The plan was to leave Cocoa this morning at 0900. Pretty hard to do that when you wake up at 0845 lol! We decided if we got away by 1000 that would be okay, and so we did. We had less than 5 kt winds for most of the day and the waves were no more than ripples. We motored along the ICW to Titusville uneventfully. It was not nearly as cold as yesterday, we required long pants and shirts in the morning but by noon it had warmed up quite a bit, temp in the mid 20s. Of course, being on the water always makes the temp feel cooler.

Just south of Titusville on the east side of the ICW we saw a huge cloud of smoke which we found out later was a controlled fire, burning underbrush on one of the islands.

Controlled bush fire south of Titusville.

We arrived at Titusville Municipal Marina at 1355 where we fueled up and watered up. We were fortunate enough to be able to see quite a few manatees hanging out in the harbour. After paying for our fuel, we went outside the marina and anchored. The next order of the day was a clean up of ourselves, ie proper showers. We dinghied back to the marina, had showers and then wandered through the park beside the marina.

Tail of manatee under dock.

Please, scratch my belly!

Manatees love fresh water, this cruiser was hosing down his deck and the manatee was catching the falling fresh water.

Playing manatees.

ICW anchorage at Titusville.

Back to the boat for happy hour, supper and preparing for tomorrow's travels along the ICW to Ponce de Leon Inlet.

March 29, 2015

We set the alarm for 0600 hoping to leave Vero Beach anchorage around 0700. Boy it was cold in the morning! Neither Jorge nor I wanted to get out of bed. We had to add the bed spread as extra covering. We were successful in pulling anchor and getting underway by 0710. We had decided to exit the anchorage via the north route (a short cut) out of Vero Beach. The channel was not marked although the chart plotter (not in great detail) showed adequate depth. Wrong! We ran aground three times with Jorge doing some fancy wiggling of the boat to get us clear the third time. We decided to go back into the anchorage and exit via the south channel which was marked. Lesson learned . . . don't try to be too adventurous! We lost about half an hour. We also decided to pull the dinghy rather than lift it onto the davits. Another no-no, dragging the dinghy really slowed our speed. We also had stiff winds (at times) and waves against us adding to the slowness. We arrived in Cocoa just before 1900 hours, still light enough though to anchor easily.

I think this was when Jorge suggested we do a 180!

 

So much for happy hour on our boat with the two couples from Vero Beach. However we got an invite for dinner from one of the couples, (Shawn and Leanne) who took pity on us arriving so late! We gladly accepted and spent a wonderful evening with them. We managed to throw together some appetizers, as well as a bottle of wine, some olive bread and a pound cake as our contribution. An impromptu potluck - the best kind!

March 30, 2015

The morning was again cool but it warmed up nicely and by mid morning we were peeling away layers and were into shorts and t-shirts during the afternoon. We dinghied to the east side of Cocoa. We're up to our old tricks again, running out of cash. Today's boat job was to find an ATM and withdraw some money. We then dinghied back to the boat, picked up some munchies and some beer and went to the west side of Cocoa where we sat in a park and had an early happy hour. Just off the dinghy dock, there are antique shops, boutiques and artsie type stops. We strolled through the area and visited some of the them. We enjoyed this little "village" very much on our way south and enjoyed it again today.

Water fountain park, similar to Heritage Park in Barrie.

A squirrel wanting to join our happy hour.

The scene from our bench enjoying happy hour in Cocoa.

A butterfly statue in the park.

Tomorrow will be a short travel day, some 20 sm to Titusville.

Sunset crossing the Gulf Stream from Bimini to Ft. Pierce (after the storm.)

March 26, 2015

We undertook the long journey from Ft. Pierce to Vero Beach, all 15 sm miles today! We left Ft. Pierce around 1040 and travelled the ICW under mostly sunny skies. It was totally uneventful, watching the homes and boats go by. Most boats are now heading north. At first we were a bit concerned that we might be heading north too soon, however while enjoying breakfast in the cockpit Jorge spotted a flock of Canadian geese in their V-formation heading north so I guess we're not that early after all! We did our first bridge along the ICW, the Ft. Pierce North Bridge.

Approaching Ft. Pierce North Bridge as it was opening.

Passing under the bridge.

We arrived in Vero Beach around 1330 and set anchor just north of the mooring balls in a nice quiet area off the ICW. We didn't go ashore at all that day. Jorge had a siesta and I started reading a new novel.

March 27, 2015

This morning was pretty much a repeat of the previous afternoon with me reading my book but Jorge reading news on the internet. After lunch we decided to go ashore and check out the marina, more specifically the showers, laundry and garbage facilities.

Welcome sign to Vero Beach City Marina.

Check out the live oak tree behind the sign, the property is covered with them!

Vero Beach has a free bus service so we took the bus from the marina into town, visiting first West Marine and then the usual suspect stores, ie liquor and grocery stores! As we were waiting at the bus stop, a lady stopped and asked us if we were going to the dinghy dock at the marina. She offered us a lift as she was going right by it. Yes, she admitted we looked like boaters! She has been in the area for some forty years so knows what boaters look like. It had been a rainy and windy day with the temp dropping to 15C that night, brrrrrr.

March 28, 2015

Another lazy morning. After lunch we went to the marina and did laundry. I joined Jorge in the boaters' lounge where we "lounged".

Yesterday while at West Marine we meet a family from Cambridge, Ontario. Today we stopped at their boat for happy hour. Vero Beach Marina rafts two boats to a mooring ball when they run out of balls so the couple on the boat rafted to them also joined us for happy hour. It seems our three boats are all heading to Cocoa tomorrow, maybe another happy hour is to be enjoyed!

Hello Ft. Pierce, Florida! We have arrived!

We left Alice Town, North Bimini on Monday, March 23 as planned, at 1130. For the first few hours we motorsailed but by 1500 we were able to shut the engine off and just sail. We were doing 6+ kts, in 10 - 12 kts of wind from the SW, with the help of the Gulf Stream. Around 1800 we were watching a storm approach. The engine went on, sails came down and the enclosure went up. We had a few minutes of heavy rain and wind gusts to 24 kts from the north. Although the rain lasted a short while the winds stayed with us for some 2 hours before subsiding, but they continued to come from the north all night. I would like to strangle the mini mental midget meteorologist from NOAA who miss called this! The four weather sights we checked before leaving Bimini had no mention of any northerly winds. Anyone who has done their homework knows that you do not want to cross the Gulf Stream with any northerly component of wind. With the stream running north and the winds going south, well, the seas get very agitated! We contemplated turning around and heading for Ft. Lauderdale (6 hours away) or continuing north, going into Lake Worth (7 hours away), rather than Ft. Pierce. As the weather forecast was for lighter winds during the night and coming from the SW - W, we opted to continue going north. The winds did, in fact, diminish becoming less than 10 kts but continued to come from the north. However the seas greatly calmed and, as Lake Worth got closer, we decided the conditions were okay to continue on to Ft. Pierce.

We had anticipated getting a good lift from the Gulf Stream during the entire crossing, but once on the Florida side of the stream, it seemed to run against us. The going was slow, at times our speed was reduced to 3 - 3.5 kts. I really wish I understood the weather, tides, currents and what affects them, better.

Anyhow, we arrived at Ft. Pierce Inlet two hours later than anticipated on Tuesday, March 24 and set anchor in the ICW just south of Ft. Pierce North Bridge at 1330. Prior to leaving Bimini, we had called a Verizon (phone) representative in Annapolis who helped us out immensely on our way south. He was able to program our phone and hotspot so when we arrived in Florida we just had to call a number and activate them. Jorge did that about 3 miles before the Ft. Pierce Inlet and viola . . . phone and internet! After setting anchor, we called CBP (Customs and Border Protection) and cleared in - partially. We still had to appear in person within 24 hours even though we have Nexus, passports and a US cruising permit. This protocol was different from when we entered New York in 2013.

This morning (Wednesday, March 25) we left the boat around 1100, got to Harbourtown Marina, tied up the dinghy and started our walk to Customs at the airport. The route on Google Earth showed it to be about 5 km each way, but it seemed more like 7 - 8 km each way! We presented our passports, cruising permit and the arrival # we received from CBP when we called in the day before. Five minutes later we were set to go, no questions asked, no inspection of the boat, nada!

We treated ourselves to lunch at a restaurant close to the marina before going grocery/liquor shopping. While in Nassau and Bimini I limited the buying as the prices were ridiculously high. Publix (a Florida supermarket) was 1/2 to 2/3 less than the prices in Nassau! And Jorge was able to find his brand of IPA beer. A win/win situation.

I think we are going to do a bit of the ICW for the next couple of days. After doing an overnighter, we were bagged, needing 12 hours of sleep the night of arrival. By travelling the ICW we can go for a couple of hours and then stop if we so desire. Once you're making an ocean passage there is no stopping and pulling over!

The weather was gloomy this morning (Jorge's SAD was kicking in already) but it cleared up and it has been sunny all afternoon with temp around 26C. Last night was nice for sleeping, we required a sheet and a light blanket but we slept like babies! (I know the lack of sleep the night before had something to do with it.)

With the hotspot, we have internet on board, maybe I'll be able to blog more often.

We left Nassau as planned just before 0700 on Friday morning, the first day of spring (according to my calendar). It was a gorgeous morning with predicted light winds.

Sunrise leaving Nassau Harbour.

Lighthouse at Nassau Harbour.

 

About two hours into the trip, Jorge decided he was going to drag a line, hoping to catch a fish. As usual, I rolled my eyes, scoffed and asked him what he wanted me to take out of the freezer for dinner!

It was an uneventful morning until around 1100 when the fishing line went . . . zing! OMG. Jorge caught something! Reel, reel, reel. What was on the end of the line? It was a mahi mahi (aka dolphin but not the Flipper-type)! We (me in particular) were so excited. We managed to get it aboard and that was the easy part, it didn't put up much of a fight. Now the hard and messy part, cleaning it. Mission accomplished after about an hour. Jorge actually caught two fish that morning, the mahi mahi had a flying fish in its belly. We had a wonderful dinner (with more in the freezer) of salad, baguette, and pan-fried, with butter and garlic, fresh mahi mahi, with me having a side order of crow as well!

Reeling the mahi mahi in.

Jorge and his catch!

 

A head shot of the mahi mahi.

 

The flying fish as lunch inside the mahi mahi.

Supper.

 

We did a 24 hour motorsail to Bimini, thinking at first of anchoring on the banks but the winds were so light and the seas calm we decided to keep going, arriving just before 0800. When arriving last year from Florida, we had a bit of a roller coaster ride into the harbour but this time no worries, the sea remained calm as it had been all night. It seems fitting that we are ending our Bahamas part of the trip as we started it, in Alice Town, North Bimini. The waters remain the awesome turquoise, the weather is sunny and warm and life couldn't be better!

Tomorrow we are off to Ft. Pierce, Florida, another overnighter! Approximately 120 nm from waypoint to waypoint. We have planned for 24 hours but we are not sure what like of lift we will get from the Gulf Stream. Ft. Pierce is a Class A inlet and slack water is scheduled for noon on Tuesday, hopefully it will be an easy entrance to the harbour.

After Bill and Lynn left last week, Jorge and I decided to stay in Nassau instead of moving to West Bay for protection from the winds as their strength had been down-graded. And, well, we're still here! We haven't done much of anything . . . two walks (and they were long walks) to the hardware store, a walk to Ft. Montagu (a very small fort, the size of a house) but it was closed so we walked around the park, a picnic at the same park a few days later, the normal walks to the liquor and grocery stores, and hanging out at Starbucks.

We have changed our minds and have decided not to go to the Abacos for many reasons. Tomorrow we are heading to the Northwest Shoal, then to Bimini and then to Florida. The winds have been non-existent this week and are forecast the same until Monday, so we'll be burning some diesel lol!

The boat is ready for the trip, engine oil changed, belts checked, laundry done, provisioning done. Yep, we're ready to go.

Here are some pics of Nassau. Weather has been great, 24C to 25C day and night, very little humidity, sunny skies with just a bit of rain and very little wind for the past week. Nassau Harbour was actually as flat as a pane of glass the last couple of nights.

The beach at Ft. Montagu.

The park at F. Montagu.

Looking west from Nassau Harbour at the park.

The entrance to Nassau Yacht Club.

The happy couple arriving in George Town.

Bill and Lynn arriving at George Town airport.

Our friends, Bill and Lynn from Parry Sound, left Nassau today. We decided that it would be best if they extended their vacation by 5 days (which they agreed to quite readily!). Two weeks was just not enough time to make the stops we had planned for them through the Exumas en route to Nassau.

After leaving George Town (Elizabeth Harbour), the Exuma Sound and swells were not kind to Bill. However once we got through the cut and behind Lee Stocking Island, Bill's tummy settled and things were good. We climbed Perry's Peak, the highest point in the Exumas, all 130+ feet! We were able to see both the Exuma Sound with the deep blue/purple colour and the Exuma Banks with the multiple turquoise colours. We also dinghied right up to and and silently floated over many rays which were in the area, some seeming to span 4 feet in width.

Perry's Peak on Lee Stocking Island (Exuma Sound in the background).

Ray in the water.

Our dinghy with a sunset.

Turtle at Little Farmer's Cay.

We basically made the same stops up the Exumas with Bill and Lynn as we did on the way down, as Jorge and I were familiar with those areas and wanted them to experience the highlights we had experienced the previous year. Our stops included Little Farmer's Cay (Oven Rock and the cave), Black Point, Staniel Cay (the swimming pigs and Thunderball grotto), O'Brien's Cay (the sea aquarium and sunken plane), Norman's Cay (the drug runner Carlos Lehder's hangout, another sunken plane, conch field and one palm beach), Allen's Cay (the iguanas) and finally Nassau. They also experienced wet ass dinghy rides, cockpit showers, fantastic sunsets and numerous happy hours! Some of the major points of a cruiser's life.

Bill, Lynn, Jorge and Kim chillin' after a swim at Little Farmer's Cay.

Shark at Black Point.

Bill and Lynn at Staniel Cay.

Lynn and Kim at Norman's Cay.

We had a few awesome sails between the islands with Bill at the helm at lot of the time. Along with the Gravol and sea bands, being at the helm helped keep him focused so there was not a repeat of the first day out from George Town lol! We also had a few days of motor sailing but all in all Bill and Lynn were happy with the sails and the vacation in general. It was good for us as well, experiencing the Bahamas again through the eyes of first-timers.

Once in Nassau, the four of us rented a car and toured part of the island, enjoying lunch at the Fish Fry and seeing how the rich vacation, there certainly are some mega hotels on the island! We also visited the British Colonial Hilton where Jorge and I stayed many, many years ago on a vacation. It was undergoing renovations at that time. What we paid for the total vacation then probably would only pay for one night now!

We had wonderful weather while Bill and Lynn were here, a few cool and windy days but better than being in Ontario at this time of year. Basically 26C to 28C during the day and 24C at night. We had the odd bit of precipitation but nothing that needed shovelling lol!

Well, its back to the old routine again now that Bill and Lynn have left. Provisioning, changing engine oil, laundry, etc., guess our holiday is over as well! The winds are supposed to be strong for the next couple of days. We are thinking of sailing to the west side of New Providence for shelter before backtracking and making our way east to Spanish Wells on the island of Eleuthra. (Did I say we were heading east? We need our heads examined!)

I have no idea why, but my pictures are now downloading!!!! I am soooo happy.