Saiboats Fair and Fine# 42 : Read oldest posts first

Continue Nov. 21 Friday Georgene's Log

We had to get fuel this evening and we put into a marina at Jekyll Island,Georgia. This place is where so many wealthy families had “Cottages” in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The state of Georgia now owns the Island which is now a state park and open to the public. We are now at mile 684. Tomorrow, if all goes well, we will be in Florida. Doug Says I'll be warmer just because I'll know I'm in Florida!

Saturday Nov22,1986 Georgenen's log

We got up early had breakfast and walked about 1 1/4 miles to the grocery store_ and back to the marina. It was a bout 10 A.M. when we left the marina. We had a really nice sunny day even though it was cold most of the day. We had to cross St Andrews sound and we were actually in the ocean water before we rounded the last marker and turned back in on the Southern side of the sound to find a channel through more marsh grass. It's the most seaward point since we left Virginia. We crossed the St. Mary's River, the boarder between Georgia and Florida about 2 P.M. WE anchored across from Fernandina beach Marina about 3:30 P.M. It really felt good to finally be in Florida. We plan to stay anchored here tomorrow and clean the boat up and let it dry out. It's supposed to be sunny and close to 80 degrees.

Crossing the St Mary's River is a little different experience the tide runs swift and you are crossing shipping channels with ships ,submarines trawlers tugs and barges an every manner of pleasure boat going in all directions. You come out in the river beside a Ship yard where ships set way up in the air in dry dock. There are barges for troops to stay aboard. ( I guess that's what they are.) It seems no matter which way you look there are shrimp boats coming at you or crossing your bow. This was my first impression on other trips through there not much was going on. First impressions are usually lasting so that's the way I picture the place.

The town is old and a fishing town with shrimper's and fishing boats a plenty. The place is kind of special to me as My Grandfather left Roanoke Va. On a train as a young man in 1870 and rode to the end of the line which was at that time Fernandina. There was a housing boom going on as people were moving there from new York. He became a house builder. There is a bar there that dates back to 1850 or so. I st there drinking a beer and imagined him setting there having a drink. There is a painting of a reclining lady of the night on the wall be the bar

I spent a fair amount of time watching the debarker skin logs at the paper mill. A great place to stop Fernandina!

Sailboats Fair and Fine # 41 : read oldest posts first

Here is one of the occasional hunting fishing lodges along the waterway in Georgia. Most lodges are back in the trees on land.

Nov.18,Tuesday ( Georgene's Log )

It was still foggy this morning. WE waited and ate breakfast and about 9a.m. We decided to go anyway-carefully. We motored on compass courses from marker to marker until after noon. The fog slowly lifted and we had a few hours coming down the Coosaw River that we could see. It was still partly cloudy and chilly. We wanted to get as far as Beaufort S.C. ( pronounced Bufort If you prononce wrong you'll be told) and it was dark when we anchored.

Nov 19,Wed.

We probably should have stayed here a couple of days in Beaufort. We had to wait until 9: oo A.M. to get through the swing Bridge and then we stopped at the city marina for fuel and water. It was really a nice marina with a laundramat and store and the town had stores( groceries etc. ) very close to the water front. We may stop on the way N orth next spring and spend a couple days. Now we just want to get farther south- quick. We decided to try and get as far as Thunderbolt Ga. At mile 583. We sailed a good part of the day which we haven't done a lot of since we crossed the Albermarele Sound. We really made good time and we thought we would be anchored by 5P.M. We didn't count on waiting on a couple of bridges to open though and it was about 6 when we dropped the hook just about a mile past Thunderbolt.

Nov. 20, Thursday Georgenes log

We started off early this morning in the rain. It's been raining all day and still is. Although we anchored early,about 3pm we traveled about 45 miles today. It started raining harder and we were wet, cold and tired so we decided to call it a day. We ducked in a little creek off the waterway and dropped our Anchors.

Nov. 21 Friday Georgenens Log

We got up this morning to find that we had anchored in a very pretty spot. The sun was coming up and not many clouds. Cold, but clear today most of the day we were in narrow creeks bordered by marsh grass. It's really funny to be going along and see grass for miles and miles and see other sailboats maybe a mile or so away and it looks like there in the middle of a field. You can't see the next creek or river until you get right to the markers to make a turn. Every so often you see a tree or a little clump of trees on the bank and then grass for miles and miles. The sun came out this afternoon nice and warm. It's really been a nice day.

It's odd to me that everyone complains about going through Georgia. It's only a hundred miles and It's just a grassy wilderness kind of like so much of the Carolina's are forest wildernesses. When you do come on a fishing shack it's a treat. Running ranges is a little difficult at first but you soon get the hang of it. It sure keeps you in the channel. With little creeks coming in from the sides of the waterway and a current coming out of them you would soon find yourself setting on a mud flat without range markers to line up fore and aft.

When the tide is in Your sails are well above the grass and there is lots of motor sailing to be don. The waterway is so crooked purely sailing would be difficult. A lot of boats go off shore through this section of the country. Ihave met a lot of people in the Bahamas that have never been down the waterway they always go offshore. I always try to talk them into traveling the intracoastal once anyway, it's a beautiful trip but I guess not for everyone.

Saiboats Fair and Fine # 40 : read oldest posts first

The Picture on the bottom is beaufort S.C. and the one on the top is the Georia Savannas and this is where Savanah gets it's name.

Nov.18,Tuesday ( Georgene's Log )

It was still foggy this morning. WE waited and ate breakfast and about 9a.m. We decided to go anyway-carefully. We motored on compass courses from marker to marker until after noon. The fog slowly lifted and we had a few hours coming down the Coosaw River that we could see. It was still partly cloudy and chilly. We wanted to get as far as Beaufort S.C. ( pronounced Bufort If you prononce wrong you'll be told) and it was dark when we anchored.

Nov 19,Wed.

We probably should have stayed here a couple of days in Beaufort. We had to wait until 9: oo A.M. to get through the swing Bridge and then we stopped at the city marina for fuel and water. It was really a nice marina with a Laundromat and store and the town had stores( groceries etc. ) very close to the water front. We may stop on the way North next spring and spend a couple days. Now we just want to get farther south- quick. We decided to try and get as far as Thunderbolt Ga. At mile 583. We sailed a good part of the day which we haven't done a lot of since we crossed the Albermarele Sound. We really made good time and we thought we would be anchored by 5P.M. We didn't count on waiting on a couple of bridges to open though and it was about 6 when we dropped the hook just about a mile past Thunderbolt.

Sailboats Fair and Fine # 39 : Read oldest posts first

Well we had anchored at Charleston on the 7^th and it was now the 18th.of Nov. It's been a Long stay. My business Partner Bob Grow was in town doing consulting work. He showed us around town, took us to dinner and then grocery shopping at least once. We did all the touristy stuff around town visiting museums, and the slave market, the customs house and walked the docks on the Cooper river. We wondered along the Battery and looked at the old homes along it.

One thing I really enjoyed was a model sailboat race on a small lake in town. Sailing them looked to be great fun except that those guys take the whole thing dead serious. I doubt that I could get that wrapped up in it.

We rode the little wooden bodied trolley all over town. This tourist thing is something we have never done much of so we really had a good time as it was kind of new for us. My Parents came from the deep south and they always had a fondness for the southern cities and I guess some of rubbed off on me. I found the place fascinating.

We had done a lot of walking since leaving the York River and now were able to walk a couple miles going and then coming with an armload of groceries with out any problem. We were both felling pretty good about that.

On our last morning there I walked into town in rain and fog and got our mail. When I got back Georgene was ready to go but we were fogged in. We lounged around drinking coffee and reading our mail. Georgene had sent off a lot of letters as we traveled so she had a stack of responses full of questions about our travels. That would keep her busy over the next week or so answering them.

Finally about 1:30 P.M. the fog lifted just a little so we weighed our anchors and headed out. We motored compass courses from buoy to buoy. The temperature was getting up around 70 degrees now and the fog and clouds were patchy. After a time We hoisted the foresail and picked up a knot in an almost nonexistent breeze. After about 20 miles we rounded a marker and headed into Church creek. As we finished up our anchoring which took a couple tries to find bottom firm enough to hold us so we were in very shallow water but secure. The fog began settling in again as the temperature dropped some. After sun set low flying scuddy clouds came through. There was a bright moon coming through the clouds and a dog barked over on the shore, we could hear people talking.

A few other boats came in, in the fog and anchored. We could see their anchor lights but not them.

There were some trees along the south shore and a couple times when the moon came out from behind a cloud we could see them all spooky and forlorn looking draped in silvery Spanish moss. I had the old Kerosene anchor light but I also had a an electric light as well so I put it up to to see how much farther the battery light could be seen beyond the kero light. I got in the dingy and rowed off to look. To my surprise the yellow kero lantern could be seen farther than the expensive battery light. The kerosene light had a very good Fresno lens. The electric light had one that was simulated out of plastic. After that I felt much better riding to anchor at lest in the fog with my old standby kerosene light.

Sailboats Fair and Fine #38: read oldest posts first

I hadn't put my long underwear on so I donned them this time and they felt good after being wet. I went topside and began hoisting sails. In a few minutes we were barreling along in a stiff breeze with no waves. The water way only about fifty yards wide hand nothing more than a riffle on it. It feels kind of unnatural to sail in a good breeze with no waves but boy do you go. Around noon we were in the harbor sailing hard on the wind but it had fallen light so were kind of ghosting along. In the waterway you seldom get to let the boat sail itself. Here in the harbor we did and it was really pleasant and it's a great reminder as to what schooners and ketches are for. temperature was up and the sun was warm so we heated up some water and took baths in the cockpit. We finished and dressed just before a tour boat passed us.

We had passed under the guns of Fort Sumter and now were reviewing those along the Battery of Charleston itself. We were heading for the mouth of the Ashley river and beating against a swift tide. Progress was slow. We didn't care. The sun was low in the sky and just beginning to turn the sky pink. After a time we eased into and anchorage behind a red nun dropped two hooks and dropped back on them and hung beside the buoy about thirty yards from it. There were more boats coming into the Ashley and they began anchoring really close. We put fenders over the side just in case. WE wound up with six boats in a very small place and all but us left the minute their anchors hit bottom. WE generally try to make it a habit to stay with the boat at least through a change of tide to see how she will ride at anchor. I guess I don't trust my anchoring as much as some do. You never know though it may be divine providence they trust in or insurance.

It was getting chilly so we covered up in a blanket and watched the sun set under the Ashley Bridge while our coffee was making. AS the dark settled in over the distant Fort Sumter I tried the imagine the shelling back and forth between Yankee ships and the fort about one hundred thirty five years before. Cars running up and down the road beside the anchorage made that a little difficult. We were to stay a couple of weeks and I was never comfortable with the anchorage. The mud bottom had been churned up by thousands of anchorings over the years and boats dragged often in the strong tide. If there was much wind blowing we never stayed away from the boat where the wind was against the tide. There were boats running to and fro at anchor and some pulled out. One couple came home in the middle of the night and had to retrieve their boat from the coast guard station. They then took the boat out into the middle of the channel and anchored. In a few minutes the coast guard made them move and they ran up and down the river most of the night and come daybreak they anchored be side us way to close. At least this time they stayed aboard until the departed. We were glad to see them go.