Hurry and wait. Lately that has been the deal. We hurried to Beaufort, SC to get secure for the big weather that was going to hit the whole east coast. Then we waited for it to pass and when a window came we hurried outside into the ocean again to make a run for the St Mary's River. But, as of this moment, if we want to we can actually see a segment of the Sunshine State of Florida. We are now far enough south where the waiting is nice!
But first, our run to Beaufort SC was nice and easy. Going through Winyah Bay only involved getting out of the way of one big-A barge doing a hip-tow. Oh yea, it was on a corner so we stayed "way" out of the way!
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| Look out! |
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| Not the best pix but they are two mature Bald eagles |
At Port Royal Landing Marina we decided to stay for two nights as the wind and rain made for difficult traveling. Besides the temperature was near 40 degrees so we had electricity for the 110V heater! Nati was very happy to stay dry and we were too.
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| We're not leaving the boat today! |
On Sunday, mid morning Nati and s/v Kismet left the docks and headed out the Port Royal Sound and we did a really nice overnight to Cumberland Island. With just head-sail (wind was very deep behind us) we made it to the sea buoy at the St. Mary's river at 6am. The moon was 3/4 full for most of the trip and the seas, although fairly large just rolled right under Nati and we maxed out at 9.7kts at one point. The trip was one of the most fun we've had in a long time! The last 3 miles to the anchorage was against the current but the hook was down and it was time for a nap.
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| 7+ foot tides here |
Cumberland Island - We think after being here for two days is a "magical place".……from: Wikipedia:
"The island has three major ecosystem regions. Along the western edge of the island there are large areas of salt marshes. One will also see gnarled live oak trees covered with Spanish moss and the palmetto plants at the edge of Cumberland's dense maritime forest. Cumberland Island's most famous ecosystem is its beach, which stretches over 17 miles (27 km). The island is home to many native interesting animals, as well as non-native species. There are White-tailed deer, squirrels, Raccoons, Nine-banded Armadillos, Wild Boars, American Alligators, as well as many marshland inhabitants. It is also famous for its feral horses roaming free on the island
In the 1880s Thomas M. Carnegie, brother of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, and his wife Lucy
bought land on Cumberland for a winter retreat. In 1884, they began building a mansion on the site of Dungeness, though Carnegie never lived to see its completion. Lucy and their nine children continued to live on the island, naming their mansion Dungeness after that of Greene. Dungeness was designed as a 59-room Scottish castle. They also built pools, a golf course, and 40 smaller buildings to house the 200 servants who worked at the mansion. The last time Dungeness was used was for the 1929 wedding of a Carnegie daughter. After the Crash and the Great Depression, the family left the island and kept the mansion vacant. It burned in a 1959 fire, believed to have been started by a poacher who had been shot in the leg by a caretaker weeks before. Today, the ruins of the mansion remain on the southern end of the island. The Carnegie family owned 90% of the island.
In 1954 some of the members of the Carnegie family invited the National Park Service to the island to assess its suitability as a National Seashore. In 1955 the National Park Service named Cumberland Island as one of the most significant natural areas in the United States and plans got underway to secure it. They, along with others, also helped push a bill through the US Congress that established Cumberland Island as a national seashore. The bill was signed by President Richard Nixon on October 23, 1972. The Carnegie family sold the island to the federal government. With donations from the Mellon Foundation, Cumberland Island became a national park."
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| At the "ice house" museum |
After our all day wandering on the island yesterday we have to say it is one of the most beautiful places we have been to. Over the years we have stopped at both the north and south ends of the island but the late fall weather has always been cold and rainy. It was a lovely day yesterday to hike the trails and visit. To see the horses and trees in a natural state makes this place really special. The Red Cedars, palms, spanish moss hanging on the live oaks made the long walk easy. No bugs to harass us and the sun/breeze was perfect. We'll let the pictures tell more of the story.
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| After tying Dingh-go up we step into this! |
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| The wild horses of Cumberland Island |
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| The "wild turkeys" of Cumberland Island |
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| On our walk to Dungeness |
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| The remains of Dungeness |
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| Guess he isn't afraid of us! |
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| The "Pergola" |
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| We are guessing: Mercury |
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| Looking from the west over the main fountain |
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| The salt marsh |
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| The 17 mile long beach |
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| Beautiful dunes |
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| The "live oaks" |
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| another one |
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| Lastly another…. |
After our visit here we will continue down the ICW to Fernandina Beach and then down to St Augustine. Both stops are nice and this year we have the time to enjoy our trip south through a portion of Florida.
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