We had a fine day in Beaufort at the Day Dock, shopping at Publix, visiting the library, taking a long bike ride to the Verizon office where they replaced the sim card that had gone bad in my iPad, enjoying a delicious happy hour that turned into dinner at the Wined Up antipasto and tapas bar, then returning to the anchorage for the night. Leaving Beaufort in the morning we passed by the Parris Island marine training base then sailed out Port Royal Sound, rounded Hilton Head, crossed the Savannah River entrance into Georgia, then came back up the Wilmington River to anchor..
Many cruisers dislike Georgia and some bypass it altogether. It can seem desolate winding through broad marshlands with trees off in the distance and infrequent signs of civilization. That’s actually what we like about Georgia. There a a few spots where it could be possible to hit bottom in the channel but it’s soft mud and the only threat is to speed, something a sailor should be able to tolerate. There are plenty of comfortable creeks to anchor in and plenty of openings for going offshore then returning whenever you like. I’ve never bypassed all of Georgia and see no reason to do so.
This year, though, the weather encouraged us to again head out the Wilmington River for a fast sail to Doboy Sound where we came back in and anchored in South River. We stayed inside the following day to Cumberland Island, a perennial favorite since I first stopped there in 1999. It’s a magical place with a forest of palmettos and ancient oaks draping spanish moss. Wild horses freely roam the 15 mile long island along with armadillos and turkeys. You may see ponies bathing and frolicking in the duck pond. Great dunes divide the forest from the wide, sandy beach. The magnificent ruins at Dungeness evoke a lost era. The are a few residents, grandfathered in, along with national park service staff, a handful of campers, and cruising sailors anchored off the dock where the campers arrive and depart.
After a day wandering around Cumberland Island we headed up the St. John River to Jacksonville. Some of you may remember last year at this time when I was in Jacksonville and raving about the marina at Ortega Landing and its surroundings. I was there killing time until my wife returned. This year we again have some time to kill until our appointment to get our steering fixed. So we went back to the Ortega River, dinghied to the marina and walked to the nearby Publix supermarket for Thanksgiving provisions. Coming and going we had to wait for the Main Street lift bridge which was on the same very restricted schedule as last year, with usable openings only at noon and 4:15 pm. The completion date for the bridge maintenance work keeps getting pushed back and is now expected to be some time in February.
Tomorrow we’ll move on to Pine Island, the one north of St. Augustine, where we’ll spend a rainy Thanksgiving. I have more photos of Cumberland Island but the wifi here is too slow to upload them. Maybe later. Happy Thanksgiving, all.
Many cruisers dislike Georgia and some bypass it altogether. It can seem desolate winding through broad marshlands with trees off in the distance and infrequent signs of civilization. That’s actually what we like about Georgia. There a a few spots where it could be possible to hit bottom in the channel but it’s soft mud and the only threat is to speed, something a sailor should be able to tolerate. There are plenty of comfortable creeks to anchor in and plenty of openings for going offshore then returning whenever you like. I’ve never bypassed all of Georgia and see no reason to do so.
This year, though, the weather encouraged us to again head out the Wilmington River for a fast sail to Doboy Sound where we came back in and anchored in South River. We stayed inside the following day to Cumberland Island, a perennial favorite since I first stopped there in 1999. It’s a magical place with a forest of palmettos and ancient oaks draping spanish moss. Wild horses freely roam the 15 mile long island along with armadillos and turkeys. You may see ponies bathing and frolicking in the duck pond. Great dunes divide the forest from the wide, sandy beach. The magnificent ruins at Dungeness evoke a lost era. The are a few residents, grandfathered in, along with national park service staff, a handful of campers, and cruising sailors anchored off the dock where the campers arrive and depart.
After a day wandering around Cumberland Island we headed up the St. John River to Jacksonville. Some of you may remember last year at this time when I was in Jacksonville and raving about the marina at Ortega Landing and its surroundings. I was there killing time until my wife returned. This year we again have some time to kill until our appointment to get our steering fixed. So we went back to the Ortega River, dinghied to the marina and walked to the nearby Publix supermarket for Thanksgiving provisions. Coming and going we had to wait for the Main Street lift bridge which was on the same very restricted schedule as last year, with usable openings only at noon and 4:15 pm. The completion date for the bridge maintenance work keeps getting pushed back and is now expected to be some time in February.
Tomorrow we’ll move on to Pine Island, the one north of St. Augustine, where we’ll spend a rainy Thanksgiving. I have more photos of Cumberland Island but the wifi here is too slow to upload them. Maybe later. Happy Thanksgiving, all.
