Reunion Voyage: Fernandian Beach to Cumberland Island

Back on the water again! We departed Fernandina Beach in beautiful weather, gentle breeze and calm seas – such a treat after a week of stormy rain and blows. We went a very short distance of 12 miles to stop at Cumberland Island and it now ranks as a favorite stop. We are anchored just north of the Sea Camp dock and we took the dinghy to the dock to go exploring.

Wooded trail to the beach

The island is beautiful, uninhabited except by wild horses and forest rangers. We hiked to Sea Camp beach and went through a woodland of wide trails, surrounded by thousands of huge live oak trees draped in Spanish moss. The landscape was covered with palmetto on the lower level. We crossed high sand dunes on long boardwalks and came out on a vast, quiet beach. The Atlantic was rolling in and as we looked down the beach we saw some of the wild horses of Cumberland Island. They seemed to tolerate us with our cameras as long as we kept a respectful distance. The beach was at low tide and we saw lots of bomb jellyfish and starfish.

Our first view of horses on the beach

After a picnic in the shade we continued our tour by walking to the Dungeness Ruins. This is all that remains of a four story, 40-room house of the Gilded Age. The home was built by Thomas Carnegie (brother of Andrew) for his wife Lily. There were 37,000 square feet in the home as well as dozens of outbuildings and recreational buildings, few of which show any remnants at all. At least 7 of the Carnegie children built homes on Cumberland as well. Now most of the island has been made into a National Seashore and Park and it really is a tremendous gift that this piece of land and history is available to us all. In order to see it, however, you must come by ferry or private boat. It is worth the time.

Anchored here with us are three other Looper boats: Field Trip, Priorities and Choices so we had everyone over to enjoy the sunset and cocktails on our sundeck.