Part 2: Port Canaveral, Florida, to St Simons Island, Georgia (210 miles)
The second day of our trip took us offshore from Port Canaveral, Florida, to St Simons Island, Georgia. This is a significant leg, as most insurance companies will require you to be north of the Florida-Georgia state line (or north of the 31st parallel north/31 degree line[1]) by a certain date, and to not return south of it before another specified date to make sure the boat is not in Florida during hurricane season.
Coming out of the channel at Port Canaveral, and heading back into the Atlantic, it is very obvious why this part of the Florida East Coast is referred to as the Space Coast. Indeed, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center can be seen from the ocean, with the imposing buildings and launch pads stretching along the coast for many miles. The ride was very smooth (I was even able to enjoy a Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon at the helm), with beautiful blue waters, and an occasional leather back turtle swimming near the boat.
Coming into the inlet at St Simons Island, we cruised past the sandy beaches ocean side, a picturesque lighthouse, and a beautiful working fishing trawler. In the distance, we saw the Sidney Lanier Bridge (connecting Brunswick and Jekyll Island). The marina where we usually stay is set back just a little bit from the coast on Fancy Bluff Creek (how is that for a name?), in the salt marshes landscape known as “the Low Country”. The current can get pretty strong there though, so docking can get a little tricky.
I love that the marina staff brings fresh muffins and the newspaper to our boat early in the morning.
Next stop… Charleston, South Carolina!
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