May 18, 2020 Little Tom Creek, GA

Cumberland Island Broadhead Skink

May 18, 2020.  Anchorage at Little Tom Creek,  

east of the ICW, Georgia

About fifteen miles south of St. Augustine, Florida is Fort Matanzas on the Matanzas Inlet.  It flows around Anastasia Island, with an impressively strong current, into the Atlantic.   The Atlantic beach from the Inlet north is known as the St. Augustine Beach  or Anastasia Island Beach.  We walked miles and miles of it each morning at sunrise for eight days.  It was an excellent way to spend time.    Upon return to the inlet we often found our dinghy on dry ground, no matter how we tied it to accommodate the ebbing tide.   When moving it was a struggle for the two of us there was always a local fisherman eager to help, eager to talk (at the required distance) and to share the area customs and history.  We all craved society!  Florida beaches opened with no limits by May 3rd and the inlet was soon crowded with jet skies and slick power boats, driven by people who were desperate for noise and speed.   We left May 4th after exploring the low tide shore and a wonderfully  memorable sunrise hike.

Anastasia Island Beach

Anastasia Island Beach

Annie in the rain at Anastasia Island Beach

Pre-dawn at Anastasia Island Beach

Low Tide

Great Egret on the hunt

Great Egret on the wing

Great house on the shore

Fort Matanzas

Great Egret again

Matanzas Inlet at Low Tide

Great Egret

Fort George River

We spent three nights on mooring #3 south of the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.   The fuel dock crew were friendly and helpful except they worked with no masks, gloves or effort to keep any distance.   The marina facilities were excellent but we stayed out of the RR and laundry since they were crowded with unprotected parents and children.  We had our first experience with having groceries ordered on line and delivered to the dinghy dock.  It began with at least an hour perusing the product list and completing the form, great fun since we hadn't seen much more than  little neighborhood markets since early December.  Dietrich had to make three trips to the dock before our order was complete.  On the second try we received most of someone else's order tucked into ours.   Insta-Cart handled the shopping, calling us from the aisles to confirm or ask about substituting then calling again to let us know when to meet at the dock.  Upon advice from several knowledgable friends, we accepted and unpacked everything while wearing masks and gloves.  We filled the cockpit as we discarded boxes and bags in a container that went back to shore.  Every item was wiped and sun dried, then stored for five days.   The day we freed the food was quite exciting!  We provisioned well enough to avoid having to go ashore for  two weeks.

On May 7th we put two anchors down in the strong currents of  Ft. George  River, close to Jacksonville, Florida.  We were near the Kingsley Plantation, a National Park, closed but a good view from the shore.  We hiked nearby trails and had a circuitous two mile dinghy ride to the Atlantic beach.  Walking at the water line was Ok, but the crowds were  rowdy, large groups gathered for partying, pick up trucks packed in two rows and infants racing unattended into the water.  There was no interest in keeping a distance.   The Blue Angels did a Thank-You fly over for the first responders in the northeast Florida area.  Low tide made our return dinghy ride an interesting challenge, kind of a puzzle of sand bars, pools and deep streams with strong currents.

Fort George River Wildlife

Fort George River Inlet 

Fort George River Inlet 

Fort George River Inlet Tide Dropping Fast

We anchored in Cumberland Sound  for seven days at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Every day we hiked the wide beach, the tropical forests, through the dunes on the  boardwalks, the meadows, under the live oaks that cover much of the island and around the ruins of various former Carnegie structures.   The Park facilities were closed, except for the dinghy docks, and only a few Rangers and caretakers remained.   We carried small packs and hiked  4-5 hours each day, seeing few people and always in the distance.  Our collection of shells grew.   We admired the campgrounds and hope there will be a future opportunity to spend time in one of those sites.  What a beautiful place.

Cumberland Island trail

Cumberland Island Live Oaks

Wild Horses on Cumberland Island

Wild Horses on Cumberland Island

Lucy Carnegie's Mercury

The Carnegie's Magnolia

Live Oaks Spreading Out

Too Big to Take Home

Heading north, the Degaussing Station caught Dietrich's attention again.   It looks like a huge work of art, a sculpture!  We sailed quite close for the photograph but no security boats cared.   There was a huge submarine tucked next to one of the docks with crew members stretched along the deck.  They handed supplies in a human chain from truck to hatch.  Neither held my attention as well as sea birds and wild horses.   However,  I admit that a submarine and a degaussing station are impressive, certainly reasons to take pride in our military technology.  

Degaussing Station at Kings Bay Naval Base

US Navy Submarine being Re-provisioned  the old fashioned way

Brown Pelicans with Brunswick Cable-Stayed Bridge

The Golden Ray Rolled Over and Salvaging

The Golden Ray Rolled Over and Salvaging

Brown Pelicans

Shrimp Boat in Sapelo Sound

Another Brown Pelican

We have spent a catch-up day here in Little Tom Creek,  30 miles SE of Savannah.   Anchored in about 16 ft. of strong currents, we can see mud banks with grassy tops at low tide (7 ft. tides).   At high tide, the river nearly disappears and we seem to be in a huge inlet edging the sea.  When we leave in the morning, it will be about half tide so there will be some visual indication of where we should sail to avoid running aground.   

Little Tom Creek, GA 

If we were to return to Traverse City in Calliope we would need to travel at least the eastern end of the Erie Canal. We would cross Lake Ontario into  Canada and the Trent Severn Canal we took last July.   However, the Erie Canal will not open until early August and the Canadians are not amenable to our visiting at this time.  Instead, Calliope will ride home on a truck with a travel lift adventure at each end.   We will rent a car to make the journey a day or so ahead so we can be in Traverse City to guide the process of storage.  Due to our determination to keep loved ones and us safer from Covid-19,  we will miss seeing the friends we have along the coast.  Those visits were high on our list of fabulous ways to spend time in Savannah, Charleston, Moorhead, Annapolis and NYC.   Zoom and FaceTime events will fill only a smidgin of the lost hugs and laughter and wine shared.   Our remaining trip will cover beautiful, interesting territory.  It's good that we like each other so much! 

We are rooting for your good health,  Dietrich and Annie Floeter.  😷😷

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