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Evening anchorage near Cumberland Island, Ga.
It took us a few days to get from Savannah, Ga., to St. Augustine, Fla., via the winding Intracoastal Waterway, but we only sailed during the day (no overnights), so it was pleasant. Hugh had the week off between Christmas and New Year’s, and my workload was light, so we felt little pressure to move fast. Which was good, because we had rain one day and fog the next two.
We moored in St. Augustine on New Year’s Eve and were able to see fireworks and the beautiful waterfront lights that night. During our stay, we could easily walk from the marina to the vibrant downtown filled with galleries, shops, restaurants, breweries and assorted tourist traps. As usual, we met new friends and ran into some less-new ones. We had groceries delivered to us at the marina via Instacart, our first time using that service on this trip, and it worked pretty well except for missing out on the fun of exploring a new store ourselves.
On Jan. 4-5, we sailed overnight to Jensen Beach, Fla., about 28 hours. Ideally, we would alternate watches so we both get some sleep, but in reality, neither of us gets enough. I have trouble sleeping when I am off watch, and Hugh needs to be awake at critical times to manage the boat, so he doesn’t get to sleep as long as he should. We arrived bedraggled in Jensen Beach on Sunday around noon, picked up a mooring, ate lunch, showered at the bathhouse on shore and took a short walk. Back on the boat, I slept 10+ hours Sunday night!
Our time here so far has been pretty chill with work, boat repairs, and planning for our eventual jump down to the Bahamas. Hugh spent an afternoon helping a boat neighbor with a problem. And, as usual, we are enjoying reconnecting with people — including not only sailing friends but also former clients. I’ll be lunching with a client that I worked with for years but have never met in person before, and we plan to have dinner with a former software customer of Hugh’s who, coincidentally, is the cousin of our fellow Caliber-owning friends Holly & Randy whom we met in Beaufort, N.C. and are here now! The more we travel, the smaller the world gets, I guess.
Jekyll Island channel was very shallow. We didn’t bump the bottom, but it was a close shave!
A fog rainbow near Amelia Island, Fla.
Sun burning off the fog near Amelia Island, Fla.
4.5 kts of current against us south of Jacksonville, Fla.
Moored in St. Augustine; 80 degrees (but scheduled to get colder)
What is this bird, and what is it having for lunch?
Last Night of Lights in St. Augustine, Fla.
Enjoying a cold brew at Dog Rose Brewing in St. Augustine.
Small sea turtle saying hi.
Dinner view from OC White’s in St. Augustine
Dinner view from OC White’s in St. Augustine.
Enjoying a walk in St. Augustine, with Flagler College in the background.
The outdoor space at The Collector Hotel in St. Augustine. Note the festive hats on the statuary!
Another bird we can’t identify.
Chicken shephard’s pie à la boat.
Cape Canaveral, Fla., rockets.
Orion over Sans Souci.
Sunrise Sunday morning with 31 nautical miles to go to Jensen Beach!
Sunset over Jensen Beach.
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The bird names that seem right to me are ibis for the wader and anhinga for the loopy-necked one. That’s off the top of my head, I could consult Peterson or Sibley.
Impressive, Brian!
Indeed the boat world is small and it’s a joy to meet old, new friends on our journey! Looking forward to dinner tonight. I promise not to run you down on the scooter!
So are we, Randy! Always fun to run into fellow cruisers.
Ha ha, Randy! We will wear helmets to dinner, just in case.