Mating Manatees

So happy to finally be moving on!  Dad and mom had some really tight maneuvering to get out of our Cocoa Village Marina!!! Lordy, I was holding my breath!!! 

Saw Cape Canaveral but it looked pretty quiet...

Even with all the breezes, it was pretty warm up on the flybridge. So mom got me my own fan. She's a pretty good mom. 

This part of the ICW looks like a snake on our radar devices/charts and was really narrow & shallow.  

I have to keep them on their toes, so I didn't get my usual naps. Came through the end of Merritt Island very carefully! It was a tricky canal dodging the mating manatees and all the fishermen!!!

It was a quiet day until we got close to New Smyrna, then we encountered all the weekend pleasure boaters. CRAZY!  Many of them need the US Coast Guard Boaters Safety Course! Especially the ones in the Ponce de Leon Inlet and the Halifax River in Daytona! 

Arrived at Halifax Yacht Club in Daytona around 3 PM! They put in brand new lush green grass for us four legged friends. WOW! HEAVEN!!! The yacht club is pretty wonderful too!

Loved all the various fishermen we saw along this one canal at the end of Merritt Island

Obviously, they don't read!

                                                Fishermen and fun came in all forms today!!!

                 One of the few bridges we didn't have to wait to open...this one outside Cape Canaveral!

                                          Another gorgeous Mainship, the Two Drifters from Texas

                                            Two working boats on the Halifax River by Daytona, FL 

                           

                                               Another view of Daytona Beach, FL from the river

Free at Last...

We all needed some fresh veggies on Wedsneday, so mom and dad rode their bikes to the nearest Publix about 3 miles away. They told me that Cocoa and Rockledge next door had some fantastic old Florida homes facing the Indian River. They were able to ride their bikes down a tiny road that paralleled the river. Lots of tourists in town so M & D are hangin with me on the boat. 

After lunch they decided to polish all the inside wood. Are they trying to kill me? I would leave one space to get away from the smell and then, they would run me out of it! GEEZ!!! How shiny does this boat have to be? Then to add insult to injury, they are going for “dock tails” on another Looper’s boat and leaving me behind… 

They came back smelling like another dog! How could they?! They were excited to have more information about the Loop from Janet & Bob on Harmony. So much to know…it gives me a headache! 

They took me with them to breakfast at Ossorio Thursday AM…YUM! Mom is always a soft touch!!! Another day hanging out on the boat hoping to get our Dingy fixed…Tomorrow for sure?! More little stuff accomplished on Moondance. 

Met more loopers who live on Merritt Island across the causeway; Jim & Ann O’Malley on Wild Goose, a 43’ older DeFever…more Dock tails and more advice!!! My head is spinning!!!

Finally, Randy showed up today with our carburetors fixed for our dingy! We are free to go!!! YEAH!!! Free at last! Daytona, here we come…

Chilling Out in Cocoa

April 24-29, 2016

Cocoa Village Marine, Cocoa, FL

First day here, dad gets our dingy sort of running; but he is still bringing in a mechanic to look it over…the winds were so high, that dad couldn’t get the dingy out to run it. The gusts were really bad! It blew our beach wagon off the dock. Thankfully all our laundry wasn’t in the wagon at the time, but mom lost her IPad Mini. The good news is the wind dried me off fast after my bath on Moondance’s stern. 

Walking around town is lots of fun! This town is full of charm & personality! Loved going for a walk with dad and mom in the evening. We found the Dog N Bone Pub that let me come in…I got so much attention and even dog bones!!! It was GREAT! It’s a great walking town with lots of waterfront parks, shops, restaurants and pubs!!!

The dingy repair man arrived today and determined that we need our carburetors rebuilt because although there hasn’t been much time on this engine, it has set too long! So we now have our time here in Cocoa extended two more days???

It’s a great place to chill out, so we are fine! It also explains why mom has built an extra week into our schedule every 21 days because this kind of stuff happens!

She bought me a really cute scarf and some delicious homemade dog cookies, so I’m really, really happy here!!!

The historic downtown area that was redone in the 1970's

I love old street clocks. It reminded me of St. Maarten's.

Might have posted this one twice, so European looking!

Look closely at the sign above the clever up cycled pots!

Lily's New favorite place since they let her in and feed her!

 This hardware store has been in business since 1885, so fun!!!

The inside of Dog n Bone Pub

View from Ryan's Pub out into the mooring fields

Still have to go into this one?!

Mike couldn't believe this big RV was trying to make it's way down this tiny street!

The Theater is still going strong...started with Silent movies in the 1920"s

Cooking in Cocoa, FL

What a fun day!!! Waters were calm ,so I wasn’t “rockin” & “rollin”! We saw an incredible number of homes both Mc Mansions and more realistic looking. I enjoyed our dolphin friends hanging with us for awhile. Lots of boat traffic since it was such a nice day. I especially enjoyed the sailboat regatta at Melbourne. I even enjoyed mom’s music choices for the day;  Marley & Best of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Thankfully, we got in fairly early so we could walk around and I didn’t have to wait so long to go! Mom and dad shared mom’s first real dinner on board with me before they took me for a mini walk around downtown…Mom even shared her pumpkin ice cream with me…YUM! It looks like it’s going to be a cool town to visit!

 Enjoying dock tails at the Cocoa Village Marina

The Entrance sign to Vero Beach Yacht Club

The bridge right by the Vero Beach Yacht Club

Our dockage for the next couple of days in Cocoa, FL

Our first real dinner on board complete with the Lapinski's Laura Hardwig wine.

Lily waiting for her after dinner walk

Trying to get out of the secured gate

Just one of the cute streets uptown

Love this young girl who brought her doll for a walk too

Her brother is hanging out waiting for his mom

The Village Ice Cream Store owned by one of VP Joe Biden's security guys...See there are a few Democrats in FL

Some of our friends hanging out with us today

 All the various boats we pass or they pass us in a day's travel

It's so shallow here that families are in kayaks and canoes going to the many tiny islands to play

We ended up passing through a sailboat regatta today

Relaxing in Vero Beach, FL

April 21-23, 2016

Vero Beach Yacht Club, Vero Beach, FL

Bobbie and Jose Luis helped us pick up some things we needed including mosquito repellant. We even had a boat part coming to them that they delivered!

Rain never showed up despite forecasts. We had a fun Friday with Bobbie Jose Luis as they showed us the charms of Vero Beach. Once again Bobbie made a wonderful dinner for us at their condo. YUM, I really loved the leftovers!!!

Today, Saturday, Mom and dad worked out different things they needed to do on the boat before they caught up with Bobbie and Jose Luis again for dinner and dancing at the Yacht Club tonight. 

Off to the Cocoa Village Marina which is close to Cape Canaveral…Hopefully, we can get our dingy fixed there even if it means staying there longer than 2 nights. The dingy just doesn’t want to start; despite the battery being charged…Dad and another looper tried to work on it, but it needs a professional. 

I was really looking forward to a dingy ride too!

Walking Lily in this beautiful tiny park by the Municipal Docks

So many boats on mooring balls here

Loved the look of this City Marina

The Intrepid 150'?

Shit Happens!!!

I tried to wake mom up early because I wasn’t feeling good, but she didn’t get it!!! BOY! Did she jump out of bed when she heard me throwing up!!! I didn’t think she could move that fast anymore!!! I’m feeling better now, but it wasn't a fun way to start the day. UGH!!! (When mom cleaned up after me this AM, in her morning daze she threw my vomit and TP down the aft head, it clogged up that head, thus; TODAY'S TITLE; SHIT HAPPENS!)

The good news is that mom and I saw a spectacular sunrise as we came back from our walk. I’m really looking forward to spending 3 nights in Vero Beach!!! It was a very windy run up Indian River (ICW) but the sights were beautiful with all the fancy houses and boats. Mom and Dad told me that we get see more Ohio friends who winter here. Bobbie and Jose Luis. They can help us pick up some things we need. We even have a boat part coming to them.

We got into our slip early enough that Mom took me for a walk, then she decided to clean while dad fixed our clogged aft head. Things went downhill from there…  Dad was on his bad knees too long and when he got up, his leg muscle cramped and wouldn’t go away…He was in horrible pain, but fortunately had some pain pills with him. Ice, drugs and a good night’s sleep he recovered, but he missed a dinner with other loopers sharing their ideas and stories… 
Hopefully, we will catch up with them again along the way… 
It’s gorgeous here, but rain is coming in later today for a bit…

 an island on the river before the Stuart Bridge

a view of the ocean

 really this style McMansion in FL?

don't know how they do this but it is poetry in motion