To Fernandina Beach and Home Again

 June 7th, 2018
Our furthest point south became Fernandina Beach. Still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Mathew in 2016, the marina has recently received permission to redesign docks and dredge the marina property. In the meantime, there is no electricity, no fuel, but the mooring balls are available. At Fernadina Beach, we enjoyed lunch with good friends from Boca Chica who made the drive over from Jacksonville and Kingsland.

A dinghy ride through the marshes of Fernandina Beach on a Sunday morning revealed several roseate spoonbills feeding by the water.

Fernandina Beach also brought us our third nasty thunderstorm, which reminded us that in summer, the coast explodes with heat, humidity, and storms. The trip has been another wonderful adventure but, maybe it was time to head north again.

We returned as we had come, stopping at St. Simon, this time grabbing the last slip with electricity, and back through the Wassaw Sound in Georgia. This time, however, we turned left up the Skidaway river to visit Isle of Hope, the nice little marina on the back side of Skidaway. Isle of Hope is a beautiful place and the marina has bikes for use. We borrowed them to see Wormsloe, a state park, which encompasses the property of one of the original settlers of Georgia. The family still owns about 50 acres and a beautiful home inside the park and shares the entry drive, a mile and a half of the most beautiful dirt road in the US. Soaring maritime oaks arch over the road for its entirety. The park boasts many trails, lots of history, and the ruins of the original house.

This is a great stop for anyone traveling the intercoastal. We also had dinner with our Weitzell co-grandparents, who live on Skidaway. The trip there offered us an additional thunderstorm to bolster the decision that summer coastal cruising is not without its negatives.

Isle of Hope also offered us another magical view, a farewell vista for the trip as it sent us off with a serene early morning.