Settling in

Feeling right at home on Jekyll! Have spent the last week or so finding our way around and setting up a daily routine - can't live without a routine!! The weather is now in the upper 70 low 80's and it helps to movtivate a person to work outside on the boat. We are about half done with the stainless and it is looking sharp!! In the mornings we walk over to the beach and walk the dogs. Teddy loves the sand and Sam continues to bark at the waves. They have to be leashed. Guess Sam will never get over the waves - too much activity that needs to be herded! It wouldn't be so bad but he has a LOUD bark and he ingests enough salt water that he vomits. We just don't think that is probably good for him. Yesterday was quite windy here which moved the boat around and the waves "slap" when they hit the hull. We were working outside and Sam continually paced, whined and occaisonally barked. I finally took him to the back, made him lay down and calmly, quietly talked to him for about 10 min about how the wind made the waves and they make noise, but it's OK. He doesn't have to work so hard and he is my baby boy. I droned on and on until he got sleepy and went to sleep. Can you blame him? I do this with Alan, too - works very well!! We have been biking and surprised that we aren't sore - guess all the steps on the boat have conditioned us! The other day we set out and actually got lost - thankfully this is a small island!! The snowbirds are on their way down the ICW to Florida - the size of some of these boats is just amazing! Again, we are in the "baby" boat category. Can't imagine trying to navigate, maintain or even insure one of those babies!! Spent a day in Brunswick finding the grocery stores, Mecca ( Wworld )etc. Main goal was to find a laundromat and we found a lovely one! Believe me, there are "not so lovely" ones, so when you do find a lovely one you feel like you have won the lottery. The boat is plumbed for a small W/D but I would be all day doing laundry, plus would lose valuable storage space - at the laundromat I am in/out in about 1.5 hrs. Right now all systems are functioning on the boat - rare, but wonderful!! Attaching some pix of the "cottages" that the millionaires built back in the day (this was their winter retreat - google it). Compared to their summer homes on the NE coast, and their fulltime homes in New York City and Chicago, I guess you would have to describe these as "cottages"!?! Hope this finds all well with you and yours - more from Jekyyl next week. Just keep in mind that our door is always open!!

we are at the end on the left - 2.5 mi from the shore - good exercise!

gray day at the beach

beautiful biking trails

our restaurant and pool in the background

Carnegie cottage

just another cottage

Wm Rockefeller cottage

the "hunting lodge" for the members of the "Millionaires Club"

 

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Georgia on my mind

Finally!! We found the weather window last Thurs and shoved off for Jekyll. Our dear friends, Mike and Mary, and neighbor, Bobby were there to see us off and help with our lines. It was a 4.5 hour trip and went very well. We are pretty proud of ourselves as this area is notoriously known on the ICW as tricky to navigate. We left on a rising tide as it can get very shallow in spots. In one area we meandered off course by maybe 5 yds and the water went from 8 ft to only about 2 ft below our keel!! As they say -on the ICW it's not if you will go aground, it's when. If we had been on a low tide we would have grounded for sure. Then you have basically 4 choices - try to maneuver off (hopefully it's mud or sand) which sometimes can be done; call a tow service you signed up with (like AAA), call an independent service (VERY expensive) or wait for up to 6 hours for the next rising tide. Either way, it's very humbling say nothing of embarrassing!! We will get our turn!! When we arrived they had us tie up temporarily to the face dock, rather in a slip to be shared with another boat. Face docks are normally reserved for the over nighters. However, since we will be here 6 mos we talked them into letting us stay and we love it. Wide open to the ICW so we can watch all the traffic, wide open sunset view (see pic) and better air. The boat rolls more due to the boat wakes, but we like that - perfect!! Everyone here is so friendly and they are several doggies - Susie, a daschund who always barks until she gets to know you; Pearl Ann, a yorkie who contstantly barks until you are out of sight (her mom says that once she has been formally introduced to the boys she will "allow" them to be here and all will be well); and Todo - a shitzu across from us who never barks and who loves Teddy. Several others to meet yet. Last eve one of the couples hosted a potluck featuring jumbolaya (they are from LA). It was a great time - everyone brought a side dish - with great food!! Today we took a drive around the island (it is 7 mi long and 1 1/5 miles wide - we can walk to the ocean and dogs are allowed on the beach! Google Jekyll Island - the history is fascinating. It was privately owned, at one time, by the fat cats - Carnegie, Goodyear etc. Lots of tours to take and things to see. Twenty miles of bike paths which we plan to use as the marina has courtesy bikes. Picture Ted in a basket and Sam running along side Alan - it's going to be interesting!! Tomorrow we're going to - guess where - Home Depot and Walmart!! Sad, isn't it? They are in Brunswick which is across the bridge - about a 25 min ride. Some things never change!! See you next week!!

view down our dock

our sunset view

wild horses on Cumberland Island on our way up the ICW

Cpt Alan - no hands on the wheel - typical!

Trawler Ted - cruising position - to the left of the Cpt

Salty Sam - cruising position - to the right of the Cpt

 

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Waiting on the weather

 

Well, here it is Oct 8 and we are still in Florida, thanks to TS Karen. Altho the storm has dissipated, she has left some remnants that will arrive here today and tomorrow. We had put off our date until tomorrow, due to finishing up some items on the boat, but will now wait until Wed, possibly Thurs. Remember what I have said about having to throw away any notion of a schedule on a boat?? Oh well, we're perfectly happy here. It is nice to have the big projects (for now) out of the way. Not to worry - there are dozens of smaller ones waiting to be addressed!! For Alan's BD I bought him 200 ft of chain for the anchor; he was thrilled!! Up to this point, our anchor was just about useless as the boat only came with about 20 ft of chain - not doable. Have been getting out and seeing a little more of Fernandina Beach - we love this area - is close to what "old" Florida used to be. Delightful!! Ted had a rough week -
fell off the bed, fell down the 4 steps of hardwood to the bedroom, and fell thru the opening in the salon floor to the engine room (Alan was working down there). That was almost a 5 ft fall to a metal floor. All in 1 day!! The next evening, it was dark, he was walking behind me on the leash and fell off the ramp from the dock to the pier (about 5 ft) into the water. By the time I got to him I couldn't see him - the current had carried him under the ramp. I started pulling on his leash and by this time Alan was getting ready to go in after him. People - there are gators in this water!!
About that time I saw Ted's head and Alan reached down to grab him. We didn't know if he was going to drowned or be hanged!! He was drenched and scared - Mom was a wreck!! After a warm bath and a lot of cuddling both of us had settled down. Needless to say he is now wearing a harness!! They don't call humans "dumb friends" without good reason!!! Will be in touch next week after we are hopefully in Jekyll!! pix attached

Trawler Ted is ready for the water now!!

Salty Sam is a little bored with it all - let's hit the water!!

Sunrise over Egan's Creek

The BD boy!!

Teddy headed into the wind!

 

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