March - Day 3 - Good Trip

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.