Out of Florida

We’re out of Fla and now in Savanna. It took us two days to traverse Georgia and get to this lovely city that is on the Georgia/South Carolina border. We left Fernandina in a dense fog and felt our way along until it lifted. We passed the submarine base at King’s Bay but this time we saw no submarines. We had an uneventful trip until we reached the approach to St. Andrews Sound going down the Cumberland River. We were treated to the effects of a strong wind against an equally strong tidal outflow. It was kinda ugly going for about 3 miles with steep and close together wave which anyone from the Chesapeake will recognize. One we got out into St. Andrews Sound proper, it all settled down and it was smooth sailing. We continued on bypassing Brunswick Georgia and finally stopped as the sun was setting in the Duplin River for the night. The cruising guide advised us that the creek was used by shrimpers and that we should surely display an anchor light. I took this advise a step further and anchored close to the shore. Now mind you, the Duplin is a channel that meanders through the marshes, which stretch for miles around. Since it was later we put in the screens, ate dinner and crashed. I woke up early the next morning prepared my coffee and stepped out on deck to savor it as the sun rose over the marshes. I was not out there two seconds when the swarms hit. The boat was covered with millions of no-sums and I was on the menu. Swat, swat, swat. At this point I could not g back below behind the protection of the screens for in the process I would have brought with me at least ½ of the million of these wretched creatures. So, it was lift the anchor and flee time. I think I set some sort of record for getting the anchor up and getting underway. Flee we did, but 6 knts is not fast enough to outrun the speediest of these bugs so they continued their feast with me as main course until the wind picked up. Lesson learned—do not anchor close to land in the marshes.

Our next stop was the Herb river, which is a stones throw from the town of Thunderbolt where we were to stay at the Thunderbolt Marina while visiting Savanna. You see it is extremely difficult to visit Savanna by boat as there are no safe anchorages. The currents rage in the river front of Savanna, changing directions with the tides. So boats visiting Savanna stay in thunderbolt, which is about 5 miles from Savanna on another river.

Savanna is truly a beautiful city. They have taken historic preservation to a new level. You couldn’t throw a stone in that city and not hit a beautifully restored piece of historic architecture. We took one of those motor coach tours of the city with a truly entertaining and knowledgeable guide. Though a drive-by tour, it hit all the hot spots of Savanna and later we hit on foot the most interesting to us. As I always do where ever we go we hit a local brew pub to sample the brews. I was treated to an exceptional IPA that was hopped wonderfully, smooth with a palatable citrusy taste. It was voted as one of the best of the trip by yours truly.

We left Savanna on a dreary, cold and rainy day heading for Beaufort, SC. Terri extolled the virtues of this town on the trip down.