Labor Day is fast approaching, so your preparations for the Cumberland Cruise/Elphick Memorial Race should already be underway. For those who may be joining the club for their first involvement in this annual event, Cumberland Island is a beautiful wildlife preserve on the barrier island just north of Fernandina. Since there are no bridges to the island, the only choice you have in arriving is to take the offshore route, or the ICW.

The offshore route is more direct, only about twenty miles from inlet to inlet. The bottom is fairly flat, and if you follow a rhumb line from the St. Johns sea buoy to St. Marys marker #17, you’ll find about fifty feet of water under the keel at all times. Be aware that in the past, foul weather has caught the offshore fleet (VERY foul weather, but thankfully brief), and that you’ll need to be ready to reef, and change to a smaller headsail. Rig jack lines for safety harnesses and know where ALL the life jackets and floatation cushions are. Remember, this time of year is famous for quickly arising thunderstorms that can be severe, but most pass quickly and make you wonder what the fuss was about. All the same, if you’re not sure of yourself offshore, take the ICW. If you are adamant about making this your first offshore passage, please make sure that someone else, preferably two or three different boats are aware of this fact, and keep tabs on you.

The ICW route is a little more convoluted, but is mostly well protected waters. From the St. Johns river, turn north to pass under the Sister’s Creek bridge. Call for the opening on channel 13. The Sister’s Creek bridge tender is fairly responsive and if you have to wait at all, it won’t be for long. If you’ve never traveled on the ICW before, a rule to follow headed north is to match the color of the marks to the colors of your running lights: keep the green ones on the right, and the red ones on the left. This rule only applies to traveling north. We’ll have to come up with another rule for the trip to St. Augustine (same rule, but drive in reverse????).

Nassau Sound can be tricky. Leaving Sister’s Creek, you’ll want to head a little to the right to make the first mark. DON’T CUT THIS MARK. Give yourself plenty of room around the mark, and mind your course between the next few marks. The area between the mark at the southern extreme of Nassau Sound and the dog-leg taking you north is notorious for shoaling. Take it slow, on a rising tide, and watch the depth sounder. Once past this stretch it’s a fairly straightforward run. The next bridge you come to is an automated swivel bridge for the railroad. It’s use is sporadic, so keep your eyes open, and watch the currents.

Arriving in Fernandina, the southern two thirds of the city docks is now owned by the Emerald Princess, even though the dock is empty, don’t tie up in their slot, you could become a fibreglass fender for a cruise ship. The folks at the city marina will respond on channel 16, and are fairly efficient at getting you tied alongside safely. Following the race up the coast, most of the racing crews will descend on the Palace Saloon. If you have a quieter time in mind, head on up to the island.

There is a dock at Sea Camp, on Cumberland Island, but it’s emptied at sunset, and it’s first come, first serve otherwise. There is no time limit on dockage, other than daylight, so when the dock gets filled, it will often stay that way all day with only room for dinghies. The portion of the dock outlined in yellow is reserved. There is a fair amount of current here, so you may wish to consider using two anchors to limit swing. Also, there is a six foot tidal range (on the average), so be aware of the tide state when you anchor, and insure that you’ll have enough water under the boat at low tide. Also remember that the Cumberland Queen, a ferry from St. Marys, has to have room to maneuver to come along side their portion of the dock (remember the yellow part?).

There will be a covered dish dinner at the picnic tables at Sea Camp on Sunday. Bring enough for you and crew, and some more to share. Walk on the island, exploring the ruins, the trails, or the beach. Stay off the dunes, and everything you take to the island, remove to your vessel when you leave. This is one of the most popular cruises we have every year, and it’s a freebie, so come, enjoy, and explore the possibilities.

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