Brunswick to Fernandino Beach

1.22.11 Saturday

Another cold morning but what else is new.  Nice showers here at the Brunswick Landing Marina and I take full advantage.  After some writing and cleaning, I fuel up with the high speed pump and manage to spit some fuel out of the vent.  Being somewhat prepared with a rag under the vent exit, I catch the majority but still have a bit of a mess.  None hits the water though as the vent is located in the coaming, just some oily teak to deal with.  Depart just after 11 which was the plan as I don’t want to buck the tide out into St. Simons Sound.  After passing under the huge suspension bridge, my course is to Jekyll Creek.  As I head across the sound, I’m visited by the Coast Guard for an inspection, great.  Slowing the boat and opening the gate to ease the Coasties entrance, I continue (on autopilot) as 3 of the life jacketed, gun toting boys ask ‘may I see your papers please’ but without the German accent.  Life jackets, fire extinguishers, etc., etc.  Nice enough guys with lots of unrelated questions and they keep referencing their handbook.  Quite a few things they didn’t ask about like the waste system, flares, horn, and the placard instructing about disposal of garbage at sea that is supposed to be stuck somewhere in plain view.  I’ve got it but it’s not stuck.  Anyway, I’m given my ‘get out of jail free’ card, good for a year or so, stating no violations.  They tumble back into their bright orange inflatable craft and I throttle up into Jeykll creek and around the back side of the island with the same name.  This sends me way out into St. Andrews Sound for a long ride towards the ocean to get around Horseshoe Shoal.  This place is riddled with sand bars and breakers to the left and right as the ocean sweeps in.  I’m out around 2 miles before I turn back south and get behind Cumberland Island.  Slow going now against considerable tide.  Real slow.  After a while I do catch up with the boat I’ve been following all day as they unfurl their jib for the 6^th time.  The breeze is up to 10 knots at around 2 PM so I hoist the main for a little boost (hopefully) and more for something to do.  I does help but needs constant tending as I wind down the Cumberland River.  After a tricky turn that the  shows I’m on dry land according to the GPS, I’m zipping through Cumberland Sound at 9 knots past the King’s Bay Naval Base with it’s submarine pens.  A bunch of confusing ranges here but lots of deep water.  Time to ditch the main and I do so at the entrance to the St. Marys River and then start to head that way only to see that is not the Intercoastal; whoops.  After reorienting myself, it’s another couple of miles into the Amelia River and another couple to my intended anchorage.  It’s getting on 5 o’clock as I pass this huge factory spewing steam from a dozen stacks and monster piles of what looks like sawdust. A jumble of big tubes, conveyors, silos, cranes, etc.; all on the edge of a long deep water bulkhead.  Into Bells River opposite the marina and around the bend to find boats anchored all over.  I pick my spot in 15 feet of water and get the hook set in the tide opposing the wind.  Sitting pretty as the sun sets over the marshes of the Tiger Basin. MM716.5