The Cruise - Week 15, Back on the road - April 6-12, 2015

Today, Monday, April 6, we are driving back to Dubhe in Fort Pierce.  We expect to turn our rental car in tomorrow morning and head north on the ICW.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Departed Fort Pierce                                              1245

Nancy's  cruising style

            Harbor Town Marina

Arrived Anchorage, mm 943                                  1620

            Wabasso Bridge

Total day’s run 23 statute miles (20 nm), 1083 miles total.

The past week we were in Beaufort and North Augusta.  Friday we kept Lilly all day which was about as much fun as any grandparent could have.  Saturday we had a Hallman reunion and afterwards Brendan, Tara, and Lilly came to Beaufort “to the beach”.  Sunday, Easter, Lane was baptized at Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Beaufort.  That afternoon, we had the whole family together, Brendan, Tara, Lilly, Kevin, Courtney, and of course Lane.  One of the happiest days of my life.  I now understand why my mother loved to have us all together.  We should have done it more. 

Anyway…today we are back underway and it feels good even if for a fairly short ride.  We took a brief detour through the Vero Beach marina and mooring field for old times sake.  We anchored just south of the Wabasso Bridge which was nothing fantastic, but the holding was good and I got a good nights rest.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Departed Anchorage at mm 942                                0850

           

Arrived Cocoa FL                                                     1630

            NE side of Merritt Island bridge mm 897

Total day’s run 48 statute miles (42 nm), 1108 miles total.

Passed by a sailboat!

A great day.  The weather was perfect and we were able to ride on the flybridge most of the way.  We got off to a relaxing start, not hurrying because we intended to go only to Melborne, a distance of 29 miles.  When we got to the Eau Gallie Bridge (mm 914) we turned eastward to an anchorage in the mouth of the Banana River that I described in my log from 31 years ago.  Several times I have mentioned looking for places (Vero Beach marina was one) that we stopped on our cruise in 1981.  For some reason, I have a few clear pictures in my mind of places we stopped 31 years ago and I am driven to going back to see them again…just a quirk of mine.  There are lots of places, say in North Augusta that I remember from farther back than that, but I have been back often and they seem familiar.  What intrigues me is going back when I haven’t been there or seen it for so long.  My logbook describes the location and says that it is Melborne, but the location is in fact Indian Harbor Beach.  We took a ride around and up the Banana River up to the swing bridge, but since it was early, we decided to continue to Cocoa.  We arrived at the Merritt Island Bridge at Cocoa and decided that it was too rough on the south side, where we had stopped on the way down, due to the southeast wind.  We continued to the northeast side of the bridge and found good holding in the lee of the causeway.  The holding is very good in mud, in about 7 feet of water.  We met a nice couple cruising aboard a Krogen Manatee “Cool Beans” and went aboard their boat for a while.  

"Melborne" - not what I remembered

We plan to stay here for a couple of days then head to New Smyrna Beach and to Daytona for the Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA) Southern Rendevous. 

Cocoa Anchorage

Thursday, we stayed over at Cocoa, took it easy, and explored around town.  Stopped in at Travis Hardware store for a couple of items.  This is an old time hardware store that focuses on real hardware and service.  I wish there more of this kind of store and less Walmarts and Lowes.  We had Russell and Jill Sanders over for drinks on Dubhe.  We met them on the way down in January when they came over to the dock to admire Dubhe. 

Friday, April 10, 2015

Departed Cocoa Anchorage mm 897                               0745

           

Arrived Mosquito Lagoon Anchorage mm                       1340

           

Total day’s run 39 statute miles (34 nm), 1147 miles total.

VAB at KSC. Note calm Indian River, compare to January

Wonderful cruise today; warm, sunny, dolphins, and manatees.  I have always been infatuated by this part of Florida, primarily because of the space program.  In the 1980’s I spent a lot of time trying to get a job either at KSC or Patrick Air Force Base.  I went through Federal Service channels and applied to I don’t know how many contractors, eg EG&G, Lockheed, etc. but it seems everyone else wanted to be here too and those who already had jobs were not leaving.  Whenever I am in this area, I imagine what it would have been like.  This however, is not regret, since all has worked out well for us anyway…I just like to dream.  The real draw for this area now is the natural beauty.  The Indian and Banana Rivers and the Cape Canaveral National Seashore are beyond description.  The preservation of these areas is a major positive spin off of the space program.  

Another selfie on a deserted beach.

We anchored in Mosquito Lagoon at about two miles east of the ICW (mile marker 860).  From here, we can dingy to land and walk over a high dune ridge to the wide beach that is pristine for miles in both directions…not a house in sight and not many people.  The anchorage is shallow (5’) and exposed to the southeast through northwest and wouldn’t you know it…we had w  Until about 0130 it was quite choppy but then settled down.  For the first time on this trip, I set a second anchor (Danforth) with the dingy primarily because of the chop.  It really wasn’t necessary, but we needed the drill anyway. 

ind from the south at about 15kt last night.

Mosquito Lagoon (Dubhe is the speck)

Exposed - two anchors

We plan to stay an extra day here and leave Sunday.  

Saturday, April 11, 2015.  We stayed at our anchorage through the day and overnight.  At about 1600 hrs  we were hammered by a thunderstorm then another one about 1800 hrs.  The first one produced sustained wind of near 20 kts and gusts to 30 kt (NOAA weather radio indicated 34 kts).  It is hard to estimate wind  at this speed but as the pressure applied by the wind is proportional to the square of the velocity, a little more wind can be exciting. Also, the wind was coming from the south, our most exposed quarter, with a fetch of more than 5 miles.  The chop quickly built to 3-4 feet and cresting.  During the peak gusts, water was blown off the tops of the cresting waves.  Dubhe swung to lie at the second anchor I had put out; a 20# Danforth with 20’ of chain, and a scope of at least 9 to 1.  We didn’t move an inch.  I can do something about the wind by anchoring well, but I can’t do anything about the lightening which was fierce; one very close strike was simultaneous with the bang.  Of course, rain was heavy, in some cases reducing visibility to near zero.  This will not be our last severe thunderstorm at anchor but we will be prepared.

First Storm, note time.

Second Storm

 

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Departed Mosquito Lagoon Anchorage                            0745

           

Arrived Smyrna Beach City Dock                                     1340

           

Total day’s run 17 statute miles (15 nm), 1164 miles total.

After another line of thunderstorms passed to the south of us about 0100, we had a calm night.  We made the short run to Smyrna Beach easily, without incident and tied up at the free dock provided by the city.  It is free, but has no services like water, electricity, or pumpout so it’s a lot like anchoring.  There are two fixed docks and one floating dock.  A couple of guys on a sail boat at the fixed dock said that other boats have been staying at the floating dock overnight.  We went into town for lunch and back later to a sports bar to watch the Masters.  I like to spend money in the town that so nicely provided this free dock.