Jacksonville Beach

We awoke in Brunswick at 5:30 this morning to a jet back sky and a brilliantly clear full moon.  This will, of course, affect the tides.  There is a variance of more than 7 feet in this area between high and low tides, so I’m glad we’re leaving on the high.

The real surprise was the temperature.  32 Degrees!  Yikes!  I thought I would not see that until our return in the spring.  Had to get out the leather jacket and gloves, which I had relegated to the rear of the hanging locker. Plus a gorgeous cashmere scarf ( a gift from my niece Amanda).

Now we are in Jacksonville Beach. It is 2:30 in the afternoon, and it is STILL cold: 36 degrees! I brought a small space heater with me (a suggestion from my Yacht Club friend Art Nielsen, who has made this trip several times). Today is the first day I needed it. (The onboard heat only works when we’re plugged into shore power).

It was kind of a rough trip. The wind has been blowing from the west for several days, and the ICW requires you to cross a series of Sounds. A Sound is like a broad river that opens directly into the Atlantic Ocean. These Sounds run east to west, so the wind has a long “fetch” – a long distance to build up waves. The seas were confused and sloppy.

The coolest sight was sea smoke. Because the air is colder than the water, there was a wispy fog just above the surface of the waves. Very pretty.

The worst problem was the sun glare. Because the sun is so low in the sky this time of year, it was constantly in my eyes. Sunglasses cut the glare, but then you can’t read your instruments.

But anyway, we made it. This is a sizable marina: 350 slips, with a good restaurant. And the waitress in the restaurant is cute. Young enough to be my granddaughter.

Tomorrow we expect to be at The Daytona Marina. It is 20 degrees warmer there today, and should be even warmer tomorrow. We are refueled and ready to go.