SAVANNAH TO THE "SANDY" BEACHES OF FLORIDA

We finally slipped the dock lines at the Sail Harbor Marina and started heading South again on Tuesday, October 23rd. We have our problems resolved for now with a new anchor and chain and a lot of local knowledge on how to avoid losing our anchor again. I even got my phone replaced and delivered to me on Monday before we left. We also had a great time with Captain Mark and Kat (I hope I spelled that right) who made us a fantastic brunch and Mark and I played a few songs on the guitars. Mark is an exceptional musician and it was a pleasure to jam with him. We have been making a habit of picking out several possibilities for our next stop, depending on how far we can go that day. A lot depends on the tides, the weather, bridges, and other complications we may encounter. We had been planning on doing an overnight trip from Savannah to St. Augustine on the outside in the ocean. Captain Mark was going to sail single handed and thought it would be good to have the company. The only problem was this tropical storm, soon to become a hurricane, called Sandy around Jamaica that was heading our way. We decided to stay on the intercoastal and Mark decided to stay put. We were followed into the ICW by another sailboat that we later learned was named Windfall. The trail down the ICW at this point was a maze of winding creeks, rivers and "cuts" that stay close to the shoreline and takes us through several inlets with direct access into the ocean. The rivers and creeks tend to be relatively calm with less wind exposure, the cuts tend to be narrow and shallow, and the inlets are generally open to the high winds and waves from the ocean. It provided a variety of scenery and challenges as we worked our way down the coast. A classic Southern Home in Isle of Hope

The changing shoreline

There were many wildlife preserves and some classic southern homes along the shoreline. We began to talk with Windfall on the radio and found he was headed South to Miami. We decided to anchor together in the Crescent River as the sun started getting lower on the horizon. Since this was our first attempt to anchor with our new equipment, we wanted to make sure we would not have any challenges like we had before. The anchorage was far enough up the river and around a bend that provided some wind protection, there was plenty of depth at 10 to 12 feet at low tide, there were only 2 of us, so there would be plenty of swing room. The only thing we could not control was the tide changes that would make us swing 180 degrees. With our new ground tackle, we could put out a 7 to 1 scope with all chain. With that much chain on the bottom, our reliable CQR anchor, and the good sand and mud bottom, we were not going anywhere and the chain would never get close to our keel. We invited Windfall over for dinner and cocktails and learned that his name was Derrick and was an Englishman who was retired and had a condo in Miami. Denise prepared a nice dinner and we had good conversation as the sun went down and the moon and stars came out. We called it a night with the idea of getting up at sunrise and going as far into Florida as we could. Another sunset on Crescent River

Although we instinctively checked our position several times during the night and set the anchor alarm, we had a good nights rest and were up before the sun and on our way as she popped above the horizon. The wind was steadily increasing all day as Sandy had become a hurricane and was plowing through Jamaica and Cuba on it's way to the Bahamas. Sandy was already frustrating our efforts to go outside and now looked like it was going to stop us for a few more days as it was projected to create havoc along the Florida coast. We were following Windfall as we came up on our first inlet called Altamaha Sound. The winds increased and the seas became a little choppy, but we ducked back into the protection of the barrier islands with little discomfort. St. Simons Sound was next and it brought us further out into the open ocean area and we began to feel the force of the wind and waves that were reported to be 3 or 4 times worse on the open ocean. St. Andrews Sound was different. It had a narrow channel that brought us out beyond the barrier islands before it turned back into the protection of the ICW. This was a little more challenging. There were depths as low as 3 feet on each side and the waves were building the further out we went into the sound. If we were to run aground in the shallow areas, the waves would make it very difficult to get off without severe damage since they, and the tide, were pushing us towards those shallow areas to our starboard. The channel marker that signaled the end of the shallow areas was about 2 miles out and had an ominous warning of "BREAKERS" on it's port side. The chart plotter showed a path on the port side of the bouy and then a sharp turn to starboard and another 2 to 5 mile distance until we regained the shelter of the islands and the ICW. Although exciting,and a little unnerving we were able to negotiate the channel, despite our charplotter showing us in the very shallow areas while the channel markers and our depth sounder showed us well into the deeper channel. We were a little more confused when Windfall cut straight across the shallow area that was showing 3 feet or less! He had said he was having some trouble with his autopilot and even his chartplotter, but we were hoping that he had a tremendous amount of local knowledge to give him the confidence to cut that corner. Although tempted to follow, we held to our course and finally made the turn without running aground or getting into the breakers. We were now on a downwind run with the wind and our waves on our stern. The tide and waves that was slowing us to 5 knots was now pushing us over 8. Ducking behind the islands after crossing an inlet.

We decided to head for a safe place to wait out Sandy and made reservations at Amelia Island Yacht Basin that claimed the locals used them as a hurrican hole. Amelia Island and the town of Fernandina is the first town in Florida right across the state line from Georgia. St. Mary's Inlet is the dividing line between the two states, but was pretty much a non event after St. Andrews Sound. We also were having a problem with our packing gland. This is a packing around the shaft that allows water to seep in and keep the propeller shaft cool. If it is too tight, it could damage your shaft and cause vibrations. If it is too loose, too much water will drip into the bilge. We had our packing changed a few years ago, but we never seemed to get the right balance. Fortunately, it always had too much water coming in, which kept the shaft cool and did no damage. We have adjusted this several times ourselves and had professionals do it at least 3 times and it never seems to hold, so we will have the marina fix the problem for good. (We hope). We arrived just in time as the winds from Sandy had increased as it battered the Bahamas. We did everything we could to secure the boat and so far, other than being pressed against the dock for a few days, we seem to be in a safe place while we wait for Sandy to go away. Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island is a beautiful little town and a favorite of locals and tourists alike. It has a rich history, beautiful buildings and natural scenery, and friendly people. A submarine base just before crossing over into Florida.

A welcoming rainbow from hurricane Sandy

Some Beautiful houses and buildings in Fernandina Beach

A lot of other cruisers have taken refuge at Amelia Island Yacht Basin and they have a tiki bar called Somewhere where we can gather and talk about boats and cruising. Except for the relentless wind, we are enjoying our unscheduled stop, even though it will make us late for our arrival in Key West. Although the eye of Sandy has gone North and looks like it is going to make landfall in New Jersey, we are still getting pounded by gale force winds. We can't imagine what some of our friends we met along the way are experiencing in those areas. Good luck to all in Sandy's path. The winds died down on Sunday and we anticipated leaving Monday, but we awoke to winds in the 20's and gusts into the 30's. Even though we are staying in the intercoastal, the winds can make it hazardous and we still have to go across open inlets with potential for rough waters from the ocean waves and tides. Apparently with Sandy turning West, we are on the outer rings of wind from this huge storm. We decided to stay put and see what happens. We'll let you know when we get moving again. In the meantime, tell Hurricane Sandy to go away! To my sister Sandy and all our other friends with the same name, no offense intended and you are all welcome!