Finally on Tuesday the 8th we pulled out of Harbortown Marina and started the trek north. We were going to anchor for the night but the threat of strong storms and the fact that we have time to kill before we need to be in St. Augustine combined with the company of Coconuts lured us in to Melbourne Harbor Marina.
Wednesday 5/9/12 At the invitation of Bru & Sandy we decided to stay another day in Melbourne. Their daughter lives close by and was willing to let us use her car for the day while she was at work. Our first stop was Ron Jon's Surf Shop. Once strictly a surfing shop, now more of an everything else that goes with it kind of shop.
We also walked across the street to the Cocoa Beach Surf Shop and found more items at a slightly lesser price. The highlight of this stop was the huge aquarium they have in the store. We were there just in time for the noon feeding.
The diver had a bag of squid and other goodies that he hand fed to the fish and eels that occupy the tank. And yes that's a shark by his head!
Watching the fish feeding made us hungry and we moved on to a waterside restaurant for lunch followed by a stop in old town Cocoa for some shopping. We made a few more stops before heading back to the boats. As luck would have it the rains came before we got back and in our rush to leave in the morning I forgot to close the isinglass on the bridge. You guessed it. Everything under the seats got soaked! Oh well. It needed to be cleaned anyway.
Thursday 5/10/12 We said so long to Coconuts and headed out thinking this would be the last we saw them for awhile since they were stopping in Titusville to visit family and then hot footing it to North Carolina.
Tourist headed to Addison Point anchorage right beside the causeway that leads to the space center. We had a good night looking at the Vehicle Assembly Building and watching the dolphins play in the water around us.
Friday 5/11/12 Before we pulled anchor this morning I heard a loud slurping sound that I thought was coming from the causeway. When I looked out it went away. A few minutes later I heard it again and went out to investigate. In conjunction with the slurping it sounded like the generator exhaust was being muffled. When I looked over the side I was astonished at what I saw and called for Pam to come look.
We had a manatee drinking our exhaust water from our generator! Of course I took a picture even though most of him is under our swim platform. You can still see his head and nostrils in the photo.
Exhaust drinking manatee.
Our travels today took us past Titusville, through the Haulover Canal and Mosquito Lagoon (sounds inviting doesn't it?), past New Smyrna Beach to our anchorage in Rockhouse Creek.
Why is it that when there is plenty of room to anchor someone has to drop their hook right next to you?
Saturday 5/12/12 Although a beautiful setting the anchorage didn't protect us from the wind like I had hoped so we decided to move up to Daytona to a spot we anchored in last year. Of course the spot we were heading to wasn't giving the protection I wanted either so plan B went into effect. Keep moving!
Fortunately we didn't have to move too far and found a spot tucked in behind a causeway that offered the protection I was looking for. A little while later we were surprised by Coconuts who had made the trek from Titusville. Their original plan was to stay in a marina in Daytona but when given their slip assignment decided against staying because of the difficulty in getting into it in the strong winds. We offered a raft up and they took it! (We were in a no wake area which made it less bumpy.) Cocktails, dips, oysters, and dominoes consumed the rest of the day. True to form by evening another boat anchored right off our bow.
Sunday 5/13/12 Happy Mother's Day!
Once again we said so long to Coconuts. Hopefully we catch up with them in Northern Virginia.
About an hour later we pulled anchor and headed out. Along the way we passed this group of campers. Pam said this did not appeal to her at all!
While travelling along I was reminded of just how small a world the boating community is. We were passed by a boat we had seen in Lucaya, Three Amigo's, but with a different Amigo at the helm. Then a call on the radio from Soul Mates asking if we were the same Tourist that was rafted off of Lindonia at Bobby's Fish Camp last November. They are the 55' Fleming that was in front of us. Then when we arrived at Marineland Marina we met up with Star Gazer, a sailboat we docked next to in Lucaya.
We checked into the marina for the next two nights. At $1.00 a foot one of the best buys in Florida!
Monday 5/14/12 Boat cleaning, laundry, lunch across the street, and a decision to stay another night. One more decision was made also. I convinced Pam to take a sunset kayak tour! We met at 6:15 p.m., got our instructions and pushed off following our guide. Just like when we dance, Pam wanted to lead! However I had the rudder controls so as much as she wanted to turn right, I could make us go straight. It didn't take long for us to get in sync. We saw ducks, fish, and all kinds of birds along the route. We cruised over areas that at low tide would be dry and stopped long enough to watch the sun recede behind the clouds. By the time we were back, about 8:30, Pam thought she might like to get a kayak! Something I've been wanting for a few years.
Great photos, as always. If you stop at Isle of Hope Marina in Savannah come by and say hello.
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