Half-Hand's Graduation

This holiday weekend Park graduated from half-hand boat mate to a three quarters mate. The intensive training started when we were down in Vero for a week - just us two girls on LaLeLu. Her first skill mastered was starting and running the dingy outboard. Next trick she learned was to push off anything that got too close when I was backing the boat out of the slip in Vero. In short order, the fending off trick was followed by grabbing and cleating a mooring line.
Stage two of Park's training was completed this past weekend. Park and I brought LaLeLu down to Cocoa on our own for the Fourth of July. We were meeting up with a bunch of other ECSA boats. The City shoots off fireworks in the park adjacent to the anchorage, so I knew it would be tight in there. I was nervous about anchoring on my own - well me and my half-hand. To make matters worse, LaLeLu's windlass is currently on the fritz. No worries though as it turned out to be a piece of cake. I fed out the rode by hand. Park took the helm and listened intently as I yelled "reverse" "neutral" and she complied accordingly. Great job, Park!

Surfer Girls

We went to Sebastian Inlet over the Memorial 3-Day. The crappy weather kept most of the drunk power-boaters away, so the anchoarage and park were very mellow. There was an onshore flow kicking up some decent wave action on the north shore. Park and three other teeny booper friends had a blast cutting it up - alternating between boogie boards and long boards. We spent most of the weekend beachside - and the girls had fried noses and sore arms by the end of the trip.

On Down the River

LaLeLu is in her new home in Melbourne. We moved her down there yesterday. On moving day, the wind was a bit sporty. It was blowing into the marina inlet - in the exact direction of our approach into our new slip. In hindsight, our premonition of a hard fiberglass and concrete landing proved folly. The water is so low right now that only a little more than half way into the slip she touched bottom and we had to drag/motor her across the last few feet of the slip over the silty bottom. No worries - the "real" depth of the slip should be 8'. The water level on the river right now is very low. Also, since the slip has been vacant for awhile, it acquired silt courtesy of boats in the neighboring slips. It would seem, as with most things, silt takes the path of least resistance, which in this case was the empty slip. Despite the less than glamorous dragging/docking approach, LaLeLu has taken quite well to her new surroundings. After she was all tied up, we sat in the cockpit and watched dolphins play behind our boat, and kayaks and small-boat sailors out in the channel. I think we are going to like it here.

A Day in the Port

We spent the afternoon in Port Canaveral with family and friends. We set aside our sand paper, boat project lists, etc. and decided to enjoy a little "down time." There's a new place in the Port called Mulligans Reef that has an outside deck with full view of cruise ships heading out of the port. We found a table with a Port view where we shared stories, and enjoyed a few Coronas and some cracked conch. Cruise ships full of frantically waiving passengers with big smiles passed right over our shoulders. The music, courtesy of a down-islands band dressed in matching floral shirts, brought about some serious foot tapping and even a trip 0r two to the sand dance floor. Park is an awesome swing partner and Brandon's friend Sarah was a good sport to join us for an "all girls" dance. It's a nice way to spend an afternoon.

A Magnificent Plume

A group of Harbor-Townies went out on Joe’s boat, a 46’ Morgan “Pixie Dust” to watch the shuttle launch. We went out the barge canal, and anchored on the Banana River adjacent to the Canaveral Locks. The power lines just behind us marked the line to the restricted area, and a USCG boat patrolled the invisable line in the water.

In all, there were 13 of us, but the waterline of Pixie Dust didn’t even flinch under our combined weight. I guess it takes more than that to cause a 40,000 lb boat to dip. We grilled dogs and jalapeno burgers on the aft deck, and downed a few cold ones. Just prior to the 7:43 pm launch, we watched a magnificent sunset over our starboard beam.

The wind was blowing out of the South, just barely under 20 knots. Our concerns that the wind might postpone the launch did not materialize. Right on schedule, a big ball of fire due astern of us lifted off and up into the sky. Once the shuttle rose above the horizon, its smoke plume was painted by the sun, which was too low to view on our side of the world. Of the 13 passengers aboard Pixie Dust, most reside on the space coast and have seen dozens of launches. This one was special though. Even those that have seen lots of launches previously commented on how magnificent this shuttle’s fiery plume was. Picture perfect, in fact.

And then it happened...

Like the flip of a switch, just like that, the weather got nice. This weekend marked this year's turning point - Spring had arrived here in Central Florida. It went from 54 degrees last weekend to 80 (ahhhh) degrees this weekend. A play day was in order. Ron and Kristen V joined us for an excursion out the port, down the way a bit, and back. The girls saw a stingray and a few dolphins. It was Ron and Kristen's first trip out the port via boat, so they had a lot to see. I gave them the unforgetable experience of almost getting run over by the Carnival cruise ship that was leaving port. Once I figured out that the movement of the building sized boat was not my imagination, and did a hard to port maneuver, we sailed along side it. The girls stood on deck and waved like beauty queens to all the lucky passengers who were en route to somewhere really nice (I am sure). Once we got back to the marina, the girls rowed around in Mae, while the adults enjoyed an adult beverage in the cockpit, while repeatedly uttering involuntary comments such as "Man, it is so nice out today."

A Flock of Sea Gulls

We took a jaunt down the river yesterday. The seagulls must be as impacted by these troubled economic times as the rest of us, because the followed us the entire way - begging like thieves. Park and her friend took pity on them and threw them English muffin bits. The wind was fluky - at times so light our forward momentum was imperceptible and the headsail flogged. It was a nice little adventure and it felt good to breathe in salt air, feel the sun on the cheek bones and the wind in the hair.