Moving North on the AICW

April 23-30

Days 163-170

After spending the past 5 months in Florida (counting the side trip to the Bahamas) it is finally time to leave this beautiful state behind us. The scenery changes rapidly as we move into the sawgrass country of Georgia and South Carolina. It is certainly interesting, even though it can become rather boring after miles and miles of grassland. Everything was going great until we developed a problem with our starboard engine and a horrible racket started coming from the area of our port engine. Not good! Jess finally tracked down the second problem as nothing to do with the engine (thank goodness). Somewhere in our travels we had evidently connected with a crab pot (really!) and the line had tangled in our cutter on the port shaft. With some time in the water he was able to get most of the line loose and the problem corrected itself. The starboard issue was a little more stressful. It actually died on us while we were dropping anchor and would not crank the next morning. Time to creep into a marina to hopefully get us back up and running under full power. Of course the wind was blowing ninety to nothing as we headed to Brunswick and St. Andrew's inlet was raging. We puttered along on one engine, and while we were a little uncomfortable, we made it to safe harbor with no problems. The best part of the day turned out to be seeing a ray leap out of the water twice right in front of us. It is an awesome sight that we have been lucky enough to witness twice so far on this adventure.  It was also great to see Roger and Mary on TaTa for a few minutes when we arrived at the marina. They were on their way north and hung around just long enough to help with our lines and say hello. Just like so many other times on this journey, we soon met new friends, Terry and Donna on their Albin 36, Meridian. Terry came right over to help Jess diagnose our engine problems and between these two brilliant minds, and a substantial amount of trial and error, our starboard engine was back in running order.  Serenity and Mara Belle, whom we had last seen at the Rendezvous were also here, so we enjoyed catching up with them at docktails. As our goal was to catch up to TaTa as quickly as possible, we put in a couple of long days in order to meet them on anchor at Hilton Head. A nice walk and a stop for Happy Hour left us with enough time for a nice game of Euchre.  Our short break must have been good for Mary and I, because for the first time we won back to back matches! It was nice to  visit with Roger and Mary again even if it was only for a few days. Hopefully someday we will make it to  British Columbia to see their beautiful province.

 Back in the ICW headed north. Luckily for us most of the bridges we have to negotiate have enough clearance for us to slip under.  Many of the railroad bridges are left open, as this one is, unless there is a train on its way.

After spending a few hours struggling with the engine (and having no luck), Jess decided it was time to take a break. We enjoyed a walk around the historical area of Brunswick. This is one of the most unique war memorials we have run across in out travels.

Shows how smart I am. I had never connected brunswick stew with the town of Brunswick, GA.

Unfortunately the pot was empty. We did enjoy a very nice meal with Terry and Donna at Indigo Coastal Shanty on Saturday night. 

After resting on the problem Friday night and a quick trip to West Marine on Saturday morning, my mechanic (thank goodness), is back in the engine room.  A few hours later, with a minimal amount of frustration and the engine is once again humming. No big deal!

The old homes are beautiful, but the trees are absolutely breathtaking!  The huge old oak trees that shade the streets are amazing. Thank goodness Asplundh hasn't been here!

The grounds that surround the old courthouse are groomed to perfection. This is what the old south looked like, at least as I think of it.

There seems to be no limit to the design of stunning sailing ships.  This gorgeous lady was waiting for the finishing touch just north of Savannah.

We never seem to leave crab pots far behind us in our travels. It has just become part of our navigation strategies. Traveling the ICW is a little easier than open water, because they are usually placed just outside of the channel.

Even though the Sam Varnedog Bascule bridge would have had enough clearance for Bama Dream, it had to be opened for the sailboats ahead of us.

Finally back with our traveling buddies, Roger and Mary on TaTa. We anchored in the harbor at Hilton Head. Then we stretched our legs with a nice walk and found the perfect spot to enjoy Happy Hour. Had a great evening catching up on cruising stories and beating the guys 2 out of 3 at Euchre.

Sunrise means it is time to pull anchor and continue our journey north. Dolphins greeted us as they swam by our boat in their search for breakfast. Our next stop, Beaufort, SC.

If you are ever in Beaufort, make sure you find a place called The Fillin' Station. We were fortunate to be here on a Tuesday night when they serve crab legs for $12.00. They do have a very limited menu, one item each evening, Tuesday through Friday. Don't go there if you are in a hurry. Plan on at least two hours, but with a few drinks and wonderful friends to share stories with, who is in a hurry anyway? Terry and Donna pulled into Lady's Island Marina as we were headed for shore and they invited us to join them.

I think Jess has found his new favorite place. Roger and Mary joined us after they had made a quick tour of the historical area of Beaufort. What a wonderful evening!

Time to put the dinghy up in preparation of a long Dayan the water.  We have experienced quite a bit of rain lately, so before we could lift her, Jess had to do a little bailing. We had planned to spend our day touring Beaufort, but the weather prediction was not favorable, so we decided to continue north.

The black clouds threatened most of the day. For a short time they did a sight more than threaten, but we persevered and finally put in at a nice anchorage in Church Creek. Around rain storms Jess managed to cook us a great meal and Mary and I won two more games of Euchre. We are on a roll.

 

The current was strong in the cut as we were coming into Charleston. Luckily it was going our way. We saw speeds of 11mph! Wow, hold onto your hat!

The aircraft carrier USS Yorktown is docked in the harbor here for visitors to tour. We saw more commercial traffic here than any of the other ports we have visited. Our choice of marinas was fantastic for our short stay, because of its proximity to downtown Charleston. Can't say that it was the best choice for ease of docking though. We stayed at Charleston Maritime Marina which is great except for the strong current getting in and out of the docks. The story of leaving here will wait for another time.

The Second Presbyterian Church founded in 1809. This is just one of the many stately structures we found as we enjoyed walking around Charleston.

Charleston City Market provides the perfect spot for local artisans to sell their creations. Making baskets out of seagrass is a craft that has been kept alive by local craftsmen. We also found dried okra that is absolutely amazing! Wish I knew where to get more.

Time for a short break to rehydrate. Southern Brewery & Smokehouse provided us with a nice snack and a drink as we sat outside tourist watching.

Rainbow Row is a famous spot on the tour of Charleston. Very pretty street close to the waterfront.

Jess was not behaving while we were trying to get this shot by the fountain on the waterfront.

Need somebody good with photoshop to take out the guy walking by behind us. Oh well, the day was fantastic and the fountain was beautiful.

Roger and Mary do better with selfies than we do. Neither Jess nor my arms are long enough to get the camera far enough away from our faces.

One more night and it is time to say good-bye to Roger and Mary again. They will finish the loop when they get back to Canada so they are not in any hurry to head north. We still have a long way to go!

St. John's River

April 14-22

Days 154-162

Our third side trip has certainly had its high and low points. Beginning our trip into the river at Jacksonville, meant that we had at least two days of travel before getting into the smaller waters that we were looking forward to. Jess and I were both hoping to catch a few fish, as well as see some wildlife.  Our patience paid off as we continued south. An excursion up Black Creek provided everything we could ask for. There were alligators basking in the sunshine, birds, turtles, and yes even a few of the blackest bass we had ever caught. Life is good!  Our trip then took us past some quiet riverside communities as we headed towards Lake George. The lake is famous for its bass fishing, but with just our dinghy to fish out off it proved to be way too much water for us. We did enjoy the crystal clear waters provided by one of the several natural springs that feed into the St. John's. Continuing our journey southward we finally reached our goal of Blue Springs State Park. This spring is the winter home of hundreds of manatees, which, unfortunately, we were too late to see. We were able to see huge gar that are evidently not in as much of a hurry to leave these beautiful warm waters as the manatee were. Our trip down the St. John's was certainly worth the time spent. The sights and sounds along the way have given us many lasting memories; osprey and eagles catching fish for their numerous fledglings, large black turtles, so many alligators we lost count, fish jumping everywhere, the chorus of frogs, bugs, and birds to go to sleep with and wake up with everyday, sunsets and sunrises painting stunning pictures across the water, and absolutely no snakes (at least that we saw).

 

Our first stop was in Julington Creek so that we could take a dinghy ride to Clark's Fish Camp. This is certainly a very unique restaurant in what appears to be the middle of nowhere (at least by boat). The food was excellent, but what makes the place stand out is its decor. I don't know where they all came from, but there are stuffed animals from all over the world hanging from the ceiling and in every corner. It actually was kind of creepy. Sort of like being in a zoo of dead animals.

The ride up Black Creek gave us a taste of what we had hoped to find as we traveled down the St. John's.  We spent two days here enjoying the scenery, wildlife and fishing. After spending two months in the Bahamas catching unfamiliar fish, it sure was nice to hook into a bass again.

Jess was thrilled to pull this beauty in.  We had had several hits, but were not managing to set our hooks.  Guess we were a little out of practice.

Not a stunning sunset, but Bama Dream sure looks peaceful here on this quiet stretch of Black Creek.  Just a short time later it wasn't so quiet when all of the night creatures started making themselves known.

Great way to celebrate my birthday. It was such a beautiful morning we went fishing early and then Jess cooked our breakfast. 

We dropped anchor at Green Cove Springs to spend a few hours tending to the necessities. Ate breakfast at Hardee's, picked up a few things at Dollar General and Advance Auto Parts.  Realized it may be our last chance to get propane for awhile, so Jess went back to the boat for our tanks and the trusty wagon. Then it was a 2 mile walk to Walgreen's to swap tanks, and a 2 mile walk back.

Just about every day marker is topped with an osprey nest. These two were just as interested in us, as I was in them. Unfortunately, I couldn't believe how close they let us get, so I forgot to keep taking pictures. Could have gotten a really good shot. These waters must be full of fish to support the number of osprey and eagles that call the St. John's home.

A breathtaking sunrise over Lake George.  Fish were jumping all around us until the sun rose above the horizon.  That must have been their signal to calm down for the day.

If you look very closely you will see the only alligator I managed to catch in a picture.  By the time I spotted them and grabbed my phone they would go under.  The dark area just right of middle is his wake, and the white speck just below the tree line is his head.  Good luck with that!

Due to the sparkling clear water of Blue Springs the large gar are easy to see. This is a beautiful park, providing a nice setting for kayakers and canoers. During the winter months many manatee come here to enjoy the warm water. They had already departed for their summer homes, so we will have to make a point of returning here another time.

The dark line in the center of the picture is the entrance to the spring.  Blue Springs produces over 100 million gallons of clear, fresh, 72 degree water each day.  Certified cave divers are allowed to enter the caverns, and swimmers can enjoy the pool when the manatees are no longer in residence.

Those of you who have been following our travels since the beginning, know that we were caught in a fierce storm when we went through Decatur in October.  Well, it happened again!  Just as we were entering Lake George headed north, the bottom fell out, the wind blew, and the waves slapped against our bow.  Seasoned boaters that we have become, we stayed our coarse and finally made it across the lake no worse for wear.  We were very happy to tuck in behind Hog Island for a quiet night on anchor.

After surviving the storm, we felt blessed to enjoy this lovely sunrise. Finding perfect anchorages is definitely not a problem on the St. John's.

There are several railroad bridges along the river that stay open for boat traffic, unless there is a train coming.  We did have a few bridges that we had to have opened, but the guys controlling them were always very nice and quick to accommodate us.

Not sure that I would want to have a nuclear power plant in my back yard, but there are several of them located in this area of Florida. Guess it is kind of like the trash dump. We all need them, but nobody wants them in their neighborhood.

Finally got close enough to a manatee to get a picture.  These two big guys were foraging around the dock at Outback Crab Shack.  They didn't hang around long, so this was my best shot.

Our final night on the St. John's found us anchored in Six Mile Creek so that we could make the trip up to the Outback Crab Shack.  We shared a bar-b-que platter that had so much on it that we took half of it back to the boat.  Another interesting, out of the way experience.

Had to take the opportunity for one more morning of fishing before heading for Jacksonville. Jess was showing off here. He threw his line into a tree and as it is dangling over the water he says to me, "Watch this". Sure enough this gar grabbed his lure and into the trees we went.  Luckily for Jess, the gar fell off just as he was trying to figure out how he was going to get him unhooked (they have teeth).

The wind picked up, which makes fishing out of the dinghy rather difficult, so we decided to take nice ride up Trout Creek before weighing anchor.  

The sun was shining brightly, encouraging the turtles to find their favorite logs. We hated to say good-bye to the St. John's, but it is well past time to start making tracks north.

Jess did a fantastic job fighting a very strong current as we pulled up to the dock at Jacksonville Landing. We are tied up just past the bridge. It seemed to be a great spot, little did we know that the city had determined that the bridge needed some work. Of course that means they closed it in the evening, and worked on it right outside our bedroom window all night long. 

The riverfront in Jacksonville is certainly colorful after dark.  We went for a nice walk, then checked out the wide variety of restaurants available before settling on Chicago Pizza. The pizza was very good, but the main reason we stopped there was that the Braves were on TV. That was the first time we had been able to watch part of a game.

The dolphins came out to meet us as we prepared to return to the ICW. I don't think we will ever get to the point that we are not thrilled when they decide to ride our wake.

Palm Coast to Jacksonville

April 10-14

Days 150-154

Our arrival back at Palm Coast Marina early Friday morning means we have just one more day on our car rental, with lots of stuff to get done. Jess needs to get the oil changed in the engines so that he can take the old oil to Advance Auto for proper disposal. We also need to make a trip to Publix for groceries.  Everything gets accomplished with time to spare, which means we have time for one last ride up the coast and a nice supper out before we find ourselves back on foot. By Monday morning we are ready to hit the road (water) to continue our trip towards Jacksonville, where we will leave the ICW for another side trip down the St. John's River. The calendar is starting to worry us just a little. Days are flying by and we still have so many places that we want to visit along our way north. Knowing that we need to be cruising by the Statue of Liberty early in June is starting to put a bit of pressure on us. At our top speed it is rather difficult to hurry too much. 

A nice walk along the beach near Marineland, before having a good meal at the Oasis Restaurant in St. Augustine. 

After our trip back to north Alabama last week, I have been a little disappointed in the beauty of springtime in Florida. The many flowering trees that always signal the end of winter in Alabama just don't exist here. Other than the trees getting a little greener there is not a lot happening here to herald the coming spring. I guess the many blooming flowers that we have enjoyed all winter make up for some of this difference.

There are miles and miles of walking trails in Palm Coast.  We were able to enjoy this beautiful walk along the ICW on Sunday morning.  If you look closely you will see one of the many squirrels that live here perched in the crook of the tree branches.  He was very entertaining as he tried to get our attention, obviously looking for a handout.  The squirrels came out onto the walkway to greet us all along the way, someone is definitely carrying peanuts in their pockets.

One of the best things about Florida that we have found, is their concern for providing wonderful walking trails so that everyone can enjoy being outdoors.  Getting a little exercise is no problem when we are able to enjoy this beautiful scenery.

This big guy moored in St. Augustine's harbor makes me realize how lucky I am to be making this trip in the 21st century.  I know for a fact I don't want to climb that rigging!

This is the stunning Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.  We obviously could not see the lions from our perspective.  Sometimes traveling on the water gives us views that landlubbers don't see and sometimes it is the other way around.

We were experiencing one of many rain showers as we cruised by the fort at St. Augustine.

As Jess and I have both visited this area before, and we are anxious to get to the St. John's River, we decided to save another tour of the city for our next trip to Florida.

According to our charts this anchorage would provide us with a 4 mile nature walk.  If it exists we didn't exactly find it, but we did have a nice walk through the marshes.  We found thousands of tiny crabs, a few birds, and lots of bugs.  We actually didn't know how many bugs we found until the next day, when Jess started itching! 

This mega yacht building facility is located where the ICW enters the St. John's River east of Jacksonville. I don't think they have our next boat ready for us to pick up, so we will just keep trolling along.  The St. John's run south to north with quite a bit of current, so we are having a nice opportunity for sightseeing as we are only moving at about 6 mph.

This is the Napoleon Bonaparte Bridge, the first of many as we travel past Jacksonville. The only reason I could think of for naming it after him, was its comparison to a the hat that he wore. There is a lot of commercial traffic along the riverfront. 

This transport ship was unloading new Toyotas. They must have had at least 30 people driving them down the ramp, as fast as they were unloading them.

The waterfront area of Jacksonville is very pretty.  This picture shows the copper color of the water. The water is actually clear, but it is so dark that you can't see into it.

This is Jacksonville Landing. They provide a free dock for boaters to enjoy the entertainment along the riverfront. Jess says we are going to stop here on our way back so that we can eat at Hooters. Will let you know how that works out.