A quiet morning

31 May 2011. Anchoring south of Savannah has always proved troublesome. But as the picture shows we've found a nice spot 1nm from ICW up the Vernon River. The tidal range here is 8' so even on a windless night there's a worry about the anchor's ability to withstand the strong currents. The advantage of this spot is the river's width. The wider the river the slower the tidal currents. DBH

Jekyll Island Club

29 May 2011. Before continuing the trek north this morning we dinghied ashore and walked to the Jekyll Island Club. Once the exclusive domain of J.P. Morgan, Goodyear and the likes, this beautiful 250 acre complex is now a resort. It was at the Club in 1910 that a meeting between the US government and private bankers led to the formation of the Federal Reserve. During our visit we were satisfied simply by a nice walk and breakfast. DBH

Sixth time is the charm

27 May 2011--When we anchored behind Jekyll Island a few years ago the Babeth anchor held fine. Our new Danforth specializes in mud and sand. But apparently not in soft mud. As the picture below shows it took determination and six tries to get the hook to hold. 28nm today and 340nm total. DBH

St. Augustine

A nice 60nm cruise from New Smyrna to St. Augustine, FL yesterday. There's a big new mooring field in town. As the picture shows, proximity the the historic sites is good. DBH

New Bomar Hatch Handle

Thanks to John Mackie Nellie now has matching hatch handles. This is the old-style hatch handle. The new ones, made of stainless steel rod, are stronger but to my eye not as appealing.

Getting Ready

Nellie will be a new girl after these past few weeks of upgrades: new turbocharger; salon and stateroom cushions; air conditioning (well, portable units, but still ...); dodger; and as the picture shows some fun beach umbrellas.  We hope to leave Ft Lauderdale and and head towards the Keys on Tuesday.  As soon as a weather window opens up for the crossing we'll be Exumas bound.