Black Creek to Sawpit Creek

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

We decided we ought to untie the lines and move on before we grew to the dock.  What a great, beautiful place with wonderful hospitality!

We went down Black Creek, turned into the larger St. Johns, and headed downstream.  We timed our voyage once again to time with the trains going across the bridge, and since the law of tonnage hass the right of way... we waited for 20 minutes until the second train went across. 

The bridge was being worked on the last couple of years, and was only having an opening or so a day.  When you look at this bridge, it looks pretty old and decrypted.

After we went under the bridge, we passed by Jacksonville Landing, where we had stopped before, and poked our nose into Metropolitan Park, where there is free dockage for up to three days.  I think the electric works like a parking meter, and is $8.25/day for 30/amp, so I've heard.  There were only two boats in the marina.  

We continued down the river, until we were once again at the ICW when we turned into Sister's Creek.  Sisters Creek is quickly surrounded by a salt marsh, and it seems funny to see the towering Jacksonville behind it.

My destination had been Fort George, an old Plantation managed by the National Park Service.  We got to the channel into the Fort at 30 minutes before low tide.  After three different attempts, I gave up the idea of having enough water to get in at low tide with our 4'4" draft.  As late in the day as it was, rather than float around waiting for a little more tide, we continued up the ICW until we got to Sawpit Creek.

We entered Sawpit Creek at low tide, with no less than 7' by hugging (within 40') the southern bank.  The way the light was, we could see the shoal bar running diagonally to the NE.  After hugging the bank for 1000' we moved towards the middle of the creek with 16' of water.

I always circle the area before dropping the hook, and was surprised to find that the bar extended further east than we had seen, with depths coming up to 5' before I moved a little further east in the creek to anchor for the night.  N 30 30.502'  W 081 27.921

The winds dropped from about 20kts at dusk to calm during the night. The area is protected from wind-driven waves by being surrounded by a salt marsh, with trees in the distance.  I could hear an abundance of birds, which provides the perfect sound ambiance.