inlet, where we met my (cousin-in-law's brother?)  uh, my good friend, Marty.  After I'd drug him all through the boat, and was satisfied with his compliments, we let him take us to dinner.  Hmmm!  Poor Marty!  He took us to one of his favorite haunts (how can he have these in EVERY town?) and we all ate good seafood.

We're moored at 29 05.428    80 56.400

Jacksonville beach to Fort Matanzas

Ben and I left Jacksonville Beach Marina and headed south on the ICW..

We cruised south, past all the gorgeous homes in Palm Bay, and on down where the canal opened back to a little wider, river/salt marsh environment. 

We cruised through Saint Augustine, taking a diversion to check out the new mooring field in Salt Run.  The Saint Augustine fort in impressive, but the wind was howling out of the south, and the current was screaming, and we decided that even if we grabbed a mooring ball, exploring much was probably out.

 

We continued on to the south to the cut that Fort Matanzas is on, and anchored just northwest of the fort.  The pass proved to be a pretty constant depth for a wide area, allowing us a great comfortable night anchorage.

Ben went ashore to the fort, which was closed, and returned in time for us to put the dinghy back on the roof before it started raining.  The wind stopped when the rain came, so it made for a peaceful night.

Anchored 29 43.038 81 14.470

Ben said he'd never seen pelicans. We changed that! Loads of pelicans. A fee dolphins. Lots of gulls, cormorrNts, herons, ospreys, and. Hawk.

Changing crew again

It has been great fun meeting people this trip, and having old friends on the boat with me.

Saturday was clean-up day.  Yes, typical household chores: laundry, make the beds, vacuum, defrost the refrigerator, and wash the dog kind of stuff.  We're at 30 17.370   081 25 142

Kenny arrived with his mom shortly after lunch, and I had the privilege of showing this dear sweet lady the Mercy.  I loved to see the sparkle in her eye at the helm of the Mercy.

On Sunday, Kenny picked me up for church, and I enjoyed attending St. Paul's by-the-Sea Episcopal church with the congregation there.  What a beautiful building, with great acoustics, and a huge pipe organ.

Afterwards we went to lunch, Kenny took me to the grocery store, and then to the airport to pick up Ben.

Ben Carlson is a great young man, the son of missionaries who grew up in Fiji, and Tonga.  He's a boater, a surfer, a free-diver extraordinaire, spearfisherman, and an all around great young man that God has great things in store for.  (I wonder if I can convince him to do the blog this week?)

As I was putting groceries away, and Ben was unpacking, he asked me if we'd eat much seafood.  When we started to cook dinner, a couple I'd met that morning arrived to see the boat.  They'd been out fishing for the day, and went home and returned with a redfish, which we cooked on the grill.  Isn't it great how God knows the desires of your heart, Ben?
We'll keep you posted as the adventure unfolds.

Thanksgiving Day at Cumberland Island Sea Camp.

In the morning, we awoke in the Brickhill River to an exceptionally high tide.  In addition to the new moon, the northeasl wind piled the water up.  Just before good daylight, I looked out, and was startled to see what I thought was a shoal.  Closer examination revealed it was just the tips of the grass, that I had seen before over ten feet out of the water!

We cruised down the Brickhill, past Plum Orchard, looking for the Rachel or the Osprey, past King's Bay, and down into Cumberland Island Sea Camp anchorage.  We talked to the crew of the Osprey, and made arrangements to join them for a Thanksgiving potluck dinner ashore at three o'clock.

Come to find out, all of the boats had been at Oak Harbor, outside Annapolis, earlier this year, and had made arrangements to meet for Thanksgiving at Cumberland.  Talk about a small world!  If you remember, I was at Oak Harbor Marina on Dick Ring's sailboat, the Ringle, when this journey was beginning.  How cool is that... that all these folks from an itty bitty marina would meet for the holidays all these miles away!

What a glorious feast of Thanksgiving we had.

On Friday morning, Allen and I went ashore, and walked to the beach.  Then we returned, and Allen biked with some of the Oak Harbor gang, while I stayed closer home, and visited with Shad, an NPS LE Ranger there.  I went out to the boat and secured the dinghy, and things for the trip, and went into the dock long enough to just touch, and allow Allen back aboard.

                                                       Fort Cinch off Fernandina Beach
Allen had several shark's teeth he'd found on his trek across the island.  He gave one to me! 

We pulled into the Jacksonville Beach Marina just at closing, and Fred and Mike (Allen's grandpa and dad) came and stayed the night.

It was sad seeing Allen leave, though I'm sure he loved watching Alabama playing Auburn at his grandparents' television on Saturday.

Blackbeard's Island to Brickhill River

In the morning, the tide in Blackbeard's Creek was exceptionally high, and so I pulled anchored shortly after daylight and went up river.  I knew that I needed to come back out of there by about mid-tide, but it was definitely worth exploring!

We passed the Refuge dock, and Allen jumped off and grabbed us some brochures, and we continued up about a half mile further.  Then we decided to return to the pier, and Allen went ashore and walked some of the trails while I secured the dinghy, and the vessel for the 30 knot winds, and any rough seas we might meet as we journeyed back south.

While I had the engines shut down, I enjoyed listening to the birds calling everywhere.  We were probably the only folks for a couple of miles, and it sure was sweet listening to all the sounds of the marsh, and the woods, and the ocean.

When Allen returned, we ran down the creek, noting how the water had dropped four feet in the creek in the two hours we'd been exploring.  The tide there was amazing.

We ran all that day noticing the extremes of the tide.

We finally anchored in the upper end of the Brickhill River at 30 53.279  81 27 311, in a nice wide river anchorage, where we could blow all night in 360 degree circles!

Fort Frederico to Blackbeard's Creek

We took the dinghy ashore at Fort Frederico and looked at the old Spanish bastion, and the foundations of the ruins of Gen Oglethorpe's town.

We exited the north end of the Frederico River into the Mackay River and North into Buttermilk Sound.  Allen was learning to read the water pretty well as we transitted the Little Mud River at low tide, and learning the charts and the ICW as we went up to Blackbeard's Island.

Blackbeard's Island is a National Wildlife Refuge that I explored a little last week.  We went up into an anchorage that I had liked the week before, well up the creek.  I didn't want to anchor where I had before, in the opening, due to a swell running in that area, and anticipated 30 knot winds that evening.

We anchored in the creek, which was only about 100 feet wide, and settled in for the evening.  We launched the dinghy, and Allen explored up to the nearby fisherman's dock on the north creek.  He said the place was loaded with deer tracks, but it didn't appear any people had walked there in awhile.

Cumberland Island

We awoke to seeing several horses grazing on the beach. 

We launched the dinghy and went ashore at Cumberland Island Sea Camp.  We moored to the dinghy dock, and walked through the woods, and down the boardwalk to the beach.  The tide was pretty low, and it made a wide beach, with gorgeous views of the Atlantic.

We also walked through the woods to the south to the ice house, and some other 1900's buildings.  We were glad to see some more horses.

Later we returned to the trawler, and cruised north, past King's Bay Naval Station, and up the ICW to anchor in the evening off of Fort Frederico.

 
On the way north, we saw more horses and lots of white pelicans

Back in Georgia

On Sunday morning, we saw Fred and Nancy off, making plans for them to return in a week to pick up Allen. 

                                                               Nancy, Fred, and Allen

Allen’s school is having a “fall break” for the first time this year, a week out of school the week of Thanksgiving.  I’m sure glad they chose to do that this year so that Allen could enjoy part of this great trip with me.  Allen is my 13-year old cousin who has spent the last three summers with me in the Keys.  He is an avid boater and diver, and I knew he’d love this!

Kenny and Jean Richards met us at the marina, and rode north with us to Fort George, where Kenny had shown me the great anchorage on the way down. The tide was low going in, and it gave us a great chance to see the lay of the land. (I think Kenny is trying to convince Jean that they need a Nordic Tug!) We had a great time visiting, and they brought a picnic lunch for us all.

                                                                Allen, Kenny, and Jean

We launched the inflatable, and Allen took the two of them ashore and came back for me and Mercy.  We rode in and toured the Kingsley Plantation.  The area grew sea cotton, indigo, fruits, and vegetables, with slave labor.  There is an arched row of the tabby foundations that were once the slave quarters.  Tabby is a mixture of oyster shells and sand sort of cemented together.

                             The slave quarters' tabby foundations at the Kingsley Plantation

Kenny and Jean left up at the slave quarters, and walked the three miles up to the ferry for their Sunday afternoon stroll.  They’d left a car on the other side.

Then, Allen and I continued on to anchor off the Cumberland Island Sea Camp about sunset.  We grilled chicken and cooked potatoes and green beans.  The weather was perfect!

To Jacksonville Beach

In Fernandino Beach, Ken and Jean Richards came by with their dog Sport.  Ken piloted me down the ICW, and showed me the anchorage at Fort George.  (He also showed me some really great fishing spots, but I'm not allowed to tell you where they are.)

When we got to Jacksonville Beach Marine, I went home with the Richards for a great time of food and fellowship with Ken's mom and Jean's sister.  What a fun evening!

                                                                       Kenny and Jean
On Saturday, my cousins Fred and Nancy arrived with my side-kick Allen. 

                                                                     Nancy and Fred
We loaded Allen's gear for a week, and all cruised south a little ways house shopping.  We found a couple we liked.

On Sunday, Ken and Jean are going to ride up to Fort George with Allen and I, and then jump ship and walk home.... uh walk to the ferry, ferry across, and meet a vehicle they are leaving. 

Then, Allen and I will continue north, yep, I said north, so he can see some of these really cool spots I've seen the past week, and help me discover some more great ones.

To Fernandino Beach

From Cumberland, I continued on to Fernandina Island, where I pulled into a marina, with howling winds, to meet Kenny Richards tomorrow, who will ride south with me for a day. 

I remember coming to Fernandina Beach in 1989, and the guys from the Dredge McFarland insisting I come and eat lunch with them in the first time I’d been in a bar in my life.    It is the oldest bar in Florida, and the wood, ceiling, and floor are historical.  I walked up and ate a hamburger as I reflected. 

Typing with thumbs

I left Skull Creek Marina and headed south again.  It sure seems quiet when folks leave!  What great friends to join me for bits and pieces of this trip.  Rudy, Dick, John…

I saw the Sawdust (37’ Nordic Tug) at a distance, and talked to them on the phone for a little bit.

What a fun trip this has been, exploring the creeks and rivers down the coast of our nation.  I went thru Calibogue Soound into the Cooper River to Ramshorn Creek to the New River… thru a canal to Wright River, thru Fields Cut to the Savannah River, leaving South Carolina, and entering Georgia.

I must interject at this point the wonders of AIS.  The automated identification system is mandatory on large vessels, and optional on smaller vessels.  It transmits a variety of data about the vessel’s size, direction of travel, speed, and other significant information.  Why is this important in the Savannah River?  It makes it easier to dodge ships that are coming around the corner!  I sped up to get out of the path of the ship before it came around the bend, leaving a couple of sailboats a little confused, until they saw the ship!

Let’s see, South Channel, then a canal to Saint Augustine Creek, down the Wilmington River to Skidaway River, past the Isle of Hope (love that name) and into the Skidaway Narrows, around Pigeon Island and past Moon River. Immortalized by Georgia native Johnny Mercer in one of my favorite songs when learning to play the guitar.

Moon River, wider than a mile
I’m crossing you in style, some day
You dream maker, you heart breaker,
Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There’s such a lot of world to see
We’re after the same rainbow’s end
Waiting round the bend
My Huckleberry friend
Moon River, and me.

It seems funny that forty years after learning the song I’d be living it!  I’ve sang that song hundreds of times, and today I crossed the river in style… off exploring the world!

I kept singing down the Burnside River, and when I entered the Vernon River, I turned upstream, away from the ICW to find another gorgeous anchorage.  All those different waterways in less than forty miles.

To anchor Vernon River 31 56,235. 81 07,26

I won’t list all the different waterways for you today, except for a couple of detours away from the ICW.  I detoured thru Walburg Creek, which was a scenic creek that connects back to the ICW.  When I crossed Sapelo Sound, I detoured over to Blackbeard’s Island, and explored up Blackbeard’s  Creek for a couple of miles.  With a high tide of eight feet, there are all kinds of places you can explore from this boat!  We came back out towards the mouth of the creek, a launched the dinghy and went ashore to walk the sandy beach as the tide fell.  Mercy loves sandy beaches, and stretched out and ran, and ran, and ran.

Back at the boat, I realized that the outside hand shower is the perfect dog bathing solution, complete with hot water!  Mercy will always want it so good!

Several detours to explore. Anchored Blackbeard's Creek. 31 32.034. 81 12.521

We left Blackbeard’s Creek in the early morning, to catch the tide push.  It was great for the first couple of miles, and then FOG.   The sailboat Rachel fell in behind me.  Later, I met this lovely couple, and we visited several times over the next couple of days.

From Blackbeard’s Creek, we went to Fort Frederica, GA.  It was a place I’d never heard of.  General Oglethorpe established a fort there in the 1730’s.  I knew why I’d stopped when I read that Charles and John Wesley had come to this place, and from this fort sprang the origins of the Methodist church.  I stood in the place where these mighty men had preached, and prayed for the same revival that they prayed for hundreds of years earlier.

On to Fort Frederico. 31 13 255. 81 22.646

From Fort Frederica, I continued south to Cumberland Island, via a back channel, the Blackhill River.  I spent two nights there, fixing a few things on the boat, and walking through the old live oak trees. 

To Cumberland Island. 30 51.559. 81 28.035

On Thursday, I continued to the southern end of Cumberland Island, and once again anchored and dinghy-ed ashore.  Thanks Tom Rice for the use of the outboard!  I enjoyed the live oaks, and the peaceful woods.  What I really wanted to see was one of the horses, which I finally did, standing in the photo op area, under a huge live oak tree.  I think she was waiting for me.

North Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head, SC

John Williams flew into Grand Strand airport on Sunday, and joined up with me, continuing the trip south.  We got off to an early start on Monday morning in order to catch the tide running with us, which adds about 2 knots to the boat’s normal speed.  Somehow or another, we managed to ride the tide for days… which, although I’d like to claim was by plan, it was not.

John Williams and Mercy

As we headed south through the miles around Myrtle Beach, SC, I began to realize what a great winter golf community they have.  There is a place that there is a cable car crossing of the ICW, conveniently located at the golf course.  If you look closely, you can see where the guys tee off across the ICW, and then ride the cable car across to their hole.  (John and I immediately made up that story to go with the photo!)

Tee-ing off over the water hazard

Getting to your ball

Swing bridge on the ICW

Farther down, the ICW passes through another great cypress lined river.  There were osprey nests everywhere.  We cruised through Georgetown, got a couple of photos, and kept going, to find a nice anchorage.  The river below Georgetown took a dog leg through a canal, and then a lot of great secluded waterway.  We anchored in Minim Creek 33 11 458N 79 16 770 in about 12 feet of water in a side creek, out of the wakes from the ICW.

Lots of osprey nests

Cypress lined river

The next day, we passed through primarily low salt marsh.  In the course of a single day, we spotted two eagles sitting together in the same tree, two deer swimming across the ICW (photo as deer were leaping out of the water) and a pod of dolphins absolutely going nuts feeding upon a school of fish they chased into the bank.  When we went by, one swam right by the bow for a ways, rolling his eyes up at Mercy and I (who were leaning over the bow.)  What a great day! 

Salt marsh

Two eagles watching us

Marsh land

Two deer exiting water after swimming across the ICW

We went into Charleston, SC to the Mega Dock at the City Marina to pick up a package that was just delivered.We originally had reservations there for Wednesday night, and since it was Tuesday, there was no room at the inn.  I couldn’t believe that a 400 slip marina would be packed full of boats of every size, primarily those heading south.

Coming into Charleston

Charleston, SC

We went right below the next bridge and anchored for the night at 33 11 458 N 79 16 770 W in about 15’ of water.  It was another gorgeous sunset, even though we were anchored directly across from several homes and docks.  We saw the Nordic Tug “Miss Alignment” a few houses down, on a nice life.

Our anchorage

Nordic Tug "Miss Alignment"

The great days continued, with absolutely perfect (warm, clear, no wind) weather.  I enjoyed poking the boat up into a variety of creeks and  cuts. On Wednesday, we continued down the Stono River flood plane.  The ICW follows rivers for a little ways, then has short canals connecting them to the adjacent river.  We stopped early to anchor in Rock Creek, since we had just passed a creek I HAD to explore.  We launched the dinghy and off I went, at low tide, in an area with a 7 foot tide that day.  I saw more tracks and critters.  I explored for about two hours.  Mercy liked the smells.  John stayed on the boat and claimed he read.  He sure looked well rested from the read!

Exploring up a side creek via dinghy

John watching our return

After a discussion about the best place to drop John where he could get back to his airplane, we made the decision to stay anchored in Rock Creek for the evening.  Two other boats came in and joined us later that afternoon.  One boat told us that they were headed further down, but that we looked like we’d found a great spot.  We visited with the couple on the KenTres, first on the Mercy, then on their boat.  It was fun.  Anchored 32 31.821'  80 29.092’

Morning in Rock Creek

Thursday we continued down the ditch to Beaufort, SC, where we tied to the free city dock, walked around ashore.  We walked up to the John Mark Verdier House, and read about some of the local history.  The lady at the desk entertained us with some of the history of the town, and proudly told us about how much she loved her town, and a little about her grandkids…  Then we walked across the street and ate some South Carolina oysters for lunch.  Boy, were they good! 

The city waterfront has a gorgeous park area, complete with big wooden swings.  It was too tempting, after lunch to walk by, so we sat, swinging, enjoying the view for a little bit.  What great southern charm!

Mercy and John REALLY like each other

Don't tell MY dog

We made it out of Beaufort without receiving the $1050 fine, or 30 days in jail if you pass through the area leaving a wake.

When we left Beaufort, we continued a little ways towards Hilton Head, and decided to detour and go up in Cowen Creek a little ways.  The further up we got, the better it looked.  There is eight feet of tide tonight, and we are anchored in the Distant Island Creek, by Distant Island, of course!  32 22.815’ 80 38.727’  We watched some local guys fishing for redfish. 

Sunrise at Distant Island Creek

The creek was so nice, and fascinating with its eight feet of tide, that we sat and told sea stories for a late start. (John has some GREAT stories!)

Distant Island Creek

We cruised down the Distant Island Creek, the Cowen Creek, cruised under Paris Island, Crossed Port Royal Sound, and up the Chechessee River to Skull Creek (sounds like we’re in pirate waters!) to Skull Creek Marina, where we came in to let John get off tomorrow to return home.