Time to Leave Brunswick, Ga.

There comes a time in the year, when the date on the clock says November 1st! or 2nd, in our case.
All the Hurricane Refugees at the Marina have washed, provisioned and prepared to within an inch, for the coming exodus. Most of us have boat insurance that dictates we stay out of the state of Florida from June 1st through November 1st, inclusively. Many don't have this, and come and go as they please...lucky them!

Saying goodbye to friends made over the 5 months we have all been docked at Brunswick Landing Marina is tough. This has been The Summer of 2015, as they are calling it, back there. Not often do you get a large group of people like this, who all manage to get along, help each other out and celebrate together without rancor. We have truly had a collection of Aussies, Kiwis, Canadian, lots of mixes of all of those, plus Americans, of course, Brazilian, and even a Swedish family. I am sure I have missed one or two nationalities, but you get the idea.

First to go, at the beginning of October were the kiwis on Busco Viento 11, a lovely Beneteau 54, bound for a new job and life in the British Virgin Islands. Their 9 yr old son was a delight, and we miss them all. Some crept quietly down the river and were missed days later.

There was much activity in the Marina as we all provisioned, fixed, cleaned and compared notes of where we were all bound, with the majority going either to Marathon, southern Florida, or the Bahamas, Exumas, BVI..British Virgin Islands/Cuba/ Western Caribbean and some even going through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific either going south or up the western states to Seattle/Vancouver cruising grounds.

We are only going down the ICW to Jacksonville!:( Nothing too fun or exciting, except that some of our dock friends are also going there.
As we pulled out of the dock, I had to look back at the gap now created. Our neighbors, Brent and Susan had left a little before us. We had intended to leave around 10am, going to the fuel dock to fill up, and pump out and pay our final bill. With a parcel due to arrive with the mail, we ended up walking into town to Daddy Cate's café for our last coffee while we waited.
It was foggy still, and though the forecast said that would clear, it never really did!

 Bruce, David and Rhonda on the dock, taking photos and waving goodbye from Dock 8, the social scene:) If anything good was happening anywhere, it was on Dock 8! We so enjoyed our many 'social' hours there. Nina and Bob yelled their goodbyes from the back of their yacht. We hope to catch up with them down the way somewhere.

It was 12.30 before we finally cast off the lines...having been ready to move since 10am. Getting out into the Brunswick River was bitter sweet. Hard to leave something so good.

 Out and under the wonderful bridge going into Brunswick, and through the marshes alongside Jekyll Island, which we had come through going north, at low tide, wondering why we only had 2 ft of water under us. We determined then, to go south with more water under us!:)

 The sun did try to come through, but not very successfully!

 High tide in the marshes. It is a winding path through all the marshes to Cumberland Island.

The North Atlantic Ocean is on the right of the chart as shown.

We arrived at Cumberland Island around 5pm, last night. We set about getting dinner...steak! very tasty! and settling down for the night. It was hot! Waz had to remind me I could have the fan on in the bedroom. Thank goodness it works on 12vt. power.

We woke early this morning, had our coffee and I set about making blueberry and raspberry (fresh) muffins. Nice for a change, and something I don't make often. Because we are sitting around most of the day, it is a light food day.

Lots of dolphin activity, and some of the wild horses from Cumberland Island came down to the shore to feed. Our neighbors from the dock, Suzie and Brent and their friends are rafted up behind us, and came by in the dinghy to invite us to a picnic on shore at noon. We didn't take them up on the offer, nice that it was. We have done ordinary things today...I wrote the annual Christmas letter and some hand written Christmas cards. Nice to get those done, as they are international mail and need to be sent soon.
We sit here and watch the different boats come and go...there is a ferry that comes across a couple of times per day, from St Mary's, on the mainland. Fishermen and kayaks, and dinghys from the more than 18 boats anchored in this long finger of water.
This will be the last time we will anchor, for a while, and we are sad.

November 18th I get a total Left Hip Replacement. Cant wait to be out of pain. I know this is a process, and it will take hard work, but with good management, this wont last too long.


Suzie and Brent are rafted with their friends, on the right hand side. Looking back down the sound to the anchored boats, with Cumberland Island on the left. The Kings Bay Submarine Base is on the right of these boats. We have to pass it on the way here. Security boats go back and forth all day and night guarding the boats that are in port. there.

The Kings Bay Submarine Base with support vessels.

The Degausing frame for Submarines. This de-magnetizes them. I posted a photo similar to this when we came north in May, this year.

We make way tomorrow bound for Jacksonville, which means we have one more night stop at the bottom of the St Johns River, tomorrow. We will make our way the final 25 miles to Ortega River, up the St Johns River, on Saturday noon-ish. Arriving late afternoon.

I will let you know when we arrive. Our new digs are lovely!

The Yacht Club and admin building

I had to take a photo through the window because it has secure entry that we weren't party to yet.

 See that little Blue bottomed Sea Ray? It is leaving to allow us berth there!

The marina has a nice pool and spa...I look forward to doing some aquasize when I have healed sufficiently.

We look forward to being in this area which we are already familiar with and like very much. Jacksonville is a hugely spread out city, with not a lot going on downtown,we have found, but the suburbs...well, some of them...are vibrant and lovely, with big trees providing much needed shade in the heat of summer.
Well, time to make some fresh pumpkin soup for dinner. Ciao for now!