Juno Beach to Cocoa Beach

Thursday, March 19, 2015

We had to take my laptop up to the marina office to get a decent internet connection to publish the blog. On the way back we stopped to say goodbye to Gerald who was also getting ready to leave and cruise a few miles on Takes Two south to a Defever  boating convention.

Gerald with his coffee and Kathy with her laptop - good start to the day!

Lighthouse at Jupiter Inlet

 We dropped the anchor in Peck Lake where there were quite a few other boats anchored. After we lowered the dinghy and attached the motor (the process is getting easier) we rode ashore to the short walk to the Atlantic where we found a nice almost private beach.

Beach at Peck Lake accessible only by boat

Walking back to the dinghy through an arbor
 of sea grape shrubs

 The excitement of the day came after we got back on Serenity. Two guys on a nearby sailboat were getting ready to leave and as one of them was pulling up the anchor he yelled to his buddy, “Whoa! Come look at this!"
We were all curious and could see that something was hanging from their anchor rode and when we looked through the binoculars we realized that it was a sawfish! It had somehow gotten tangled in the line and couldn't get free. Fortunately, after much effort with a gaff hook the fish was freed and he sank into the water. We hoped that it was unharmed and would survive.
I did a search on line to positively identify the fish and they are a rare and amazing example of evolution.

Those barbs on the sawfish look sharp!

Captain’s Log March 19, 2015

Departed: Loggerhead Marina at Juno Beach 9:35 a.m.
Engine hours:2.8 hrs. - 580.4 total for trip
Actual hours: 2 hr. 45 min
Miles covered 18.24   Total for trip: 4076
Arrived: Peck Lake anchorage 12.20 p.m.
Wx: hazy, 75 degrees and rising, E wind 10 mph, nice cruise up the ICW along the northern Keys. Winds diminished in evening as forecast.

Friday, March 20 - Saturday, March 21

When we got to Vero Beach we texted our Vermont friends Craig and Donna on Mighty Fine, a sister Mainship, who already had a mooring. The Dock Master didn't have any dock space or open moorings so we were able to raft up with Mighty Fine. They were so welcoming and we were glad to see them because they had just returned from the Bahamas and we could get caught up on all that had happened over the winter.  At this point we had been traveling every day for a week, so we decided to stay for two nights. This was a place where we would have to use the dinghy whenever we wanted to go ashore. Craig and Donna were helpful in getting us settled, registered and refreshed - they knew where to find the nearest watering hole!

 

Christopher Croaker gets to meet Donna and Dylan on
Mighty Fine

The next day we had made plans to visit an old fraternity brother from John's college days. Mike and his wife who live in Vero Beach, swooped in with their car, gave us a tour of the of the area and then we went back to their home. After a beautiful walk along the beach they prepared a fine dinner for us AND got us back to the dinghy before sunset. We were afraid that the dink might turn into a pumpkin if we had to motor back after dark because we don't have any running lights on it.

Kathy and Ann in her real full-size kitchen - what a pleasure!

 

Mike grills wonderful Italian sausage while John supervises

Captain’s Log: March 20, 2015

Departed: Anchorage at Peck Lake at 7:30 a.m.
Engine hours: 6 hr. – 586.4 for the trip
Actual hours: 6 hr.  
Miles covered  42.4    4118 total for the trip
Arrived: Vero Beach Municipal Marina mooring field 1:30 p.m.
Wx: Departed early, clear, 70 degrees, winds light and variable, all bridges high enough to clear. Stopped at Fort Pierce for fuel & pump out, then on to Vero Beach - we rafted up with Craig and Donna on Mighty Fine at their mooring

Sunday, March 22

With the humidity and warm weather it was a foggy morning and we waited a while for the fog to lift but got underway in good time.

Through the fog we saw a clever name - A RIVER DERCI II

We said "arrivederci" to our friends and to Vero Beach. A few miles north on the ICW we passed our college friends' house and Mike took a great photo of us as we waved when passing by.

Serenity on the way north!                 Photo by Mike R.

 

Sculpture of a child swimming with a dolphin
at a typical home along the waterway



Sailboat races as we entered Melbourne, FL

We departed from the ICW just after the Melbourne Bridge and entered a narrow channel into the Banana River which is really a lagoon, still traveling north, until we reached the marina at Patrick Air Force Base. We will stay here a couple of weeks, rent a car and go to our dry-land home to make sure everything is set for the summer and hurricane season before we continue on our trip.

Captain’s Log: March 22, 2015

Departed: Vero Beach mooring 8:40 a.m.
Arrival: Manatee Cove Marina, Patrick AFB  1:45 p.m.
Engine hours: 6.2/592.6 since beginning of trip
Actual hours: 6 hrs. 5 min
Miles: 45.47/total miles on trip 4164
Wx: foggy and warm 75degrees, winds calm. Fog lifted to clear skies, temp to high 80s and winds light and variable.  Nice cruise, no issues.