ST. AUGUSTINE, FL TO CUMBERLAND ISLAND, GA

Sunday, March 29th, 2015

Day 237
Miles Traveled: 67
Total Miles Traveled: 3056



  Sunday at daybreak we left St. Augustine, FL.  It was a cool morning in the low 50's, but, the sun was shining brightly.  

Bright sunshine as we passed by St. Augustine Inlet

  We decided to drive from the lower helm in the cabin.  Our new chart plotter, a Raymarine a95, has built in wifi and will communicate with our tablet, giving us the ability to control its functions with the tablet at the lower helm.  It worked great today.  Since we had a long travel day, we had to come up with an idea for seating so we would not have to stand and drive all day.  We came up with a makeshift helm seat that worked very well.

Makeshift helm seat. 

  Our day took us on many different waterways, which is often the case with traveling the Atlantic ICW, as well as another state.  We left St. Augustine, FL traveling on the Matanzas River.  We passed St. Augustine inlet and began traveling the Tolomator River which connected with Pablo Creek which combines with the St. John's River.  We were only on the St. John's River for a brief time and then veered off onto Sisters Creek.  Sisters Creek connected with Saw Pit Creek which took us to Nassau Sound.  We did not go up the Nassau River, but instead crossed the sound and entered the Amelia River.  We passed by Fernandina Beach, FL and then entered the Cumberland Sound.  This sound is located at St. Mary's Inlet which is home to Fort Clinch and a large shipping channel.  The Florida/Georgia line runs down the middle of this inlet.  In summary, we cruised eleven different waterways in this one day.
  The scenery varied throughout the day.  First, it was a narrower river with homes and boat docks.  The docks are built on high stilts due to the 7 foot tide changes.  It then changed to  larger bodies of water as we crossed the sounds and inlets.  

Tolomato River with boat docks along the banks

Nice boat dock on the Tolomato River - on stilts due to 7 foot tides

Fernandina Beach, FL on the Amelia River

St. Mary's Inlet/Cumberland Sound

Fort Clinch along the St. Mary's Inlet

  We found a nice anchorage for the evening just beside Cumberland Island, GA where Cumberland Island National Seashore Park is located.  After getting the anchor set, we fixed dinner, and then relaxed and enjoyed the sunset. 

sunset at Cumberland Island anchorage