Tortuga Tour Day 51-52: Cumberland Island
6/09/21
We woke up early so we could pump out and add water before departing St. Augustine for Cumberland Island. We allowed the younger crew members to sleep in. The Captain did his engine checks, unhooked the power from the dock, gave me undocking instructions, and in no time we were leaving the marina. Our timing was almost perfect, but we did have to wait a few minutes for the next opening of the Bridge of Lions. We were in a line with several other boats. One of the other checks before leaving was weather. Last night we had settled on traveling on the ICW. The Admiral was not liking the predicted wave height. This morning, the wave height prediction was better and there are portions of the ICW which are tedious. We changed plans and went out into the ocean about 4 miles offshore. It was bumpy, but no more so than any other time, and it was a gorgeous day. The only time the waves were sporty was when we turned into the inlet to Cumberland Island. The duration was short so tolerable.
Cumberland Island National Seashore is a place we have wanted to bring our family ever since we discovered it on our first Betty Lou. There is no bridge to the island so you either have to take the daily ferry or go in your own boat. It is a very family friendly place. There are trails to hike. You can camp and there were several families doing just that. There is a beautiful beach and before you get to the beach, you encounter large, protected sand dunes which also protect the island. Some of the island is privately owned, but much of it is public land.
As with so many sites we have seen on this trip there is so much history connected to this island. The icehouse left from the Carnegies is now a museum. Plaques were all over the area explaining the history. The island was home to the Tacatacura Tribe of the Timucua People long before the Europeans arrived in 1562. There have been many transformations since then.
The ruins we saw were from the Carnegie Era. Thomas M. Carnegie, brother of Andrew Carnegie, and his wife Lucy, bought land on the island to use as a winter retreat in the 1880s. They built a 59-room mansion/castle, though Thomas didn’t live long enough to see it completed. Lucy continued to live there with their nine children until the late 1920s. The last time it was used was for a daughter’s wedding in 1929. A fire in 1959 destroyed much of the mansion. The Carnegies owned 90% of the island, and there was a total of 40 other buildings, some of which housed the 200 servants. Again, there is too much history for me to share.
Miriam and Phoebe were anxious to see the island. We did lower the dinghy and took a quick ride over to introduce them to the possibilities for tomorrow.
6/10/21
The plan today is to visit the ruins and Plum Orchard and then go to the beach on the ocean side of the island.
We had to wake the young ladies but once up they were eager to go. We first made sure everyone had water, sunscreen, and Fred packed bug spray, first aid kit and whatever else was necessary for safety. Each of the younger crew members had a turn driving the dinghy getting expert instructions from the Captain. Of course, each of them wanted to go full speed ahead, but he held them to a reasonable fast speed for which the Admiral was very grateful.
The pictures really address well all that we saw of the ruins and main part of the park. Miriam and Phoebe both love animals so they were especially attracted to the feral horses which allowed us to get quite close.
We had planned to go to Plum Orchard and thought we could dinghy there but that was not possible, and the walk was 7 miles one way, so that remains a goal for a future visit. We returned to Betty Lou for lunch and a change into our bathing suits.
The beach was just as beautiful as I remember from our first visit, and since a limited number of people are allowed on the island, there weren’t many people.
The Admiral even made it into the water always maintaining the watchful eye. I am a worrier, and though I didn’t want to squelch Miriam, Phoebe and Fred’s fun, I was concerned about rip currents. They managed to have fun despite me, but Fred did call them in due to a threatening storm. We didn’t take advantage of everything on Cumberland Island, but it is a place we can return to.
Captain’s Comments:
After several days on the ICW, getting back out in the ocean was a treat. The water was clear and beautiful (but reflected green now), the wind was gentle and refreshing, the lack of crazy boat traffic was peaceful, and the wave action (except for the sporty part) was relaxing.
The anchorage at Cumberland Island was less crowded than the last time we stopped. With the anchor set, we put the dinghy in the water and took a quick run to shore to exercise our legs and check out the surroundings.
The next day, we toured some of the old buildings, greeted the wild horses, then, after lunch on the boat, we headed back to the island to walk the half mile to the beach. This was my favorite part—the old growth live oaks were amazing. Since they were so valuable, they were cut for lumber in most places. There are not too many places where you can walk through such a beautiful coastal forest. Hopefully, the pictures will capture at least some of the magic. The dunes are impressive too – higher than the oaks. A rainstorm threatening on the horizon caused us to leave the beach, and we were riding through the rain on the dinghy ride back to the boat.
Peace fks
