Cincinnati to Tenants Harbor, ME

We were invited to join our old sailing companions for the annual Maine cruise.  Forsaking the sails this year we dragged Tinker 1100 plus miles to Tenants Harbor.  The trip was smooth except for a brief stop in western NY state for fresh rear tires for the truck.  Much to my amazement we found the correct size E rated tires, had them replaced and were on our way again in an hour and 15 minutes on a Saturday morning.  Many thanks to Hiller Tire!

Searching the vast selection.

We arrived and launched Tinker at the Lyman Morse yard and picked up a mooring for the night.  Our friends, who had sailed up from Gloucester, MA arrived by the time we had returned from a provisioning trip to Rockland by truck.  After dinner ashore we returned for a quiet night on the mooring.

Fernandina back to Jekyll Island

With the storms passed the morning was sunny and calm.  Based on another recommendation we walked several blocks through an older neighborhood with fine old homes, many now converted to B&Bs, to T-Ray's for breakfast. 

 

Back to the marina and bid farewell to our new friends.

Tinker and crew

For the first time in the trip is was flat calm for the trip back to Jekyll.  As we were nearing the northern end of Cumberland Island we finally got to see a few of the feral horses that roam the island.

Back at Jekyll Island Marina with a haul out scheduled for the next morning we had the afternoon free to visit the old Jekyll Island Club.

 

Typical "Cottage"

We decided that dinner at the club would be a fitting end to the Georgia cruise.

"Boat People" at dinner.

St. Mary's to Fernandina

We spent the morning touring St. Marys with a final stop at their small submariners museum.  After lunch at Lang's, a famous local seafood restaurant, we headed back down river.  As it was now early afternoon and the weather called for large thunder storms we elected to return to Fernandina only 8 miles away.   After securing a berth for the night the cook went shopping and the captain read/slept through the rainy afternoon.  The major storms past safely North of us.  Armed with some local recommendations we had a nice dinner at Joe's 2nd Street Bistro then retired for the evening.

Soft shell crab

Tinker and the Johnson's C-Dory

Plum Orchard to St. Mary's GA.

After a leasurely breakfast of freshly made cinnamon pecan french toast we headed out on yet another sunny warm day.  The wind has finally dropped to 10 or less.

The cook was in a bother because she could not find her vanilla.

Going south on Cumberland sound take the Kings Bay submarine base. 

Degaussing Range

 

 

As we cruised Southeast across the St. Mary's entrance we encountered an incoming nuclear sub and its escorts.  The coastguard makes quite a fuss clearing all boats from their path to the extent of making the boats in the area turn stern to.

 

After the procession passed we made our way into Fernandina Beach for a pumpout, fuel and ice.  The dockmaster was very accommodating and said we could stay on the fuel dock for a couple of hours while we went for lunch ashore.

We had a nice lunch at the marina restaurant and a short walk up the main street before departing for St. Mary's for the night.  We had to push it a bit to get up the St. Mary's river against the out going tide before the marina office was to close for the night.  We made it just in time so Nat Wilson, the dockmaster, could go home to celebrate his 80th birthday. 

Inside slip just astern of C-Dory 25 from Washington, NC.

Happy 80th Nat.

At the suggestion of Peg and Jim (C-Dory) we went in search of happy hour in town.  We ended up finding Cindy Deen, "the Queen of Mean", hold forth as the bartender at Seagle's Saloon.  Cindy buys a new Corvette every year or so financed by the proceeds of her efforts to verbally abuse her customers to the best of her ability.  We had a great time " doin the dozens".  

Cindy's ride

Mumford Creek to Plum Orchard

Ferry Dock

Ho hum another bright and sunny day with winds from the South at 10 to 15.  We only moved 5 NM down the Brickhill and anchored at Plum Orchard to have a look at the Island on foot.  The Plum Orchard mansion was built in 1898 for the son of Thomas Carnegie. 

 

Feeling the need of a bit of exercise we struck out across the Island on the Duck House Trail to the beach on the Atlantic.  As it turns out the trail is a good 3 miles one way.  It is a nice shaded walk however.

The beach stretches for miles with not a soul in sight.  Of course the cook had to go for a swim. 

 

 

When you add in the 2 or 3 miles we walked on the beach we pretty happy to get back on board.

St. Andrew Sound Crossing

Wahoo River to Cumberland Island

Once again it is clear and sunny with winds predicted 10 to 15 out of the SSW.  We were underway by 6:50 AM to make the 75 miles to Cumberland Island.   It was a long day which included a fuel stop at Jekyll Is. Marina.  Much of the Georgia ICW is uninhabited marsh and low islands.  There are some exceptions such as St Simons Island.

 

And of course if you live on an island you have to have transportation

On our trip south we left the ICW and went down the Frederica River passing Fort Frederica National Monument along the way.

Leaving the shelter of Jekyll Island we had a couple of miles of wind against the out going tide to cover to reach the lee of Cumberland Island.

 

                                                                                                                                                                    

Tinker proved herself once again as a sound sea boat.

     

After crossing we followed the Cumberland River then branched off on the Brickhill River in search of a sheltered anchorage for the night.  We eventually worked our way up Mumford Creek and into a small tributary.

                                                                                                         

Anchorage shown in red.

Secured for the night we enjoyed a sundowner with one solitary dolfin in search of his supper.