Report on Bells River Anchorages, AICW Statute Mile 716.5
These anchorages are located along the splintered course of Bells River ‘“ this stream intersects the AICW abeam of the Fernandina Beach waterfront, hard by flashing buoy #10.
Rode out a 4-day storm in May, 2008 in the branch of the Bells that turns south between the two upstream anchor marks. Anchor did drag a couple of boat lengths when the winds went over 40 kts, then reset (44 Bruce on a 21000 lb ketch). Otherwise secure and at worst moderate seas. This storm dumped so much water in N. Fl that at high tide the Bells River became the Bells Lake. All of the marsh land that forms the banks were under several feet of water. The tops of the marsh grass was under water. With no channel marks in this portion of the river I would have had to blindly trust my chart plotter to re-anchor if the Bruce had not reset. Bottom line: A good anchorage, but if a really bad storm is coming I would now try to get into one of the marinas on Amelia Is. See also: http://www.svsarah.com/Sailing/ewBahamasNorth.html for more details on my adventure.
Captain John Stevenson aboard SV Sarah
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Bells River Anchorages
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