On to New Smyrna & Melbourne

2/11/22

Leaving St. Augustine at 8:30 we headed south on a cool, clear day. Our destination was New Smyrna Beach and we traversed the Matanzas River among dolphins, pelicans, herons and cranes.

Arriving in New Smyrna we pulled up to the fuel dock at New Smyrna Beach Marina and were greeted by some local fishermen and a flock of mooching pelicans. The fishermen scrapped oysters off the pilings (for bait) and the pelicans hung around for handouts.

Dinner at the marina restaurant and a quick stroll to check out our surroundings.

And now another early start for the 70 mile run to Melbourne. This part of the ICW is straight…very straight. We let Otto (Pilot) do most of driving while we watched the scenery go by and felt the weather warming.

70 miles, 2 turns 8 hours in 70 degrees and sunshine! This is the Florida we’ve been looking for and it feels great to have arrived. The boat traffic has picked up a little, with more outboard day trippers and a few more ICW trekkers. Running through the maze of Mosquito Bay, we were glad to follow the Bob track.

Entering the beautiful Haulover Canal was like going into a different world…a narrow waterway with fishermen on each side and a landscape that made you want to slow down. Hard to describe but wonderful to be immersed in.

Travel on the Indian River is frequently slowed by Manatee zones. We saw one of these creatures and they appear to be unkempt, uncoordinated and lethargic obstacles to the progress of mankind. Not unlike me before coffee ( so there’s no confusion, the ”me” here is David!) They basically look like they are badly in need a nap and yet, they have the right of way. The regulations protecting them are impressive and we’re not sure why, but evidently they have friends in high places, who strongly believe in their preservation. To me, they look like a broken link the the food chain. However, when Kathy bumped an unidentified submerged object, there was much concern about the well being of creatures below. But the 2nd bump revealed other equally inanimate objects floating in the waterway….logs!

Arriving in Melbourne was a pleasant surprise. As we pulled up to the fuel dock, several similar aged voyagers were setting up tables and chairs on the dock. After a few introductory pleasantries they invited us to join them and, as it turns out, we had crashed the monthly meeting on the Skippers Club.

This club is based around Merritt Island Florida and has been meeting for decades. Every month they choose a destination, get in their boats and meet up for docktails and dinner. We joined them, they fed us and we swapped sea stories and learned a lot about where we are headed and where we could go from here. One couple has 18,000 miles under their keel and another has traveled from Florida to the Bahamas over 50 times. As mentioned in previous posts, there is a lot to be gained from staying in marinas and this night provided a trove of camaraderie and local knowledge. Thank you to the members of the Skippers Club for your generous hospitality,

Docktails & new friends in Melbourne

another early start tomorrow and off to Stuart…