From Georgia to Florida

We woke early - the Staff at Jekyll Harbor marina are early risers and they helped toss off lines and we were off - today we would finally reach Florida. If you have never traveled the ICW it is hard to explain the convoluted water system that has be pieced together so that boaters would not have to go "out side" into the Atlantic. Canals, land cuts, pieces of creeks, rivers, another land cut, with red and green signs that can point the way - maybe.

We crossed Jekyll sound and twisted around finding that we were in the secondary route for the ICW. Very quickly we found out why - at high tide there was only 6' under out keel or less. Tom slowly maneuvered us through one cut, down a creek and finally back into the main ICW. The scenery was great when we could look, but not recommended as a way to go. 

Finally we crossed into Florida. The sun was shinning, I changed into my bright Florida clothes, Tom took off his fleece  and we basked in the sun. 

We decided to make as many miles as we could and went almost to Jacksonville, picking an anchor spot recommended by Active Captain in the Fort George River. We were rewarded with a glorious sun set.

first false start 

long day 61.4 nautical miles

White Pelicans- odd fact about Pelicans- there are
fossil records showing they existed for 30 million years

This is way to close to marsh grass

I believe there is a stork in this tree

The Sidney Lanier Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that spans the Brunswick River in Brunswick, Georgia, carrying four lanes of U.S. Route 17. The current bridge was built as a replacement to the original lift bridge which was twice struck by ships. It is currently the longest spanning bridge in Georgia and is 480 feet tall. It is also the seventy-sixth largest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It was named for poet Sidney Lanier. Each year (usually in February), there is the "Bridge Run" sponsored by Southeast Georgia Health System when the south side of the bridge is closed to traffic and people register to run (or walk) the bridge.

We started to see these large building on the horizon
then the warning signs to stay out
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is a base of the United States Navy located adjacent to the town of St. Marys in Camden County, Georgia, in southeastern Georgia, and not far from Jacksonville, Florida. The Submarine Base is the U.S. Atlantic Fleet's home port for U.S. Navy Fleet ballistic missile nuclear submarines armed with Trident missile nuclear weapons. This submarine base covers about 16,000 acres (6,400 hectares) of land, of which 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) are protected wetlands.

While crossing Cumberland sound we heard VHF traffic about
a Submarine coming down the channel and everyone had to
get out, and stay 500 yards out side the entrance.
Apparently the channel can hold one sub, or lots of sail boats
not both.

We could not figure out what this could be used for, it is
part of the Navel Facility

Navel towing vessel 

finally Florida - no sunny beaches - factories

Fort Clinch is a 19th century Third System masonry coastal fortification located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island, along the Amelia River, in Nassau County, Florida. The fort lies to the northeast of Fernandina Beach at the entrance to the Cumberland Sound and lies within Fort Clinch State Park.

I think it is so cool birds can stand on one leg.