Heading For The Low Country

As we journey north with our next major destination as Savannah, GA., we find that we will be encountering a transition in the topography as well as the flora that accompany that. The change will be from the mangrove type "swamp" ... 

to the low country "marshes' of Georgia and the Carolina's. They would make you think that the term "marsh" is so "genteel" and may be a little higher class area than swamp.

As we left St. Augustine harbor on April 6th and transited a bay, we were reminded about the need to keep on our navigational "game". This sailboat did not and ran aground the day before. He had a backhoe out there on the beach to try to dig him out but what are the chances on an outgoing tide?

Our destination that day was Amelia Island which is a 59 mile day. What we as landlubbers can do in one to two hours by car takes us trawler speed boaters a whole day. Most of the time there is plenty to do to keep ourselves occupied. One of the sites today was the East coast version of our West coast submarine base at Bangor. Here we passed by the base which fortunately was not on maneuvers so we were not held up.

Amelia Island Marina was right off the ICW so it was an "easy in/ easy out" access. We will probably spend an extra day here next year when we come by. We are excited to get north to Savannah as some friends from home will be visiting us while there.

The trip from Amelia Island in Florida to Jekyl Island in Georgia was a bit shorter as it was a 36 mile day for us. It is always nice to be one of the early ones to arrive at a dock as you usually get a more preferred location. Here we were placed on the "face dock" which was right on the waterway. There were no other options.

But with sunsets like these who cares!     

                             

Today, Jekyl Island is mostly a Georgia State Park. In its "hay day" in the late 1800's and early 1900's the island was dominated by the rich and famous. Names like Rockefeller,
Gould, Pulitzer, Morgan, and Astor were part of a large group of seriously wealthy people that bought the island and built their cottages. 

They used it as a winter time hunting and fishing retreat. Lets see... NY in the spring, Newport, Rhode Island in the summer, NY in the fall, Jekyl Island in the winter. Life is/was good!

Today many of the original 8,000 to 20,000 square foot "cottages" still exist and in great condition as well as the hotel that was originally built. This one was built in 1896.

We were able to take a guided tram tour of the estate...

and explored the inside of the William Rockefeller cottage. They ran electric cars on the island back then. Hmmm... the electric car did not seem to catch on, though, for the Standard Oil people!

Also on the property is a Turtle Museum and Hospital.

Here we met the Kathy... the turtle... the one in the tank. She is in rehab in that she can not swim straight as her buoyancy is off. They glued a small piece of foam to her shell to keep her swimming straight.

In estates like this there are also large numbers  ancient oak trees with Spanish moss in them. The guides are quick to explain the the moss is not Spanish and is not moss but is an air plant. It derives its existence from the moisture in the air and from any airborne "nutrients" [dust particles] that may float by.

Back at the dock we were able to experience yet another beautiful sunset. There does not seem to be a shortage of these.

Having left Jekyl Island on April 9th, we were looking forward to the next couple of nights. Because it was about an 80 mile stretch from Jekyl Is. to Savannah, we decided to make it a two day trip. Since there are no marinas in this remote part of Georgia, we anchored out in the center of the low country for two nights. Our first night was at New Tea Kettle Creek. Old Tea Kettle Creek was not far from here    though.

The evening of April 10th found us at Queen Bess Creek with 23 miles to travel the next day to Thunderbolt Marina in the southeast portion of Savannah. We woke up to a little fog in the distance... 

 a new brand of fauna on the deck... [ about 4" across ]

 and a beautiful sunrise.

For those of you who have traveled the ICW and are aware of ALL those crab pot floats, we finally actually saw a crabber come by to check his pots. They really do exisit!

Nautical Word For The Day:

Lash:

1. To tie down securely using rope or cords.

From Great Loop Jargon:

2. What one receives in various quantities if one goes afoul of the person in command of the ship, ie. the Admiral. It used to be delivered by a "cat of nine tails" but has fortunately been replaced with "wet noodles".