We finally made it to Florida!  And what a ride it has been!

The admiral fell asleep on the job of navigating so we missed Fernandina Beach!

Just kidding … Actually, we passed up Fernandina Beach in order to make further headway today.  Due to engine issues we need to be in St. Augustine on Monday, and we have some Stingray Marina friends we want to hook up with before they head south from St. Augustine on Sunday.

We stopped in Fort George River tonight.  It was a little nervy getting in as the entry channel is shallow unless you really stay on the south side of the entrance. We came in at high tide, and will have to leave at sunrise to get out before dead low in the morning.

Beautiful anchorage though.

A local fisherman asked us for some ice as he had caught some nice trout and did not want to lose them.  We were hoping he’d catch more and bring us some, but not!

We went ashore to the Kingsley Plantation home, and toured the grounds.  They have a dinghy dock for boaters, pets are allowed, and the walking tour is free.

Pictured here are the remains of the plantation’s slave quarters, which are made from an oyster shell concrete called tabby.  The structures are lined up in a crescent arc, which is replicating the villages in Africa from which the slaves came. The trees and other foliage did not exist at the time.

This is a beautiful anchorage where we wish we could spend more time.  Maybe on the trip back. It is part of the Timucuan Preserve, and there is lots more to do here.

For now, we are watching the tide, hoping we don’t end up on bottom tonight!  It’s just after low tide (and a very narrow anchorage), so we are waiting for the boat to swing with the incoming tide.

Tomorrow we enter the city of Spanish heritage, St. Augustine.