"2000, December 07-08 Fort George River... " a Fort George Island Travel Page by grandmaR

The first year we went down the InterCoastal Waterway, we anchored in the Ft. George River. It is a nice anchorage, although busy with local fisherman until dark. It is just across the dune line from the ocean, although you can't go through to the ocean by boat although I think you could beach a dinghy and walk over. On the south side of the river are a mansion and grounds which can be toured.

This is my narrative from that trip:

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Entrance to the Fort George River from the ICW

Dec 7 - Fernandina Beach to Ft. George River

We got away from the marina before 10:30. There is a lot of current going through the Kingsley Creek Bridge. Saw 3 or 4 dolphins porpoising lazily in the channel.

We hear a guy calling a fixed bridge and asking for an opening. Eventually someone gets on the radio and tells him that there is no one monitoring the radio on a fixed bridge (duh) and he can't get under it so he should get his clueless self back to the ICW.

Came into Sawpit Creek, and I went below and heated up Bob's seafood au gratin casserole from last night. He liked it better reheated. I ate my pot roast from Jekyll Island and the cheese fingers from last night.

Heard someone on the radio telling someone else that they were going on the wrong side of the green. Suddenly we were confronted with a big barge across the channel with an active dredging operation going on. It was over past the green side of the channel so we sidled cautiously past on the red side.

So far, north FL is not that different from south GA. Marsh grasses, gravel banks and clumps of trees, all sprinkled with gulls, cormorants, herons, pelicans and shallow water with occasional crab pots.

Absolutely clear sky, but the promised 10-15 knots from the NW hasn't materialized. It's warm enough for both bimini curtains to be up. Saw a whole flock of birds that looked a little different. Looked at them with binoculars, and I think they were white ibis.

As we come in the Fort George River past the big park on the south side of the river to anchor, people are out on the lawn pointing at us, and people periodically come out and look at us. We anchored after 19.7 miles at 5.3 mph for a total of 797 nautical miles since we left the Potomac.

LUNATIC II from Boston came in after us and anchored. A motor boat called VALKERIE, and a single hander from Maine also anchored. The Maine boat is too far away for me to see the name, as is a boat that anchors right at the end of the creek. There are a lot of little fishing boats, but most of them leave by sunset.

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Fisherman pulling crab pots

Dec 8 - Ft George River to St. Augustine, FL

The boat at the entrance left early and fisherman came back into the creek starting at dawn. Started the engine at 7. There was a crab pot boat pulling pots and a gaggle of pelicans following him. Maybe he feeds them the old bait?

Bob has bought Santa hats for us to wear, but it is too hot, so we put them on the jib winches.

Next Saint Augustine