St. Augustine to St. Simons Island, GA

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We had a great day off from boating yesterday. Played pickleball in a public park all morning before the storm hit. In the afternoon, I changed the impeller on our smaller generator while the skies opened up and gave Empty Nest a good rinse. It took me 35 minutes to finish the job, so I'm getting better. My mechanic teased me and said this is a 5 minute job, but hey, I'd like to see him do computer science!

 

The sky was beautiful after the storm. Here is the drawbridge to get in and out of St. Augustine. It opens every 30 minutes except during rush hour. The tender is kind of a jerk, but I guess if my job was to open and close a bridge every 30 minutes, I'd probably not be the happiest guy in the world either. He should learn how to change impellers.


We treated ourselves to an amazing Mexican restaurant, followed by dessert at a gourmet custom donut shop. These are key lime pie and bananas foster donuts. I ate them both because Ann is vegan. First time I was happy she couldn't eat something. I guess having a vegan spouse has its perks. That, and I totally respect her decision to make the planet a better place. I wish I was that good a person, but these donuts were just too good, and I like steak way too much.

We had an 82 mile sail today. The forecast was for calm seas, but it was actually a bit rough. We were fine with our stabilizer and a good podcast. I saw a flying stingray, which was the coolest thing I have seen in a long time. I managed to get a shot on my iPhone, but it did not turn out great. He was far away.

We anchored in St. Simons, Georgia. Crossing a state line felt like real progress. Getting settled was not easy because the winds were strong, I would estimate at 30 knots. The anchor is holding well, and we're not too worried. It's supposed to calm down a bit later.

The sun is starting to set, giving us a picturesque end to our day. There's nothing more peaceful than being anchored alone with no other boats around.

And then, of course, another boat came around. This sailboat decided to get a very close look at us, with about 20 passengers holding out their phones to take pictures of our Empty Nest.

It was a bit spooky watching them approach us so closely.

Tomorrow, we plan to cross another state line and get to Hilton Head, SC and anchor on the North side of the island. It will be another 80 mile stretch of ocean.

Ann and I just mapped out the best case scenario for the rest of the trip. If the weather and seas do the right thing, and the boat holds up, we could be in Norfolk next Wednesday just in time for some serious rain. We'll reevaluate then and figure out how and when to get home. Our goal is April 15, and I'm slightly optimistic that we'll make it. 


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