....and the rest of me by boat.
It started to rain just as I walked onto the dock in Saint Marys ready to cast off and head north. I thought briefly of going back to the anchorage but I had already been held up and extra day waiting for mail. The restlessness that brings you all this running account took hold and I just pulled on foul weather gear and headed towards Nova Scotia.
Standing at the wheel with my “oilskins a ‘streaming” (Gordon Bok), I experienced one of those moments of the strange joy of cruising. There is something that seems very serious, purposeful, and nautical about heading down a river in poor weather when combined with the excitement of a long cruise beginning. I’m not one to overdo such things though so I just ran the six miles over to Cumberland Island and anchored.
I had a wonderful time in Saint Marys. I much prefer this part of the world to Florida. I raised anchor one day under sail and went over to Cumberland Island for a hike through the Live Oaks to the ocean the next day; sailed off the anchor on return and out into the river entrance to experience the feel of ocean swells under me again.
A pure white wild horse was grazing all alone on the end of the island as I passed. I felt a kinship with him alone in my boat under the sky. A blazing reach took me back to Saint Marys where the anchor went down without the engine ever having run.
While hanging out on the hook waiting for my mail, I pondered my future plans. Mardi Gras was this weekend and it would have been fun to be there for that. The restlessness was really taking hold however and it was easy to rationalize. I have to travel for a week or two at the end of March at a time determined by college breaks. I would very much like to have the boat in the Chesapeake immediately after as I’ve promised myself a good deal of time there which I want to be early enough to let me get out to the end of Nova Scotia this summer. It’s time to head north. I apologize to those of you who are missing the vicarious sitting under the hot sun in the crowded anchorages of south Florida with adult beverages in your hands. Maybe I’m strange but I love traveling along this waterway in the off season.
I got underway from Cumberland Island on a day that would do justice to Maine and Nova Scotia, low clouds and heavy mist, visibility down to 1/8 mile crossing the sounds above the inlets. I ran 39 miles that day. If there had been any hint of nice days for exploring ashore or sightseeing in the long range forecast, I would have stopped somewhere. With the hand I was dealt by the weather, I was perfectly content exorcizing my restlessness by just covering ground. Georgia will be there next year. Global warming isn’t happening that fast even though this winter, or lack thereof, may make it seem so.
The next day, I ran up the South Altamaha River for fuel, a restaurant meal, and to get in at least one side trip. The restaurant at Two Way Fish Camp is excellent and well worth the diversion. I finished up a 30 mile day in the Crescent River inside of Sapelo Island.
The next day was pleasanter but cold. I could have made it out of Georgia but suddenly decided to pull over into an indentation on the Wilmington River and save some difficult stretches ahead for the morning with I was fresh. Good choice as I realized just how long 47 miles is as soon as I relaxed in the cockpit.
It was quite a nice run up to Bluffton, SC the next day. I arrived, for my third time this trip, at the great little town in time to buy oyster, crabs, and shrimp at the Bluffton Oyster Company. I went back to the boat for a mid afternoon snack of crabs in the cockpit before the rain started. Oyster stew for dinner. I’ll have shrimp scampi for dinner if I don’t go ashore to the BOC restaurant. I hope you vicarious cruisers are enjoying this stop.
See my post about this morning’s weather just below. It sounds like things have settled down. It may be shaping up to be another day better for putting miles behind me than going ashore and it looks like there will be a wind that would let me sail up the river to Beaufort. What will Roger do? Place your bets with Jimm.
It started to rain just as I walked onto the dock in Saint Marys ready to cast off and head north. I thought briefly of going back to the anchorage but I had already been held up and extra day waiting for mail. The restlessness that brings you all this running account took hold and I just pulled on foul weather gear and headed towards Nova Scotia.
Standing at the wheel with my “oilskins a ‘streaming” (Gordon Bok), I experienced one of those moments of the strange joy of cruising. There is something that seems very serious, purposeful, and nautical about heading down a river in poor weather when combined with the excitement of a long cruise beginning. I’m not one to overdo such things though so I just ran the six miles over to Cumberland Island and anchored.
I had a wonderful time in Saint Marys. I much prefer this part of the world to Florida. I raised anchor one day under sail and went over to Cumberland Island for a hike through the Live Oaks to the ocean the next day; sailed off the anchor on return and out into the river entrance to experience the feel of ocean swells under me again.
A pure white wild horse was grazing all alone on the end of the island as I passed. I felt a kinship with him alone in my boat under the sky. A blazing reach took me back to Saint Marys where the anchor went down without the engine ever having run.
While hanging out on the hook waiting for my mail, I pondered my future plans. Mardi Gras was this weekend and it would have been fun to be there for that. The restlessness was really taking hold however and it was easy to rationalize. I have to travel for a week or two at the end of March at a time determined by college breaks. I would very much like to have the boat in the Chesapeake immediately after as I’ve promised myself a good deal of time there which I want to be early enough to let me get out to the end of Nova Scotia this summer. It’s time to head north. I apologize to those of you who are missing the vicarious sitting under the hot sun in the crowded anchorages of south Florida with adult beverages in your hands. Maybe I’m strange but I love traveling along this waterway in the off season.
I got underway from Cumberland Island on a day that would do justice to Maine and Nova Scotia, low clouds and heavy mist, visibility down to 1/8 mile crossing the sounds above the inlets. I ran 39 miles that day. If there had been any hint of nice days for exploring ashore or sightseeing in the long range forecast, I would have stopped somewhere. With the hand I was dealt by the weather, I was perfectly content exorcizing my restlessness by just covering ground. Georgia will be there next year. Global warming isn’t happening that fast even though this winter, or lack thereof, may make it seem so.
The next day, I ran up the South Altamaha River for fuel, a restaurant meal, and to get in at least one side trip. The restaurant at Two Way Fish Camp is excellent and well worth the diversion. I finished up a 30 mile day in the Crescent River inside of Sapelo Island.
The next day was pleasanter but cold. I could have made it out of Georgia but suddenly decided to pull over into an indentation on the Wilmington River and save some difficult stretches ahead for the morning with I was fresh. Good choice as I realized just how long 47 miles is as soon as I relaxed in the cockpit.
It was quite a nice run up to Bluffton, SC the next day. I arrived, for my third time this trip, at the great little town in time to buy oyster, crabs, and shrimp at the Bluffton Oyster Company. I went back to the boat for a mid afternoon snack of crabs in the cockpit before the rain started. Oyster stew for dinner. I’ll have shrimp scampi for dinner if I don’t go ashore to the BOC restaurant. I hope you vicarious cruisers are enjoying this stop.
See my post about this morning’s weather just below. It sounds like things have settled down. It may be shaping up to be another day better for putting miles behind me than going ashore and it looks like there will be a wind that would let me sail up the river to Beaufort. What will Roger do? Place your bets with Jimm.
