Friday, December 27, 2024 to Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Brunswick, GA to Fort Lauderdale, FL
Preparation for Departure
Following the holidays and a flurry of doctors’ appointments it was time to focus on the last of the food provisioning for a three month stay in the Bahamas. Expert Tetris and inventory skills were needed after each of the three carloads of provisions brought back to the boat. Then there was last-minute boat prep, like going up mast to install the radar reflector, and taking Baxter to a veterinarian in Brunswick to get his annual shots and a signed health certificate to attach to his Bahamas Pet Permit.
Now that these tasks were completed, it was time to be looking for a weather window to head south, to warmer weather. It was exciting to be about to leave the marina a final time. We liked the marina but were very ready for cruising again.
Thoughts on Brunswick, Georgia
We spent three weeks an apartment located just south of downtown, before moving onboard Utopia for the months of November & December. This provided us with time to explore the marina, the town and the area. Some quick thoughts about our stay:
Brunswick Landing Boat Yard
Yard staff was very friendly and helpful
Yard work is expensive, and this is the only yard around; possibly the nearest one is down in St. Mary’s
Access to boat is only M-F, 8 am to 5 pm (Cannot stay on boats overnight in the yard)
Brunswick Landing Marina (https://brunswicklandingmarina.com)
Long, concrete floating docks with power, water & Wi-Fi
Three nice bath houses spread across the marina
Free laundry at each bath house
Clubhouse located centrally to the 16 docks
Lots of events planned for marina guests
Happy hour with free beer and wine each Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Other events take place frequently, including having the USCG Auxiliary do a flare shoot letting people practice using their expired flares
Free loaner bikes (we used to ride to Lowes & Winn Dixie, plus around downtown)
Mail and packages and mail can be sent to marina office
Lots of parking available
Pump outs are free if at the fuel dock, or $40 in your slip
Cons:
Several slips are very close to an active railroad track
Sand gnats are very plentiful
Some parts of the marina’s grassy areas are swamped with mosquitoes
There is a papermill nearby and it does share some odors and floating debris when the wind is from the northwest
Scenes around Brunswick Landing Marina: USCG flare shoot, Dock 15, oyster roast, clubhouse, docks w/ paper mill in background, bathhouse (click for larger images)
City of Brunswick
Walking Distance
Nice downtown, several restaurants and shops, a few nightlife spots available
Central Hardware, Mexican grocery store, liquor store just beyond downtown
Small farmers’ market on Saturdays
Events, like first Fridays, Jekyll Hyde Con, Porch Fest
Cons: mosquitoes are hungry, some larger streets do not have sidewalks
Further Out
Big Box stores
Winn Dixie, West Marine: 1.5 miles
Lowes, Target: 4 miles
Home Depot, Walmart, Publix: 5 miles
Enterprise (3 miles from marina) and Brunswick Auto Rentals, sometimes will pick up and drop off, otherwise Uber/Lyft is available
St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and Jacksonville are not too far away
Cons: no public transportation, areas are not super bike friendly
Silver Bluff Brewing, Little Zooks Bar, Indigo Shanty Restaurant, PorchFest Event
Leg 1: Brunswick Landing Marina, GA to Cumberland Island, GA
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
7 hours
31.5 nautical miles
It looked like Wednesday, January 1st was going to be a good day to sail south from Brunswick, so we decided to anchor out at Cumberland Island the day before.
We vacated slip just before 8 a.m. and motored out in light fog that cleared into sunshine within the first hour. After not operating the boat for nine months both of us were feeling a little bit rusty but quickly became more comfortable with the boat’s operations and navigation. I am thankful for the checklists we created earlier.
When we were about 30 minutes from turning off the ICW towards our anchorage we were hailed by our boat name on the radio by the Coast Guard instructing us to halt forward progress for an hour due to a submarine escort. At least the channel was wide enough for us to turn back to the north easily. As we were looking for a place to set a short term anchor they hailed on the radio notifying that everything was now clear that we could proceed as planned. All and all, it was only a 10-minute delay.
That evening while anchored off of Cumberland Island we saw wild horses on the island’s shore and fireworks from the direction of Fernandina Beach. (Prior trip to Cumberland)
Leg 2: Cumberland Island, GA to Palm Beach, FL
Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – Friday, January 3, 2025
50 hours
266 nautical miles
Wednesday
This leg of our trip definitely acted as a shakedown trip. It started with the anchor washdown pump not engaging. A quick conversation took place to determine if we could head to the Bahamas without this pump, and it was decided that there was no reason to go back to the marina for this issue. I was still feeling bummed about it 10 minutes later, when just as the anchor was back into its cradle on the bow, the pump began to work.
Three miles out of St. Mary’s Inlet we turned south for a broad reach under sail 5.5 to 6 knots. Seas started at 2-3’ with a light breeze from the north. As the day went on, the winds and seas reduced in state. When our speed dropped below three knots the engine came back on to aid the sails.
At noon we began working in shifts. Between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. we helmed in four-hour shifts, switching to three-hour shifts during the night. This was a new shift schedule for us, and I think we will use it moving forward.
We each went out on deck a few times during the trip but always clipped in wearing our life jackets. Typically, we will not go out during the night shift, however we ended up needing to do so this evening. I had the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift, during which the seas began to build as the winds increased to 17 to 22 knots and changed direction. When Jimmy came up at 11, we decided that a reef, and a gybe were needed. These changes were not expected and required going out on deck to install a preventor on the starboard side. Hindsight, we should have rigged a preventor on both sides of the boat and reefed before sunset.
A nice feature of my two nightshifts was watching the constellation Orion fly through the sky throughout the night. He began flying on the portside of the boat, then flew past the bow, and by the end of my second shift at 5 a.m. he was slipping along on the starboard side, heading north.
Thursday
By 7 a.m. things were getting a little sporty again, so Jimmy asked me to come up on deck early to assist him. The whisker pole for the jib needed to be switched from port to starboard, a job that requires both of us on deck. The procedure went pretty well; however, my hat fell onto the deck against the toe rail and when I stepped down to reach for it, my foot slipped and kicked the hat overboard.
Jimmy had not been asleep long when I noticed that a batten was slipping from its pocket. I felt bad about waking him, but did not hesitate to knock on the wall that separates the cockpit from the quarter berth where he was sleeping. I explained to him we did not have an urgent situation but have something that needs immediate attention. We decided to head into the wind to drop the mainsail for access to the batten. Having the engine on for this procedure would make things a lot easier to control the boat in rolling seas and to get back underway afterwards.
This is when we encountered our next challenge: an engine that would not start.
When the key was turned into the “Start” position, only a small single click could be heard as the was key moved. Instead of turning into the Tasmanian devil as he did in Key West last year. Jimmy very calmly went down into the cabin to search for the issue testing out various possibilities. At first, I felt rather helpless because of my limited knowledge of the engine. Then I realized at am helping simply helming the boat while he worked on the engine. About 30 minutes later we were able to get the engine to turnover; more on this issue in next week’s blog post. Unfortunately, when the engine started, I looked up and saw that the batten was gone. Apparently, it had slipped into the sea to join my hat.
We decided to play it safe to keep the engine on until we reach our anchorage, over 24 hours away. Shortly after this incident, I was greeted with a pod of about 12 to 15 dolphins. It was so nice to have that moment of joy after a stressful night.
The remainder of the day and into the night, the winds stayed pretty strong to sometimes being a little too strong. Once again, we should have reefed before sunset but did not. Each of us managed multiple controlled jibes while single handing the boat.
Friday
Wind and seas lessened as the morning passed. We cruised through a lot of fishing boats outside of Lake Worth Inlet as there was very deep water close to shore.
We listened closely to the radio and learned that there is a Harbor Master on Channel 14 that coordinates the cargo and cruise ships. And this time we did not have a close call with a cargo ship. It turned out to be a very pleasant entrance and route to our anchorage. In fact, our Lake Worth anchorage felt magical to me as the weather was warmer, there were so many cruising sailboats in the anchorage and the clarity and color of the water was absolutely magnificent.
Legs 3: Palm Beach, FL to Boca Raton, FL
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
6 hours
20.6 nautical miles
Today’s trip involved 10 bridge openings, and passing by Mar-a-Largo. Most bridges open twice an hour at specified times, and a few will open upon request simplifying a boater’s schedule. It turns out that the first three bridges south of our anchorage were restricted to once an hour in the morning, I believe it was due to a security zone around Mar-a-Largo. This required some calculating to determine when to weigh anchor so that we cruise on through without having to find a way to kill time on the ICW. These calculations also help us determine how fast we should be going between bridges. The bridge opening timing necessitated that we to go very slow between Bridge #2 & #3, which is where Mar-a-Largo is located. As we approached Bridge #3 (Southern Blvd.) at a drifting pace, a police boat with a very large gun on the bow moved towards us, making sure we knew of its existence.
When we reached our anchorage at the end of the day at Pelican Harbor, we were both rather fatigued. Even if the bridge openings go as planned, it can be mentally taxing.
Leg 4: Boca Raton, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
6 hours
19.8 nautical miles
Another day with 10 bridge openings. Except for one bridge, they all went pretty well today. Our first bridge of the day did not open at the scheduled time. We had hailed the bridge tender at 10 minutes ‘till, and the bridge tender confirmed our request. As the top of the hour rolled around, we wondered what had happened. Then, at five after the hour he hailed to us stating that there had been some technical difficulties, and he was now beginning the procedure to open the bridge. This late opening required our top speed to make the next opening.
At the end of another mentally tiring day, we arrived at our very crowded anchorage in Lake Sylvia in Fort Lauderdale. Here we managed to squeeze in between a nice boat and a derelict boat, requiring us to lay out a very short rode. Thankfully the weather is expected to be mild during our stay here.
Post #25-02
Next week, we'll cover the technical issues of our "2025 shakedown"
Great post! Love following your journeys, and I am logging tips for when I (finally) venture out past Apalachee Bay!
What an adventure! The boat gremlims make it interesting as if sailing wasn't enough of a challenge. Sail on!