Wednesday 19th December St Augustine

I decided over the weekend that Tuesday would be the best day to leave with West to North West winds of 10-20 knots forecast, so had a last walk around St Marys; 

White Pelecans St Marys

Jack in the Graveyard at St Marys

Marce and Jack left on Monday and went down the intracoastal, I sat tight through a blustery (South winds) afternoon and evening, Tuesday started with winds 15-20 gusting 25 so I decided to see what it was like once we got to the entrance at Cumberland sound and if it was still too windy head down inside on the intracoastal waterway. Raising the anchor at 1pm (the tidal currents run up to 3knots) to get best use of the outgoing tide, we made good time with just the jib out 

leaving St Marys

and at the Sound the winds were down to the forecast 10-20 knots from the North West so we had a fine sail for awhile until the wind eased too much; we averaged just over 3knots for the 20 hours of the journey, there was very little swell and a fine if chilly, once the moon had set at 11pm, clear night.

Sunset off Jacksonville

Fishing boats off St Augustine at dawn

The only worrying time was off Jacksonville where three cargo boats were closing on me at the same time, two coming out and one going in, but we made it through without incident only using a little more fuel and arrived at the entrance to St Augustine at 8am and after carefully feeling our way in through the shallows which are only sparsely marked, picked up a mooring beside the Bridge of Lions at 9am with Jacks very welcome help; having secured the boat and inflated the dingy I went ashore to register and take a welcome shower (included in the cost of the mooring) on a glorious sunny day.

Moored off the Bridge of Lions