LEGACY: "Velcro Beach"

Saturday, Dec. 1

"Velcro Beach" ( Vero Beach ) has managed to snare us. This city has a reputation for
how many cruisers stop here for one or two nights while traveling through and then
wake up one day a month or two later and realize they are still here. The marina has a
small number of docks but a large number of mooring balls where they put as many as
three boats rafted together. It is a protected harbor with a good dinghy dock, nice weather
in a warm winter area, good laundry and bath facilities, and free bus service to connect
boaters with the rest of the city and easy provisioning. Quite a few people spend extended
time here as their destination. There is an active art community here and a good weekly
farmer's market which we availed ourselves of this morning. We have been here since
Wednesday and intend to stay until Monday. We are rafted off with "Blackthorn" a
couple from Massachusetts who have been cruising extensively for the last few years
and are experienced at making the trip over to the Bahamas from here. They have been
a wealth of info for us.
This area is also a place of reconnecting with others we have met along the way. We got
to spend some good time yesterday with a couple from Canada on "Eagles Wings" we
had met back in Waterford, NY at the end of the Erie Canal.
Thursday, Reichenbachs drove over from Lake Wales for the day and graciously ferried
us around the area getting groceries for provisioning and to Melbourne airport to obtain
special documentation (Local Boater Option) that makes it much easier for us on our return
to the US in the spring.
Another project we completed here was to find a print shop to make a vinyl boat name sign
for the stern of our boat. Patty at "Patty's Print Shop" was extremely gracious in making
it for us with only a half hour wait and at a very reasonable price. When overtaking vessels
would pass us on the ICW they would always hail us as "the southbound sailboat from
Geneva, Ohio" because our boat name was displayed only on the sides and not from the
back. Now they can hail us as "Legacy", which is easier to respond to. Carol had requested
this a while back and we were able to take care of it here (I maybe got some points for
this?).
The last several days of traveling we have encountered hundreds of signs with the
"manatee posting". They take it very seriously here.
Monday we plan to head further south where we hope to leave Friday or Saturday morning
for the Bahamas. That is the present weather forcast, which can certainly change.
The last few mornings we have enjoyed being able to have our morning coffee out in the
cockpit in short sleeves.