“A
little theory goes a long way towards developing
an
understanding of how a sailboat works,
but
getting in the boat and actually sailing is more fun.”
John
Rousemaniere
Solo Trip to Fort Frederica and
Hampton River Marina ... and back...
THIS DAY is now in the record books... alla.... yea jah... thank you god eternal
engine hours 692.5...
My plan was to make the "loop" from Hampton River marina, coming down the "outside" and back to Jekyll.... but I opted for the more relaxed path when I discovered there were not channel markers out to Pelican Spit... It can be done, and will be... just not yet.
7 a,m.... over slept... manatee knawing green stuff at the dock as I pass by to shower before departure... come back and he's gone.... somewhere good i'll bet.
9 a/.m . cast off the lines and slip away on a calm clear day... engine hours 692.5.
utterly loverly.
Take the big freighter to port and continue onto underneath the Brunswick River bridge to the open water with wind out of the east directly in my face... patience grasshopper... one hour later we are on a beam reach toward the bridge... first trip north on the ICW... utterly loverly.
it took 3.5 hours to get to Morning Star Marina... could've been faster w/ better wind... the current... did i tell you about the current?... it's quite the factor... like a damn river it is... specially when you trying to sail INTO it... like spinning your tires in mud...
approaching the Brunswick River Bridge
wahlah! successful pass under the bridge at Morningstar then a series of tacks back and forth up the ICW... good tactics and high speeds on alternating broad reaches w/ a wing on wing in between... it's sexy.
just be sure you remember to drop the sails shortly after Market number 232... cause after that, things get real skinny... hang in there, and motor th\ru.. .it widens in about a mile, but now i'm in motor mode and there's no turning back... let's put this freakin' anchor down and take a break, 3 pm.... whew... single handing, you never get a break. a break well needed... still some good coffee in the thermos, after the PBJ and a wad of cheeze in my belly.
Underway... lonely waters on the ICW. 4 pm... break is over, time to motor north again... man, these are lonely waters.... sort of like hiking on the Appallacian trail..... just nice lonely trails thru a maize of undetermined beauty, unmeasured, pure and and just real as ever....then out of the blue you meet, a fellow hiker, er i mean boater... everybody waves... we look after each other. i feel safe.
No one warned me about Marker #23.... all was going so cool, when suddenly I ran aground... thankfully, its' just muddy bottom and after a few minutes, and tries of different motor/helm wiggles, you are off... thankfully, it was a rising tide.. could've been serious if it was an outgoing tide... these things matter
onward to Hampton River Marina... thar it is... but, I'll stay on the hook tonight... well, maybe not, there's a mightly powerful current here, and it looks attractive to go ashore... wahla... a lovely slip is met... utterly loverly., feet on concrete, head in the clouds... where is everybody, .. it's like a ghost town marina town here.... uh oh, c\losed on tuesdays... no problema for the marietta man... this is good, real good.
Sunset photos are always fun... and even more when when the post sunset dusk light arrives... see ... told you so.
Friendly neighbor, Fred the bird.
shrimp and veggies on the propane stove and i'm good... thank you God for blessings I can hardly fathom.
Peaceful marina at Hampton River.
I love it when multiple moons appear. leave Hampton river marina1:30
hours 692.5.... no change... uh oh
hours 696.3... back at dock... check for loose connection to hour meter.
Lovely anchorage at Fort Frederica off of St. Simons Island... just lovely... Little did I know what tomorrow would bring. 
APRIL 12 TRAVEL DAY.
Yesterday has to rank as one, if not THE, best all around sailing day i've ever had.
Left the quiet Fort Frederica anchorage and motored to near Morningstar.... then decided, what the heck, to sail her off shore out to sea, nearly to the 3 mile mark....a series of tacks got me there, and it was fun to ride some 4' swells .... stayed in sight of land, then turned around... it was an easy broad reach coming back into Brunswick Sound, when all of a sudden the wind kicked up to a steady 20-25 knots... it was too late to reef sails...drats!... white caps kissed the surface as I roared past the public pier at Jekyll Island...
I spotted a site for a future anchorage if you can catch it on the lee side of the island...could be a place there right at the pier to anchor, dinghy in, and have some white sand beach access... but can't think about that just yet, gotta get this baby home in this kickin' ass wind...
Anyway, I road her like a bronco all the way under the big bridge when i decided to take the sails down... due to the high winds, the roller furling for the Genoa gave me some issues again, tangling and bangling into a bit of a mess on the bow...had to drop the main, (man, i miss my lazy jack)... it was a bit of a show from the shore I'm sure as I wrestled the main into submission strapping her down like a wild bull using my sail ties... settled... then the genoa just refused to give in, but I finally got her under wraps tho not rolled in correctly... i would fix that later back at the dock....
came in and sat, exhausted, with hardly moving for an hour to regroup... then she got a nice deep deck bath and put away things... Glory Days proved herself today, as did I.
 |
| Cousin Ruby and Family! |
time to shove off today...so much to do.
693.7 hrs departing fort frederica
SAFE BACK AT THE DOCK... BEST SAILING DAY EVER... approxitmately 60 miles covered
Here's some final shots of that whole great trip... Thank You God.
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