melia Island, FL (Thursday 4/11)
It was a nice day to be leaving Amelia Island, with beautiful sunny skies, but a bit of wind. We wanted to leave as late as possible to give the wind a chance to die down, but before the very shallow tide would make the channel from the marina a bit dicey. So at 9:15 we left our slip, went and got a pump-out and were on our way.
It was a short run up to Jekyll Island and a beautiful day with many familiar sites. When we left Amelia Island we were followed by a fleet of Personal Water Craft (PWCs) rentals who chased us up through the downtown Fernandina Beach area.
PWC s following us from AIM canal
We passed by the municipal marina docks which were (finally) undergoing repair from storms Matthew and Irma, and the harbor was being dredged.
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Fernandina Beach Marina – Docks being repaired
We passed through St. Mary’s inlet without issue and rounded Cumberland Island. In no time we passed along the St. Mary’s submarine base with their degaussing structure. This structure is so large it is visible for miles and is heavily patrolled by the USCG, who since 911 has made this part of the ICW a controlled area; they can restrict transit (and they do) when a sub is entering or leaving St. Mary’s inlet.
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St Mary’s submarine degaussing structure
The rest of the day was uneventful. The most challenging part was crossing the St. Andrews Sound; an exposed area between Cumberland Island and Jekyll Island. There are now 2 routes to take: one directly across the sound, and another that goes behind a shoaled area known as Horseshoe Shoals. Having always taken the direct route, we opted for the trek that was slightly longer, but protected from the swells off the Atlantic Ocean. We did not notice that big of a difference, but the waves weren’t that bad in the sound, and in 15 minutes we were back on the usual ICW route. We tied up to the long face dock at Jekyll Island Harbor Marina at noon and settled into eating lunch before checking in at the marina office.
Jekyll Island Harbor Marina
Along the way we had been discussing our planned itinerary and how we were going to lose so much time in South Carolina. We planned slow-going to Charleston so as not to arrive too early, then spending a full week in Charleston. Once done we still had to get through most of SC and all of NC before getting to the Chesapeake Bay. All of that would take us into the first week of May with good weather, limiting our time to explore new places in VA and MD. After challenging our paradigm of Mark flying to the client in NC from Charleston, we opted to have the boat positioned in NC for him to drive to the client. After reviewing numerous options in NC, we determined the best spot was back to New Bern where we stayed in October of 2017 for the same client. Because of that, we decided to only stay two nights (instead of three) at Jekyll Island Marina, and planned out the next two weeks. We called the appropriate marinas and secured dockage for the requisite nights, coordinating with need for attending mass on Palm and Easter Sundays.
We checked into the marina office and then went back to the boat for chores (Mark washed the outside, Denise cleaned the inside), showers and an afternoon of watching boats come into the marina. Included in the fleet arriving were “Corkscrew”, “Compass Rose” and “Lady Catherine” – all of whom were at Amelia Island. We also had work to do and future events to schedule with clients, so we ended the afternoon taking care of these tasks.
Originally, we intended to take the loaner bikes into town for a dinner at The Love Shack in the Jekyll Market. We love their pulled-pork and the barbeque shrimp, and it’s a quick and inexpensive meal in a very casual setting. As luck would have it, Mark was able to convince a marina employee (who shall go unnamed) to let us take the golf cart into town; something that is not usually granted after hours. In 5 minutes we were at the Love Shack and ordering our dinners. We learned on this visit that Love Shack cups are no longer offered and the ones we have on the boat are now collector’s items.
- Love Shack collectors item
We also wanted to try and see the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch at KSC from the beach boardwalk, but got delayed just long enough to miss it. Others on the boardwalk told us that you still couldn’t see it, despite best efforts; it was just too far away. So we took the golf cart for a quick tour around town and saw the development of a “Home2Suites” by Hilton now being built.
We got back to the boat as the sun was setting, and the bugs coming out.
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Sunset over marshes near Jekyll Marina
Even though we have great Wi-Fi here, neither of us was interested in streaming any movies or watching TV. Mark did some work and Denise read a book until bedtime.
Jekyll Island, (Friday, 4/12)
It was a very warm and muggy morning (70 degrees at 6:30) when Denise went out for a run. Loving this area and knowing the now-familiar route she was excited to get out and move her legs. Within the first quarter mile she game across a few deer, still working on their breakfast. Later she ran along the beach route and back to the marina, struggling with painful back and leg issues that pop up on occasion.
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Deer spotted on morning run
Morning running path along beach
Sand dunes on beach before sunrise
After breakfast, we settled into a boat repair project: the switch in a reading light above the bed was not working. First we made sure it was not a bulb issue (it wasn’t), we then dismounted the fixture from the wall and discovered a plastic housing had broken. This should have been a quick fix, but we discovered our super glue was totally dried up so an alternative plan had to be devised. Thirty-minutes later with some duct tape and a broken Popsicle stick, we were able to rig a fixture that enabled the switch to work again.
Unfortunately, last night the hand-held shower coil separated from the head and now we have that to fix. But the hose underneath is intact so not impacting the ability to shower on the boat. However, we now must add this to our ever-increasing list of things to do, fix, or replace on the boat.
For the remainder of the morning there were boat chores to do, work for clients, and plenty of boaters in the marina to talk to. Mark did manage to speak with Richard and Catherine (“Lady Catherine”) about their planned itinerary. Denise spent some time talking to a local who was fishing from the dock using a cast net; he caught a bunch of sea trout and some shrimp. It is always about the people you meet along the journey.
After lunch Mark spent some time resolving issues with a client while Denise cataloged pictures and worked on this blog. We then tried to get a golf cart to go adventuring, but someone took it without checking it out because they saw it in the parking spot. These people didn’t know that we were waiting for the charging to be done as the previous users went longer than planned and the battery died. So we opted for the bikes and went on a 6 mile bike ride into Historic Jekyll Island and around the grand hotel. On our route back we passed the couple in the golf cart which had stopped due to a dead battery. KARMA!
Bike Path through Historic District
Bike Path thru marsh near Historic District
When we returned to the boat we had one last chore; put water in our tanks. Even though we have an inline water system that we use via hook when at a marina, we like to make sure we have sufficient water for when we anchor out. We also like to be prepared in case the marina does not have potable water at their docks. Although we rarely encounter this, it did happen at Dog River Marina in Mobile in 2015, after the remnants of Pacific hurricane Patricia had crossed land and the Gulf of Mexico and caused so much water in Dog River that we had 6 inches of it above the fixed docks. The marina shut down the water and electric due to flooding. You can find that story here.
We spent more time doing work on the boat, then got cleaned up for drinks aboard “Lady Catherine”. Richard (Captain) had come down earlier in the day to invite us aboard. Their charter guests had left and they were alone for a few days before picking up their next client. They gave us a tour of this 1947 Trumpy Yacht that Richard had almost single-handedly restored, and graciously shared some wine and some of their life’s stories. They were awesome hosts and we loved learning more about them and their charter business. As they had dinner plans ashore, we bid our farewell and made plans to stay in touch for a possible reconnection in the fall.
Afterwards we walked up to the onsite restaurant (Zachary’s River house) for a fish dinner. It was packed and it took us awhile to get seated. Finally, we got our meals and headed back to the boat to prepare it for tomorrow morning’s early departure.
We always have a great time in this place and love stopping here. We continue to see new things and then there are things we can count on seeing; like the AirBNB houseboat that has not moved in all the years we have stopped here. We hope to return again on our way south this fall.
AirBNB Houseboat at marina
Our next posting may be in a few days as we have a long day tomorrow, and on Sunday much to get done in a short schedule of time.
Stay tuned for more adventures aboard Island Office.
Island Office 