After a month in St. Augustine, preparing boat and crew, we set out for a 65 NM hop to Fernandina Beach on the northen end of Amelia Island at the Florida-Georgia border.
Fernandina Beach is quieter and more residential than many coastal towns in Florida, with year-round residents outnumbering tourists. It has a fascinating history, having been under the rule of eight flags between the 16th and 19th centuries: French, Spanish, English, Spanish (again), Patriots of Amelia Island, Green Cross of Florida, Mexican Rebel, Confederate and finally the United States. It lies at the northern tip of Amelia Island, south of the St. Mary river that separates Florida from Georgia.
Just north of the river is Cumberland Island, one of the low lying barrier islands of Georgia. These delicate islands provide the mainland with shelter from sea and are home to amazing flora and fauna.
We dropped the anchor across the Amelia River from the town and dinghied over to explore, including a visit to the local history museum.
The next morning, we took a rather bumpy 6 NM dinghy ride up to the Cumberland Island National Seashore for a hike. This meandered through jungle-like forest, an unspoiled beach, and ruins of the Dungeness Mansion, built by the Carnegies as a lavish vacation home.
It’s been hard for us Yankees to get used to the heat and humidity of the Southeast USA, and it’s only May! Fortunately, thanks to Fregata’s 8 kW generator, we can run the air conditioning for a few hours at the end of the day to cool things off.
Tomorrow, we finally leave the state of Florida and head into Georgia.
