20 March, 2020. Handful of miles from Georgia

Early morning transit back through Jacksonville. 49 SM; 7.8 engine hours

Early rise and shine.  Coffee and breakfast quick.  Review of the weather, tides and untie the lines checklists and we were ready.  Away from the dock at 0730.  Decreasing flood tide up on our end, but 15 miles away at the ocean inlet the tide was reversing and begin the ebb.  Slow speed the first hour due to bucking the tidal current.  At one choke point there was 3.5 MPH of tidal current against us.  But slowly the current slowed and soon reversed.  We really picked up speed and toward the end of our return journey toward the AICW.  For a while we were making 9 MPH over the ground.  At 1135 we once again entered the AICW northbound.  Narrow, twisting and with many shoals to stay away from.  We came upon BOAT US attempting to drag a sailboat off of a shoal.  Sailboat must have been asleep as they were clearly too far west of centerline.  Tow got them off and we continued on around.  Terrain becoming more and more marsh and exposed to weather.  Freshening SE winds while not significant on the waterway, is causing a bit of chop.

Two weeks ago on our journey on the St Johns river, there were no cruise ships.  Today there were two secured to the commercial ports east of Jacksonville, and we met one, a big one in the opposite direction.  One of the berthed ships was raising and lowering their life boats.  Doing maintenance?  Wonder if they are parked because there is no business?

It really looked that big as it was  traveling at 12 mph

We have anchored in Bells creek or St Mary's river.  Chart lists both.  Location is about two miles NW of  Fernandina Beach.  Surrounded by marsh we are exposed and the SE winds of 15 MPH are making it lumpy.  We set the anchor at 1500 in 17 feet of water.  Anchor held great and I have put out 100 feet of rode. (map) Plenty of swing room to wander about as the tide changes in a few hours.  Forecast for dying winds after sunset.





1505.6 Hobbs; 2589 Sm elapsed