A wet trip down the Indian River

We left St Augustine a week ago today (I know I haven't been blogging as often as I should) and it has rained some part of every day since we left and actually for at least a week before we left. Forecast is for the same for about the next week as well. This is normally the dry season here but it looks like this year will be a repeat of last year and so far that has been the case. e have seen front after front come through and with it days of easterly or northeasterly winds bringing in moisture. Humidity has been at or near 100% most of the time. The good news is that makes the air feel warmer than it is but the bad news is we have to run the air conditioning most of the time to dry out the cabin so things aren't so damp.

We've come about 170 miles since St Augustine. We stopped for 2 nights in Daytona Beach, 2 nights in Cocoa Village and now we are staying 5 nights in a slip at Vero Beach while the latest front passes. Traveling with the conditions as they are is not a problem but most of the anchorages are very exposed and dinghying in the rain and blowing spray isn't fun. We've heard for years about how much fun Vero Beach is so we wanted to stay here and visit. Last night was the lighted boat parade in the wind and rain and tonight is the Christmas parade.

View from our slip In Daytona.

View of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse just south of Daytona Beach.

One of the 5 Veteran's Memorials in Florida located by the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse.

One really exciting aspect of this entire trip since we left Cherry Point, NC has been the abundance of dolphins, We've seen them with regularity offshore and in the ICW in large numbers during the day and night. They often swim with us playing in the bow wave

In Daytona Beach we visited some of the places we really liked when we were stuck there a year ago. It also gave me another chance to see my daughter and kids before heading further south.

View of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse from the ICW.

Dolphins swimming with us.

At Cocoa we made 2 stops. One in the very north of the town to visit with our friend Dave Sikes and 2 of his friends who live there and then the next night we anchored off Cocoa Village. That was the day it rained least in the past few weeks so we were able to get about and enjoy the pretty town in the heart of Florida's Space Coast.There was a missile launch scheduled for Thursday night that got postponed to Friday and then to Saturday. Not sure if it went or when it is going because o the weather.

Views along the ICW.

Scenes from Cocoa.

Tonight is our fourth night here in the slip and the wind is howling as squall after squall blows through with heavy rain. We did manage to get out today to tend some errands and walk along the beach side briefly. Yesterday, Friday, we rented a car and met George and Nancy Nippell whom we've known for years. George and I worked together and were office mates several years ago. Thursday we delivered our life raft to a contractor for certification as is required every 3 years.

Our friends George and Nancy.

The beach at Vero Beach with the raging surf from the days of 20 kt northeast winds.

Stopping at a slip allows us the chance to refresh provisions, water and ensure the batteries are kept fully charged since the solar has been limited due to the weather and season and wind has not been consistent enough.

From here we plan to work our way through South Florida and spend several nights in Miami again before heading down to Marathon for 2 months where we plan to work off lots of deferred maintenance.