Plans A, B and C

We are quickly learning that adaptation is the name of the game and it is paramount to always have a plan B, it’s advisable to have a plan C, and it doesn’t hurt to even have a plan D…

We spent the majority of last week on a mooring ball in St. Augustine and certainly made the most of our time there in between long work days. Below is a list of all the places we enjoyed after work each day and definitely spent too much of our budget on:

• Casa Maya has a wide range of specialty margaritas, and I delighted in a chai pear margarita — who knew there was such a thing!
• The outdoor patio at Casa de Vino 57 is perfect for a dog-friendly outing. We enjoyed live music by local singer and songwriter, Jolie, who we stumbled upon during our last visit to St. Augustine.
• The unique breakfast boards at Ancient City Brunch Bar were impressive in size and taste.
• When visiting St. Augustine, we highly recommend adding a tour of Flagler College to your excursions. The college, which was once Hotel Ponce de Leon, dates back to the gilded age with stunning Spanish Renaissance architecture.
• If you’re a beer connoisseur, there is no shortage of breweries in St. Augustine. We visited Dog Rose Brewing Co., Bog Brewing Company and Old Coast Ales.
• A popular spot among all visitors is the Tini Martini Bar, but this was especially fun for us as we could keep an eye on our boat from our table.
• One day we worked from Southern Grounds, a coffee shop popular among college students. Their outdoor fireplace is beautiful and a nice touch on the chillier days. 
• We also had an incredible view of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument from our mooring ball — another must-see when visiting.

Originally we had planned to leave St. Augustine on Friday, but the weather was more favorable to cruise on Saturday. This was our first time adapting by adding an extra night in St. Augustine, and our waiting paid off. There is no use rushing and sticking to a plan when your safety and comfort is always the top priority. Saturday morning we left right at sunrise with plans to cruise to Jacksonville.

Our plan A was to reach a free dock off of Sister’s Creek, which can have a ripping current if arriving outside of slack tide. If we arrived and didn’t feel safe, our plan B was an anchorage 2 miles to the west. However, with the timing of the tides and our proximity to the St. Augustine and Fort George inlets, we arrived in Jacksonville far ahead of schedule. Instead of staying put, we decided to move forward with plan C, which was to continue our cruise for another 3.5 hours up to Fernandina Beach. There, we would be able to anchor, grab a mooring ball, or even grab a slip at the local marina.

Luckily there was a mooring ball available at the Fernandina Harbor Marina (which are on a first-come, first-serve basis), so we grabbed a ball and called it a (long) day. We’ve now spent two nights here and are so glad we have been able to explore this adorable coastal town. We plan to stop at St. Marys Intracoastal Gateway Marina this week then spend a night or two anchored near Cumberland Island — a highly recommended spot by the Looper community. 

If you want to watch a recap of our first weekend on the loop, you can find our latest YouTube video here. Cheers to continuing the adventure!