"24 March 2001-North from Florida to Lanier Island" Lanier Island Travelogue by grandmaR

We started out before 6:45 the next morning - so early I hadn't yet brushed my teeth or washed my face, although I was dressed after a fashion. We disconnected the space heater we've been using, and unplugged the electric cord. When we left, the folks on REEL TIME waved us off.

Bob has taken to casting off the dock lines off himself because he doesn't trust me to do that as I can't flip the lines off the cleats very well. Then he came to the wheel and backed out while I brought the fenders inboard. I took this photo about a hour after we cast off.

First view of degaussing range

I have been putting our previous track on the electronic charts instead of doing a separate route, but we didn't do the inside route from Jekyll Island to Fernandina on the way down. So I wasn't sure I could follow the route, especially as the electronic charts for this section don't have the ICW marked on them. (It is on the paper charts of course - the infamous magenta line.)

So while Bob steered up the Amelia RIver towards the St. Mary's River, I sketched in the computer route up past Kings Bay, and then I took over steering while Bob stowed the dock lines and fixed us fried egg sandwiches. While he was getting the eggs out of the frig, his PFD suddenly auto inflated.

There was almost no wind. The water was like a glass reflecting the light blue and white sky. We went across the St. Mary's River (didn't see any submarines this time) and into GA's Cumberland Sound following the ranges (B, C, D, and E). Ahead of us we saw something that looked to me like a gigantic racetrack starting gate (horses). It turned out to be a degaussing range. (It is on the chart.)

Since then I've taken better pictures of it, but this is the one I took on March 24th.

King's Bay Submarine base

Out in front of the King's Bay Sub Base was a little Grady-White boat with a Police insignia on the side. It was just sitting there and didn't even look like there was anyone in it. But after we passed the base entrance, it came 'awake' and went inside. The base was cordoned off with huge orange balls across the entrance - sort of like the big round fenders that power boaters use.

Film picture of Cumberland Island's wild horses

There was almost no wind. We did get to see the wild horses on Cumberland Island from a great distance. We missed them on the way down because we were too far offshore to see them. Even when I take a photo with the digital camera and enlarge it a great deal, we are too far away when we are in the ICW to see many details.

Jekyll marina and 'clubhouse'

As we crossed St. Andrew's Sound and went past the Jekyll Island marinas and the 'clubhouse'. REEL TIME passed us. They left later than we did, and got to Golden Isles before we did.

Lighthouse on St. Simons Island

Then we crossed St. Simons Sound and came up to St. Simon's
Island. I had my leftover prime rib from last night for lunch, and Bob had lettuce and tomato sandwiches.

After lunch we could look up St. Simons Sound and see the bridge they are building at Brunswick GA (photo below) It looks as insubstantial as a spider web from here.

Brunswick bridge under construction 2001

After lunch, Bob went to take down the staysail and put out the lines, and I got in too shallow so he had to come back to the cockpit and take over and get us back to the channel.

I called the Golden Isles Marina, and found out that we were supposed to be on a range.

We got into the marina by 1:45 pm after 41.5 miles at 6.7 mph, for a total of 382 nm. I was allowed 2 minutes in the dockmaster's office to download e-mail.

map/chart from marina website

The next morning, they gave us a Sunday paper (the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) and two muffins. We got underway early. Bob said to drive out and then turn around as he cast off. I turned too early and almost swung my stern into the boat behind us.

Went back out to the ICW and up the Mackay River and across Buttermilk Sound. Got a boost from the tide for awhile - we were doing 9 mph at one point.

Called our son to let him know we wouldn't be coming in to Charleston (where he lives) that day because we didn't go outside. He said it was raining in Charleston. It was getting cloudier, and the wind picked up so I put the side curtain down on the port side.

There is a tern following us. He flies along behind us up to the radar, ducks to port, swoops back to starboard, and then circles around behind us again. Evidently he is prospecting our wake for fish, and he can't fly as slowly as we are going. There are several of them now, and every so often I see one catch a little minnow type fish.

It didn't start to rain until after noon. I can see the rain drops on the water because there is so little wind.

Next - Anchored in the Wahoo River