Book of Days: 05/14/19 thru 06/09/19

Weather forecast for June 10, 2019:

Cocoa, Florida

Low 78 high 92

East winds, 10 to 12 kts, rain

Captain’s Log: May 15, 2019 thru June 9, 2019

Our two-month stay in the Cocoa Beach area was planned for three reasons:

• Our generator has not worked properly since being installed over three years ago (it only has 27 hours of run time on it). I purchased the generator from a company called ZRD, which is based in Titusville. Being in the general area would facilitate solving the problem.

• We wanted to purchase a code-zero sail from Mack Sails in Stuart, Florida, and staying in Cocoa would allow them to measure, make and install the sail before we continued on our cruise north along the eastern seaboard.

• We needed to have the boat docked in a safe and secure place while we flew north to visit family for two weeks. Cocoa Village Marina is a very secure facility.

On May 14th the owner of ZRD came to our boat and reviewed the issues that we were having with the generator. He diagnosed the problems and, together, we had the genny purring like a kitten within two days. Problems solved, finally!

That same day I placed the order for our new code-zero sail and two days later a technician from Mack Sails arrived at the boat, took the necessary measurements and climbed to the top of the main mast to make a diagram for the required head plate. The sail will be ready before we depart the first week of July.

So, when we return from our travels north, s/v Perfect Love will be ready to get underway, and so will we. In the meantime, we have been quite busy having fun.

Another launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Complex was scheduled for Wednesday, May 15th, at 10:30pm. The launch was scrubbed 15 minutes prior to the scheduled lift-off. Fortunately for us, we had decided to watch the launch from our quarter deck instead of driving over to Port Canaveral. The launch was delayed for 24 hours but several hours prior to the new launch time it was once again scrubbed. The new launch target was set for 10:30pm on Thursday, May 23rd.

Earlier in the week I had received a message from my grade-school buddy Bill, who was vacationing in New Smyrna Beach. Bill wanted to arrange a time to meet and to see the boat, which he did on Friday, May 17th. Shirley was busy working so, after a quick tour of the boat, Bill and I decided to grab lunch at Ryan’s, a comfortable watering hole in downtown Cocoa Village with a second-floor deck overlooking the Indian River.

I had seen Bill several times over the past few years but none of those occasions had offered the chance to really catch up. We were now able to spend some quality time together; we filled each other in on our respective lives over the past 40-some years. It was a great afternoon.

The next day Shirley and I drove to Orlando to catch up with another close friend and former business colleague Mahesh, and his wife Sunita, who were in from India for several weeks to celebrate their oldest son’s graduation (with distinguished honors) from Purdue University. After the graduation ceremony in West Lafayette, Indiana, Mahesh, Sunita, and their two boys flew to Orlando to visit the theme parks, which gave us the opportunity to meet again.

I have known and worked with Mahesh and Sunita for almost ten years. Several years ago I had the pleasure of visiting them at their home in Pune, India. It was a real treat to meet them at Universal Studios and to introduce Shirley to them. We had a short but wonderful time together.

On Saturday late-afternoon, May 18th, Shirley and I found ourselves walking into the Sand Bar; a dive establishment on Cocoa Beach just a few blocks away from the original Ron Jon Surf Shop. The place was packed and there were no seats open at the bar. We hovered close to the bar for a few minutes trying to decide if we should stay or go.

Shirley, being solutions-oriented and possessing not a single shy bone in her body, noticed a couple, about our age, finishing their meal at a 4-seat high-top. She immediately asked if we could occupy the two empty stools at their table. They obliged, we sat down, and a wonderful friendship was born.

Doug and Kae are Orlando natives who have known each other since grade school. They moved to a condo on the beach near Port Canaveral after Doug retired; the Sand Bar is one of their semi-regular hang-outs.

We just clicked. We enjoyed a great, comfortable conversation and a lot of laughs. As they were leaving and our meal was arriving, they invited us to join them and several other friends at their tent on the beach the next morning to watch Thunder on Cocoa Beach (Thunder is a Super Boat Grand Prix race which has been held on the Space Coast for the past ten years).

The first of four heats was scheduled for 11:00 the next morning. Shirley and I were walking the beach, looking for a white tent just north of the Cocoa Beach Pier, at 10:00.

We found them just before the first race. We were introduced to Kae’s brother Daryl and their friends Holly and Andy. The weather was perfect, the company was wonderful, the races were fantastic, the food and beverages were superb. After the races we struck the tent and went back to Doug and Kae’s condo. It was a great day, a real adventure.

(click on the picture below, it is a video)

On Thursday, May 23rd, we called our daughter Jamie and wished her a Happy Birthday. We then hopped into our SUV and drove to New Smyrna Beach to check out a few marinas and to explore the town. We really like New Smyrna Beach; so much so that we intend to look at property there.

On the drive back to the boat we took a detour at Titusville, crossed the Indian River and explored the Canaveral National Seashore. This seashore boasts miles and miles of undeveloped, pristine, beautiful beach and is the perfect site to watch the rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Complex, which is right next door.

Later that night, shortly after 10:30pm, we sat out on our quarterdeck couch and watched a Falcon 9 rocket as it rose skyward and disappeared behind the clouds; the boat shook a little as the roar of the rocket engines reached our ears.

(click on the picture below, it is a video)

We enjoyed dinner and drinks with our new friends Doug and Kae on Friday evening. On Saturday we drove back to Canaveral National Seashore, spent the entire day at the beach and then stopped at Shirley’s cousin Deborah’s farm for dinner.

We wrapped up our weekend with a bike ride along Riverside Drive. This historic and very scenic street runs along the Indian River from Cocoa Village to Rockledge, a distance of about 6.5 miles. We really enjoyed the large and varied palm trees that lined the street, the old oaks heavy with Spanish moss, the beautifully restored historic homes and the amazing river views.

On Wednesday, May 29th, we woke up to find a 53ft Hatteras motor yacht tied up in the previously unoccupied slip next to us. After seeing human activity on our deck, the captain, Andy, came over and introduced himself; thus started another new friendship.

Andy, a pilot for Southwest Airlines, and his wife Mandy, a spinning instructor, lived in Cincinnati for about 5 years while he was based out of CVG (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport). They loved their time in Cincinnati and frequented many of our favorite local establishments. After Andy’s transfer to Orlando they purchased a beautiful home in Cocoa Beach, on a deep-water canal, behind which they keep their boat. They were returning from a cruise to Sebastian Inlet and Vero Beach and had stopped at our marina for just one night to hang out in Cocoa Village before returning home.

Andy was fascinated with Perfect Love and, after returning from their evening in the Village, got on the internet, found our blog, and read all about the restoration project. Before departing the next day Andy came over to our boat and told me how impressed he was with the effort and the result. He subsequently invited us to join them on Friday night for drinks at their home and then dinner at ‘Juice & Java’, a watering hole on the beach, where one of their favorite local bands was playing. We quickly accepted their invitation.

Early on Friday morning we headed for the Kennedy Space Center. Being a space junkie, I had been very anxious to visit Kennedy during our stay in Cocoa; Shirley was a bit skeptical but, being the trooper that she is, she happily agreed to join me. Shortly after our arrival at the Center Shirley’s skepticism vanished. I believe that she enjoyed the exhibits and the bus tour as much as I did.

We spent the entire day at the Space Center but had to cut our visit short because of our commitment to join Andy and Mandy. We drove directly from Kennedy to their home on Cocoa Beach. We had a wonderful evening and the Vince Reed Band was fantastic.

We invited our new friends Doug, Kae, Andy and Mandy to join us for dinner on June 5th to celebrate Shirley’s 60th birthday. They met us at the boat for cocktails and we then walked five blocks to the Villa Palma, an Italian restaurant in the Village. The Birthday Girl was in rare form and we laughed until our jaws hurt and our stomachs ached. The meal was superb.

In addition to her duties as Executive Officer, Shirley also shoulders a heavy responsibility as our official entertainment director. She regularly seeks out information pertaining to social events in or near our current local. While operating in this capacity, Shirley discovered that the annual Cocoa Beach Pirate Festival was about to kick off in just a few days.

At last! A chance to wear the pirate garb that we had purchased over one year ago in New Orleans! We quickly bought tickets for dinner and the Pirate Ball to be held on Saturday night, June 8th. We were awesome!

Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas.

Book of Days: 04/28/19 thru 05/13/19

Weather forecast for May 14, 2019:

Cocoa, Florida

Low 78 high 88

North winds, 10 to 12 kts

Captain’s Log: April 28, 2019 thru May 13, 2019

After an uneventful 15-mile cruise, we tied up to slip 16 at Cocoa Village Marina just before noon on Saturday, April 27th and, with extended family in the area, some required boat maintenance to complete and a trip north on our calendar, this marina will be home for the next month or two.

Cocoa Village Marina is a very nice place. The docks are in good shape and protected by a decent security system, the clubhouse is clean, spacious and well appointed, the bathrooms/showers are large and very clean (the staff cleans the showers several times per day) and the laundry facility is the best that we have seen. The picturesque downtown area of Cocoa is a short two blocks away from the marina, Cocoa Beach is 4 miles away and the Kennedy Space Center launch complex is 8 miles away. We like the feel of this place.

Shirley had not seen her cousins David and Deborah, who live in the Cocoa area, in over forty years; she was anxious for the reunion. Although no specific plans had been made, we were pleasantly surprised when David and his friend Derick showed up at the marina in the late afternoon. David informed us that Deborah was going to meet us at Norman's, a great oyster bar and grill, just down the road, later in the evening. So, after catching up on the past 40 years and relaxing on the boat for a few hours, we departed for Norman's. Shirley and David headed straight for the restaurant while Derick volunteered to take me to an address in Cocoa Beach where our SUV was waiting to be picked up.

Back at Norman's, and following introductions, we enjoy great conversation over six dozen raw oysters and plenty of cold beer.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to lift off from launch complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, April 30, at 4:00am. Being so close to Kennedy, I was very anxious to watch this launch and I wanted to witness it from a really good vantage point. The next few days were spent familiarizing ourselves with the area and searching for the perfect spot to watch the launch.

Let us go back in time for a moment: In the autumn of 1981 I was working as a software engineer at General Electric Aircraft Engine Group (GEAEG) in Cincinnati. I worked with Barb, a software engineer whose husband Tom was a propulsion engineer at GEAEG. Tom was a pilot, as was his buddy and fellow propulsion engineer, John. Tom and John were looking for a third partner to share the cost of renting a Cessna 172 Skyhawk; they wanted to fly down to Titusville, Florida, to watch the second launch of the space shuttle Columbia. I was their man.

We departed Blue Ash Municipal Airport, just north of Cincinnati, at daybreak, with Tom in the pilot's seat and John next to him; I had the small rear bench seat to myself. We flew to Rome, Georgia, quickly refueled and then we were back in the air and heading for Titusville.

I don't remember much about the Titusville Airport. If my memory serves me at all, I believe that the airport had a single paved runway at that time, not much wider than a 2-lane road. Regardless, there were so many private aircraft flying into town for the launch that there was no place left to park the planes. We were instructed to pull our Cessna into the grass next to the runway; there were many other small aircraft parked in a similar fashion. There was no hotel room to be had in town, everything was booked, so we spent the night in the airplane. I had the bench seat, the roomiest, most comfortable spot.

The next morning, with no rental cars available, we had to walk the several miles into town. Bumper-to-bumper traffic clogged all of the roads leading into downtown Titusville and we actually made better time than those driving.

It was a real carnival atmosphere in town. People partying everywhere; American Flags, rock-n-roll music and beer; news helicopters flying up and down along the river bank; friendly police officers sitting in or standing by their cruisers talking to people and giving directions; dozens of pleasure boats anchored in the Indian River.

Shuttle launch complex 39 was directly across the Indian River from downtown. We found a great spot in what I recall to be a motel parking lot. Like everywhere else along the river, our lot was packed with people sitting in lawn chairs or reclining on blankets and/or beach towel. Almost everybody had binoculars, big movie cameras or telescopes. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the vibe was electric.

From our vantage point, about 8 miles away, the gantry looked like it was about 1/2 inch tall. Through binoculars the shuttle Columbia, its huge external fuel tank and boosters, could clearly be seen. The giant Vehicle Assembly Building stood to the far left of the gantry.

The excitement of the crowd grew exponentially as the countdown reached the 9-minute mark, and then everything stopped. At 9 minutes NASA had a built-in pause of an undetermined length to do final safety checks. I do not recall how long we waited but, when the big launch clock changed from 9 minutes, 0 seconds to 8 minutes, 59 seconds the crowd roared its approval.

With each passing second, the collective excitement of tens-of-thousands of space enthusiasts increased and, at 0 minutes, 15 seconds, we all started to chant in unison "14, 13, 12, 11, 10, ... at "5" we could see white vapor clouds billowing from the base of the shuttle. At "3" we could see flames erupting under the shuttle. "2, 1, 0, LIFTOFF", Columbia jumped off of the pad, in silence, and started to climb. About 15 seconds later the sound of the rocket engines finally reached our ears and the ground began to shake a bit; we could feel this shaking at a distance of 8 miles.

It was an incredible experience; fantastic; awesome; inspiring. I do not have the right words to describe it, but I will always remember the second launch of the space shuttle Columbia among my top bucket list experiences.

Now, back to the present: Although I had no expectation of an experience remotely similar to the Columbia launch, we were still very excited to have an opportunity to witness the Falcon 9 liftoff. When NASA postponed the launch by 24 hours for reasons unknown to us, we were very disappointed.

Our friend Doug arrived for a short visit on Tuesday afternoon and, with the postponement, he now had an opportunity to join us for the rescheduled launch. Unfortunately, 8 hours before the 3:38am launch on Wednesday morning, NASA again postponed the liftoff by 24 hours due to electrical problems on the International Space Station (the official name for this Falcon 9 launch is "CRS 17 Dragon"; it is a space station resupply mission). Doug left a bit disappointed after we enjoyed a great Mexican dinner, he was heading for Atlanta.

The next day our cruising friends Neala and Jeff stopped by for lunch; they were traveling from their condo in Delray Beach to their home in Erie, Pennsylvania. That evening, Beth and Dave, cruising friends who have their s/v Mystic docked in Titusville for a few weeks, also stopped by. Five visitors in two days!

Being determined to see the launch, Shirley and I were once again at our preferred viewing location at 12:30am on Thursday, May 2. At this late hour, and with several hours to go before the launch (now set for 3:00am), there was only one other person in sight; a guy standing at the open trunk of his car with fishing gear in hand.

Not long after our arrival, while we were still sitting in our SUV, a Mustang convertible pulled up close to us and two young gentlemen got out. They walked over to the guy with the fishing gear and began a conversation. I suggested to Shirley that they must be talking about the launch and told her that I was going to join their conversation.

The guy with the fishing gear was a former SpaceX employee. He had worked on the Falcon 9 project at the Space Center and was a wealth of knowledge; the two younger gentlemen were European, one French and one Belgian. We four space junkies talked for about 90 minutes before I returned to the SUV to find a sleeping Shirley.

It was time to get out of the car and assume our viewing positions. We were now restless with anticipation (at least I was, the XO was still half asleep). We found the perfect spot, laid out our blanket, set up our folding chairs and then checked and re-checked our camera and iPhone/iPad movie cameras, taking test shots to make sure that everything was ready.

At T-minus 6 minutes NASA once again postponed the launch by 24 hours; this one due to problems on the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) named Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY). The Falcon 9 reusable booster makes a soft, vertical landing on OCISLY, a large landing platform which was holding station about 17 miles off of Cape Canaveral.

We finally got lucky on Friday, May 3rd. No delays, no postponement; the Falcon lit up the night sky at 2:48am. It was spectacular! Shirley was shooting a movie on the iPad; she was so excited that she got a terrific 3-minute video of a completely black sky. I was on the camera and did a little better.

We got back to the boat around 3:45am, immediately hit the sack, and were met with a very rude awakening shortly before 11:00am; the semi-annual LOVE BUG plague had hit Cocoa overnight; thousands of these pests filled the air; countless had descended upon Perfect Love.

For the next five days these bugs, similar in size and appearance to the lightning bugs of south-western Ohio, got stuck in our hair; flew into our faces; crawled up our legs, and were crushed under foot. Fortunately, they do not bite and only live for two days. Little black carcasses piled up on the deck and docks, against windows and doors; splattered on windshield; they were everywhere, there was no escaping them. It was disgusting and almost unbearable.

The carcasses, when crushed, ooze an acid-like green-yellow goo that, if left on a light painted surface overnight, can stain the surface and can actually pit the paint on a car or on the deck of a boat. I spent hours, at least twice per day, washing the dead bugs off of the deck while hundreds of live bugs swarmed around me. It was a losing battle.

We suffered through this scourge for five days but it seemed like an eternity. It took its toll; we stayed cooped up in the boat most of the time; it made us angry.

Saturday, May 5th, was Cinco de Mayo AND the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby. We decided to brave the bugs, hit the road and find a place to celebrate. We found El Lioncito (the little lion), a great Mexican restaurant in Titusville. With a very violent thunderstorm raging outside, we did it up proper at the bar.

The bugs were really bad on May 5th and 6th but completely disappeared on the morning of the 7th, one day before Shirley's sister Cindy and Cindy's daughter Gina were scheduled to arrive for a 5-day/4-night mini vacation with us. After a thorough cleaning both inside and out, the boat was bug-free and ready to host our latest guests.

We had a great time with Cindy and Gina. While Shirley worked during business hours Cindy and Gina explored downtown Cocoa while I did boat maintenance. We dinned at a couple of great restaurants; we met again with David and Deborah at the Pub Americana (this time Cindy and Gina got caught up on the last 40 years while we listened to live blues), and we took a 5-hour gambling cruise out of Port Canaveral on the casino ship Victory (none of us won).

We drove our guests to Orlando International Airport on Sunday, May 12; Mother's Day. After dropping Cindy and Gina off at the departure terminal Shirley and I headed for Disney Springs and killed a few hours window shopping and dining. The XO had fun trying on "authentic Disney retro dresses" and posing with Buzz Lightyear.

The drive back to Cocoa was alarming; we drove through swarms of love bugs; the noise of their bodies splattering against the windshield sounded like heavy rain. The windshield wipers were useless, they only smeared the goo all over the glass.

I was hoping that the swarms were strictly inland; I was sorely disappointed to find swarms all over Cocoa. The marina was thoroughly infested AGAIN!

Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas.

Book of Days: 04/25/19 thru 04/27/19

Weather forecast for April 28, 2019:

Cocoa, Florida

Low 75 high 88

North winds, 10 to 12 kts

Captain’s Log: April 25, 2019 thru April 27, 2019

Mack Sails finally delivered our repaired mainsail at 11:00am on Thursday, April 25th, and at 1:00pm we left the dock at Fort Pierce Municipal Marina, heading for Vero Beach, 13 miles north on the ICW.

Our first obstacle, the South Fort Pierce Bridge, stands just outside of the marina channel. Locals had warned us that the bridge, a 65ft-high fixed structure, was actually only 64ft off of the water at mean high tide. Our air clearance is 63.5ft so, if the locals were correct, it would be a very tight squeeze if we passed under the bridge at any time other than low tide. We missed low tide by one hour but we made it past the bridge without incident.

The North Fort Pierce Bridge, a draw bridge less than one mile north of the south bridge, was another matter altogether. We had issues at this bridge. Actually, our issues were with the bridge tender and the other pleasure boats queueing up to pass during the next opening.

Holding Perfect Love stationery in a seaway is not easy so I usually try to stay about 100 yards away from a draw bridge until I see all auto traffic crossing the bridge stop, at which time I start to motor slowly towards the bridge. As soon as the bridge starts to open I increase speed, trying to time my arrival at the structure no more than 2 minutes after it is fully opened. Variables outside of my control such as wind, current, other boat traffic and the timing of the bridge tender can, and often do, play unpleasant games with this approach.

On this particular occasion the wind and the current were pushing us towards the lee shore so I had to fight to keep us in the channel and the bow pointing towards the bridge. There were four boats behind us also struggling to keep their places in line. Out of nowhere, and immediately after all auto traffic across the bridge stopped, a jerk at the helm of an Island Packet 40ft sloop overtook us. The grumpy bridge tender had not yet started the opening process so, besides being a little perturbed at the rudeness, I was very surprised to see the Island Packet head straight for the bridge at a pretty good clip. Things got even more interesting when the bridge tender was at least four minutes late to start the opening process.

The Island Packet was dangerously close the bridge when the roadway sections finally parted and slowly began to rise. At the last possible moment, realizing that he was not going to make it, the Packet's captain turned hard away from the bridge and lost his place in line. We were next in the queue and passed through maybe 30 seconds after the bridge was fully opened. Fittingly, the Packet ended up last in line, but at least he still had his mast.

Ten miles further down the ICW, approaching Vero Beach, we passed under the Alma Lee Loy Bridge and then the Merrill Barber Bridge, both 65ft-high, fixed structures. A hard turn to starboard just after the Barber Bridge put us in the channel leading to the Vero Beach City Marina mooring field.

All the mooring balls were occupied so the marina was asking newcomers to raft up with a vessel of a similar size. No way! There was absolutely no way that we were going to tie up our big, beautiful girl to some stranger's boat. That was not going to happen. We cruised through the mooring field and dropped anchor in 8 feet of water in front of Fritz Island on the very northern end of the waterway. There were 3 other boats anchored nearby.

After a half mile dinghy ride we tied up to the marina's dinghy dock (without the required permit); the Riverside Cafe was our destination. Shirley and Ted had spent some quality time at Vero Beach back in 2012 and the Riverside Cafe was their favorite spot. Although she didn't show it, I am sure that Shirley had an emotional moment or two while we were there.

I ordered Cuban sliders off of the Happy Hour menu and Shirley had a salad and fish tacos. We washed our dinner down with a few beers while sitting at the bar and talking to friendly strangers. Downtown Vero Beach was about one mile away and Shirley was determined to show me the quaint little village so we paid the bill and headed out the door.

Huge live oaks lined the street that we chose, their big branches, heavy with Spanish moss, stretched across the pavement towards each other as if they were trying to join hands, creating a tunnel-like passage. It was beautiful. It reminded me of the neighborhood streets of Savannah.

Downtown Vero Beach is really nice. Boutique shops mingle with a few high-rise condo building and the small, well-kept hotels that line the shore. Everything is very neat and clean and inviting. I can see why Vero is often referred to as 'Velcro Beach'. It gets hard to leave. Although we were only staying for one night, we will most definitely be coming back. We treated ourselves to Kilwin's ice cream and then started our one-mile trek back to the dinghy. We arrived at our boat to find the Island Packet that almost hit the draw bridge back at Fort Pierce anchored near us.

Friday, April 26th, was our granddaughter Leah's seventh birthday. She happened to be off of school that day so we were able to call and wish her a Happy Birthday. We then weighed the anchor and headed for Melbourne. It was going to be a long day, we had three fixed bridges, no draw bridges and 35 miles to cover.

The cruise up the Indian River was uneventful. We had spotty showers; it was windy and the River was fairly choppy, especially near the Sebastian Inlet. Along the way we passed six or seven derelict boats, mostly sailboats. I can understand why property owners are so strident about limiting anchorages, these derelicts are a real eyesore. I know that I would be upset and angry if we had invested in a beautiful piece of property along the ICW only to have someone abandon a trashy boat off of my shore.

An occasional runabout and/or kayaker could be seen loitering around some of the many small islands along the route. These islands, covered with palm trees and mangroves, their sandy shores littered with broken limbs and tree trunks, usually had a sign designating them as wildlife sanctuaries.

There was a lot of shoaling and quite a few sandbars, some rising above the water but many just below the surface. We had to remain vigilant.

At 3:00pm, after passing under the Eau Gallie Causeway, we made a hard turn to port and dropped our hook in 7ft of water at the Eau Gallie North anchorage on the west side of the ICW.

We secured the boat and then enjoyed our SAD after which the XO cooked some delicious chicken fajitas. Later that evening a short but violent thunderstorm, accented by some spectacular chain lightning, rolled through the anchorage. When things finally calmed down we could hear festive voices and a band playing at the very crowded watering hole located at the marina just across from us. It was Friday night, the bar was accented with multi-colored lights, the music was loud and I am sure that the locals were kicking and shaking on the dance floor. All is well in Melbourne tonight.

We left Eau Gallie at 9:20am on Saturday morning. We had 15 miles and two fixed bridges standing between us and Cocoa Village Marina, our destination and would-be home for the next month.

Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas.