A Day of Firsts

Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine  |  8.25 Hours  |  57.4 Miles   

I was on deck as dawn broke with splashes of pink and orange. I came out in my usual five-layers on top and snow pants only to discover that I was hot. That was a first for this trip. I happily peeled a few layers and changed into jeans. Crossroads eased off the dock and we were on our way, once again fortunate that our departure coincided with a slack current. There was not a ripple caused by wind or current in the anchorage. Our wake accounted for the only disturbance of the water.  

The passage out of St. Mary's Inlet was beautiful. The sun rose into a cloud bank and illuminated the sky. A few dolphin picked us up and led the way into the Atlantic. The local shrimp boats were already hard at work with their nets lowered into the water. 

We set a waypoint -- due south to Saint Augustine -- and settled in for the easy ride. There was no wind and the swells were low and gentle. As we approached Jacksonville, we saw the silhouette of US Navy Warship 116 (the guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner) as it left Mayport Naval Station and headed east in front of us. The travel conditions were ideal, but there were only a few boats on the water. Two sailboats were behind us and multiple shrimp boats farmed the area close to the coast. The birds were more than excited to consume a portion of the harvest. 

The miles clicked off quickly as we watched larger shrimp boats drag their nets in circular patterns. Soon the silhouette of the Saint Augustine Lighthouse appeared on the horizon. We began timing our arrival for the bridge opening and slowed down a bit allowing us to check out the wildlife. Dolphin were actively fishing in the shallows. An osprey watched over passing boat traffic. 

Crossroads was the only boat to pass through the 3:00 opening of the Bridge of Lions. We received our mooring ball assignment and readied for the first attempt of the year to pick up the pendant (actually the first in two years). I'll give myself a B with high marks for composure, but a few deductions for execution. The best part was we were secure and had a great view of the lighthouse. We were most nervous for the next step which was lowering the dinghy into the water for the first time. That also went off without a hitch -- and started easily. Yay! We took the dinghy to the dock, checked in with the office, and went on a little walk. We both wore jackets, but soon found ourselves removing them not too far into the stroll. We stood in the picture line at one of the lion statues at the foot of the bridge without jackets. Also a first. It is very obvious that my skin has not seen sun in an awful long time. I will start working on that situation tomorrow. Bright yellow snapdragons were among the many flowers planted in front of the restaurants along Avenida Menendez.

We both put our jackets on for the dinghy ride back to Crossroads. By the time we returned onboard, the sun was barely visible over the trees and the temperature was dropping. We enjoyed watching the lighthouse beacon shine as the boats in the anchorage began to fade into darkness. This was our first day in St. Augustine. We will be here a few more days and hope to visit many spots for the first time.