To Saint Augustine

   Seventeenth of January, the time had come to head south once more, and the weather was not cooperating so I decided that to check out the ICW, it's just a 20 mile run south from Fernandina to Mayport, and quite remote, there will be nice scenery, I told myself. This first picture is an example of some nice wild scenery a mile south of Fernandina where I first ran aground. My digital charts were not up to date, and did not keep me on the right path with adequate depth.  I came to an abrupt stop on a shoaling. I think it was the the second time aground, I decided to downloaded and pay for Navionics charts app. Then the tide pushed me off the shoal and I continued on my way. I spent the next five hours staring at my phone to ensure I was centered in the ICW path, most of it is only 100 feet wide and goes from ten feet to less than Kismet's six and a half foot draft, very rapidly! 

 

 

    After hours of staring at my phone and making two degree course corrections on the autopilot, I anchored at the end of Sisters Creek, a few miles north of  Mayport Naval Station, near Jacksonville. The birds roosting on the shore are white Pelicans! I had to look it up, this is where they come in winter. 

   The real bad weather was to come the next day, and I had considered continuing down the ICW to St. Augustine while a nasty cold front blew through. One day of ICW was enough, I nixed that idea and decided to a zero day (zero miles traveled) as the following day would be perfect for sailing offshore. I just didn't have 30 more miles of ICW in me. I held up in Kismet cabin keeping warm by my furnace, cooking, cleaning, playing guitar and reading. Easy peasy.  

Monday, nineteen January, I set off down the the St. John's river. It's always exciting to have this kind of vessel heading straight at you for a brief moment even if nothing bad happens...

And a couple of these sea going tugs, a busy Monday morning! No issues, and soon I was back sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, where Kismet was meant to be.

Half way to St. Augustine I had a visitor! This brown pelican just wanted to catch a ride for a mile or so, he didn't even make a mess, a very polite passenger. 

After about six hours of very nice sailing, I arrive at the St. Augustine harbor.

As you can see it is quite beautiful and I was able to get a city dock mooring ball right in front of Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th Century Spanish fort. St Augustine is the oldest city in America and defiantly worth a visit.

   I was thinking of just spending one night here and then sail 10 hours to Ponce Inlet, named for Ponce de Leon; then a 22 hour overnight to Fort Pierce inlet near Stuart, my destination. Two days back to back would have been very tiring, so I stayed another day to rest up, do some shopping and sightseeing. And pay the piper another day.

   Amazingly, I happened to find the only sail maker in northern Florida and was able to buy a sail batten that when missing. It just disappeared, it was there and then it wasn't, all ten feet seven inches of it worked it's way out of its channel in the sail and disappeared without a trace, I wasn't even near Bermuda!  This is a great town with a nice public dock and amenities. Once again the hospitality of the ICW towns is great, just sail on the outside and all will be good.