Pot Luck Rib Dinner (Day 045)

Oyster Creek Marina, St. Augustine, FL MM 779.9
Distance Traveled: 16.9 Hours Underway: 2:40 Average Speed: 6.3 mph

Weather: Two consecutive days of great weather! Sunny all day; temp range 60 – 77 degrees; light & variable wind

Comment: SUNSHINE was the last vessel of the flock to depart the anchorage. The engines were fired up at 0730. Canvasback Too was cast off and the mud hook was lifted off the bottom and secured to the bow roller. We had a gorgeous run down the waterway, passing through the Bridge of Lions temporary lift bridge at 0930. in another mile, we turned to starboard and headed up the Sebastian River to the Oyster Creek marina. There are several marinas in the St. Augustine area. We like this one because it is very protected from all winds and one can walk two blocks to the St. Augustine historic and shopping districts.

Smokin' Bob smoking the ribs






After tying up, we checked out the marina and prepared for a walk. As luck would have it, Vanessa scored the loan of a boson’s chair. After working on Tally Ho’s deck light, she offered to go up our mast. Our tasks were to run two messengers so we can replace the lazy jack lines that chaffed through and to secure a shroud cleat and line so we have a place to attach the radar reflector. Vanessa had the tasks accomplished in short order. I tried to return the favor, but Andrew and Vanessa had already completed their exhaustive list of projects, except for the fact they couldn’t secure a replacement lamp for their deck light. That project will need to be continued as the lamp was not available at West Marine, the Auto Zone and a really super boating supply store (on the other side of the river).

The Flock enjoying ribs and fixins.'

The dockmaster clued us in to the fact that Smokin’ Bob was doing ribs at 1730 hours. To participate, one need merely bring a dish for everyone to share. Anna Marie made an interesting brownie/nut concoction and brought chips. The ribs were good and there was plenty of food and camaraderie. It reminded us of the gang at Nettles Island Marina.

Tomorrow, we’ll change the oil in each engine and then we’ll chill out and take walk to the old city and chill out some more. It’ll be a nice relaxing day.

Arial view of the Oyster Creek Marina, Sebastian River, St. Augustine, FL

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Bald Eagles (day 044)

Pine Island Anchorage, approximately 20 miles north of St Augustine, FL (MM 765.0)
Distance Traveled: 30.7 Hours Underway: 5:05 Average Speed: 6.0

Weather: Here comes the sun! Here comes the sun, and it’s alright! We’re feeling good! The sun is shinning; wind is 10 knots out of the northeast; the temp is in the high 70’s

Comment: It feels good to see the sun again. We departed the anchorage a few minutes before 0800 hours and motored down the waterway in very pleasant conditions. We were among six vessels to pass through the Sisters Creek Bascule Bridge. We crossed the St. John’s River and continued down the waterway.

The McCormack Bascule Bridge has been disassembled and a new high rise bridge is being constructed adjacent to the new high rise bridge that opened last year. By next year, there will be another superhighway from Jacksonville to Jacksonville Beach.

While traveling through Palm Valley, a vessel radioed that they spotted a manatee. We didn’t see it, but Reflection reported that they did. The water temperature is 68 degrees. That manatee better start swimming faster!

We saw two bald eagles as we approached Pine Island. Tally Ho reported seeing an eagles nest with an eagle in it. The eagles nest on Pine Island is still there as well. It seems that there are now two pair of eagles working the area.

We dropped our hook in the anchorage and Canvasback Too rafted up with us. Tally Ho hosted another party. We are traveling with a great group of folks, sharing stories, telling jokes and making plans is a great part of the cruising experience.

Arial view of the Pine Island Anchorage

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Florida, Here We Come! (Day 043)

White Pelicans! Welcome to Florida!

Fort George River by the Kingsley Plantation, FL MM 735.0
Distance Traveled: 34.1 Hours Underway: 4.9 Average Speed: 7.0 mph

Weather: Overcast; temp range 60 to 70; NW wind <10>

Comment: It was anchors up at 0745, fifteen minutes earlier than the agreed upon time. SUNSHINE led the parade out the south end of the Brickhill River and reported depths readings that bottomed out at 4 feet. Reflection made it through, but Canvasback Too had to plow through the soft mud and Tally Ho and the S/V Serenity, who shared the anchorage with us, had to feel their way out, bumping and backing several times until making it to deeper water.

SUNSHINE anchored in the Fort George River

We traversed Kings Bay, Cumberland Sound and the Amelia River quickly and without incident in the overcast day. Possible anchorages, the Little Alligator and the South Amelia Rivers, were passed before noon. It was too early to stop. The decision was to go for an anchorage three miles up the St. Johns River but, we saw a boat anchored in the Fort George River and decided to give it a try. The cruising guide suggests that the current is swift and two anchors would be needed. Well, the current is swift, but we ignored the advice on setting a second anchor. By the end of the day, ten boats were in the anchorage and all were lying quietly to the current. The wind is down, so we’re expecting a quiet night.

The Kingsley Plantation along the shores of the Fort George River

Sugar Cane - one of the crops grown on the Kingsley Plantation

While navigating the Amelia River, we saw a Bald Eagle on the port bank, eating what appeared to be a fish. About ten minutes later, we saw another Bald Eagle on the oposite bank eating a fish. Apparently the fishing is really good on the river. I wanted to get my fishing pole out of the locker. To date, we have seen four Bald Eagles on our trip, and we expect to see two more tomorrow. Our destination is an anchorage at Pine Island, about 15 miles south of Jacksonville Beach. We have observed a pair of eagles and their nest on the island on our two previous trips.

Anna Marie and I went ashore to the National Park Service’s Kingsley Plantation where freedom and slavery in Plantation-Era Florida are depicted. A more thorough exploration is in order as we only scratched the surface.

The FLOCK is headed for the Pine Island Anchorage tomorrow and then it’s on to St. Augustine for the weekend.

Arial view of our position in the Fort George River Anchorage, adjacent to the Kingsley Plantation National Park.

A Hunting We Will Go! (Day 042)

Brickhill River, Plum Orchard Anchorage, Cumberland Island, GA MM 702.3
Lay Day

George Carnegie's Plum Orchard Cottage

Weather: Overcast; temp in the low to mid 60s; north to northwest wind 15 knots

Comments:

Hunting I

Oh What a Night! I briefly mentioned some problems with this anchorage in yesterday’s blog. Here are the details:

It started yesterday afternoon, probably around 1600 hours. Tally Ho had already re-anchored. Reflection was slowly hunting around her anchor. Both Ray and I noticed that Canvasback Too was hunting from one side of the river to the other at an alarming pace. Tally Ho and SUNSHINE, no foreigners to hunting, were unusually well behaved in this anchorage.

After our evening radio conference, Tally Ho and SUNSHINE switched off their radios. SUNSHINE later switched the radio back on to contact Dave. Reflection had the same thought. We both contacted Dave over the VHF radio to see what he was thinking. Dave reported that Canvasback Too usually lies very quietly at anchor. This behavior was most unusual. It looked like Dave was in for a long night. Both Reflection and SUNSHINE offered to maintain radio watch throughout the night and pledged to offer assistance, should it be needed. Tally Ho had switched off the VHF after our evening radio chat so neither Andrew nor Vanessa was aware of the radio portion of the drama although they certainly saw what was happening.

Fortunately, the wind abated a bit late in the evening. The crew of SUNSHINE hit the sack at 2330 hours with all of the “ducks” lined nicely in a row. Three late night/early morning anchor checks confirmed that all was well. Canvasback Too survived the long night. Dave was even able to get some sleep!

We all met for the prescheduled radio chat at 0800. Everyone sounded tired! This was a typical Cumberland Island experience, sans the bouncing that can be had at the Dungeness Anchorage off the southern end of the island.

At 0900 we met ashore ostensibly for a beach walk.

Hunting II

It's 9 o’clock in the morning; the regular crowd gathers ashore. We walked pass a sign that no one read thinking we’ll be on the beach in a mile. We walked past a house that has been restored; we stayed to look for awhile. Then it’s up the drive to Duck Hill Road and on to the beach with a smile.

The Hunter

So, we’re having a grand time walking and talking our way to the beach. Up ahead appears a gentleman dressed in Camo and a bright orange vest with a riffle strapped to his back. “This areas closed; didn’t see the sign? he asked. “The annual hunt’s going on. You’re better leave or you might get shot; especially you in the green and the brown.”

We turned tails immediately and walked back the trail, matching the hunter stride for stride. He was a nice enough fellow and told us about the hunt (deer and feral pigs), the community cooler where everyone stows their meat, and the hunters. Immediately we realized why there are so many people on the island and why we saw other tents pitched on the northern end of the island as we motored down the river yesterday.

Back on the dock, we observed some hunters turned fishermen. They were pulling in a fair number of whiting. “Good sandwich fish,” declared one. Another guy asked us if we were on the boats and began asking question about our destinations. It was about this time that we read the sign. “Area Closed – Hunt in Progress.” It didn’t mean much before we met the hunter, but now seems to be pretty clear.

Bernie and the Mansion

Instead of returning to our boats, we decided to sit on the porch of the mansion, enjoy the view, and continue to talk about our short term cruising plans. While enjoying the gam, the fellow who had inquired about our cruising destinations walked by. “No,” we answered in unison when asked if we had ever been in the mansion.

Bernie

He introduced himself as Bernie. For five years, he had been a docent, living in the mansion, and giving tours on the second and fourth Sunday’s of the month. “Yes," we replied in unison, when asked if we’d like a tour. He said we were lucky to be here at the time of the specially scheduled tour for boaters who are on their way to the islands or the Keys! Nice guy!!

We were privileged to get a personal tour from a gentleman who obviously knows a lot about the home. We learned that it belonged to George and Margaret Carnegie. George was the son of Thomas Carnegie who was brother to Andrew (Pittsburg Steel). Thomas owned much of Cumberland Island and offered to build mansions for each of his children, free of charge. Four were built.

The Foyer

Ray played a few notes on the piano and Bernie exclaimed that Ray could now brag that he had played Carnegie Hall!

The “cottage” has been restored by the Federal Government to the tune of $6.4 million to date. Our tax dollars at work! The original woodwork is intact as is the original wallpaper in the foyer and dining room. The original woodwork is most impressive. Several original Tiffany lamps were hung in the hunt room, where the guns and ammo were stored.

After leading us through the first floor, Bernie took us down into the huge basement, where the original heating, electrical and refrigeration systems are still located. In the east wing, accessible only via the basement or the exterior, was the indoor squash court (one of only two left in the country) and indoor pool, complete with changing rooms and shower.

We thanked Bernie profusely for allowing us in and sharing his time with us. Thanks, Bernie!

“Did You See the Sign?”

As we were looking at the outdoor tennis court, a white truck pulled up. Out popped a Park Ranger who wondered if we saw the sign. “Some of us did,” I responded. He curtly told us the area is closed. We should have read and obeyed the sign and we should make tracks to the dock and get back on our boats. “Yes sir!” we exclaimed as we walked back to the dinghies thankful for our most fortuitous visit to Carnegie’s Plum Orchard Cottage.

Arial view of the anchorage

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Breakfast Anyone? (Day 041)

Brickhill River, Plum Orchard Anchorage, Cumberland Island, GA MM 702.3
Distance Traveled: 19.4 Hours Underway: 3.1 Average Speed: 6.3

Weather: Mostly cloudy although we saw patches of blue sky on occasion; the temp range was 64 to 77 degrees in the bubble; winds were 15 to 20 knots out of the north; Jekyll Sound presented 3 foot waves and there was moderate chop on the waterway

Breakfast at the Jekyll Island Club

Comment: At 0800 hours, the crew of what S/V Harmony (a passing catamaran) called the “party fleet,” assembled in front of Sea Jays restaurant. The courtesy van from the Jekyll Island Club arrived at the appointed time to whisk us away to breakfast. We enjoyed breakfast in the warm setting of the main dinning room at the club. Breakfast was fine, but the company better. We enjoyed conversation over a leisurely breakfast in very peaceful surroundings.

After breakfast, the courtesy van returned us to the marina where we made preparations to depart. Departure began at 1010 hours. Sunshine led the parade today. We unfurled the jib as we made our way into Jekyll Sound. Three foot waves crashed against our beam making the boat rock a bit. The rocking continued until we turned to starboard. The new course put the waves on our beam and eased the motion considerably. Once behind Little Cumberland Island, there was light chop on the waterway. And so it was as we motor-sailed to the Brickhill River. We rolled the jib in to negotiate the Brickhill River. We traveled about four miles to the anchorage at Plum Orchard.

Tally Ho sailing in the salt marsh

SUNSHINE lay very well to anchor in strong current and 20 knot wind. Canvasback Too, only a few hundred feet to our north, repeatedly circled her anchor. Tally Ho re-anchored after a couple of hours and Reflection showed a bit of movement about her anchor. I can’t explain why SUNSHINE was so well behaved. Later in the evening, as the current lessened before changing direction, SUNSHINE started to swing to the wind.

Luckily for all of us, the wind seemed to diminish perceptibly by 2000 hours. In the earlier hours, it seemed as though it would be a rough evening. Although there was little chop, the hunting and sailing at anchor for all the boats in our group suggested that a good night’s sleep for the crew of each vessel might be hard to come by.

We enjoyed a nice dinner and watched TV before hitting the sack.

Arial view of our anchorage at Plum Orchard on the Brickhill River, Cumberland Island, GA


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A Cruiser's Tale (Day 040)

Jekyll Harbor Marina, Jekyll Island, GA MM 684.3
Distance Traveled: 15.0 Hours Underway: 2:50 Average Speed: 5.8mph

Weather: Partly sunny; temp range – 55 to 66 degrees; north wind @ 5 knots

Comment: Departure procedures from the Fort Frederica anchorage began at 0730, one-half hour before planned. SUNSHINE’S engines were fired up at 0725, the bubble windows were wiped down to remove the dew and condensation, and Canvasback Too was cast off. Next it is up with the kellet, disconnect it from the anchor rode, and then it’s up with the anchor. We did not use a bridle on the anchor rode last night. Once the rode is cleaned (Anna Marie washes it and the chain with the hose from the new pressure pump) and stowed, I motor away from the anchorage. Today, we are the last vessel to leave. Tally Ho had a ten minute head start, followed by Reflection and Canvasback Too.

We motored down the Frederica River to its intersection with the ICW, passed under the St. Simons Island Bridge, and into St. Simons Sound, where we unfurled the jib and motor-sailed on our way to Jekyll Island. Just before reaching Jekyll Creek, we passed Canvasback Too. We negotiated the treacherous creek at full tide. Luckily for Canvasback Too and Tally Ho (they both have 5' drafts), we have traversed all the treacherous shallows at high tide. No worries mates!

At the Jekyll Harbor Marina, we had to tread water until another vessel cleared the fuel dock. In the meantime, Canvasback Too tied up just behind Tally Ho and Reflection. We would take up residence behind them after filling with fuel.

Once on land, Anna Marie and I borrowed a couple of the marina’s loaner bikes and peddled of to the Historic District. We just needed to get a bit of exercise.

We returned to the boat in about an hour, when Ray and Dave happened by to watch me perform surgery on the Nissan dinghy motor. When we were in Bull Creek a couple of days ago, it wouldn’t start. In an attempt to get it going yesterday afternoon, I tried a few tricks and some of Andrew’s carburetor cleaner spray to no avail. I’ll need to disassemble it. I still think the carb must have gummed up.

With the help of Ray and Dave, the carburetor was removed. Only a few parts fell out but we were able to deduce their proper places when we put the carb back. Whew!

We discovered that this engine does not have a needle valve. The carburetor seemed to be very clean. We made sure all the orifices were cleared and put the unit back on the engine, without having removed the bowl. I was afraid small pieces would pop out and that we wouldn’t know where to put them. There's nothing like having left over parts after a project like this. We hoped this cleaning process would allow the engine to fire. The good news is that we learned how to remove the carb and that we could do it in about 5 minutes should we need to remove it again.

As you might have guessed, try as we might, the engine would not start. We could get it to fire, but it would not keep running. By this time, Andrew arrived and he suggested we remove the carburetor and then the bowl. Once off the motor, Andrew removed the bowl from the carburetor. We found a float valve rather than a needle valve. Andrew removed the pivot pin and took out the float valve. A small piece fell off and Andrew asked if any of us noticed the orientation of the piece. It might be important when we put it back together. As it turns out, the orientation did not matter as the piece functioned properly in either of the two possible positions.

With the float removed, Andrew found a gummed up bowl. He cleaned it out and also found what appeared to be a bit of sand. The bowl was cleaned up, reattached to the carb which was reattached to the motor. All the hoses were reconnected. We mounted the engine of the stern rail, put in a thimble full of fuel and pulled on the cord. It started right up and kept running! Success? Seems so!! We lowered the dinghy, attached the motor, started it and allowed it to run for ten minutes before closing the fuel switch. Success indeed!

Once the tools were put away, we all marched up the gang plank to Sea Jays for dinner. The food was good, but paled in comparison to the camaraderie we share. This is cruising!

Arial view of Jekyll Harbor Marina, Jekyll Island, GA



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Hard Work? (Day 039)

Fort Frederica, St Simon Island, GA MM 665.7
Distance Traveled: 44.1 Hours Underway: 7.0 Average Speed: 6.3

Weather: Mostly cloudy, although at times, we saw the sun; temp range 50 to 77 (in the bubble); winds were 10 knots or less out of the north; a cold front has moved in for weekend; the forecast is for rain tomorrow and Monday

Comment: Everyone seemed to enjoy the anchorage (Cattle Pen Creek) which seems more protected from wind and current than Walberg Creek. We had a great night’s sleep and were ready to go at 0730. We fired up and cast Canvasback Too off and hauled the anchor. We followed Canvasback Too and Tally Ho out of the anchorage. Reflection slept in, but caught up with us in an hour or so.

We had a fine day on the water. we enjoyed a push from the current for most of the day. The guys with the five foot draft were especially pleased to pass the notoriously shallow Little Mud Creek at high tide. The depth gauge never showed any alarmingly low readings. With a north wind, we were able to unfurl the jib and motor-sail most of the way to fort Federica.

Reflection invited everyone aboard for gooey brownies, but we had to pass. We still can’t get the Nissan motor started. I’m sure it’s a fuel starvation issue. I suspect the carburetor is gummed up. We’ll take it ashore tomorrow (we have reservations at Jekyll Island Marina). It will be easier to work on it on land.


Sunset from Fort Frederica, on the Frederica River, St. Simons Island, GA



Once at the anchorage, we set the anchor, deployed the kellet and tied Canvasback Too along side. We’ll enjoy Dave’s company again. I think he’s cooking omelets and hash tonight but not before we enjoy a little nap! Ya gotta believe that cruising is hard work!

Captain Dave's Double Stuffed Omlete - Gooood!

Arial view of the Fort Frederica Anchorage, St. Simons Island, GA



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