Loggerhead Marina - Vero Beach, FL

This is a very well-protected marina in Vero Beach on the western side of the ICW. The entry channel is well-marked and leads you up to a narrow entry. The fuel dock is off to your port after you enter the marina and has pump out service available. The docks are fixed, however there is very little tide variation to worry about. The docks were a little high for us and required some good stretching to get on and off the boat.

The marina office has a modest ships store with some supplies. Complimentary bicycles are available for use. There is a Publix grocery store about a mile and half away. We used the bicycles to make a quick provisioning trip. The town of Vero Beach with a number of shops and restaurants is further away. We did not visit it, but I'm sure it is accessible by Uber or Lyft.

The marina is in a gated golf community and surrounded by condominiums and townhomes, so it is very quiet and peaceful. I was able to see a SpaceX launch at Cape Canaveral from the docks. We had missed while in Cocoa Village the morning before due to a weather delay.

This marina has boats of all sizes, so I was little surprised that I hit something in the channel on our departure. I had read in Active Captain that there was a possible obstruction on the south side of the channel and I was being as careful as possible since it was low tide. I tried to keep to the middle of the channel. Unfortunately, a practicing crew team was transiting perpendicular to the channel at the same time, requiring me to slow down almost to a stop. With a north wind blowing me to starboard, it must have been just enough to put me over the obstruction and into contact with my props. The result was some fairly serious prop damage. Needless to say, I am hesitant about returning to Loggerhead Marina as nice as it is.