Crew Log for December 17th, 2022
Trip Summary:
• Titusville to Melbourne Beach
• Trip Distance of 34.4 NM, Total Distance To-Date of 2,408.4.0 NM
• Departed at 07h30, arrived at 13h50
We had a good start to the day given we had backed out between the pilings without hitting anything! Seems like a silly yardstick to measure the day with, but the combination of tight maneuvering and strong currents, combined with wind blowing through the marina, is the stuff that nightmares are made from. Today was smooth sailing. We actually did get to pull the headsail out briefly and enjoy a beam reach heading straight south towards our anchorage for the evening somewhere around Melbourne.
One of the neatest parts of this “lifestyle” is how people and boats keep coming into and out of your life. Sometimes the contact is more frequent, as is the case with Adanaco, who we just left in Titusville and other times it may be as simple as passing a familiar boat that you shared an anchorage with.
As we made our way up the Indian River, we passed ParBleu, a C&C Landfall 37, who we bumped into, literally, in Gloucester, months ago and have crossed paths with several times since. They were headed back up the ICW towards Titusville. We hailed them on the VHF but didn’t get any response, so we could only speculate why they might be heading in the opposite direction.
There was another boat that left the anchorage in Titusville about the same time as we left the marina, that caught my eye. I hailed Bees Knees on the radio and chatted briefly with the skipper, Ann, who was sailing solo. Well, she did have a large dog on board, but I think she technically still qualifies as sailing solo. Bees Knees was a Creekmore 43, a beautiful sloop rig boat. According to the Ann, the interiors were all custom, based on the needs and interests of the owners. Ann was a full time liveaboard that travelled between the Chesapeake and Florida and the Bahamas and had been as far north as Maine. I of course tried to sell her on the idea of visiting Nova Scotia some day.
We decided to anchor just south of the Melbourne Causeway for the evening, which would hopefully provide some protection from the easterlies. Bees Knees and a few other boats had the same idea, so we took some comfort in knowing that it was a popular anchorage.
The day before, there was a double SpaceX satellite launch scheduled, the first in history. The second had been postponed until today, due to overcast conditions on the scheduled launch day. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the second launch, given the cloudy overcast conditions. Judy thought she might had caught a brief glimpse of it.
The anchorage at Melbourne provided good holding, but it was very windy through the night, resulting in some very rough and rolly conditions. The boat moved around a lot which made it uncomfortable. However, our anchor held firmly. In the end that is really the most important thing.
Crew Log for December 18th, 2022
Trip Summary:
• Melbourne to Vero Beach
• Trip Distance of 28.2 NM, Total Distance To-Date of 2,402.2 NM
• Departed at 08h00, arrived at 12h47
After an uncomfortable night, we decided to do a short day to Vero Beach. Vero, is a popular spot for both sailing and land based snowbirds. We heard countless stories of sailboats arriving in Vero, getting stuck here and, never leaving until it was time to head back home in the spring. Hence it’s nickname “Velcro” Beach.
The marina was nice and had a good community feel to it, but quite honestly, we couldn’t see spending more that a day or so here. We weren’t sure if it was a regular practice or just a reflection of the demand at this time of year, but there were 2 and sometimes 3 boats, rafted up to a single mooring. We knew of a couple of people who had left their boat here while they flew back home to Canada for the holidays, so despite the large number of boats, the marina felt relatively quiet.
Once again, having a smaller boat meant that we could squeeze into our own little private slip directly behind the fuel dock. In addition to simplifying getting water and diesel, we also had a front row seat for vessels coming into and out of the fuel dock. That’s where we met Robin and Corbett on sv Cookie Monster.
Cookie Monster sailed from New Jersey and were headed to the Bahamas. While they only stopped briefly to top up their fuel and water, in the short time they were there, they provided us with a wealth of information and suggestions for our trip. Corbett also handed me their customized beer coosie (that has quickly become my favorite) that contained their contact information.
Despite our very brief encounter, Corbett continued to reach out to us in the days and weeks ahead to check on our progress and let us know where they were. I was never sure whether Corbett had ESP or good observation skills, but he also provided much need encouragement when we needed it the most . Once again, we were overwhelmed with the kindness of the boating community.
Since we arrived in Vero at mid day, we decided to head off to the beach for brunch. Vero Beach seemed like a touristy place with the feel a retirement community. There was a small boardwalk surrounded by souvenir shops and restaurants that provided access to the beach. The 20+ knot winds created some dramatic surf, prompting us to pay close attention to the rip tide warning signs. The beach itself was “nice”, but we have become spoiled with long undeveloped stretches of sand in our travels. Vero is rimmed with rows of resorts, with the real-estate above the high tide mark staked out for the exclusive use of resort guests.
Back on the boat, we relaxed and settled in for the Patriots game against the Raiders. It was the first meeting between the Patriots and their former Offensive Coordinator, now the Head Coach for Las Vegas. That game will go down in history as one of the most ridiculous endings of any game ever played. Tied with seconds left to play, rather than down the ball and take their chances in overtime, the Patriots turned the ball over to a former Patriot, who ran in for a game ending score.
Whether bad memories from the football game or the fear of getting stuck, we didn’t want to get tied to Velcro (Vero) Beach like some many others. We had a short hop to Fort Pierce in the morning where we would continue with our provisioning and preparations for our Bahamas crossing. I had made a reservation a few days ago and the marina had actually called us to confirm the day before. However, just like some episode from Seinfeld, we would find out they could “take” a reservation, they just couldn't “hold” the reservation. Or in our case, get it right.
But more about that, next time.
Additional Photos:
Hey, no making fun of pickleball! We are missing Judy on the court!