Tourist Chronicles: Elephants in a Parade

Monday 4/4/11 Morning came and we dug the anchor out of the muck that composes the bottom of the Manatee Pocket. The anchor wash down got a workout before we ever moved! To complicate things they're dredging in the pocket and buoys, flashing lights, dredge pipe, and arrows are everywhere making it a bit confusing. Fortunately we were in and out of here a million times when I was at Chapman's so we made it without running aground or into anything.

Our destination for the day was Vero Beach and the Municipal Marina. Vero better known in the cruising community as Velcro Beach has a reputation of luring cruisers in and then keeping them, thwarting what ever plans they may have had. The marina is small as far as dockage is concerned but they have a large mooring field with two and three boats rafted together on one mooring. We opted for the end of a dock and settled in for the predicted bad weather.

Wind and Rain in Vero.

We spent two nights in Vero and then escaped when no one was looking. Once we got back on the ICW we found out that we weren't alone. Boat after boat after boat. Like elephants in a parade we headed north. One by one we hailed the boats on the radio and agreed to a passing scenario. Remember Tourist is a trawler in disguise but even at trawler speeds she's still faster than most of the others heading north.

Closing in on the next victim.

One of the sites we went by on Wednesday was the condo complex where my parents wintered in Florida before moving over to Bonita Springs.

Parents former winter crib.

Up the line we took a side trip on the Canaveral Barge Canal to Harbortown Marina to take on fuel. Research showed them to have the lowest price between Stuart and the Georgia state line. A side benefit was passing the Sea Ray plant on Merritt Island where back in 2003 we agreed to the purchase of Tourist. The foliage hides the facility extremely well so pictures were not to be had except for the one below.

This is the narrow canal that we went through many times in December of '03 while doing test rides during the Sea Ray Expo. They run everything out through this cut including their 60 footers. Steady as she goes!

Our anchorage after leaving the barge canal and getting back on the ICW was a few miles below Titusville, Fl. in the shadows of the Kennedy Space Center.

The Vehicle Assembly building in the distance.

Thursday found us back in the parade as we continued north past Titusville, New Smyrna Beach, and on to Daytona for our next overnight.

The Haulover Canal before entering Mosquito Lagoon. The work barge in the distance caused much consternation for the travelling pack as it was approached. The opening looks narrower than it is and all made it without incident.