Space Coast Winter

Taking the dinghy for a spin. Quality time for Mike and AJ.

I can close the chapter on the drives. We ran a sea trial with the mechanic on deck. The drives and engine performed well. Mike pushed the engines to their highest possible RPMs, propelling us to 22 MPH. This felt like blistering speed after our typically 8 MPH. You should see the wake.  Smiles all around.(1) 

Our son, AJ, who had been visiting for three weeks, helped Mike lower the dinghy for the first time. AJ zoomed around us during the sea trial, as he tested the dinghy outboard engine. Operating the crane to put the dinghy down and back up for the first time was a new challenge. For example, Mike and AJ had to think through which way the dinghy needed to face and how to expertly tie the four corners of the boat up to the crane's heavy-duty spring snap hook.(2)

Our fifth ask for an extension on our planned stay at Halifax Marina ran out, so we departed Daytona the next day, Friday, February 23 knowing that we'd return likely two weeks later when we retraced our steps North. Originally, Mike and I planned to winter-over at one marina for a month on the East Coast of Florida. Lo and behold, Daytona was that marina. Boaters around here talk about "good Hurricane holes" for their boats. Halifax Marina is sought after because of its great reputation as a hurricane hole.(3) We had wished to winter-over a little further South for warmer weather and clearer, tropical water. However, the further South you go in Florida, the more expensive the marina. So, in the end, we may have saved a little money. That is, if you subtract what we paid for our boat repairs.

It felt fantastic to get out on the ICW again. All the cliches fit: the wind in our (ok, just my) hair, views of unique and large waterfront homes, waving to passing boaters, pelicans diving for their lunch, dolphin pairs in synchronized swimming routines, and yadda, yadda, yadda. 

I took over piloting when Mike went down below to turn on some equipment. So great to see the sights from the water again.

During AJ's last week with us, we were elated that his girlfriend, Macy, could join us. All four of us stayed on the boat at our Southernmost point, Fort Pierce. It was a good test of seeing how Sacagawea sleeps and eats, so to speak, with all beds filled.  It was tight, but with good attitudes, we saw that it was entirely possible. We would do it again. AJ plans to return in a few months, so we happily passed a test, so to speak. 

AJ at the BBQ. Kebab night! 

We briefly paused before heading North, to perform our overdo renaming ceremony. It was at the not-so-glamourous Fort Pierce gas dock at 10:00 a.m., but it worked for us! Sacagawea's name has been spoken to the gods of the four winds. 

Part of the renaming ceremony. A little champagne poured on the bow, and a little toast for me and thou. You can see our jaunty burgee flying on the pulpit that identifies us as Great Loopers.  

We anchored for the next two nights after long-ish cruise days. I now call anchoring out "my readjustment period." Once we set the anchor,(4) it's peaceful and relaxing to just enjoy being in the boat. To be honest, Mike prefers a bustling marina, but also likes the cost of anchoring as well (which is free if you are not aware!). As long as we don't need to go to shore, and we have a good place to drop a hook, we will continue to anchor instead of tying up at a marina.(5)

We paused at Cocoa, FL for a week to cap off our shakedown cruise period with professional preventative maintenance on Sacagawea's fuel system. This enabled us to take a field trip. We had so much fun kayaking at Blue Spring State Park that we decided to do a repeat at a different spring. We rented kayaks at King's Landing which is North of Orlando. 

More beautiful kayaking, but this time at King’s Landing. Better than an E-ticket at Disney World, which was not too far from here. 

Watch Mike expertly paddle us through our lovely afternoon. What a great day.

This portion of Florida's coast is known as The Space Coast because it's centered around Cape Canaveral. We were fortunate to watch two evening launches from our boat's bow. Although the launches were pretty far away, about 10 miles, we could clearly see them. We listened to the countdowns online. At "three, two, one" an orange, powerful blast propelled the modules up, up into the atmosphere and into space. At our distance, we heard the deep rumble of the burning fuel, albeit with a delayed effect, and saw the white smoke trail which turned into a puffy, wiggly line. You may know that these days, after the fuel booster rockets separate from the module, they immediately return to base. They are reused--sometimes in the same week. We saw the fiery return of the fuel booster rockets to the landing pad too. This sci-fi fan (me) really got a kick out of experiencing these extraordinary sights.

Mike on Sacagawea’s bow, being impressed by a rocket launch. This one launched Starlink satellites.

I'm writing this from our one-night return to Halifax Marina in Daytona. It's been great to visit with the friends we made here. We are meeting other Great Loop boaters at virtually every marina. It's interesting to hear their origin stories for jumping on the Great Loop. There are some common themes that I'll cover in a future travelogue.

We are looking forward to retracing our steps back to Charleston. There will be two marinas we did not hit on our way South that are touted as the best marine stops in the Southeast: Brunswick, GA, and Hilton Head, SC. 

FOOTNOTES FOR FUN FACT FANS

(1) We would not run the engine at maximum RPMs because it's inefficient. It uses a lot of diesel. Also, we often have to run at a leisurely pace because we are passing through a manatee zone or by docks. 

(2) The crane sits behind the flybridge/command center. Mike and AJ later took apart the crane to replace old pulleys and a frayed cable. Add boat crane mechanic to Mike's list of skills!

(3) A hurricane hole is a cove that is protected by land on three or four sides. Although winds can still whip through, there is little build-up of fetch in a hurricane hole because Florida is flat, and only tall buildings block the wind. Fetch is a wind wave that becomes larger the longer the distance and the greater the wind speed.

(4) Setting the anchor means that we lower the anchor (with an electric winch). Then we back down/backward on the anchor to set it in the mud. We put out enough chain for the wind conditions to feel comfortable that the boat won't drag the anchor in the expected wind.

(5) Many towns along the ICW have a mooring ball field which is typically managed by the nearby marina. We learned that we are at the size limit for mooring balls. Mooring balls are often attached to anchors. We may only use them if they are designed for our boat size and we expect light wind overnight.