Floyd Creek and the Umbrella Cut

July 28, 2016

Miles Today: 36.7 NM

Total Miles: 298.6 NM

Our goal today: cross the Georgia state line and get to Brunswick Landing Marina, which is above latitude 31°, and where we will leave the boat for a couple of months and head west to blessed cooler weather in Colorado.

As we leave Fernandina Beach behind, we see an old fort on the starboard (right) side, sitting high on a bluff at the north end of Amelia Island.  The site was first fortified in 1736 by the Spanish.  In 1847, the United States began construction of the fort, using over 5 million bricks to build the pentagon-shaped inner and outer walls.

Fort Clinch 

5 Million bricks were used to construct the walls

Soon we were crossing the St. Mary’s River and into the Cumberland Sound (and gliding over the Georgia state line – yay!).  This is the area of the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.  There were a few Navy speedboats out in Sound practicing something, but we didn’t spot any submarines.  Our cruising guides emphasize that in this area the markers can be confusing - do not follow the ones into the Base unless you want to set off alarms and be swarmed by Navy police boats.  We carefully made the right turn away from the Base.   Not soon after putting the Base behind us, we came upon a boat sitting in the middle of the channel.  Carrying 4-5 young men in uniforms with guns, the speed boat appeared to be Coast Guard, rather than Navy.  We were sure we were going to be boarded.  The Coast Guard performs spot checks on vessels to ensure they have the required documentation and safety equipment.  It looked like the young men aboard were being trained – wouldn't it be a great training exercise to check out this couple on their nice boat?  As we got closer, the boat sped off down the river.  Whew – dodged another one!

Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
(picture from Kings Bay website)

 

This is the type of Coast Guard boat that was 'waiting' for us just north of  Kings Bay.  Unfortunately, we didn't see any submarines.
(picture from Kings Bay website)

If you recall when we were in Titusville, I met a very knowledgeable woman in the laundry room.  She sails alone with her dog and told about a harrowing experience crossing St. Andrew Sound south of Jekyll Island, GA.  She suggested we check out an alternate route that follows Floyd Creek, Dover Creek and Umbrella Creek.  A lot of people refer to the route as Floyd's Cut or the Umbrella Cut.  Unfortunately, it can be very shallow and is not recommended for boats that need 5 feet or more of water (we need 4). We did some research and found out that if we follow this route at almost high tide we should be fine – and we were.

Though this alternate route added an hour and a half to our trip, it was so peaceful we really enjoyed the time.  The creeks are narrow and shallow and like a long, lazy snake, they double back on themselves as they meander through the Georgia marshes.  We never saw another boat.  Since we timed it to enter Floyd Creek about 1 hour before high tide, we saw mostly 4-8 feet below our keel. Two times though, our depth sounder’s alarm went off letting us know we had just 2 feet of water below us.  Our hearts skipped a beat as we saw the depth drop quickly to a ½ foot!  And then, miraculously and inexplicably, we were back in deeper water.  

#1 Start by making the turn into Floyd Creek rather than heading straight to St Andrew Sound

#2 Follow Dover Creek to Umbrella Creek.  This alternate route avoids going out into St. Andrew Sound.

We soon came out into Jekyll Sound.  There was a light breeze and a little chop but still a pretty ride across and up Jekyll Creek.  As we approached Jekyll Island Bridge, we noticed several shrimp boats near the Jekyll Harbor Marina; one of them pulled out a little ahead of us.  I was driving and couldn’t tell if the shrimper was pulling up and into a slip or actually going toward the bridge and heading out into the channel.  I sped up a little to pass him; he sped up, too, stayed near the shore, but still heading toward the bridge.  Was he or wasn’t he coming out?  Jim started to chuckle, "Are you trying to drag race with the shrimp boat?"  Being a courteous Admiral, I slowed and waited to see what the shrimp boat was going to do.  It turned out to be a serendipitous decision – the shrimp boat sped up and we followed him through the narrow creek, avoiding shallow water, across the Sound and up the Brunswick River, under the Sidney Lanier Bridge, to Fancy Bluff Creek and our marina.  Thank you, Captain Shrimp!

We made it to Brunswick - out of Florida waters and above latitude 31° by July 28^th – 3 days to spare! 

Outrun the Taxman - check.
Keep our Insurance company happy – check.

Interesting barge being pushed by a tug.  The black circles and diamonds suspended from the mast are called 'day shapes'. From what we read, ball, diamond, ball in the middle means the vessel is restricted in the ability to maneuver and is engaged in underwater operations or dredging; the 2 balls on the far left mean there is an obstruction on that side; the 2 diamonds on the right indicate that is the side on which you should pass the vessel.

That's where we're heading - under that bridge waaaaay over there (Sidney Lanier Bridge, Brunswick, GA)

But first we have to wind our way through this.... 

....and make the correct turns - which can be tricky to spot (always watch the markers)

Looks like we're getting closer - and all we have to do is go through all that grass!

We made it!

The Sidney Lanier Bridge stands 185 feet above the water.  Named for the Georgian poet, Sidney Lanier, who wrote the poem Marshes of Glynn - describing the beautiful marshes that surround the area. It opened in 2003 and replaces the original 1956 vertical lift bridge which was struck twice by ships.