Greetings From Frosty Fernandina Beach In Freezing Florida!!!!!!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, I am in FLORIDA, not that it makes much of a difference temperature-wise. It got down to 30 at the Jekyll Harbor Marina last night. It was a little warmer when the sun came up. Breakfast coffee at sunrise was drunk in 43 degrees. That is cold be any one's standards but down here in the sunny South, it is COLD!!! Hey didn't I come this way to get away from the cold?

This was a quick day. By doing my laundry this morning, I got a late start and hit all the tides and currents the right way. I must confess that up river from the Sub base at St. Mary's, I did find another one of those "thin" pieces of water. Went aground in soft mud and was stuck for under five(5) minutes before I was able to wriggle myself off and continue on my way.

They were loading or unloading or working on the missiles in a boomer at the base. It is right along a stretch of the river with no enclosures or anything like that. AS went by, a "NAVY" gunboat did a slow pass but I got no challenge, warning or anything like that. I thought for sure that I would, but nada!

The spot between R10 & R12 off Fernandina Beach was packed with people already anchored. I think that they were too cold to move, so I went up Bell's River, a little further inland and anchored behind schooner called "VENTURE" from Mystic. It did say Mystic where, just Mystic. Hopefully it is not from home as it was ratty and abused and in need of a major fix up.

The bad news is that the rear seal for the raw water pimp is leaking badly. The leak is being picked up by the belts and is spraying the engine compartment. I called Gerry, my old instructor from the Chapman School, and he is going to contact a "friend" who owns "Lamb's Yacht Center" in Jacksonville. We'll see if we can do a deal. Anyone who feels inspired to contribute to the water pump fund is encouraged to do so.