When last I posted a blog, I had lost all the text I'd worked so hard on, and was so upset I just provided one-line picture captions. I plan to go back and re-do it later today.
We left that anchorage, in South Palm Beach, last Friday, Feb 11. It was a fairly routine day headed north, still seeing large waterfront estates and fancy yachts. I took this picture in a harbor at Jupiter Inlet (we pass various inlets where the Waterway opens to the ocean). I thought it was amazing to see such a huge boat shrink-wrapped. We guessed that this boat yard had outfitted a brand new yacht and they shrink-wrapped it for its transport to its new owner in another country. ?? Or maybe they were just fumigating an old rusty bucket. haha
Also near Jupiter we saw this cool lighthouse. I still am enchanted with lighthouses.
That afternoon we arrived at St Lucie Inlet, which is where a canal leads to Lake Okeechobee in the center of FL and then on to Ft Myers on the west coast. Many boaters doing the Great Loop cross here from Ft Myers and do not go to South Florida and Key West the way I did.
We anchored in a side bay called Manatee Pocket, but we didn't see any manatees other than this big painting of one. We walked around the harbor past waterfront restaurants having their Friday Happy Hours, and settled on a small local hangout called the Whistle Stop (which, shockingly, did not serve alcohol!). We soon learned how it got its name when a freight train rumbled by and it sounded like it was going to run right over the top of us.
The next morning I awoke to find we'd dragged anchor back across the bay, nearing the homes and docks behind us. I quickly fired up the engine and we re-anchored back where we'd started. We held fast this time as Lee stayed on the boat while I dinghied my bike to shore and rode a couple miles to a marine store to buy four new zinc fittings for the engine. These fittings are meant to dissolve to protect the metals in the engine from the salt water, and need to be replaced regularly. Mine were past due. When I completed that task and we filled the fuel tanks at a local marina, we continued northward. We were glad we waited to fill the tanks until we could escape the high prices in Miami and Ft Lauderdale, $3.35/gal vs $4.19 in the waters of wealthy yacht owners.
Actually, before continuing north, we headed westward first. We intended to travel about 12 miles to the first lock in the canal so that Lee could experience going up and then down a lock. However, after traveling about 5 miles and battling a VERY strong north wind, I phoned ahead to the lockmaster to inquire how the weather was impacting his lock. He advised me to NOT go there unless I absolutely needed to due to the winds and the fact that they opened only every two hours because of Florida's low-water drought conditions. Once I would ascend the lock, I'd have to wait 2 hrs to descend. I made an immediate U-turn.
Two quick stories to tell, one cool and one nasty: Cool: Three boats passing me heading south slowed down and the lead boat radioed me to say the president of Mainship was in the 2nd boat, and they were headed to the Miami Boat Show. I radioed that I loved my Mainship, and he replied he was pleased to hear that. Nasty: A HUGE yacht came flying past me only about 50 feet to my right, and I never saw him until he was there creating a monster wake. Those waves would be hitting me broadside in a matter of seconds, knocking us silly and probably causing damage as everything would fly sideways inside my boat. I immediately swung the wheel into his wake to minimize its effect on us, and luckily I was able to do it soon enough even though we still rocked violently. We could not believe a boat would be so insensitive like that. Normally a passing boat notifies you of his approach and slows way down for the passing.
Look at this incredible sunset in Vero Beach! It was even more superlative in person!
Lee and I docked at the Vero Beach City Marina, in one of the prettiest settings of my entire trip. We then walked about a mile to the main ocean street, past huge gnarly live oak trees draped with Spanish Moss that graced all the homes. We arrived to a street fair with live music and vendor booths with enticing food. And beer, which is what we bought, and then witnessed this stunning sunset. Everyone was marveling at it, so we realized it wasn't a usual sighting here.
The next morning we rode our bikes about 6 miles to where the Los Angeles Dodgers had their spring training for about 40 years before moving (to Arizona?) just a few years ago. It is an expansive facility of bungalows where the players stayed, numerous practice fields, and streets named for famous players like Koufax, Jackie Robinson, Drysdale, Lasorda and Alston. The entire grounds were behind locked gates, but Lee and I decided to go around the gates and look at it anyway. We never saw a soul.
Here's their little stadium where all those Grapefruit League games were played and the kids got to see their heroes in action.
Lee and I then rode back to the ocean beach highway and split up. I did a hard 20-mile ride and Lee rode many miles and explored.
We departed Monday morning after two days in this beautiful spot. It was finally a calm day after a week of northerly winds. We had scenic beauty most of the way, but it eventually opened out into wide bays and we had to stay within our marked channel. Late in the afternoon we arrived at our anchorage at the town of Cocoa, west of Cape Canaveral (which is on the ocean about 10 miles east). We dinghied in to shore and walked around the delightful village. We even succumbed to temptation and had dessert first at an ice cream parlor. That was our Valentine's Day treat, actually wishing ever so longingly that Kathy and Janet could be there with us.
I will never tire of the incredible sunrises and sunsets we are fortunate to admire on this boating adventure.
Not long after sunrise, we pulled anchor and cruised all of one mile to the Cocoa Village Marina, docking right next to a sailboat from Ventura, Calif! But we were not there long; we rented a car and drove the 20 miles to the Kennedy Space Center and stayed the entire day!
This photo shows the bottom half of the Saturn V rocket that was used to send our Apollo astronauts into space. It is so huge and figured so prominently in our space program to the moon in 1969-1972, that they have a whole museum dedicated to it. It is 350 feet long, with three stages, and above that was where the lunar landing module was kept and the tiny capsule at the top where the three astronauts lay during liftoff and re-entry.
Notice two of the five huge engines needed to blast this 6-million-pound skyscraper into space. Sadly, of this entire ship, only the tiny 10-foot-tall capsule was all that finally came back to earth intact. The three rocket stages fell into the sea, and everything else remained floating in space or on the moon surface.
This is a picture of Discovery on the launch pad for its Feb 24th trip to deliver goods to the International Space Station. After that voyage, there will be only two more shuttle trips, in March and June, before the entire Shuttle Program ends after 30 yrs and 135 trips. The entire facility will revert to private use for space voyages, and 4500 govt employees will be laid off.
In this picture, the actual shuttle faces the ocean, so all you can see are the tops of the external fuel tank and one of the two booster rockets (they put it all into place 30 days before launch). Overall, Lee and I had a fascinating day there, watching IMAX films and being reminded of the landmark events in our youth. I had forgotten that Neil Armstrong had to land the lunar module manually since the computer failed during his approach. It had overshot the intended landing spot by quite a distance, and then Armstrong had to maneuver around rock fields to a suitable new location. When he finally set down, he had only about 17 seconds of fuel left. What a hero!
When Lee and I left the Space Center as it was closing, we traveled east to the ocean and Cocoa Beach. There, Lee was in heaven when we stopped to shop at a massive Ron Jon's Surf Shop (Lee and his son are big surfers). Isn't this little woody cute?
Today we are traveling to New Smyrna Beach, where we will visit Dave and Sandy Thompson; I met Dave on my cross-country bike trip in 2007, and we have been buddies ever since. This will be my third visit with them on this adventure. They stopped by for my Bon Voyage party on May 2, and then Rick and I visited their home near Sudbury, Ontario, on August 2. Smyrna Beach is their Florida home. They also will take Lee and me to the Daytona Airport tomorrow. We are anxious to return to the women we miss so much.
I will return on Feb 27, then Rick and Beth arrive the next day from New Orleans and we will head north to St. Augustine and other ports northward. The adventure will continue!
Ken,
ReplyDeleteOn your Garmin there is a anchor watch.
What this does is after you set a certain distance and turn it on it will alarm if your anchor drag's.
I use mine whenever I anchor.
Bill Kelleher
Bill, thank you. Yes, I did know about the anchor watch, and have used it many many times. However, I don't use it all the time, esp when I think I'm holding well. Of course, how I THINK I'm holding and how I'm TRULY holding are different, so I should use it more often, as you do.
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