Cumbersound was good to us again, with a nice night. We left early Monday morning for a run on the outside to Jacksonville. Between Cmberland Sound and Jacksonville, on the ICW, there is a ton of shallow water and it is just easier to go around it than deal with the pucker factor. It was a 5 mile fight against an incoming tide to get out the St. Mary's River inlet, but once outside, conditions were pretty pleasant and we made good time.

Stern view en route

The St. John's River inlet was our destination and the tide there was a bit nicer. We ascended the river with the tide and turned into Sister's Creek where there is a free dock and water. I wanted to camp there for work on Tuesday, so while I was tied up on the computer, Cindy could get off the boat, go for a run and get some chores done. There really isn't much there. It is a landing for fishing boats but reeally no stores or shopping. I got a good bike ride in. Those little folding bikes work well. We met some nice people on other boats that came in to the free dock and we stayed 2 nights with me working on Tuesday. Yesterday we departed early and began our trip up the St. Johns's River. The goal is to get to Sanford, Florida a week or so from now to leave the boat for the holidays. Going through Jacksonville was pretty interesting. A barge being towed by a big tug, followed us and then passed us. It was loaded with containers and railroad cars. He passed us as a similar rig was coming downstream. Needless to say, we gave them the right of way and got way out of the channel. We draw a little over 4 feet, and they draw 30 feet, so if we got to an area with 8-10 feet, I new we would be safe.

Here is the tug towing the barge

The tug passed us but then we caught him as he docked the barge

Another big container ship

We then went through downtown Jacksonville with an nice skyline and up the less cosmopolitan St. John's a couple of hours to a big bay, Doctor's Lake where we made camp around noon. We anchored near a public boat ramp. This whole "lake" is only 5-10 feet deep, but flat bottom mud. There were fish jumping everywhere, coming out of the water 3-4 feet, none of them very big. Cindy thinks they are mullet, a bait fish. Took the dinghy down and took the bikess to the boat landing for a ride to the store. We are low on groceries, beer and tequila and there is a Walmart, Target, Publix and a liquor store within a couple of miles. Filled the Duluth pack again, came back to the boat and watched the Wild lose again.

Coming up the St. John's we passed the Jacksonville Air Force Base and watched this guy do touch and goes right over us.

Doctor's Lake this morning, dead flat with little mullet jumping everywhere