Cocoa to Daytona

Way good

Way Bad

The trip up the ICW from Cocoa to Daytona yesterday was enjoyable.  The day started, as usual, in calm winds and clear skies.  We hauled anchor at 0745 and cleared the first bascule bridge thirty minutes later.  The next area was the Titusville/ Cape Canaveral area where we sailed near the huge NASA launch assembly building and the launch pads.  There were no rockets on pads so that is all that was visible of the area.  That building was visible for over 20 miles. 

NASA Assembly Building

Being Sunday, the waterways were very busy.  Of course there were more than a few knuckleheads.  As we approached Smyrna and Ponce de Leon inlet, the traffic increased exponentially.  Add a few hundred forty feet sport fishing boats, and a few hundred ski and small fishing boats to a narrow waterway and one needs to consider the waterway every bit as rough as a sea crossing.  Big wakes coming at you and big wakes passing you at the same time and one could churn butter easily in a jar.  Throw in a huge thunderstrom following those passing and it was a lively day.  We had several rolls past twenty five degrees.  That sorts out all the stuff that is not secured properly.

Mysteriously unmarked ship aground near the ICW (no flags, markings or crew aboard)

We decided to spend a day or two in Daytona to visit the historic parts.  Halifax marina is large and our slip is the most distant from the office.  It is easily a three quarter mile walk to the office so they dispatched a dock attendant to the slip to catch our lines.  He came equipped with the paperwork and credit card machine thus saving that walk.  It does not hurt that West Marine and several restaurants are a block or two away. 

An attractive mini-trawler underway

We are finding that sixty mile days back to back require a stop every now and then just sit still for a day or two.  We trap ourselves in places like Key West, Marathon and Fort Pierce for convenience.  If we are to get north before August we need to stay less and move more.