I dropped the hook this morning, just north of the main ship channel in the St. Johns River (the entrance to Jacksonville). I was originally planning to stay overnight, then head north on the final leg of this trip tomorrow, but circumstances have changed. The potential storm south of Bermuda is looking like it will, at the very least, create strong northerlies for the next few days, northerlies that would make the Jacksonville - Savannah run a miserable ordeal. For a while I toyed with the idea of leaving tonight (after a nap) and trying to stay ahead of the storm, but a reassessment of the forecast and a nagging feeling that I should stay in safe harbor, have led me to hunker down instead. This isn't the best anchorage for "hunkering," but I think it will do. Alana is in about 25 feet of water between the main channel to the south and a sandy beach to the north. The currents in the river are rather strong and there is not much protection from the wind, but it is another 11 miles up the river to the next viable anchorage. Any strong winds from the north will tend to push us toward the deep channel, not toward the beach, so with two GPS alarms set, I feel reasonably secure. Everything is laid out in readiness to get underway at a moment's notice if necessary.
I'll not be living in luxury while waiting out the weather. There is no convenient way to get supplies from here, so I'll be making do with what I have. I have: more than 50% water, plenty of beans, plenty of rice, 1/2 a gallon of milk, some bread, 1/2 a box of Goldfish, a sleave of bagels, a generator, a number of onions, canned soup, a stereo, a computer, pumpkin seeds, and dozens of shorts and t-shirts. Of greater concern is Barry. He's got enough issues under normal conditions; I shudder to think what he might get up to should he be stricken with cabin fever!
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