SV-Baila: Florida to South Carolina

Sad to leave St. Augustine we headed north to Cumberland Island where we had stopped on our way down in the fall. It's such a beautiful island replete with wild horses, armadillos and very few humans, and we were excited to be back. Just across the inlet from Fernandina Beach, Florida, it's also a convenient place to stay before launching offshore to head north.

Cumberland Island, Georgia

Wild horses at Dungeness Ruins. This was a Carnegie family estate that burned down (arson). It's amazing to see the decaying opulence

I found it funny that a wild horse would choose to walk the boardwalk over the dune. Actually, let's be honest- what I found funny is that it took a dump on the boardwalk.

The maritime forest on Cumberland Island is pristine. FYI you can camp there. Lots of campsites and we saw families arriving via ferry. A National Seashore Park complete with a ranger station, public bathroom/showers and potable water, it seems like a wonderful place to camp for a week.

St. Mary's Inlet (Florida) to Port Royal Inlet (Georgia)

We needed a break from the ICW and decided to skip the rest of Georgia. Given the timing of tides we left in the afternoon and arrived the following morning in Port Royal Inlet.

For a video from this passage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RScKZii519A

Glad to be back in the ocean we had the most relaxing and pleasant sail that afternoon and evening. However, the night was a different story! On a broad reach (point of sail where the wind hits the back corner of the boat), we had both wind and swell from behind (not a euphemism). This made for a night of rolliness- forward/back and side to side. There was some opposing wind waves on top of ocean swell which added a fun jarring element. It was not comfortable, but perfectly manageable. Passing Savannah, Georgia was wild. One of the busiest commercial shipping hubs, there were six container ships around us. This was where the AIS that I previously mentioned in the last post is relevant. Able to track each ship, I knew where and when I could expect trouble giving us ample time to re-route and stay ahead of the curve. We arrived to Port Royal Inlet in the morning and had a pleasant (and refreshingly calm) trip up to Beaufort, South Carolina.

We saw these huge fish jumping and realized that they were in fact "Spinner Sharks," a type of requiem shark. They feed by accelerating to a powerful vertical jump while rapidly spiraling to a sideways landing. It was exhilarating to see.

Our old friends coming to visit. This is a momma and her baby, so playful. They are in the video clip if you're able to view it

Baby Rose is still alive and safe with her life jacket and the continuous nebulizer breathing treatment that she's been on for the past seven months, more or less. For the medical sticklers reading this: yes, the mask is oversized, and her eyeballs are receiving much of the treatment. However, in the interest of transparency it's just Avery's doll with a mask that she constructed from a seltzer bottle.

Sunset on the ocean

Beaufort, South Carolina

We were really excited to see more friends from the Bahamas (Merrick family from s/v All In) back in their hometown of Beaufort, SC. Last together in the Abacos, this was a nice reunion. It's great to visit fellow cruisers who instinctively know what you need: a ride to the grocery, boat store, laundry etc. We hope to return the favor up north some day.

Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina

We visited the Parris Island Museum from nearby Beaufort. What a great place! It gives a thorough if not exhaustive history of the Marine Corps as well as a glimpse of the recruitment process and experience. In the past when asked about what she'd like to do in the future, Isabelle has responded that she plans to go to the Naval Academy and become a SEAL. In fact whenever we sail past the Academy she says "aah-- my future college." After visiting the museum (and seeing up close a marching company of female marine recruits) she says she's now more strongly considering other areas, such as occupational therapy or stand-up comedy.

Attempting to heft a marine recruit's pack

These is a replica of the 'yellow footprints' that recruits stand on prior to entering the 'hatch' at Parris Island

Maritime Yoga. Occasionally we get some nasty looks from the locals or other boats (folks who probably couldn't throw down a sunrise pose to save their lives). Lynn just meditates hard right back at them-- busts a big old namaste in their face. Puts some downward dawg right in their grits