3/5 -15/23 - St. Augustine to Jacksonville & St. Johns River/Silver Glen Springs

Sunday, 3/5/23 - St. Augustine to Sisters Creek (Mayport, FL) (36.8nm)

Once again, we got a later start than intended.  We neglected to take note of the office hours at Rivers Edge Marina, so we weren't able to retrieve the package that was delivered on Saturday afternoon until we finally found the weekend guy to open the office. We had seen Marc & Lorrie on KARL; and met Devin & Dolly on Leave It To Wally (33' Albin) on the dock at Rivers Edge, but we all had different agendas - again, there was lots to do and see in St. Augustine!

• 
  We were all heading in the same direction on Sunday morning - KARL & Wally got an early start, and we finally got going around 9:45, for our northern passage to Jacksonville.
• Departing the marina via the San Sabastian River, we took note of the Bridge of Lions and the seaside view of the Castillo de San Marcos fort.
• Along the ICW, Matanzas & Tolomato Rivers, we noticed the landscape changing a bit, leafy trees draped in Spanish moss replaced the prolific palm trees of the south, and there was a lot of marshlands.
• There were also MANY areas where we encountered passing boats that weren't very concerned with the wake they were leaving!
• Lots of nice homes/cottages, and restaurants; clearly a local weekender area.
• Around 3:00, we crossed the ICW into Sisters Creek to the Jacksonville City Free Dock, actually in Mayport, FL.
• KARL was already tied up, and we were surprised to be greeted by Chris & Cheryl from Nautic Venture.  The last we saw of them was Anclote Key/Tarpon Springs.
• They were actually staying at the Naval Air Station, but they were monitoring NEBO and decided to come by to see us in their rental car!
• We enjoyed chatting with Capt. Brian on Yooper too.  He has a fishing charter on Lake Superior in the UP.
• What About Wally could not find a spot on the free dock, so they found a lovely anchorage nearby.
• Free is free - you get what you pay for!  The actual dock was great - floating which we love, but no power.  I think they had water, but we didn't try it out.
• There was a great fishing pier attached to the dock and the remaining property had a very busy boat ramp.
• There was a public restroom, but it suffered from unspeakable atrocities.
• The bugs were relentless - kind of like no-see-ums, that we could see!

Mon, 3/6/23 - Sisters Creek to Doctors Lake (35.8nm). Day 1 of St. John's River side trip.

• Chris and Cheryl gave us a head's up about the FEC Strauss Trunnion Bascule bridge that was under repair in Jacksonville.  They explained that opening schedule was from 12:00pm - 12:30pm and then again 3:00pm - 7:00am. This railroad bridge has a maximum vertical clearance of 5', so we planned that 20-mile leg to align with the noon opening.
• Our first images of the St. Johns were of huge shipyards, freighters and tugboats - it had a very industrial feel.

• Carnival's Elation was docked and preparing for its next Bahamian adventure.
• Just as the Jacksonville skyline came into view, was the Jaguar's stadium - that was exciting!

• Around 11:00 Devin hailed us on the radio to let us know What About Wally was tied up to the wall until the railroad bridge was ready to open, so we joined them.
• Soon, KARL came into view and the 3 Looper Boats crossed under the bridge and cruised together for the next week.
• Our first stop was at Doctors Lake Marina for fuel @ $4.20/gal - the least we paid for fuel thus far!
• The marina didn't really look like it was worth $3.00/foot, so the 3 of us backtracked a bit to a gorgeous Doctors Lake Anchorage.  It was a lovely evening with the setting-sun and rising-moon competing for our attention.

Tues, 3/7/23 - Doctors Lake to Palatka (38.9nm).

• KARL was the early riser and the first to arrive in Palatka to discover that the free city dock was closed for repair.  However, there was an auxiliary dock available, but no water or power.  there was room for KARL, Port-A-Gee and Leave It To Wally to tie up for the evening.
• We had intended to stay at Boathouse Marina, but they did not have room for us.
• I asked if we could stop in the morning for water fill-up.  Yes, @ for $10.00.  We decided we could make it another day.
• Marc & Lorrie had to do some maintenance on the boat, so they stayed back, while the rest of us walked into town and for pretty good Mexican food.
• Devin & Dolly also sampled another local restaurant, while Brian and I walked to the Dollar General, which was the only "store" in walking distance.
• Palatka is a quaint river town that seems to have fallen on hard times.  Most of the downtown storefronts were boarded up.  We hope that someday this lovely town will be restored to a thriving community.

Wed, 3/8/23 - Palatka to Georgetown Marina (26.1nm).

Marc and Lorrie were completing their maintenance work, so Wally & Port-A-Gee headed south on the St. Johns River.

•  It was pretty breezy, and the floating City dock was rockin' and rollin'.  We all managed to get out ok and enjoyed a great day on the picturesque St. Johns River.
• Gold Loopers, John & Martha on As You Wish, passed up going North, and sent us a nice pic of Port-A-Gee underway!

• About mid-day we entered Lake George.  Leave It To Wally & Port-A-Gee chose to go to Georgetown Marina for the evening.  KARL decided on an anchorage a few miles back.
• Georgetown Marina, so far, holds the distinction of being the worst marina we've stayed so far.
• The docks were very narrow and difficult to get into, no cleats to tie to, and no assistance from the marina.  Both boats barely got in; neither could go all the way in - at least the finger docks were long enough for us to get on and off.
• There was no power pedestal at Wally's dock, so he just plugged into a 120 receptacle.
• The bathrooms were pretty rough and did not pass my minimum requirement of:
• not having to touch any surface; and
• having a place to hang my towel without touching anything.
• They get an honorable mention for the cute doors though.
• Despite being only $1.00/foot, we would have been better off in a nice anchorage.
• On the plus side, there was a nice sitting area where folks gathered, and they were very friendly and welcoming.  Seems gator-hunting is/was a favorite past time.
• We also needed water, so it was worthwhile in that regard.

Thurs 3/9 - Georgetown Marina to Silver Glen Springs Anchorage (9.2nm).  THIS WAS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE DAYS ON THE GREAT LOOP!!!

• We were excited that our next destination was only 10 miles away.  Silver Glen Springs is known for its crystal-clear water loved by people, manatees, alligators, and even bears!
• 
  Devin and Dolly squeezed Leave It To Wally back out of Georgetown's dock and we followed shortly afterward.
• KARL (Ranger Tug 27') draws minimal water, so they went ALL THE WAY BACK into the spring.
• Port-A-Gee and Leave It To Wally dropped anchor about a mile from the entrance and dinghied in.
• We were keeping our eyes peeled for critters, but in the end only saw 1 small gator,
• Wally saw a larger one later though!

• Marc & Lorrie saw a manatee and then an Eagle plucking a huge fish out the water right in front of them - that's pretty cool!
• Even without the critters that the brochure promised, it was a great day.  We crossed the St. Johns River into the entrance to Silver Glen Springs and it was immediately, crystal-clear, fresh, warm water.  It was amazing - I could not believe the dramatic transformation from brown to aqua water!
• We spent the day enjoying each other's company in the gorgeous water.

• As we made our way back to Port-A-Gee we noticed the wind picking up, so we agreed we should pull up the dinghy and secure the outboard asap.  WELL, that was a good idea.  We were in 1.5 - 2'+ seas until well after midnight.  Possibly anchoring in the river wasn't one of our better decisions.
• Kudos to our Mantus anchor for hanging on while Port-a-Gee pitched and swung in the fetch.

Fri, 3/10/23 - Silver Glen Springs to Seven Sisters Anchorage (24.8nm). Time to turn around, and head back north.  Our southern route on the St. Johns had us back parallel with Daytona.

• Rain was forecasted but did not arrive until after dark.  It was a cloudy, windy day.
• KARL emerged from their super-cool anchorage in the Spring, and Wally & Port-A-Gee weighed anchor.
• KARL chose to stop at the free dock Welaka, once again demonstrating the benefits of a narrower-beamed vessel.
• Wally & Port-A-Gee went a little further to Seven Sisters Anchorage.
• Devin & Dolly dinghied over for Anchor-Tails until we started to see lightening in the sky.  It was a lovely evening and a great end to the day.

SEVEN SISTERS

Sat. 3/11/23 - Seven Sisters Anchorage to Corky Bell's Seafood, East Palatka, FL (9.6nm)

It rained on and off all night, but the seas were still.  We slept well and woke to a perfect sunny day with mild temps in the high 70's.

• Leave it to Wally decided to leave the anchorage around 11:00 and check out Corky Bell's and surrounding, East Palatka.
• 
  Port-A-Gee savored the serenity of Seven Sisters, enjoying a row around the anchorage in the dinghy.  Critters were still staying under cover, but the setting was breathtaking.
• Bass boats came speeding through pretty frequently, but they didn't leave much of a wake.
• It turns out there was it was the 4th annual Dreams Come True Bass Tournament.
• Around 2:00 we pulled the anchor and headed to Corky Bell's for dinner and overnight dockage. Bass boats screamed past us to get back to Palatka for weigh in - wow, they are fast!
• Corky Bells was pretty crowded, but our friends on Wally were walking the dock making sure there was a spot for us.
• 
  We enjoyed the seafood platter and cocktails before returning to Corky Bell's dock for a free overnight stay.  No power or water, but FREE!

Sun, 3/12 - Corky Bell's to Doctors Lake anchorage (39.9nm). Daylight savings time stole an hour from us, but we were on our way by 10:00 a.m.  We traced our tracks from the week before to Doctors Lake anchorage.

• Shortly after we secured our anchor, Melody (50' Tollycraft) and Wally joined us.  The winds were beginning to pick up, but Troy (Captain of Melody) wanted to come by on his dinghy and say hello.
• It got pretty sporty overnight, wind, rain, lightening, thunder.  Once again, our Mantus stubbornly held her ground!

Mon - Tues, 3/13-14/23 - Doctors Lake Anchorage to Lamb Yacht Center, Jacksonville (14.7nm). The rain kept up until after noon, but stopped just before we were about to decide to stay at Doctors Lake for another night.

• Before heading to Jacksonville, we went back to Doctor's Lake Marina for some more of that $4.20 diesel and a pump out.

• The dreary, rainy day suddenly got better after we arrived at Lamb's Yacht Center in Jacksonville on the Ortega River.
• Lot of folks told us to stay at Port 32, up the Ortega River a bit.  It's a beautiful resort-style marina with a pool, restaurant, etc.  But it was a bit more than LYC and they had a 45' minimum.  We really don't like paying for 10 feet that we don't have!
• We are grateful to Deion and Dolly for bringing this alternative to our attention.

• Lamb's Yacht Center is a boat yard, but unlike any other we've visited.
• 
  It's got a great story about the family selling and then reclaiming the property 15 years later.
• It is entirely WOMEN-RUN, and it shows!
• Peggy Sue Lamb-Williams was on site and made a point to not only chat with us in the marina office, but she also rode her bicycle out to our slip to make sure we had everything we needed.
• Peggy Sue grew up watching her father run the marina.  It was subsequently sold, and 15 years later, she and her husband brought it back into the family and have worked very hard to restore it to its current condition.
• The place is pristine, and it is full off unbelievable vintage boats.  It's an In-The-Water Boat Show.

  

  1939 Mathis-Trumpy, Innisfail

  
  
• Huckins Yacht is the adjacent property, so there were lots of these beauts in LYC.

• Welcome bag chock full of useful swag.
• The single-user showers were immaculate and modern.
• Laundry was convenient, except:
• The digital display on the washing machines indicated $1.75, but as you select an increase in the size of your load it increases incrementally by .25.  It ended up being $2.25/load - kinda steep, and a lot of quarters!
• It is a working yard, so they have everything necessary for any repairs/maintenance.
• 
  The courtesy car was a late-model, red, Cadillac DTS.
• Devin and Dolly joined us in the Caddy for provisioning.  Every place we visited was within a 2-mile radius:
• Publix
• CVS
• ABC Liquor
• West Marine
• Advance Auto Parts
• Dolly, Devin, Brian and I walked a couple of blocks for dinner at . . .  are you ready?  THE LOOP!
• I asked about the origin of the name, because there wasn't an obvious correlation to the menu.  It did not have anything to do with the Great Loop, but rather the Chicago Loop where the owners are originally from.  So, the restaurant's name spoke to us in several aspects.
• The menu was unique and had something for everyone.

Wed, 3/15/23 - Lambs Yacht Center to Jacksonville City Dock (21.9nm).  Our late departure was intentional this time because we had to wait for the noon opening of the railroad bridge in downtown Jacksonville.

• It got very chilly overnight, and I had to bust out the sweatshirt I bought in Demopolis for the same reason!
• Around 11:00, we entered the Ortega River and then traced our tracks back to Mayport and the Jacksonville free dock where we stayed at the beginning of this leg of the trip.
• Port-A-Gee and Leave it to Wally arrived at Sisters Creek just in time to grab the last 2 spots on the free dock.
• We were officially back on the ICW.
• The sun was bright, but the air was cool, so we all hunkered down in our vessels for the evening.
• New Bearings, Nordic Tug 42 - about to complete their Loop in NC
• Runaway, 47' Meridian (we also met them in Ft. Pierce
• Aluya, 36' Grand Banks
• Derelict Sailboat that has been here at least a month that we know of - ugh
• What About Wally
• Port-A-Gee
• Tow boat

Sisters Creek Free Dock

LEG STATS:

Miles: 257.7 Nautical Miles (36.8, 35.8, 38.9, 26.1, 9.2, 24.8, 9.6, 39.9, 14.7, 21.9

Locks: 0

Marinas: (2) Georgetown Marina, Lambs Yacht Center

Anchorages: (6) Sisters Creek/Jacksonville x2, Doctors Lake x2, Palatka City Dock, Lake George, Seven Sisters, Corky Bells