It was cold when we pulled into Duplin River last night so we kept the generator running to use the heat pumps. We tested the carbon monoxide alarms, turned on the engine room blowers, and were glad we had the generator engine exhaust system replaced when we bought the boat. We felt safe and glad we did because it was VERY cold.
DUPLIN TO FERNANDINA BEACH
Underway Friday morning from Duplin River, we headed for Fernandina Beach, our first stop in Florida. Traveled the North River, Little Mud River, and Buttermilk Sound in the AM, then traveled on the Mackay River into St Simons Sound. The wind was at 15+ and waves 2-3 foot. We sat back and enjoyed the rocking and rolling for about an hour until through this Sound. We passed Jekyll Island and into the very small St Andrews Sound. At this point you have to go around a shoal by entering the Atlantic for a short period or follow a carefully crafted route inside the Sound. We chose the latter as the winds were 15 knots and more. Unfortunately, the ocean waves were pushing into the Sound, so even the inside route was rough with 4/5-footers. Luckily, it was a quick-hour trip. We then jumped into the Cumberland River and headed south to Kings Bay GA, a key facility for our nuclear submarine force. We stopped for the evening at Fernandina Beach and learned a hard lesson. This marina had been rebuilt after an earlier hurricane and had new protocols for electric systems. Our older Grand Banks was not compatible without some rework, so we had a slip but no electricity from shore. No problem, just use the generator, fixed just days earlier. Not so fast. The generator would not start so we now have to find the real cause of the generator problem. It also meant we slept very close together with lots of blankets. Luckily we are in Florida and the cold was not unbearable.
FERNANDINA BEACH TO MARINA LAND MARINA
Cold getting out of bed this morning, but we rushed through the preps (ours and the boat’s) to get underway. By seven-thirty, we were off the pier and heading south to Marineland Marina, an 80-mile trip. We started on the Amelia River, then the South Amelia River (original?), and through Nassau Sound and Sawpit Creek before arriving at Sisters Creek which feeds into St John’s River that we crossed into the Jacksonville area. Palm Valley was next where many millions of dollars were spent on waterfront homes. Sorry we did not get many pictures here, but it was mile after mile of overly large homes and docks snuggled side by side. We focused on pushing hard to get to Marineland. One of several rivers we traveled to St Augustine was the Tolomato River. We passed St Augustine early afternoon, one of our favorite stops but not for this trip. We made it safely through the Fort Matanzas Inlet shoal and into Marineland Marina. We’ll leave the boat here for twelve days as we drive back home for medical appointments. We’ll return on the 19th and continue our trip, including a stop at Ft Pierce to have Christmas with Carey’s cousins and see friends and relatives near where we used to live in Port St. Lucie. Then on to Palm Beach to cast off for the Bahamas.
Don’t expect many updates until we continue the trip later this month. Here are a few pictures of the last two days. (Double click for large version, then return arrow to get back to here.)
