Editor's Note: The ICW series of blog
entries details the
April 2010 cruise down the ICW made by WaterViewHome Network Publisher
David Lott. The purpose of the trip is twofold: to accompany Captain
Steve Weisbrod who is delivering a 43-foot
Lagoon PowerCat from Lewis, DE, to Key West, FL, where it will become
part of a charter fleet, and to visit golf and waterview communities and
report on them. You can read all other posts by clicking on the
headlines
on the list of entries at the end of this installment.
Mile 717: Oyster Bay Harbour, Fernandina
The next morning I got up at the uncommon hour of 5 am in order to wave off Captain Steve as he continued on toward his final destination of Key West where he was to deliver Becky Bad Girl into a charter fleet.
It turned out to be a perfect sunrise. Marc Footlik motored by me on his way out with friends for some early morning fishing. I could see Fernandina in the distance lit up by the rising sun whose bright rays slowly crept over the marshes, the marina and finally the clubhouse.
The sun rises over 'Becky Bad Girl' prior to departure.
I thanked Captain Steve for all his help and for letting me ride aboard on his trip--a big success that fulfilled all my winter visions of how a trip down the ICW might be.
Then he was on board and slowly took the catamaran out of the marina and made a right turn toward the ICW. Good-by, Becky Bad Girl! It was always fun telling people the name of the boat I was riding. As Capt'n Steve would say with a big smile: "I just drive 'em, I don't name 'em!" Now I was on my own and a long way from the Chesapeake Bay.
Captain Steve makes the turn toward the ICW and points south.
Becky Bad Girl grows smaller in the distance.
A couple comes out from their yacht to give their dogs an early morning walk.
A Monet watercolor of reflected clouds.
The pool and deck look out toward the marsh and marina.
The clubhouse where we had dinner last night and breakfast.
Once finished with breakfast I took a tour of the Yacht Club clubhouse, which features a fitness center, pool, and bar and grille. The community is surrounded by moss-draped ancient oaks, wildlife and spectacular waterviews, all a short drive from Jacksonville.
The club’s fitness center features state-of-the-art equipment, locker rooms and nearby tennis courts. Nature lovers can meander to the fishing pier and take in water and marsh views. Kayaks and canoes will be available for exploring the waterways.
Second floor of the clubhouse, note the louvered shades.
The Yacht Club clubhouse is a short walk from the marina which features floating docks, with 76 boat slips available in lengths of 40 to 65 feet, and will ultimately feature both port or starboard full length fingers. Built with great attention to detail, there is a minimum of six feet of depth at low tide.
The bar is around the corner from the pool.
I also enjoyed a tour of homes already built at Oyster Bay Harbour and saw where new ones were going in. Request more information.
Sample home at Oyster Bay Harbour.
A live oak draped with moss.
The real estate offered here is a good value with wooded and lakefront lots from $100,000 to 150,000, marshfront lots from $200,000 to $300,000 and lot and slip package from $199,999. Slips are from $85,000. Request more information.
The new Island Villas neighborhood is an excellent value being close to the Yacht Club and marina and featuring views of the marsh, waterways and boat slips and your purchase includes the initial payment for your Social Membership to the Yacht Club.
Sample home.
Sample home at Oyster Bay Harbour.
A new road leaves a small footprint and is overhung with oaks and moss.
Bulldozers rest during their road-clearing labors.
The gatehouse for Oyster Bay Harbour.
Oyster Bay Harbour entrance.
I usually see the entrance of a community first and the clubhouse and marina last. But since I arrived by water and left by taxi, this time the entrance was the last thing I saw. From Oyster Bay Harbour it was on to Amelia Island Plantation and then a plane ride home.
Next: Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL.
Follow the Complete Trip Down the ICW by clicking on the
headlines below.
ICW
Trip Announcement
DAY
1 - Havre de Grace, MD - Engine Trouble
DAY
2 - Alligator River Marina, NC - River Forest, NC
DAY
2: A Visit to River Dunes, Oriental NC
DAY
3 - The Oriental Boat Show Is a Town-Wide Celebration
DAY 4 - Tiptoeing Past Firing Lines to North River Club & Brunswick Forest
DAY 5 - St. James Plantation Marina - New Home Construction
DAY 6: Charleston's Mega Dock Is a Showcase for the World's Most Beautiful Yachts
Day
6: Daniel Island's Mitchell Wharf Offers Deepwater Docks, River Views
Day 6: Harbour Town Yacht Club with All the Trimmings on Hilton Head Island
Day 7: Discovering Windmill Harbour's Elegance and Privacy on HHI, SC
Day 8: Going 'Outside' to Fernandina & The Peaceful Marshes at Oyster Bay Harbour'
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