Farewell to Florida

After a short delay due to heavy fog, we departed Palm Cove Marina in Jacksonville for the last time this trip. The fog cleared pretty quickly and we were able to enjoy some sights unique to this area. A car carrier was heading out to sea as we approached the St. Johns River and then we passed some Navy ships going through refurbishment.

It was a pretty clear run up to Fernandina Beach. We enjoyed the countryside and the waterway, and made good time since there was minimal traffic on the water. Fernandina has a curious mix of industry, tourism, a marina with yachts of various sizes and boats anchored out in the bay. Dredge equipment was also at work on the water.

We enjoyed the cruise through southern Georgia. It was a very nice warm day and the water was calm. We made it through the Kings Bay Submarine Base area without getting into any trouble with the security boats.

We made it through St. Andrews Sound just south of Jekyll Island. It is a tricky path and you have to watch the depths carefully. We watched one impatient boater, who happened to pass us quickly a little earlier, backtrack when he realized he wasn't taking the correct route. He was lucky he didn't run aground. Going by Jekyll Island was the nail-biter moment of the day. It was low tide and the area is well-known for skinny water. We took it really slow and had our eyes glued on the depth sounder. Once through that section, we entered the Brunswick River and passed the Golden Ray auto carrier that ran aground last year and is being dismantled piecemeal. We could see progress from the time we first saw it in November. 

The winds were picking up as we approached our marina for tonight. Fortunately, they were blowing in a helpful manner and docking was uneventful. It is a large marina with a lot of activity. We enjoyed watching the tall ship dock in the heavy winds. It was artful.

Tomorrow we head to another new marina, Isle of Hope.