03/04/2023 to 03/11/2024 (Jacksonville to Jekyll Island)

 

03/04/24

Caught an early morning flight back to Jacksonville thanks to my sister and brother in law for the uber ride !!  Got into Jacksonville about 2PM and took an uber back to the boat. The Marina had put the boat back into the water. I needed to go to the store to restock our supplies  since we had shut off the refrigerator and freezer. I took an uber to Walmart since the free car was unavailable. Put everything away and had an early dinner before calling it a night.    

3/05/2024

Got up early to shower and do the laundry (did not have a chance to do before we left). We left the dock at about 10AM and headed to the free dock we had previously stayed at. 

This boat looks like it sank and took the dock with it

They're not just any cows: They're based on photos David Nackashi (the artist) took at a farm in Live Oak that has Florida Cracker cows, descendants of those brought to the state by the Spanish hundreds of years.  The murals pay homage to Jacksonville’s history prior to its founding in 1822. Natives called the narrow St. Johns River crossing at today’s downtown Jacksonville, Wacca Pilatka, meaning “place of cow’s crossing,” according to the Jacksonville Historical Society. The area became known as Cow Ford, or Cowford, the place where it was possible for ranchers’ cows to ford, or cross, the river.

These stunning murals were painted on two silos by the Hart Bridge. Australian artist Guido Van Helten found inspiration in local human rights activists Connell Brooms and Sara Mahmoud. Naming the piece “Unity” he stated that “here they model not only as themselves but representatives of unity, eyes fixed on the same vision at a time of increasing divide”. This beautiful mural is the perfect and ideal way to welcome people who are driving into downtown Jacksonville.

Saw this home as we were heading up river. The brick work alone must have cost a small fortune !!

Spent an uneventful night on the dock

3/6/2024

The pelicans were no where to be found yesterday. When we woke they once again lined the small peninsula. As Matt backed up he startled a few and they started to fly off.

We headed to Fort St George Island home of the Kingsley Family beginning in 1814 when Zephaniah moved there and established a plantation. His wife Anna (whom he originally purchased as a slave) and two sons lived here for a period until 1837 when persons of color became intolerable. The Kingsley family prospered under Florida's Spanish government. Anna was her husband's partner in the operation of the farm and she also owned land and slaves of
her own .

The original plantation house dates back to 1798 and is the oldest plantation house still standing in Florida. We were able to tour some of the grounds and few out buildings.

Visitors were not allowed in the main house

The kitchen attached to the home 

These were the slaves quarters which were stragically place in a semi-circle

Tabby was used to build the wall of these and many other Fort buildings by the early settlers. Tabby is a type of concrete made by burning oyster shells to create lime, then mixing it with water, sand, ash and broken oyster shells. This tabby was very strong - even against cannonballs !!

We left the grounds and had lunch on the boat awaiting the tide to rise. We  headed to Fernandina Harbor Marina on Amelia Island. Still lots of abandoned boats along the way.

I researched  what Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were doing about the boats. Just this year, FWC has already removed 737 derelict vessels which is above the annual average of 600. They say it can cost as much as $24,000 to remove and destroy just one derelict boat. They started a program Vessel Turn In Program (VTIP) where boaters with at-risk and derelict boats can apply to have their boats removed for free. This program could help a boat owner avoid stiff penalties and fees, including jail time. 

 A lot of these boats have no illumination or are underwater and are not seen until you are right on top of it. This can do serious damage to your boat or eject people if moving fast.

Those who do not apply will face strict consequences. They will be subject to arrest and the privilege to register any vehicle or vessel in the state of Florida until they pay the amount of removal and destruction of their vessel.  

 

If we made a right turn to go under the bridge we could be in the Ocean, but we like the calm ICW

We were told the shrimping in this area has declined and this is the remaining fleet of shrimping boats.

We got off the boat to walk around town 

The courthouse built in 1891 is one of only a few remaining courthouses built in Florida in the 19th century

A few Koi outside a shop along the shopping district
 

The oldest Palace Saloon in Florida Matt & I had to stop in for a drink

The ladies bathroom was originally a telephone booth because women were not allowed in the Saloon

This was the light outside the Saloon - it was converted to an electric light and hung inside

We headed back to the boat for the night

3/7/2024

Got our bikes out and rode around the town. We rode through the historic district with several preserved historic homes.

The historic home below has carousal horses on the porch

 The First Missionary Baptist Church was founded by slaves in 1860. They were in multiple buildings before settling on this location in 1873. The steeple was struck by lighting in 1958 and replaced.

One thing that was interesting about Fernandina Beach  on almost every other corner there was a different religious denomination building. The one above was the oldest one I noticed.

A very old fashioned hardware store

Lots of pirate statues can be found along the shopping district - Fernandina Beach is Home of the Pirates

This was Beecher Street shopping. Although the majority of shops are on the main street - if you go off the beaten path you can find several hidden shops.

3/8/2024

Matt and I caught an uber and headed to Fort Clinch. Fortunately the lady accepting payment for entry advised us that it was a 3 mile hike to the Fort from that point. We got back into the uber and him drive us to the Fort entrance. Fort Clinch is a 19th-century brick fortress begun in 1847. No battles were fought at Fort Clinch. Confederate troops occupied the incomplete fort in 1861 when the Union forces withdrew from Florida. In 1862 Confederate forces were withdrawn from the fort because their manpower was needed elsewhere and Union forces regained control of the area without any shots being fired. The fort would become a base of operations for Union forces in the area for the remainder of the Reconstruction Era.

There was a hole in the ceiling which the ammunition was to be passed thru to load the cannons. But this was never necessary since battles were never fought here.

This is what the US Flag would of looked like before the current flag.

The barracks and the soldiers sleeping quarters. Women did not live here, there were allowed on the grounds once a week to do the soldiers laundry. The soldiers did their own cooking and cleaning.

The kitchen where two stone ovens were built

The blacksmith shop

We caught an uber back to town. The driver was a true native of the area and provided us with some history of the area. 

The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian people. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", Amelia Island has had the flags of the following nations flown over it: France, Spain, Great Britain, Republic of East Florida, Republic of Florida, Mexico, the Confederate States of America and the United States.

This is a haunted hotel in town. People have claimed to have had someone trying to get into bed with them.

We met back up with Nancy and Dave and went to local restaurant for dinner.

3/9/2024

The plan for today was to play some pickle ball at the local community park, head to the farmers market and leave the dock to head towards Cumberland Island. After one of the dockmasters said there was a weather system coming in the decision was made to stay another day. As it turned out it was only some heavy rain and lighting.

These were  two tugboats pulling and pushing a heavy covered pipe down the river.

Some very content pelicans sleeping on the rail of a boat. 

Matt and I headed up to the restaurant near the harbor for a late evening dinner.

3/10/2024

 

We left Fernandina and headed to Cumberland Island (where the horses run free) located in St. Mary's, Georgia. We are finally out of Florida and truly heading up the East Coast. We anchored offshore and took the dinghy to the Island.

We met the Park Ranger, a lady who said she and her husband were living and volunteering on the Island for 3 months. They planned on leaving at the end of this month before the bugs got to bad (I think they waited to long - the no see ums are pretty active already). She recommended taking the River Trail to the Dungeness Ruins. Thomas Carnegie built the mansion in 1880's. The 59-room Queen Anne Style home was completed after his death in 1886. His wife Lucy continued to live at Dungeness and built other estates for her children and owned 90% of the Island.  In 1959 the mansion was destroyed by fire, alleged to be arson. The National Park Service acquired the Island in 1972 and continues to preserve the Island.

Some wild horses

An armadillo digging in the woods
 

A small dead clam

The arsonists didn't burn the greenhouse, the above wooden structure remains somewhat intact.

After getting in 15,000 steps in for the day we headed back to the boat for a quite night on the hook.

3/11/2024

After leaving Cumberland we passed by the Naval Submarine Base in Kings Bay, The Submarine Base is the US Atlantic Fleet's home port for the US Navy Fleet of ballistic missile nuclear submarines capable of being armed with nuclear weapons.

This is the base. There was a small boat out front guarding the area.

This was one of the submarines we spotted

The usual red marker was replaced with one from the Navy.

Further up the river, lots of dredging was taking place to keep the center of the ICW deep enough for boat travel

We arrived at Jekyll island under beautiful sunny skies and warm weather. Greeted by the no see ums and gnats !! Matt and I went to dinner at the restaurant located next to the Marina. What are the odds a neighbor from our Michigan home would walk in.

Ted was on vacation with his sister, nephew and niece in law.