Almost Out of the Sunshine State

  TRAVEL DAY 18 - Jacksonville to Fernandina Beach

March 21, 2023

4.37 Hours/30.6 Miles

       I have been trying to improve my skills as a captain and one of those skills is communication. It has been a struggle for me to convert what I am thinking into direction for my crew and those on the dock. I have found that by clearly communicating what is in my head makes the job go much easier. I have also found that the best dockhands wait for those instructions and don't take it upon themselves to decide what needs to be done. That is a good thing when I communicate and a bad thing when I don't. 

Palm Cove Marina, Jacksonville

    This morning was a perfect example. We had a pretty stiff wind blowing us directly off the dock from our port side. I wasn't too worried as there were no other boats downwind but I knew it would be a challenge getting the boat away from the dock and turned 90 degrees and into the 15 knot breeze. I took a few minutes to assess the situation and come up with a plan. I discussed the plan with my crew and then called the marina and asked for a hand. I directed Beth to stay on the bow and told the dockhand to release the stern, then the midship and last the bow line. This allowed the stern to be blown off the dock and naturally swing the bow around and into the wind and the direction we wanted to go. It worked great and I was glad that I clearly laid out my intentions to the crew. Now if I can just keep it up. 

    It was a little warmer today but the wind didn't die down like I had hoped. Between a straight on north wind and a fast moving current, we barely made 6 mph. As we approached the Route 10 bridge I could see that the water was coming through at about 4 knots (4.6 mph). The current buffeted the boat back and forth and I had to push the throttle up to gain more control over the Troll. A boat coming the opposite direction waited for us to come through the narrow opening which allowed us to stay centered and power through. No picture for this, I was too busy "white knuckling" the wheel. 

Flocks of White Pelicans

    We fought the current for an hour or so when suddenly I could see the dramatic change in the water and within minutes the current slacked and our speed climbed to 8 mph. 

St. Johns River

    About a third of the way into the trip, we crossed the St. John's River and into Sister's Creek and the continuation of the ICW. The St. John's River is immense and the tide was stiff but not insurmountable. 

Sisters Creek Free Dock

    Under the A1A bridge and around a large bend we came to Fernandina Harbor Marina. Just as we were about to make our turn into the basin the wind picked up considerably. Besides a stiff current, a strong wind is the worse obstacle for a docking maneuver, but as soon as we entered the fairway to the slip, the onshore buildings blocked the breeze and we were able to make a smooth approach.

Fernandina Harbor Marina

    Tied up and power on we walked the few steps to town. Dozens of shops, restaurants, and breweries, my kind of place. The train switching yard, papermill (yes a slight odor, but not bad today, thank you wind) and adjacent factory lends an industrial feel to the quant waterfront town. 

Fernandina Beach Downtown
 
Love the Brickwork!

    We explored a few shops, a local beer at Amelia Island Brewing Company and then made a stop in a Mexican restaurant for some chips and salsa (with a couple Margaritas). As we're sitting there I see a gentleman talking with one of the staff. "That dude looks familiar" I couldn't believe my eyes, it was one of my Cowboy Action Shooting buddies, Christian Mortician (we usually never know their real names, only the alias). I called out to him and we joked around for a few minutes still not believing we could have run in to each other. It is as they say, a small world. 

Amelia Island Brewing Company

Green Turtle Tavern

    Fernandina Harbor Marina, although a little pricey was a decent marina with an excellent staff but if not for the wind we would have dropped the hook across the ICW in the anchorage. The marina has a nice dinghy dock for access to town. Still, having restrooms and showers always makes for a better stay. 

From "One Captain to Another"

Our experiment "Frozen Pizza on the Grill"

Jacksonville to Fernandina Beach


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