Week 26 A Storm, Good Friends, A Satellite launch and reconnect with Looper Friends

-

Sunday, April 16, 2023 - Lake Peck and another storm

Lake Peck was an early stop for us.  This anchorage is known for the beach which is easily accessible with a dinghy.  We launched the dinghy and motored over to the beach. A short walk through the mangroves to a beautiful beach.  Unfortunately, it was extremely windy so we settled for a long walk. The clouds were already gathering and we began to see lightning strikes in the distance.  Before it was over we were in for another all-out storm, torrential rain, 3 ft. waves, and lightning strikes. We were definitely on high alert for about 2 hours while the storm passed.

Monday - Vero Beach Marina

After last night we decided to get a reservation at Vero Beach Marina. This marina is on the east side of the Indian River.  After a very long day of an east wind, we were tired and ready to stop rocking and rolling. 

Tuesday - Satellite Beach Jill and Steve Mickey

Our friends from our Colorado neighborhood, Homestead relocated to Satellite Beach,FL about 15 years ago.  When they learned we were doing the loop they reached out and invited us to take advantage of their dock as they live right on the water.  Turns out that SpaceX was launching one of its satellites from Cape Canaveral and we were able to observe the launch from the beach. It's the tiny white dot in the middle of the sky.

Wednesday -Kennedy Space Center

We decided to take advantage of the Kennedy Space Tour and are so glad we did. The center is organized in chronological order from the beginning of the space program to the current goals of NASA to go
back to the moon and onto Mars. 

The first exhibit we saw included the original control center where the early astronauts launched circled the earth and eventually walked on the moon. The next exhibit was the Space Shuttle including the actual final shuttle Atlantis. Finally, an exhibit featuring where the space program is going.  Scott and I both agreed that at times during the many IMAX and interactive exhibits we felt a deep sense of pride for the US and the thousands of people that dedicated their lives to the 'mission'. 

Thursday - Exploring Satellite Beach

We spent the day driving around Satellite Beach and enjoying a nice lunch at Squid Lips. Went through the regular drill of some light provisioning from Aldi's and planning to leave tomorrow.

Friday - A side trip to the Cape Canaveral Port and then Mosquito Lagoon Anchorage

Pulled away from the Mickeys' dock after a relaxing and fun time catching up. Decided to take a side trip to the Cape Canaveral port which required us to pass through a very small lock.  This busy port is packed with SpaceX recovery vehicles, large cruise ships as well as industrial container ships.  It was a quiet day so we were able to meander around before heading back through the lock and onto the Indian River.  

Our friends from "Shoreline Traveler" warned us about the Indian River and the chance for significant waves.  We did have an east wind, which meant the wind hit us broadside on our starboard as we cruised.  There was definitely 
chop but very little boat traffic so we were lucky. After a very long cruise across huge bays of the Indian River, we navigated a canal to the AICW and Mosquito Lagoon.  Very shallow and literally hundreds of small islands.  We pulled off the AICW and dropped the anchor.  The forecast was a south wind so should have been a calm night, but we were too close to AICW and the boat rocked and rolled until about 2:00 am.

Saturday - Halifax Marina Daytona Beach

This marina is a great value, for both fuel and slip fees as well as being a great location. The showers and bathrooms are very clean and key-coded for security.  Conveniently located to shopping and access to Daytona Beach. 

We walked to town with Diane and Tim from "Wilma May", friends we hadn't seen since Goose Pond Marina in Alabama, and shared stories about our Loop experiences so far.

More lightning and rain, fingers crossed for a sunny day tomorrow!





Spending time cruising in our Rosborough 246 on America's Great Loop.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 51 Duck Creek Marina to Marathon FL

-
Image
October 2023 Duck Creek Marina Duck Creek is a 'working marina' fright off the Neuse River. No frills but fantastic owners and managers. We had LBM hauled out and scheduled for bottom paint and engine service. We are currently scheduled to have the boat picked up and trailered to Marathon.  As this is our first time hiring a shipping company we're cautious but hopeful everything works out.   Side Trip to Cozumel Mexico Andrew & Kimberly We had a trip planned with Kimberly and Andrew to Cozumel. We stayed at the very same resort where Scott and I were certified over 35 years ago. We were surprised that much had changed and we experienced an incredible week of scuba diving.  Back at BlackFin, Marathon Florida We're so excited to be back in Marathon for the winter.  We've already been catching up with old and new friends.  Next spring we'll have the boat moved back to NC and resume America's Great Loop.  Until then, we'll be busy with cruising the Keys,
Read more

Week 50 River Dunes and a Plan for Winter

-
Image
October 2023 River Dunes Yacht Club and Resort A beautiful cruise down the Neuse and it was kind to us for a second time.  Scott surprised me with a week at a resort tucked away and because it is the shoulder season we had the place virtually to ourselves. In the picture to the left Little Bit More is moored in the first slip. We enjoyed a full week making a plan for winter. Scott located a marina to have the boat hauled out and prepared to be transported back to Florida for the winter.  It's much too late in the season to continue our Loop.  The options are, store the boat in NC and go back to Coloradođź‘Ž, cruise back down the east coast, or have the boat trailered to the Keys. We chose door number 3!
Read more

Week 32 Beaufort SC to Charleston SC

-
Image
Sunday, May 29, 2023 Sylvan Shores Anchorage The ICW on this section of the Loop is flanked by wetlands and marshes.  This is the 'low country' and tides rise and fall about 2 to 4 feet every 24 hours.  We enjoyed a slow and beautiful cruise to our anchorage, with a cloud constantly hanging over us in regard to the reliability of our engine. Monday - Friday Cooper River Marina  We decided to stay at the Cooper River City Marina instead of the marinas closer to Charleston.  We hoped to be more accessible to the ever-elusive mobile mechanics.  Scott rented a car and we spent a couple of days visiting multiple marine shops and collecting names of 'experts' for Yamaha engines.  More than a few hours were spent debating a Plan B. The choices we have range from stopping the loop to a complete re-power.  I'm not sure how many calls Scott made before we finally connected with Dillard Marine and fingers crossed we decided to give it one more try before Plan B would have to k
Read more