Welcome Aboard Robert!

We are very happy to be able to welcome Robert Lee, our "brother-in-law" aboard for a while.  He flew from Santa Cruz, CA to Jacksonville, FL to meet us.

Robert

 We left St. Augustine after the 2 days of thunder storms and a cold front passed.  By the time we arrived in Fernandina Beach Municipal Marina, the winds were sustained 20 - 25 kts with gusts to 35.  We were helped to the dock, and stayed on board because the dock was heaving in the waves, and the water and foam were splashing over.

Wave action at the dock

It was VERY windy and COLD (in the 30's at night and 50's in the day

Next day the wind continued, and we rented a car to pick up Robert and re provision.  We also got to go out to the park beach for a walk before we had to return the car.

Fernandina beach sand rivers

We made the short trip across to Cumberland Island, GA.  It is a national Park, and has camping and walking trails.  You can only get here by boat.  There is also the ruins of an old Carnegie family mansion.  When Mrs. Carnegie passed, she included in her will that her horses should be released to the wild on the Island.  There are many wild horses still on the island. 

Walking path - Cumberland Island

Sand waves - Cumberland Island

Sting Ray remains

dunes

Wild Horses on Cumberland Island beach

This horse was rolling in the sand, scratching his back in the warm sand

Antique Car remains

Dungeness mansion ruins

 Although the weather has been cold, it is sparkling sunshine and we are in a beautiful anchorage. We took the dinghy ashore at low tide to see what was in the mud flats.  In addition to the sand, mud, shells, rocks and drift wood, we saw thousands of small crabs in little mud "homes" waving their little claws at us and scurrying on their way.  Might be babies - or small species of crabs ...

Cluster of oyster shells

Scurrying crab - about 1" long

Many of the crabs were waving their claws at us out of their sand/mud holes.

Mud flats

Sunset on Cumberland Island

The next day we walked the beach heading north, and saw many horseshoe crabs.  This one was still alive, but had been tossed on its back.  After the photo shoot we flipped it over and watched it crawl along its way.

Horseshoe crab

Cumberland Island Dunes

 Once you cross the dunes from the beach, you entered the dense forest with palm "bushes" low to the ground, and high oak trees with Spanish moss dripping off the limbs.

Next stop, Jeckyll Island.