Cumberland Island - A Day at the Beach

Many of Georgia's Golden Isles (barrier islands) were summer playgrounds for the rich and famous of yesteryear (aka. Rockerfeller, Marshall Field, Henry Hyde, J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, and William K. Vanderbilt). When we drove over to Jekyll Island, we toured the Jekyll Island Club which was the hunting club used by the prominent money-makers of the time. Each of them built their own home, and used the Club for meals and socializing ... and other important bits of business such as placing the first transcontinental telephone call on January 25, 1915, as well as creating the Federal Reserve Board!

Our son told us that Cumberland Island is in his book of "1000 Places to Visit", and we are so glad we got to check it off our "bucket list"!   http://www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm. 
http://www.bansemer.com/georgia_lighthouses/cumberland_st_simons_map.jpg

You can fly into St Marys GA and then take the ferry to the island.  There is a fabulous campground, as well as historic inns.  http://www.greyfieldinn.com/

By sailboat, you can take the dinghy to shore where they have a small dinghy dock.

The forest area is quite beautiful.  It is completely shaded by large live oaks with a canopy of spanish moss.

Small palmetto palms provide ground cover.

The campgrounds are incredible. Each as a private entrance and a huge camping area.

(protect your food from racoons!)

Ah! The Beach! It was a short 1/2mile walk thru the woods to the beach, and nothing beats a view of the ocean!  Cumberland Island is famous for its "crystaline sand" because it literally sparkles.

The water was warm enough for swimming, but the frequent jelly fish sightings kept us on the sand!  We were amazed at the range of sealife we found on the beach ... from jellyfish to conch to crabs to stingrays.

End of the day.  On the dinghy ride back to "Maja" we were able to take our first pictures of our lovely home at anchor.

And what would be a sailing journey without a dip in the ocean?! Robert earned his shot of Pussers Rum and place in history as the first person to jump into the ocean from our deck!  Not bad, he said about the water.  Lake Superior is definitely colder!

Trip to Cumberland Island - April 5-8 - 100 miles

Monday, April 5th.  We were up bright and early -- 6:12 a.m. to be exact -- to catch the shuttle launch.  We had a great view of the shuttle streaking across the sky, leaving one of its booster rockets to hang in the morning sky like a gigantic firework display. 

Since the sail down to Cumberland Island can take 10 hrs, we wanted to get underway at first light.  However, by that time, it became obvious that the bilge pump was not having a good morning.  Ordinarily, the bilge pump runs on infrequent occasions to pump accumulated water from the bottom of the boat (like after we fill the water tanks and some runs over into the boat).  Ordinarily, the pump goes on, runs a bit, and then there's a "swoosh" of water being pumped out the back.  Not today though. Today, the pump would go on and run and run and run and run w/o any comforting "swoosh" of water to reinforce why you have an automatic bildge pump on a boat.

Can't start a journey with a funky bilge pump, so the morning was spent with our heads hanging down through hatches under the back berths, investigating the inner workings of the bilge system. Captn Dan discovered the root of the problem (naturally) and was able to repair the broken part on the bilge strainer that was triggering the errorous signals that turned on the pump.  During that process, though, we discussed the need to have a replacement bilge pump on board since our current back-up pump is quite old and small.  This will be Dan's first shopping trip to West Marine by bike ... and he made it to the end of the parking lot where another boater volunteered the use of his car.  Thanks Lynn!  

It always seems there is "one more chore" that needs to get done before leaving the dock ... Here is Dan trying to replace a shackle (kinda like a removable bolt) on the front of the boat, part of the anchoring system.  He has made two trips to West Marine to get the right size shackle, but they never seem to quite fit when he is stetched out over the dock trying to get it assesmbled!

Always with a smile on his face!

Better late than never, we finally left the dock around 3pm.  It was too late to head towards Cumberland Island, so we motored the channel and found a place to anchor for the night.  It takes 3-4 hours to motor out the channel to the Atlantic Ocean, so this will help us get a head start on the sail to Cumberland on Tuesday.  The wind is from the South at 10-15 knots which means that we'll be heading into the wind the entire day; it could be a rocky/rolly voyage with seas expected at 3-4 ft.

Tuesday, April 6th. 

It was a beautiful morning for heading offshore.

It's not easy making headway when sailing into the wind, but we enjoyed the sail anyway!  A lot of cruisers always motor/sail so they can make the best time on the shortest course.  We prefer the sound of wind over the noise of the diesel, so we opted to sail as long as possible.  Robert got a chance to suntan on the bow of the boat, and I got a chance to see how our possessions in the cabin travelled while under sail and dealing with ocean swells.  And Dan got to relax a bit, courtsey of the autopilot!

After about 6 hours of sailing, we had to change course and turn the motor on so we could arrive at the anchorage at Cumberland Island in the daylight.  Now the boat was taking the rolling swells from the side, which meant about a 4-hr ride of long, slow rolling from side-to-side, until we turned into St Marys Inlet, where the swells were now behind us, giving us more of a rollar-coaster effect ... up and down, up and down!

Ft. Clinch on Amelia Island, as we approached Cumberland Island.

Motoring in a channel is all about watching your depth and green and red buoys ... signs that the boat is in the right place.

We motored down the St Mary's Inlet to Cumberland Island. Where we dropped anchor just as the sun was setting.  Whew!

Robert's Spring Break -- Brunswick, GA

Saturday -- April 3  -- Day 1 of our adventure with Robert.
Weather is in the 80s, very light wind, overcast sky.  We will start the 4-day sail down to Jacksonville on Monday (Robert departs Friday at 8pm).  Since Sunday is Easter, we want to be at BLM so we can go to church (I should probably say 'Dan and Nancy' want to go to Easter service!).  Nothing like living in a tupperware container on a large body of water to make you spiritual (we also want to go to the "Blessing of the Fleet" ceremony in Darian GA on April 18th)!!

Plus, there were a few chores that need to get done -- like replacing the torn screens on the cabin ports and sealing them securely with silicon so the damn little no-see-um would quit sailing into the cabin around the loose screen frames.  It's a meticulous process of separating the old screen from the frame, cutting a new screen, reassembing and mounting ... it's a good thing that Dan does meticulous work! 

Dan and Robert went on a beer run, and I did laundry.

We had been using the Suburban as our 'mini-garage', and with it's departure, we were forced to absorb all the stuff we really wanted to keep. It seems like every new thing requires a reorganization of space we had previously filled. So far so good in that we are able to find a spot for all the important stuff ... like bocce balls, martini glasses ....

We've planned the following route to JAX ....  

• Monday.  Out to the ocean for a 10 hr sail to Cumberland Island.  It's a very cool spot that we've been looking forward to visiting by boat....
• Tuesday. Drop the dinghy and explore Cumberland Island.  Old mansions, wild horses, conch shells on the beach ...
• Wednesday. 2-hr sail to Fernandina Beach ...
• Thursday.  7-hr sail to Jacksonville.  There is a state park on the coast where we will anchor for the nite ...
• Friday. 5hr motor up the St Johns River to the muncipal dock.  Robert leaves for an 8pm flight and we'll spend the nite in JAX ...

After dinner, it's up to the boathouse to watch the Final Four... and hopefully a Twins game.

Sunday, April 5th.

Happy Easter to all.  Hug someone; forgive someone; focus on rebirth and hope.

James and Ryan Go Sailing

March 30.  The long awaited arrival of our favorite son finally happened!   After enjoying Jacksonville beaches and earning travelling cash washing windows, James and Ryan joined us in Brunswick on Tuesday night.  Yahoo ... This is James' first visit to Maja, and Ryan's first experience with sailing.  It worked out well that Ryan was available to drive with James back to MN....and that James could make some cash...and that both would take time out of their busy vacation/move back to MN time to go sailing with us.  We are so excited to have our first "liveaboard guests" ... now to find out if we have stowed enough beer on board!

March 31.  Time to leave the dock ... destination: Atlantic Ocean!  Since this was our shakedown cruise on Maja, the boys were game to test out all the boat features.  First task: set all four sails -- the main sail, the two foresails and the mizzen sail (small sail on the 2nd mast).

With all sails flying, we exited the channel and entered the Atlantic Ocean.  With about 10knots of wind, the sailing was great, and our top speed was 6.25knots with James at the helm! 

James wanted to sail 'out of sight of land' which he got if he was facing east.

Once we hit the 3mile limit, we were able to test the new macerator pump that Dan installed with the new holding tank, and with the push of a button, we successfully emptied our holding tank in about a minute!

Dan also got to test out the autopilot system that he has been working on for several days.  It worked like a charm and the boys were definitely impressed with the ease of "no hands sailing" ... so much easier to drink beer!  Notice the sweatshirts and jackets being worn -- we discovered that temps at sea were about 10deg cooler than on land, and when out of the sun and under the cockpit enclosure, it got chilly quickly.

We anchored for the night in the channel off St. Simons Island.  We had a favorite chicken dinner -- recipe courtsey of Deb Jayne and came to us via Renee Devereaux -- so easy and yummy!  One pkt onion soup mix, 12oz jar of apricot preserves, 8oz Russian Dressing ... pour over chicken tender strips.  You can bake in the oven; we used the stove top.  After dinner, we introduced Ryan to the dice game, 10,000, and the traditon of taking shots of Pussers Rum at significant points in the game.  Fun time by candlelight, while calculating our amp useage!  Ryan (aka Dolphin Boy).  James (aka. Swab) - the winner.  Dan (aka Captain Dan). Nancy (aka. Dinghy Girl).

The highlight of the nite was hanging out in the cockpit after the dice game.  There was nearly a full moon to brighten a clear sky.  There was a light breeze to keep the 'no-see-ems' away ... truly one of our most beautiful nights at sea.  We stayed up till 3:30a.m., only begrudingly heading to our berths after the beer was all gone (note to self:  not enough beer on board!). Ryan was our beer fetcher, and he woke up the next morning with both pockets full of beer caps!  The nite was so lovely that the boys decided to sleep in the cockpit under the full moon.  The perfect end to a perfect day. 

April 1. 

Obviously, the drawback of staying up most of the night was our original plan to get underway early the next day.  That definitely did not happen!  We cooked eggs, bacon and pancakes for breakfast around 11:00, and then took naps!  The goal for the day was to launch the dinghy ... which is much easier said than done.  We have a 15hp Mercury 4stoke motor mounted on the stern rail -- quite the beast which we move around with the help of the mizzen mast. The dinghy is stowed up on davits on the back, so we first drop the dinghy in the water, then move the gas tank on board, and finally get to work on moving the motor from the stern rail to it's spot on the dinghy.  The motor has a harness which defintiely helps the task, but we tie on another line just in case we have to fish the motor from the bottom of the ocean!

James, the motor-head in the family, finally has a boat with the power he's always wanted! Unfortunately, we were anchored too far from shore to do much exploring, so after a few high-speed circles around the channel, it was time to practice the reverse process of removing the motor from the dinghy, hoisting it back on the stern rail, and raising the dinghy back on the davits.  We have been told by experienced cruisers that we have to do this every night to protect the dinghy from theft.  Considering that the dinghy is now our new car, we have to treat it more securely than a floating toy!  We've also been told that we will love the high-power motor when we are in the Bahamas, and the dinghy will be our main form of transportation to get to the best snorkling spots.  For now, we still wonder if we'd prefer a smaller, lighter motor ....

Dolphin watching is a perpetual pastime on the boat.  And we were never disappointed even though I was never able to catch them with my camera. I wonder how long it will take before they cease to amaze and entertain us so instantly?

End of the day. 

Time to head back to the marina, thru the bridge ahead. 

Docking with two extra hands on deck was a piece of cake.

Last meal of grilled brats.

Friday, April 2.

Sad morning as we had to wave goodbye to James and Ryan as they headed off, taking the Suburban with them.  We will definitely miss those two guys .... and we'll also miss the independence that having a car brings. 

James brought us 2-months worth of mail, so I spent the rest of the day sorting through the bills and entering info from tax statements into TurboTax.  Dan finished his last major project on the boat by installing the repaired inverter (a 65 lb wonder that allows us to run our 110v appliances from our 12v batteries) ... insurance that we will be able to use our computer and charge cell phones while at anchor.

The day ended on a high note when Robert showed up at boat ~6pm.  He flew into Jacksonville, took the city bus to the Greyhound station, then another bus up to Brunswick.  Such will be life without a car!

Brunswick normally closes down around 8pm, except for the "First Friday" of every month.  On First Friday, most of the stores and restaurants stay open till 10pm and offer free wine, music, snacks, raffles, etc. We have missed every First Friday except this one!

Back to the boat for a very late dinner of grilled Grouper ... and our Friday night tradition of martinis! Welcome to Georgia, Robert!

Our next post will be about our sailing adventure with Robert.  We are heading to Cumberland Island, St. Marys River, Fernandina Beach, and Jacksonville ... where Robert will catch his plane next Friday.

Happy Easter everyone.