From Nassau we sailed to Florida via the Berry Islands. Here the plotter shows our route taking into account the northerly current of the Gulf Stream which flows north between the two areas.
It was an overnight sail.
Landfall Florida. What else did we expect?
We anchored near waterfront residences, most of which were of 'some consequence'.
Downtown West Palm Beach was a pleasent surprise after the Bahamas and the DR.
This lovely shopping precinct was a delight.
Then we sailed north along the Florida coast out in the Gulf Stream. At times we found the current going north to be up to 4.5 kts! Imagine that whole body of water moving at that speed; what energy must be involved.
Judging by the number of pelicans and gulls sitting on the rigging and the dolphins in his wake, this trawler was having a good day.
We arrived at Fernandina Beach, an attractive tourist town.
Along the way we were visited by a number of these little fellows who came aboard in search of insects. They had absolutely no fear of humans, and walked all over us as though we were part of the furniture.
The town was sited along the inland side of an island where the anchorage was in a shallow river.
Pleasant scenes awaited us.
Apart from the two nearby paper mills.
Then on north to Charleston.
The farmers market in the central park.
A popular tourist destination,
it was nevertheless, a very delightful small city; one of the most enjoyable we have visited.
Tourist transport.
The local college was integrated into the town centre.
We met other Aussie and Kiwi yachties from Eye Candy and Bandit.
Further north we went, fishing with some success.
Don`t ask!
A couple of nights saw us anchored under the lee of Cape Lookout, a really good sheltered place.
Then the weather turned against us and we were not game to sail north outside Cape Hatteras, a notoriously difficult spot, so elected to follow the intra-coastal waterway which is a series of shallow channels through rivers and estuaries connected by dredged canals.
Here we approached our first bridge near Beaufort.
The bridge clearance was 65 ft and our masthead height is around 62 ft so it was a bit scary.
Much of the waterway was somewhat like the Noosa River.
The Princess, sorry, First Mate kept lookout on the foredeck for tree stumps and the floats of crab pots.
Some low bridges had to open to let us through. By now we were a little convoy of Aussie yachts. The sailing was, at times, exhilerating; at eight knots in a shallow, narrow channel with less than two metres under the keel and knowing that outside the channel we would run hard aground.
The channel markers were all nesting places.
Just like the everglades at home.
There was commercial traffic to avoid.
The convoy finally arrived at Great Bridge, where we are berthed at the free town dock. Just eight miles south of Norfolk, Virginia, and in the precinct of the city of Chesapeake. Wehave arrived.
