St. Augustine: Marshes & Dunes

 

See the side of St. Augustine that the trolleys will never take you. On this trip we explore some of the waters near (and within site of) St. Augustine. Unlike our other longer St. Augustine tours, this one will not take us past the site of Fort Mose. 

 

The fee is $39 for "wanna go" members (non-members are $50). This includes your boat rental, paddle, vest, shuttling and guide (yours truly). If you'd like to use your own boat, it's $29 for members (or $40 for non-members).

For tour dates, please check our calendar at:  www.adventureoutpost.net

 

 

Description

 

The area we'll be paddling on this trip is different from our usual "wild side of St. Augustine" trip. It's a shorter route (about 8 miles, as opposed to the usual 10 miles) and is closer to the city. As one might expect, by being closer to town, these waters are usually busier with watercraft than the other trip. Also, more of the shoreline is occupied by homes and businesses. But, if you're able to accept these  realities, you'll find this really is an interesting and fun place to paddle, with plenty of natural shoreline--especially along the large, vegetated dunes, while still getting a great view of the ancient city.

 

Our route will be on very open, sunny waters. The shoreline panorama that glides past our boats alternates between high-dollar homes and historic city buildings, salt marshes and thickly vegetated sand dunes. We'll stop at a couple of the "wilder" spots along our route to check out vegetation, wildlife and, of course, a sprinkling of historical lore.  

 

Dolphins are our frequent companions in thee waters, especially as we approach the deeper water of the inlet. Many shore birds, heralding from all coast-loving tribes are active around us throughout the day. Most commonly seen are our old friends the egrets, herons, cormorants, gulls, terns and of course brown pelicans. In salt flats and oyster beds, raccoons are often spotted busily rummaging through shells and debris looking for crayfish, mollusks and other inter-tidal goodies to munch. High on their list of delicacies are the curious little fiddler crabs that roam the flats in tiny herds, seemingly numbering in the millions.

 

We begin our journey in the sand dunes near the site where many believe Ponce de Leon first waded ashore in 1512 and claimed this land for Spain (probably to the disappointment of the Indians watching from the forest). It was then that he dubbed the island (as he believed this to be), 'La Florida.'

 

(Today's explorers drink from the "Fountain of Youth" from paper cups)

History 

Much of St. Augustine's history was written in the sands of Anastasia Island, or St. Anastasia Island, as it was originally named. In fact, after fire badly damaged the original wooden fort (at the native village of Seloy, near the site of the present castillo), Pedro Menendez ordered that the new fort be built on Anastasia Island. It took the soldiers just ten days in May of 1566 to build the new fort. A month later, when a fleet of 17 ships arrived from Spain with supplies, Menendez decided to build a third, more powerful fort. This one was built on the same site as the second fort and incorporated parts of that earlier structure in its own design. It wasn't until 1572, seven years after Menendez decided to settle on St. Augustine Bay, that the Spaniards crossed the bay once again and began construction on the castillo we know today. While that one went through a number of alterations and expansions over the years, it would remain in the same location from that time forward. But, Anastasia's contribution St. Augustine's defenses continued long after the fort was relocated.

Anastasia Island rests on a foundation coquina rock, a peculiar kind of limestone made from compacted masses of tiny sea shells. Because it is easily cut and shaped, coquina was well-suited to construction. It was especially good for forts because it could absorb the impact of cannon balls without fracturing. Much of the labor for building the castillo was done by Timucuans; from the La Chua Ranch hands at Paynes Prairie, who ensured the laborers had plenty of beef to eat, to the laborers themselves. Even the job of ferrying the huge blocks of coquina across the bay from Anastasia to the fort site, was done by Indian boatmen who lashed together two canoes to form canoe barges. 

The fort was completed in 1695, which, as it turned out, was just in the nick of time. When Governor James Moore of South Carolina decided to attack St. Augustine in 1702, he found an impregnable fortress. Rather than the quick conquest, he had to resign to holding the town under seige. His base of operations was on Anastasia Island, probably near the site of the earlier Spanish forts. The seige last nearly 2 months, until reinforcements arrived from Cuba to aid the besieged castillo. Moore lifted his seige and retreated back to Carolina. 

For more information about this trip, go to http://www.adventureoutpost.net/ToursO-Z.htm#St.%20Augustine