Matanazas Inlet Anchorage - one of our favorite ICW anchorages

Transiting the 45.3NM along the ICW from Rockhouse Creek (New Smyrna Beach) to Matanzas Inlet  took us 8 hours and 33m.  The vast majority of the time we were able to motor sail under the head sail.

We rarely pass up the opportunity to anchor at Matanzas Inlet.  The area is seldom frequented by other vessels traveling the ICW so room in the anchorage is not an issue.  The bottom is sand and we have never had an issue with setting an anchor.  There are both ocean and inland beaches within walking distance.  Fort Matanzas, a small stone garrison constructed by the Spanish to defend against sneak attacks on St. Augustine.  is open to the public via the National Park Service.

Sandwiched between St. Augustine to the north and Flagler Beach to the south, the area is popular with beach goers on the weekends, but always clears out around nightfall.  Many of the beach goers prefer the inland side for their sunbathing, cookouts, cast netting, sand castle construction, dog walking, and general making of merriment.

During our last two visits to the anchorage we have found it difficult not to notice a new user group - photographers.  The sunsets across the Matanzas River are beautiful.

Sunset at Matanzas Inlet - May 11, 2012

So it seems natural to have the portrait and wedding photographers using the area as a backdrop.  Last spring while eating dinner outside we watched a shoot go from casual beach cloths to leppard bikini to nude.  It made for interesting dinner conversation.  Fast forward to this spring - as waning afternoon temps shoo beach goers off the sands and the sun melts into the western clouds, the photographers return.  Off our bow a couple clad in matching turquoise and white outfits are posing for what has to be pre-wedding photos.  Scanning around to our starboard side the photo shoots become a bit more intriguing -a woman in jeans and a lacy black top standing on a chair in the water surrounded by green balloons.  Continuing to pan across the beach past the crowd of beach goers grilling out and we find a young couple he in boy shorts and her in a thong bikini taking turns photographing each other posing provocatively along the water's edge.

Add another entertaining aspect to anchoring in Matanzas Inlet.