JANUARY 2002

31-02.696 N
081-25.368 W

Jekyll Harbor Marina
Jekyll Island, Georgia

January 21, 2002

Life on Jekyll Island is relaxed to an extent we have experienced in no other location.  The sense of tranquility commences immediately on arrival from the causeway. Cars move infrequently, and slowly.  Visitors walk the beaches, or ride bicycles on smooth sand when the tide is low.  The only strip mall, dominated by IGA, True Value, and the post office, is casual, friendly, personal.  The post mistress is charming.  She knows everyone in town, and provides personal service to help prepare packages.  This atmosphere will not change, because development is restricted.  High rise condominiums and intensely active resorts will not appear on Jekyll Island, because this is a state park.  Businesses and individuals do not own land here.  Instead, they build on land subject to long-term leases with the state of Georgia.  Jekyll Island is the place to find personal tranquility, time to be alone, to walk, to play tennis and golf, and to celebrate history in the island's "historic district" that includes "cottages" of the golden age rich.  .

Chichi and John returned here January 12, following a wonderful Christmas Holiday in Indianapolis, and a special visit with son Alexander in Estes Park, Colorado. We also visited brother and sister-in-law Blair and Arlene Stanicek in Salem, South Carolina. In addition to a relaxed evening with them, we enjoyed an auction in Greenville.  The next day, high school friend Mike Garber and his wife Mary visited us here. They live in Southern Pines, North Carolina, close enough to Savannah, Hilton Head, Beaufort, Charleston and Myrtle Beach (and other places we will  visit) that we hope to see them again.

Pachamama, docked since December 12, required little attention.  After a minor repair to a heating duct, the new Espar heater kept us comfortable during 35-45 degree nights.  We are preparing for the trip to Savannah, approximately 120 nautical miles, that we hope to take "on the outside" (in the Atlantic Ocean), instead of on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  To arrive in Savannah, or Thunderbolt where most marinas are located, during daylight, requires 20 to 24 hours of continuous sailing, at temperatures of 40 degrees or lower.  We need experiences like this to prepare for more extensive adventures, but the prospect is a shade intimidating.  Stay tuned.