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.