55 NM
Good buy hugs were quickly given and received as Quest headed back down the St. Johns river to the ICW and Whisper continued on up the river to rest on the hard for the summer while Vic and Marilyn spend some time at home in Newfoundland.
What a busy place the St. Johns River is. Today we watched a fire boat put the guns to it and shoot on to unknown destinations and security boats patrolling a ship offloading military ground equipment.
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| PLACES TO GO!!! |
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| SECURITY WAS TIGHT AROUND THIS SHIP OFFLOADING MILITARY EQUIPMENT |
We were also fortunate enough to see two French tall ships that will be participating in the annual Tall Ship Challenge that begin in Savannah, GA on May 5th. The festivities will then move to Greenport, NY then continue on to Newport, RI and finish in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This event rotates yearly between this route, the Great Lakes and the Pacific Coast. Both the Etoile and sister ship La Bella Ponte were stationed in Portsmouth, England during WW II and can fly the French Ensign imposed with the Cross of Lorraine in recognition of their services.
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| TALL SHIP ETOILE |
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| LA BELLA POULE |
Turning north into Sister’s Creek and passing under the bridge made it official, we are now back in the ICW. Sisters Creek turned into Sawpit Creek, crossed the Nassau River then we entered the South Amelia River. At Fernandina we pulled into Florida Petroleum’s dock and took on fuel and waved to a passing USCG boat.
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| HEY THERE, USCG, GOOD TO SEE YA! |
Leaving Fernandina we crossed the Cumberland Sound and found ourselves in the lovely state of Georgia. The ICW, tucked behind Cumberland Island, offered up a beautiful and tranquil vista and we anchored in solitude on the Brickhill River.
Our nature sightings included a magnificent Bald Eagle basking on the river banks, scads of rays leaping in the waters near Cumberland Island and the return of those grapefruit sized jellyfish.
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| JELLYFISH INVASION |
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