The mooring field at Vero Beach City Marina
Vero Beach, lived up to it's nickname
for us. We initially told the marina manager we were going to stay
for 5 days. 25 days later we left. Now we see why there are a lot of
boats that stay there for the winter. We made a lot of new cruising
friends. There was a weekly cocktail hour, potluck Christmas and New
Years dinners at the marina.
The first night we went out to dinner
with Bill and Sandy (Hot Chocolate), who we had dinner with back in
Fernandina, and Dan and Dawn (Gertie). We ate at Mulligans on the
Beach, which turned out to be the first of a number of
lunches/dinners there. I guess we liked it.
Greetings from Vero Beach
Retrieving the electronic wind instruments for repair
My view, rafted up with Gertie
Our rafting neighbor, Dan, with Skip and Rita in the dink.
The next day I climbed
the mast to remove our electronic wind gauge which was not showing
wind speed or direction. I discover that the o-rings have failed and
allowed moisture into the circuit boards. I clean up the oxidation up
on the circuit board and wind direction starts working correctly.
Replace the bad o-rings. The wind speed was more of a problem, the
sensor for that circuit was dead. I order a replacement sensor.
That night we had dinner on “Kamouraska” (a 45 foot Island
Packet), Skip and Rita Griffin. There were four couples and they had
enough counter space for a buffet line and seats at the table for
everyone.
The next day I moved on to a sewing
project, making a clear vinyl connector for between the dodger and
Bimini. Could of used it on a couple previous cold days to deal with
the salt spray. Definitely had to change my sewing methods in the
confines of the table on the boat versus having the whole ping-pong
table at home to work on. Linda took the bus into town with Dawn to
do some shopping. The pump out boat came by and I literally got a
little shit faced when the hose popped out prematurely. That night,
Hot Chocolate, Kamouraska, Gertie and us took the bus into town to
eat at Chef Lins. This Chinese buffet had been highly recommended by
a number of departing cruisers. We had planned to walk back 2-1/2
miles after dinner because the buses stop running at 7:00. It turned
out to be a good plan. The food was so good we all walked out
stuffed.
Live Oak lined streets of Vero Beach
It took a couple days to finish the
connector, but it turned out quite well. Linda, Sandy and Dawn walked
to the beach area for some shopping on my second day of sewing. Not
much room for two people on the boat when I have stuff all over for a
large project like that. Fortunately I had cut the pattern out at
Lady's Island Marina in one of their spacious work rooms. And the
clear vinyl had been shipped previously to Linda's sister, Claudia,
at Myrtle Beach.
On Saturday 12/21 Steve and Joanne
Peyea, Vermont friends who had moved to Delray Beach a few years ago
came by for a visit. Had lunch again at Mulligans. Steve helped on a
couple boat projects and Joanne took Linda to a couple stores. We all
went to dinner at Riverside which is close to the marina, but not as
good as Mulligans. It was a very nice day.
Key Lime Pie at Mulligans
Next day I finished the connector and
Linda polished our stainless steel, which was starting to look a
little sad. Another nice thing about sailing on fresh water, the
stainless steel, never needs cleaning and polishing. After a few more
days of boat projects and potluck suppers or game nights on various
boats we rented a car to visit Steve and Joanne for Xmas.
Steve and Joanne's house in Delray Beach
We stayed
overnight and had a nice leisurely breakfast with Joanne, Steve had
left very early for work. We left mid-morning with clean laundry, our
mail stop packages and a homemade apple pie from Joanne. We spent
the rest of the day driving back to Vero Beach starting our
provisioning for our trip to the Bahamas. Stops at Costco, Walmart,
Boat Owners Warehouse, etc. Next day before we returned the car we
hit Lowes and Publix. Linda spent another day packing stuff away
and making lists so we can find stuff when we need it.
Our first week at Vero Beach was rather
warm, sunny and in the low 80's, we thought it was normal and were
loving it. Average daytime highs are normally in the low 70's. The
second and third week was cool, cloudy and rainy. Solar panels were
not seeing much action. We had picked up a portable generator which
was getting more and more use to avoid running the engine. With the
shorter days and lower sun the solar panels produced only about 60%
of the power we get in summer in Vermont. At noontime in Vermont
summers the panels put out 16 amps. In the last two months I have
not seen over 10 amps. Add lots of cloudy days and they produce very
little power.
Waiting for the New Years Eve potluck dinner
Buffet style on the washing machines and dryers.
The bathroom facilities at the Vero
Beach marina are fairly good, lots of showers and hot water. Just had
to remember to bring a towel, soap, comb and change of clothes in the
dinghy. At my advanced age I had to double check I did not forget
any of these items before the dinghy ride in. Finally one day I head
into the showers, turn the water on and find I forgot the soap. Damn
! Then I remembered there was a piece of soap stuck on one of the
other shower floors a couple days ago. I quickly look in that shower
and see that the soap is still there, benefits of municipal
employees. They have a daily sign up on the front door, but it must
be for keeping track of how often they pee. Anyways, I think . . .
“it's soap, it has to be clean”. So I scoop it up and hop back
into my shower. Later after waiting outside for Linda I tell her my
soap story, but she trumps me, telling me that she forgot her towel.
She is still a little damp after drying herself off with paper
towels. Ah, the problems of the old and senile.
The dinghy dock
Cool day at the beach
After the holidays the cool weather
continues. We decide to rent a car for the weekend. Enterprise has a
good deal on the weekend rate, which is for three days. The price we
paid for one day around Xmas. Turns out that wasn't an original
idea. Probably a third of the couples in the marina were renting
Enterprise Cars, because the rates are so good. One couple, who had
been there for a month and a half, automatically signs up for a car
prior to every weekend and cancels if they decide they don't need it.
It was hard to find a parking spot in the normally empty parking
lots. Again, we head down to visit Steve and Joanne to pickup the
latest UPS deliveries, bring laundry (at Joanne's insistence) and
stay for dinner. I feel like a college student dropping by for Mom's
home cooking. Again we have a good time visiting with them. Monday
we do a few more errands, before returning the car.
I wonder what they do to animals in the PINIC area
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