Fernandina Beach, FL

Yes!  We have made it to Florida....just over the GA-FL border....but Florida none the less.  We have been living on the boat and heading south for 30 days, today! 

We left this morning a little after 8:00 am and docked in Fernandina Beach at 4:00 pm.  We traveled 46 miles.  We had a number of remarkable things happen today:

• St. Andrews Sound between Jekyell Island and Cumberland Island has shallow areas and the channel took us out to skirt the Atlantic Ocean, so for about 2 hours today we were actually in the Atlantic!  4-5' waves!  A first for us.  We loved it.  Oscar looked green, but didn't toss his breakfast.  Jazz hyperventilated, but settled down quickly when we got into calmer water.  All is well.
• Going through Jekyll Creek, we came across a Canadian sailboat grounded on a shoal.  We tried to go around him, but found the water too shallow for us as well.  It was low tide.  We went back North and called Tow Boat US for "local knowledge" and learned that the channel markers in that spot have "shifted considerably" and we needed to keep them well to starboard.  About the time we started heading back to go through, another sailboat had come along.  We chatted with them over the radio about the situation and they said they had been through before and knew the way.  So we followed them.  Perfect!  We are very grateful to Joe and Ann on Kajon.
• As we approached Fernandina Harbor Marina a dolphin crossed our bow....that's two days in a row.  Must mean something?  Good luck?  Good fortune?
• And as we pulled alongside the dock, we heard "Hey, Greg!"  Looked over and saw a couple we met in Solomon's Island on our third day out!  After docking we got reacquainted with them and caught each other up on where we'd been.  Then we ran into Bruce, who recognized our boat.  When we had grounded back in NC, we talked over the radio to him and got him through the deep water.  He told us how grateful he was for our help (we got payback today!).  Then, while walking through town, we saw a couple who were docked in front of us at Sunbury.  Had a nice chat with them, discovering that they spent 5 months anchored in Annapolis.  We are meeting the most interesting people!

Today's photos, with captions:

 Fishing boat cut across our bow  in St. Simons Sound

 Pelican, watching us....

 4' waves in the Atlantic.....

 Always, at least one bird on every marker

 Naval Submarine Base at King's Bay, GA

 Degaussing station for nuclear submarines (removes static

electricity from the ship)

The following are all photos taken during our walk through Fernandina Beach, FL: