"ICW Trip 2001 Leg 21 - Thanksgiving" Top 5 Page for this destination Fernandina Beach Travelogue by grandmaR

Tug and dock n. of Fernandina docks

Coming from Jekyll Island, we came down across the St. Mary's River, past Ft. Clinch and into Fernandina and asked for an inside berth on the north side - got confused because they call the south piers A, B, C etc, and the ones on the north 1, 2, and 3, and I asked for B. Also they wanted us to turn and tie up pointing north, so Bob did that although he wasn't too thrilled about turning against the current. We were tied up by about noon. We have been 745 nm total since the start of the trip.

Shrimp boat statue by marina

We found that the 27 North coffee shop had closed and the new place wasn't open (or no one was there), so we ate lunch at the 1878 Cafe. Very expensive. We also find that there are NO restaurants open on Thanksgiving except Shoneys which is some 4 miles out of town or a closer restaurant which has been taking reservations and has no more spaces and in any case is $47/person. I bought a bird book to replace one I'd been looking for but couldn't find and then found it a couple of days later.

View from the window of the Marina restaurant

Also got fudge and pralines at the candy shop. TRUE LOVE came in and tied up behind us. We ate dinner at the Marina Restaurant (not connected with the Marina) which is not only closed tomorrow but also on Friday.

Dinghy dock

Thanksgiving. TRUE LOVE left. Bob did some laundry and talks to the Bernadette from WINDIGO, a Canadian sailboat traveling with SWEET SENSATION. WINDIGO has a big gash in their rudder. (A diver looked at it apparently.) They are worried because their sons are meeting them in Nassau for Xmas. Some of the boaters in the anchorage are having a potluck (the lady from WINDIGO went out to the grocery and got a small turkey yesterday), but someone comes around and invites everyone to the Methodist Church for free turkey dinner. They post a sign on the dinghy dock. I decide that we should do that, although Bob thinks that is only for the homeless. I tell him Fernandina doesn't have homeless, only boat people. The dinner at the church was excellent, and Bob made a donation.

Railroad Swing bridge

We walked around the town and went to the museum which is in the old jail. There we had a very informative tour by the docent. Then we ate lunch at the Happy Tomato, which was a nice courtyard cafe, but with somewhat erratic service. We had sandwiches and soup. A large Canadian power boat comes in to anchor - has two solar panels and also two long poles on the top which Bob thought were wind generators, and which someone else said were anchors. I still don't know. There's a photo of the boat going through the railroad swing bridge (open except for when a train goes past) that is south of Fernandina.

Marina docks and paper mills

A sailboat named ELAINE PAGE with a guy with a Brit accent came in to provision and ties up behind us. We ate dinner at Bretts and it was not very good and was expensive. I remember liking it last year.
------
Nov 24 - Sunrise is getting later and sunset is getting earlier and the sun is low in the sky. Sunrise this morning was at 7, and we were underway about 7:15. The power boat from Palmer Johnson passed us.

Sister's Creek Bridge

As we went under the fixed bridge, we saw the fake sternwheeler tour boat was docked there. The water gets a very long lasting foam from people's wakes which sparkles in the sun. We are starting to see white pelicans. We crossed Nassau Sound (where there is an old bascule bridge across the sound which doesn't open any more) and we go down Sawpit Creek. A boat named OLD HATT is too chicken to pass in the narrow creek, but they finally pass where it is wider but more shallow. The second SUNACO fuel barge passes going north - or maybe this is the same one again - name is SUN COMMANDER. We go through the first Florida draw bridge at 11:23 (Sister's Creek).

Next - Pablo Creek Marina which is listed under Jacksonville Beach as it is south of the St. Johns River