Menzies said "Finally, as I posted in another thread, Fernandina City Marina is now back open. That gets you further north for your jump northwards. I have not been there since the rebuild so cannot give any details on where they are at right now."
Just spent the night at the Fernandina City Marina, which had apparently only opened two or three nights earlier. Once you get into the marina you are in great shape. Getting in can be a bit tricky unless you have local knowledge, which I didn't have. I had been told by the Dockmaster that it was important to stay in the ICW channel until I was parallel with the entrance, then to come straight in, a distance of perhaps 75-100 yards. Approaching the entrance the very heavy silting to starboard was obvious, but the current was also from the starboard side and pushing very strongly to port, trying its hardest to push us into the end of the very substantial dock. So, we circled the first time and quickly wondered why we had been advised to stay in the narrow approach. We skirted the silted area to starboard then turned hard and used our thrusters to miss the dock. We missed it by maybe 5-7 feet and were inside. Things calmed down right away. We proceeded down between the two docks, spun around, and tied up. In talking to the Dockmaster later he told us how they would fill up all the space along that first inside dock, including the last space, which would be the one right alongside the end that almost got us. We told him that we didn't think we could have made that and would have hit any boat tied up there. He said the time would come when the silting would be taken care of, opening the approach significantly. We strongly suggested that until that time no boat be tied up on that end. And now, knowing that there is indeed depth "outside" the suggested approach, I would set up against the current, get past the end of the dock, and turn to port, still against the current and be ready to thrust away from the dock if necessary. Piece of cake.
Otherwise, and once inside, a really nice place. And PHENOMENAL access to the historic district, walking! Great town. And the locals claim that Fernandina, not
St. Augustine, is the oldest settlement in America. I haven't researched that yet, but will DEFINITELY be returning to Fernandina.