This is another combined post and is the conclusion of our March cruise up and down the Florida east coast. Tomorrow Martha and I say good bye to our good friends Debbie and Bill that have been with us for the last two weeks. They return to NJ by air and we begin our trek north. We have had a great time with them and enjoyed the new experiences and adventures. We all spent time in Cocoa Village during our two nights there, and once again enjoyed the Travis hardware store. It is part flea market, museum and hardware store. They have an incredible selection of items throughout the multi building and multi floor establishment. You just don't see hardware stores like this anymore. We headed down to Fort Pierce on Wednesday morning and had a good run down the Indian River and through the Vero Beach area. The wind and current at the Fort Pierce City Marina made fueling and docking a bit of a challenge. Kenny is the friendly dockhand that has helped us each time we have been there, and he got us taken care of after struggling to hold the boat in place waiting for a spot at the fuel dock. It was a challenge even with the joystick. Some other slip holders later told us that they had seen some pretty bad crashes in the marina due to strong current and winds. I will be extra careful next time. I don't want to be a statistic!! I saw a manatee in the dock area along with a lot of large fish. It seems that the manatee are starting to appear more as the water warms up. We enjoyed walking around town and had an excellent Mexican meal with some very refreshing margaritas. Our final travel day of this cruise was a little crazy and tested my nerves. We knew there would be a number of no wake areas to contend with, but I was not prepared for the number of obnoxious boaters that I have heard so much about. I was especially surprised since it was a Thursday. I thought the weekends were supposed to be the bad days. We were waked a number of times by both larger and smaller boats and were really bounced around. The Jupiter area is known for the beautiful water, but boats were out in force, zipping here and there, and their aggressive boat driving took away from the beautiful surroundings. As we approached North Palm Beach the wind really started to kick up. We had to wait for the one bridge before leaving the small ICW channel to enter Lake Worth. As we crossed under the bridge, we caught sight of large whitecaps all heading towards the marina we needed to get too. We made the sharp turn to port, followed the channel, called the marina and found out they wanted us to dock in their north basin instead of the south basin that we were familiar with. We found our way to the docks and had to fight the wind to get into the slip. Needless to say, I was really glad to be tied up and safe for the night after such a wild day. We are docked with a number of very large beautiful super yachts. We feel like pygmies next to these monsters. I enjoy cooking shrimp and grits, so that is what we had for dinner. Bill had never had grits before. I don't know if everyone like the meal, but there was nothing left on the plates when we were finished.
I am hoping that we will be able to go on the outside tomorrow to return to Fort Pierce. I really don't want to retrace the path down here.....................especially on a Saturday. Bill and I enjoyed a walk down the road today and Martha and Debbie spent some time at the North Palm Beach Country Club pool. We all had a very nice dinner this evening at the restaurant there to celebrate the end of this adventure.
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Today we made a very short jump from Port Canaveral to Cocoa Village Marina which is just off of the ICw. Ocean Club Marina at Port Canaveral is a very nice marina with easy access to the ocean as well as to the Cape Canaveral Barge Canal that takes you to the ICW. We enjoyed our short stay and hope to return in the future.
We passed through the Cape Canaveral lock and headed down the canal. We finally got to see our first manatee along with a number of dolphin. As we got to the end of the canal we spotted two pink flamingos in flight. It was a good day for wildlife observation. This is our third trip to Cocoa Village Marina, so the dockmaster recognized our boat coming up the ICW, hailed us on the VHF and advised us that he was busy bringing in some other boats and asked if we could hold up for a moment. It wasn't long before we got in our slip and all tied up. They are very good at getting us in and tied up safely. It is a nice place to spend the next couple of days. Our mechanical issues were finally resolved late Friday afternoon allowing us to plan for an early morning departure from Bahia Mar Marina on Saturday morning. We enjoyed our stay, but were ready to move on. On Friday morning, Bill and I took a walk down to the Port Everglades Inlet to check out the wave conditions. Winds were still pretty strong, so the inlet was rough and did not look very inviting. However, the weather forecast was encouraging and we decided that we would take a look at the ocean water at 6am on Saturday and make a determination if we would take the ICW with all of the bridges, no wake zones and crazy Saturday boat traffic, or go outside. We had one last dinner in Fort Lauderdale with the Friday night Spring Break crowd and headed back to the boat to try and get as much sleep as possible for an early wake up. We checked the water and conditions and decided to go for an outside run. We bid adieu to Bahia Mar Marina and headed down the ICW for a short run to the inlet. We saw a number of magnificent yachts on the way out. Fort Lauderdale is loaded with them. There was a little chop in the inlet and the ocean was bumpy, but not terrible. The further north we went, the better the conditions were. Things really calmed down after we passed Palm Beach, which we had decided was the bailout spot if the water was too rough and we couldn't tolerate it. There were a few boats out on the water, one particularly pretty sailboat. We arrived at the Fort Pierce Inlet around 1:00pm and had to fight the tide conditions. We were riding the waves in and trying to avoid the other boats going both in and out. Once though the inlet, we just had to dodge all the Saturday boaters. The marina was busy and we had to wait a little to get into the fuel dock and move to our slip, but all was well and ended with a peaceful afternoon and evening. Since I am an early riser, even when we lose an hour sleep for the time change, I got up in time to catch the launch of the SpaceX Falcon rocket. It would have been nice to be closer than Fort Pierce, but the sky was exceptionally clear and I could see the flame of the rocket clearly. I watched fly across the sky until out of sight. Glad I got to see it. Sunday morning was pretty quiet at the marina. We untied the lines and left around 10am to head outside to Port Canaveral. Once through the inlet, where a big sport fisher boat waked us more than we have ever been waked before, the water was almost flat calm and beautiful. We passed a couple of turtles along the way and Bill caught a glimpse of a whale. We have not seen much in the way of sea life during our ocean passages. We had a great passage to the Port Canaveral channel. As we neared the channel we saw three Disney cruise ships anchored out, obviously waiting for the post-pandemic cruise business to restart. Entering Port Canaveral itself, we passed a couple of tugs and a barge with a long cylindrical contraption standing upright. We weren't sure exactly what it was until we got right up next to it................a booster from the a SpaceX Falcon rocket. This was the actual barge that it lands on in the ocean to be reused and was returning from a flight last week. Everyone was excited about seeing it. I was concentrating on the traffic as the channel not that wide and boats were coming and going. We made it safely into the marina and got tied up in our slip. Tomorrow we head for Cocoa to spend two nights.
This blog post is a bit delayed. Our friends Bill and Debbie joined us in North Palm Beach and we have been enjoying their company since then. We left Old Port Cove Marina on Saturday morning and had a great, but slow, trip down to Fort Lauderdale. We passed the busy West Palm Beach area with all of the super yachts and lots of boaters anchored around Peanut Island and West Palm. It was fairly slow going the whole way, but we saw lots of gorgeous homes, dodged all of the weekend boat traffic and navigated through a bunch of bridges. The Bahia Mar Marina is very big and nice, and one block from the beach area. There are many very impressive super yachts here, along with yachts of all sizes and shapes. We enjoyed walking along the beach area and eating in the restaurants. It has been very windy, and at times a little cool. Today the temperature is rising and I think the wind is beginning to die down. We spent one day on an airboat ride in the Everglades and got to see a number of alligators in their natural environment. We also got to hold a poor little baby alligator that looked like he was tired of being held by a bunch of crazy people. The next day was devoted to some downtown shopping and a nice long walk back to the marina. There are many beautiful canals in the town that allow the boat owners to tie their yachts up to their backyard docks. Notice the iguana that we saw on one of the bridge fenders. Fortunately, we had cool weather for a very comfortable walk. On Wednesday morning we were to have pulled out and headed north, but fate had other plans. When I opened the engine hatch to do my routine check of engine systems, I found a puddle of diesel fuel under the port engine. As it turned out, we had a fuel leak that I was unable to repair on my own. Fortunately, our captain trainer works in the area now and since we had had dinner with him the night before, I contacted him asking for a repair technician recommendation. I contacted the technician immediately and he came out to assess the situation later that day. He found a hose that had gone bad and would need replacement. However, the work would have to wait until today. We were lucky that the Volvo distributer had the part and the techs are making the repair right now.
UPDATE: The techs found another problem and had to order a part that will be delivered tomorrow (Friday). So, we will be in Fort Lauderdale until at least Saturday morning. I am officially at the frustrated level. This has fouled up our itinerary. As nice as Fort Lauderdale is, we never planned to spend 7 nights here with all the college age spring breakers. Unfortunately, this is a part of boating that I was hoping we would avoid. I know the situation could be worse, but it is still frustrating. Perhaps my concerns are a little petty..............stuck on a boat in Fort Lauderdale. I guess there are worse problems to have. If all goes as planned tomorrow, we will be able to leave early on Saturday morning. Perhaps making an outside run to Fort Pierce. Stay tuned. Today we cruised from Fort Pierce to North Palm Beach. We enjoyed the overnight in the marina and had a pretty easy departure around 8:30am. There were few boats on the water, and most of the cruising traffic were heading north. They refer to this part of Florida as the Treasure Coast, and once we passed the St. Lucie Inlet, everything was new to us. Lots of beautiful homes all along the waterway. It was mostly a slow cruise as there were many no wake areas that included manatee zones, bridges and dock areas. A few places required our undivided attention. One sailboat was sitting perpendicular in the narrow channel and not moving. We couldn't figure out what he was up to and he didn't seem to care. We didn't have much room to get around him, but we did get through. We encountered a dredge in Jupiter, also in the middle of the channel. After contacting him on the radio we found out how to get around him. Soon after, we had to negotiate the Jupiter Inlet. We followed the markers and the suggestions by other cruisers, and got through fine. The water in Jupiter is very pretty. Unfortunately, we still came across sunken boats. As we approached the Palm Beach area and our marina home for the next two nights, we passed many luxurious homes and yachts. It is a very nice area and I can see why so many choose to have homes here. Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach is home to many beautiful yachts and is one of the finest marinas that we have stayed at. The floating docks are great and the staff is very accommodating. The complimentary bottle of wine was a nice touch as well. Martha continues to check out the landscaping at all of our stops.
We were prepared for bad weather today and just had to grin and bear it. We planned an early departure, but our timing was not great. The rain clouds opened up just as we started to untie the lines. We got soaked, but with some help from our slip neighbors, we got out of the marina safely and started heading south down the ICW. After checking the weather radar, I determined that it did not make sense to travel at top speed as the rain clouds were going in the same direction and we would have been under them the entire time. We took it slow and eventually the sun came out and started to dry us out. I like traveling down the Indian River. The ICW winds around many small islands before turning into the Vero Beach area, where there are many magnificent waterfront homes. The wind was my big concern today, especially since we were going into a new marina, and we were going to have to fuel up. There were some very strong gusts throughout the day, but we survived and got tied up. The wind is continuing into the night. The Fort Pierce City Marina is a popular place for cruisers and is huge. It is very convenient to town with a number of restaurants and shops. It is easy to spend a few hours walking around town. The marina staff are very helpful and accustomed to dealing with a continuous stream of transient boaters. We will actually be stopping here a couple more times before this cruise is done. Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day and we will be heading to Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach.
I really like the section between New Smyrna Beach and Cocoa. The NSB City Marina is easy to get in and out of, so the day started well. The first part of the trip is typical ICW. Lots of homes on the west side that include mansions, modest homes, RV parks and campgrounds. There are a number of sunken and derelict boats along the way and one section of old docks, no longer in use, that make you wonder what the original purpose was. They sit out in the middle of the water with no access and in disrepair. We were able to open up for awhile after getting to Mosquito Lagoon. Eventually we came upon traffic in both directions and had to slow down for a good stretch. It's nice to know that we are conserving fuel while going slow. You could tell that some of the snowbirds are already starting their northern trek. We arrived in Cocoa early in the afternoon, tied up at the Cocoa Village Marina and took some time to rest. They have fixed docks that are in nice shape. There is no tide to deal with, so some of the issues common to fixed docks are eliminated. We spent some time walking around the park adjacent to the town and the ICW, and checked out the free docks for ICW boaters. There is room for about 4 boats, but there is no electric or water. The floating docks are almost brand new and in great shape. It will be worth trying them out the next time we pass by. There is also an popular anchorage in the same vicinity. We were hoping to be able to view a SpaceX launch in the evening, but it was postponed due to bad weather. It has been rescheduled for Thursday morning. We may be too far away to see it at that point. This is the third time that we have been in a great area to observe a launch that was eventually postponed. We're a little concerned about the weather tomorrow. Rain and some strong wind gusts are in the forecast. Hopefully there will be enough protection in the ICW to get to Fort Pierce. The town of Cocoa is similar to many small towns along the ICW. They have a nice downtown area and a park along the waterfront. Always of interest to us as musicians, they have a very nice amphitheater for live events.
We got an early start today after a very nice night at Palm Coast. The ICW was quiet, however we did come across a rower out for a morning practice. We kept a slow speed so as not to wake him. At one point he was going about 7 knots. I thought that was pretty good. When he slowed down, we passed him carefully and went about our trip. Nothing eventful happened, however it was a little windy in some open areas. That was a surprise since the morning started so calm. It was fairly easy getting through the Daytona area. We encountered a little traffic, but there were also some areas we could open up and make some time. Once we got close to New Smyrna, the water turned much prettier. This is a very nice area. The city-owned marina is great, a couple of blocks from downtown and making everything very convenient. The staff and the boaters here are very helpful and friendly. The transient slips are on the outer edge of the marina and face the ICW and a small islands that is populated by many birds. Earlier in the day I saw a dolphin playing in the water behind the boat...........sorry no picture. Martha enjoys the local flora and fauna and likes to document them with pictures. Due to impending high winds on Wednesday we made a change to our plans and will stop in Cocoa tomorrow rather than going to Port Canaveral. We were hoping to go out in the ocean on Wednesday to Fort Pierce, but the conditions will not be good for that. They are calling for high winds and waves up to 6 feet. Hopefully the conditions on the ICW will allow us to get to Fort Pierce without too many problems.
We departed Palm Cove at 8:20am this morning. There was no wind and very little activity on the water. We knew that the activity was going to increase as the day wore on as this was the first warm weekend in Jacksonville. There was frenetic activity in the marina all day yesterday as many wanted to get out on their boats, perhaps for the first time in a while. We had not experienced those types of crowds since arriving there in November. We heard stories from various sources about the chaos out on the water, and decided an early start would be best to get ahead of the crowd. The forklifts were at work by 6:30am this morning, but things had not heated up yet when we left. As we headed down the ICW, we came upon all manner of water recreation. Lots of jet skis, fast fishing boats, kayakers, paddle boarders, water skiers, many power boats and a few sailboats. Reminiscent of the NJ Turnpike, we were being passed right and left by watercraft at fast speeds. We were rocked around and waked many times. Thankfully, we made good time and arrived at Palm Coast Marina around 1:45pm. They were busy at the fuel dock and it took a few minutes to get them on the radio, but they directed us into the tight entry and down the fairway to a floating dock right in front of the office. The wind was swirling and added a little challenge to the docking process. Once tied up we checked in at the office and then headed to a nice little shopping village 10 minutes away by foot called European Village. There are a number of shops and restaurants, and apparently they have vendors in booths around the courtyard on the weekends. It was good to get off the boat, get a little exercise and relax. The marina is very convenient to the ICW and the folks here are very nice. I'm sure we will come back, but maybe in the middle of the week rather than a weekend day during warm weather season.
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