EARLY on the morning of 11/16/21, we threw off Legacy’s lines from Bahia Bleu Marina in Thunderbolt, GA, at 6:30 am. Again, we enjoyed perfect (though chilly) weather and water conditions. As we were traveling outside on the Atlantic Ocean today, we felt fortunate to have those conditions, indeed. Our waters were glass-smooth as we followed the Savannah River out into Wassaw Sound and finally into the Atlantic proper, which was so incredibly still – our boat’s wake was literally the only disturbance anywhere on the water’s surface. As we slowly glided along, we watched a flock of seagulls, lazily floating nearby. Their feathered bodies bobbed comically as our wake rolled under them, causing them to rise high up on the crest and then promptly dip back down as the wave fell, but not a one of them took flight. They appeared to actually enjoy the roller-coaster movements caused by our wake. 😉
As we progressed southward, we encountered increasing numbers of dolphins swimming toward our boat. They swam and surfaced all around us, but none seemed interested in surfing our wake today. The farther into the ocean we got, we noticed the wind began to pick-up slightly, changing the waters from glassy to a bit ripply, but our ride remained smooth and comfortable, as we passed Ossabaw and Sapelo Islands on the outside, and then St. Simon’s Island to our west.
Eventually, we passed Sea Island and surpassed St. Simon’s Island in its entirety, before reaching St. Simon’s Sound and the East River. This was a new course for us, as we’d bypassed Brunswick, GA, on our earlier trip northward. We began to see some strange-looking waves out in the middle of St. Simon’s Sound, which Steve had read are due to the major change in depth between the channel and St. Simon’s Island, proper. The depths in this area remain very shallow far out from the land into the sound. In response, Captain Steve navigated those shallow depths cautiously, so that Legacy did not run aground. Rounding the southern shores of St. Simon’s Island, we viewed more stately waterfront homes, along with the iconic St. Simon’s Island Lighthouse.
We arrived at Golden Isles Marina on the Mackay River on Lanier Island, between St. Simon’s Island and Brunswick, GA, just south of the Torres Causeway Bridge, at 3:00 pm, and secured a starboard tie along the marina’s transient wall, as instructed by the harbor master. Golden Isles is owned by Morningstar Marinas. After settling in and showering, we walked up to the highly-touted Coastal Kitchen restaurant (advantageously located right there at Golden Isles Marina) for a delicious early dinner. We’d learned this place boasted a renowned chef, which was undeniably true as soon as we tasted our entrees. I enjoyed a scrumptious, creamy pasta with garden vegetables, while Steve scarfed up blackened redfish over risotto grits that tasted Heavenly. In fact, I felt obligated to finish his dish for him!
Position: N 31° 09.966, W 81° 24.896
Distance traveled: 86 SM
Total distance traveled: 5778 SM
Total marina nights: 409
Total nights at anchor: 23
Locks today: 0
Locks Total: 29