Thursday, April 5

Thursday dawned warm and clear.  Yes, Charlie does wake up early on the boat.  The forecast was not promising, with small craft warnings posted for both Friday and Saturday.  Given the choice of being stuck on St Simon Island or Hilton Head, we decided on the latter.  That meant skipping two spots we had intended to visit, St Simon, home of the world renowned Cloisters Resort and Blackbeard's Island
(a national park accessible only by boat with a beautiful anchorage).  There are many interesting places ahead and we needed to keep moving, still it was sad to pass them by.

Sapelo Sound

Our 124 mile cruise took us past Savanna where dockage and anchoring are made challenging because of nine foot tides.  The ICW along this stretch is a series of sounds - connected by winding rivers.  A great deal of the shoreline remains undeveloped, a nature lover's paradise.  With calm waters and under sunny skies, the six hours passed quickly.  We arrived at Shelter Cove Marina on Hilton Head late afternoon.  Enjoying our first cocktail of the evening the winds picked up, the gray clouds rolled in and the rain hit hard.

Wednesday April 4

Jekyll Island Bike Path

Today we cruised 18 miles to Jekyll Island arriving at 10:00 am.  Once a playground for families such as the Rockefellers, Morgans, and Vanderbilts it is now a state park with a national historic district and a commitment to preserving its natural elements.  65% of the island must remain undeveloped.
 These business tycoons formed their exclusive Millionaires' Club on this island hideaway.  Between 1888 and 1942 Jekyll Island was open only to Club members' family and guests.  During this "Club Era" a group of influential men met secretly in 1908 to form what would become a modern monetary system for the U.S. that led to the formation of the Federal Reserve System.
 J.P. Morgan anchored his 305 ft. yacht (the largest private yacht in the world at the time) just off of the Jekyll Island Club.  His famous quote about yacht ownership is on a plaque on the grounds.  It states "If you have to consider
the cost, you have no business with a yacht"......  that is why we have a little boat!

Jekyll Island Club Hotel

The national historic district, better known as "The Millionaires Village" has 29 historic structures that have been restored, including the Club House, now the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.
We enjoyed a 20 mile bike ride around the island - much of it under a canopy of live oak and spanish moss - really beautiful.
 A short walk on the beach ended our day.

Tueday April 3

Greyfield Inn

Cumberland Island Beach

We cruised a short 20 miles arriving on Cumberland Island at 9:00 am.  Cumberland is a designated National Seashore, and, as such, is preserved and protected from development.  The daily visitor rate is limited to 300 persons, ensuring a tranquil setting for the island's  "famous" wild horses and other native species.
 The story of the wild horses is an interesting one.  The Carnegie family started purchasing land on the island in the late 1800's, eventually owning 70% of the island.  They built several mansions for various family members - some remain, others are in ruins.  Upon Mrs. Carnegie's death in the 1930's she requested that all her horses be set wild on the island and they roam freely to this day.  We enjoyed a land and legacy tour provided by the park service, then proceeded to the beach and collected a few shells.

Wild horses of Cumberland Island

 Our day ended tied up to the pier of the lovely Greyfield Inn.  Following a brief tour of the Inn, we enjoyed a four course gourmet dinner.  This Inn was originally built for one of the Carnegie daughters - old school, old money.  A very charming place - it certainly takes you back in time.  ( JFK Jr. & Carolyn were married here - successfully keeping the event private.  That's how remote and laid back this island is - a welcomed reminder of how all the Atlantic barrier islands started out,  before becoming so over- developed.)

April 2

Florida's oldest bar

Charlie's gourmet dockside kitchen

After an outside ocean cruise of 68.5 miles we arrived at Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island,  located on the Florida/Georgia border.  Today, a cute little town its origins were quite the opposite.  While under Spanish ownership pirates, smugglers and runaway slaves found refuge here.  Throughout the years no fewer than eight flags have flown above it, making it the most disputed place in the United States.  Finally in 1817 the US took control of the town and cleaned Fernandina up.  We toured the town on bicycles, walked the beach and had a cocktail at the Paradise Saloon - Florida's oldest bar.  Back at the marina, Charlie fried up some fresh pompano in his "gourmet dockside kitchen".......  it was delicious!

April 1

On Palm Sunday, St Augustine has a long tradition of "Blessing the Fleet" -  hopefully the
White Label was blessed as the procession passed our slip at the marina.  For insurance, Kathy attended 9:00 mass at the oldest Catholic Church in America.  It was a lovely service held within an exquisite & spiritual setting.

Blessing of the Fleet

Under perfect weather conditions, we enjoyed a leisurely tour of the Historic District in the afternoon.  This is a great city and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit!

March 31

flamingo & reggae

After cruising sixty six miles on an outside open ocean run, we arrived in St. Augustine an hour ahead of a bad ass thunderstorm, - wind, lightening and even a little hail.
St. Augustine is the oldest continually occupied city in the United States.  It was founded the year after Michelangelo died and the year before Shakespeare was born.  Established in 1565 by the Spanish (to harass the
French), it is the site of the first Catholic Mass in the New World.
The Historic District covers 144 blocks and along with the fort, its streets are lined with numerous cathedrals and Spanish estates.  Two Henry Flagler properties, the Ponce de Leon and the Alcazar, both former hotels, can be toured and are very architectually interesting. 
After the weather cleared we biked to the lighthouse and ended our day with a cocktail or two at a pink flamingo/reggae outdoor party.

March 30

We started our Great Loop, late as always at 8:33 AM, heading up the Indian River to the Ft. Pierce Inlet, one of the safest and best passages between the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) and the Atlantic Ocean.  The conditions were calm and we were able to make a 130 mile run north on the Atlantic. We passed east of Cape Canaveral where the NASA structures made an impressive sight along the coastline and hopefully someday will be used again for manned space flight.
Approaching New Smyrna Beach we nearly ran over a kayaker, who was at least a quarter mile offshore and was not wearing any bright clothing.  Even in calm seas people seem small and are hard to see on the big ocean, fortunately we missed him.
 Spring break is in full swing and the beaches are full of kids and cars (Daytona is just north of here).  Kathy sees similarities to spring break in the 70's........ hmmm.
New Smyrna Beach was founded as a plantation by a Scotsman named Andrew Turnbull in 1763.  Safe to say it was no spring break for the settlers, as in 1777 Turnbull left them to their own devices as the war and lack of supplies made life nearly impossible.
Today it is a (slightly) off the beaten path art colony and well preserved small town adjacent to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.