Rob & Serena: we met Scott & Kim!

There are several boats sharing this anchorage off Cumberland Island, and today we had the pleasure of getting to know some of their people.

Back in August, we anchored in a small creek off  the Hudson River by the town of Kingston. We were there with Jorge & Kim on CS’ta Time and Rob & Serena on Vita. Hurricane Irene had hit that area badly 2 yr. prior, and the owners of the marina there were describing the flooding caused by the torrential rains filling the creek where the water level rose over 17’ above regular high tide levels. They had lost their docks and many boats were damaged. They told us the story of one boat that had anchored in the creek  and had to endure four days of high water with strong currents while fending off debris carried down the river (it wasn’t a creek any more), and how they’d somehow managed to save themselves and their boat.

Today, we met this (legendary) couple! Scott & Kim on Anthyllide have been cruising for 8 years, and have experienced first hand both Irene and Sandy. They have sooo many stories, and  they’re still cruising. Gotta love and admire people like them. They have a cat on board that’s been through at least four lives. Her most recent episode occurred in the Dismal Swamp, where she jumped off the boat onto “land,” but the “land” was thick green duckweed floating on the water.  Also turns out that Scott & Kim have crossed paths with Rob & Serena; having spent time with them in the Dismal Swamp & Bath, NC.  Small world.

Scott & Kim, and Gil & I shared dinner with Scott & Carol on their boat Sojourner. Carol fed us all with homemade chili and cornbread, plus pumpkin pie for desert. With hospitality like that, we might just stalk them…

We also joined Jay, a solo sailor who’s been cruising for 3 years, for happy hour on his boat Kenlana earlier in the afternoon. He had sailed the same passage from Port Royal Sound to St. Marys and came in just behind us yesterday morning.

Rob .... there are shrimp here ... right off the dinghy dock in front of the Ranger Station. The crew of the ferry boat were netting them to use as bait for bigger fish. They were saying that rainbow trout could also be caught from the dinghy dock.

The 'bigger fish' in the deeper waters off this inlet include bull sharks! Scott has been up close and personal with one. Their boat sat here in St. Marys for a while to have a new engine installed. As these waters are very nutrient rich, a thick build up of organic slime had built up on their hull; so much that it affected the performance of their boat and could be felt at the helm. So after getting back out into the deeper water outside of this inlet, Scott chose to dive under and scrape off the build up of fish food (algae, shrimp, etc... )  A bull shark swam up!  Kim described him as 'flying' back on board.  They have soooo many stories.

Earlier in the day we walked more of Cumberland Island. The Carnegie family once had a mansion on this island, but a fire destroyed it, and little remains of its’ grandeur.

built in 1885 by Thomas & Lucy Carnegie

 Ice House Museum

wild horses

.... and we had to go back to the beach...

Laughing Gull

Royal Terns

Great White Heron

.... and back across the island to where we were anchored...

see Gil?

live oak maritime forest

Another great day! Love this life.