March 22 to March 30, 2017

Vero Beach, Florida

Our plan was to spend only one night in Vero Beach.  Yet again, we were Velcroed in place.  Thursday we rode the bus into town to pick up groceries.  We were going to do laundry in the afternoon but there was a torrential downpour and an intense thunderstorm so we stayed on the boat.  Friday we went for a long walk in the park and then spent the afternoon finally doing the laundry.  While we were hanging out in the lounge waiting for the laundry we met a couple who will be spending the summer at Sequin Island.

Saturday we went to Ribfest (the real reason we stayed in Vero so long).  There is no charge to attend the festival but everyone has to buy tickets as none of the food vendors accept cash.  Each ticket was worth $1 and every $5 of tickets equals one voting ticket for best ribs.  We sampled many types of ribs and enjoyed the music, the beer, and seeing all of the craft tents. 

 Vero to Fernandina

 We finally left Vero Beach on Sunday, March 26th.  We had a surprisingly nice sail most of the way to Cocoa.  Monday we passed dozens of manatees on the way to Daytona Beach.  We also saw roseatte spoonbills for the first time.  Tuesday an RV7 plane was doing acrobatics just north of St. Augustine. We spent the night anchored at Pine Island and were treated to a beautiful sunrise which made getting underway early worthwhile.  Wednesday was a good bird watching day as we were mostly in swampy or woody areas.  We saw  herons, pelicans, red winged blackbirds, and flocks of wood storks.  The ospreys like to nest on the day markers and as we pass we can hear the babies chirping in the nest.  Watching an osprey with a struggling fish trying to land on a nest without landing on its mate or the hatchlings is impressive.

Fernandina Beach, Florida

Approaching Fernandina from the ICW the town does not look welcoming. The large factories on either side of town and the closed marina are the prominent features. The Fernandina Municipal Marina was severely damaged during the hurricane.  Last fall it was completely closed. They now have a dinghy dock open and are renting moorings so accessing town is much easier. Once ashore the beauty of the town becomes apparent.  Unlike most towns where the main street is parallel to the waterfront in Fernandina the main street is at right angles to the river.  The main street is vibrant with a variety of shops, no empty storefronts, and has shade trees and small parks.   I had to visit the customs office to finish my clearing in process. The officer was very nice and it was an easy process. 

 Cumberland Island, Georgia

Tuesday, March 30th we left Fernandina and went to Cumberland Island.  We went for a long walk ashore and saw many mild ponies (they are not really wild, they are just loose untamed horses) and armadillos.  The ruins of the Carnegie mansion have new residents.  A pair of osprey are nesting on the top of the old chimney. 

After walking for several hours we were tired and ready to go back to the boat.  Unfortunately the outboard would not start. The tide was going out so I had to row against a 2 knot current.  I feel like I had a great full body workout today!