Lake Effect on Great Loop: Georgia Hospitality and Turbulent Times

This is our view during the storm. When we left Florida in Fernandina, we quickly crossed Georgia's State line. Our first stop was on Jekyll Island. We had a minor boat problem when we arrived and we asked the dock hand for the nearest boat supplies store and he gave us directions and loaned his truck. It was true southern hospitality. We drove the fifteen miles to West Marine, got some provisions and returned. We even stopped on the side of the road to smell the wild roses. We drove on Highway 17 North to get there. It feels like home.

Jekyll Island was once the playground of the rich and famous. It was a private, members only club. In 1942, during the second world war, the Jekyll Island Club was closed and went bankrupt. There were eighteen winter homes there and other buildings Sixteen of these homes remain standing as well as the hotel, condo and play areas.

There is a lot of history there. The first transatlantic telephone call was made on the island, when Rockefeller called Alexander Graham Bell. The first condo in America was built there. The island is seven miles long and the Atlantic side is all beach. Sixty-five percent of the island is green space. Lots of beaches and many bike trail. The historic district is beautiful of grand homes. As Well, the Grand Hotel, the Wharf Club,the nondenominational chapel and the infirmary.

We met up with friends Don and Pam. They were coming to visit their friends. It was great that our paths crossed. They were returning from Florida and stopping on their way to Ontario. We met for a nice dinner at The Corsair. Pam and I took the Trolley Tour, while the men played cards.

We returned to the boat once I got a tornado alert on my phone. We added fenders and more lines. It was a bit scary but it missed us. We got a thunderstorm, torrential rain and strong winds. The boys weren't too worried.

The next day we planned on leaving but the winds were still strong so we stayed an extra night. We had record low water. Some boats in the marina were sitting in mud at low tide, we were spared that nightmare. I took some pictures, but a professional photographer approached us to possibly post a picture of our boat in a boating magazine. He has one hundred photos in the Waterway Guide that we are using. Hope our boat makes the cut.

We left on Tuesday, after waiting for the winds to calm down. It was calm, but we were waked by two disrespectful powerboaters. Everthing that wasn't closed or tied went flying. We aren't used to that kind of boating. No big mess but frustrating. We spent the night under the stars at Cattle Creek with three other boats. The sunset was beautiful as it set in The Savannahs of Georgia. Miles and miles of marshland. Later the sky was full of stars.

Our last stop in Georgia was on Isle of Hope at the marina. We did some reprovisioning and had a great meal at Castaway. We chose it because it was packed of locals. We weren't disappointed.