Stay Over in Vero Beach
Dec 21 thru Dec 24
—Blogpost written by Bob
We were staying over in Vero Beach awaiting a weather window to cross the gulf stream to the Bahamas. We recently decided to stay here through Christmas and will be making blogposts every three or four days.
Saturday, December 21
Again today, the sky was overcast and rain was likely, even though we only had a brief light rain in the early morning. We took a slip today (N-10) and for the next few days.
Moving into a slip really improved our attitudes since we were both sick of all the rain and overcast skies. We also rented a car today for the next few days.
We drove out to PetsMart to get a collapsible cat carrier so that we can take Lola for her vet appointment on Monday. We also picked up a few groceries and went out for lunch at Fishack, one of our favorite restaurants in Vero Beach.
We faced yet another day of overcast skies and light rain! This ugly weather is getting a little much.
I reviewed our blog postings from 2017 and found out that the last time we made the same Gulf Stream Crossing (with minimal wind) we made it in 9-1/2 hours. With the expected slight headwind, I would guess that we could make it this time in 10 to 10-1/2 hours. So, if we leave a couple hours before first light (say 4:30 AM) we should be able to arrive at West End between 2:30 to 3:00 PM. (it would be even better if we didn't have the headwind--in fact, a westerly wind would be even better because we could sail or motorsail!)
When we awoke the weather looked like it was the same as it has been: overcast and rainy but it cleared up at mid-morning and turned into a partly sunny day.
First thing on my agenda was installing our replacement lifeline gate and while I was at it I used blue lock thread sealant on the threads so that it won't vibrate loose again.
Lola did really well at the vet's office here in Vero Beach when she got her international health certificate! (She particularly liked the birds in the large cage!) In the early afternoon we went out for lunch at Georgio's, a pizza restaurant that we really like in Vero Beach. (Lola stayed in the car while we ate lunch for the first time ever!)
We brought Lola back to the boat and then we went out to replenish our stock of VIA at a nearby Starbucks and then we replenished some of our most used liquor and wine. When we got back to the boat, I downloaded some map updates for my AQUAMAP app on my iPad that I use for navigation planning and I downloaded a software update for my laptop. (All of this downloading was in preparation for leaving for the Bahamas--it took a couple hours.)
Brrrrrr! The outside temperature was only 56 degrees when we woke this morning--the coolest morning we have experienced in southern Florida! The sky was completely without clouds for a change, which was a welcome sight. (About 10 AM, the clouds rolled in and the sky was overcast until about 3:30 PM when the sun returned.)
We got our grocery shopping (we'll be good until be get to Nassau) done early and then we stopped by West Marine for a few small items. We also stopped in a local dive shop and bought a shorty wet suit for Maggie--I think she will appreciate this in the Berry Islands!
We picked up the dinghy motor with the motor lift and loaded it onto the stern of s/v Rainy Days, at least for the next two days down the ICW. I got the Bahamas immigration forms printed out at the marina office so that I can fill them out in advance of our arrival.
In the afternoon I setup my laptop's recent update and it had to update my photo library, which took most of the afternoon.
Our next blogpost will cover Christmas in Vero Beach and our trip to Lake Worth/Palm Beach. Merry Christmas to all!
Thanks for following our blog!
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| s/v Rainy Days in slip N-10 at Vero Beach City Marina. |
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| Lola seems to like being in a slip. |
Moving into a slip really improved our attitudes since we were both sick of all the rain and overcast skies. We also rented a car today for the next few days.
We drove out to PetsMart to get a collapsible cat carrier so that we can take Lola for her vet appointment on Monday. We also picked up a few groceries and went out for lunch at Fishack, one of our favorite restaurants in Vero Beach.
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| My margarita at Fishack. |
Sunday, December 22
We faced yet another day of overcast skies and light rain! This ugly weather is getting a little much.
We decided to buy (or make) our replacement lifeline gate today . We drove to the West Marine in Fort Pierce (about 35 minutes away) with the idea of making it ourselves using their equipment and work bench but came up empty except for the referral to the West Maine in Fort Lauderdale, which has a rigging shop. After talking to the rigging shop supervisor at West Marine-Fort Lauderdale and getting his assurance that they could make the replacement lifeline gate while we wait, we drove the hour and a half to their facility. What a facility! It is the largest West Marine store in the country with 50,000 square feet of floor space! It seemed like they had all the catalog items in stock, including rope as large as 2 inches in diameter!
We got our replacement lifeline gate and some flares that I felt we needed. Maggie bought a pair of shorts and I bought two lures for dragging a fishing line across the Gulf Stream.
We got our replacement lifeline gate and some flares that I felt we needed. Maggie bought a pair of shorts and I bought two lures for dragging a fishing line across the Gulf Stream.
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| This photo doesn't do justice to the huge size of the West Marine store in Fort Lauderdale. |
Also of importance, we decided on a tentative weather window for crossing the Gulf Stream—next Sunday, December 29. We will have very light wind from the southeast all day. (Any northerly component to the wind will cause increased wave height when it opposes the northward flow of the Gulf Stream, which is undesirable.) We also decided to leave from Fort Worth Inlet and cross to West End in mostly daylight conditions. We’ve done this before twice. Of course, we will keep a close eye on this weather window and adjust our schedule accordingly. So, we will leave Vero Beach on the day after Christmas (December 26) and take two (easy) days to get to Lake Worth/West Palm Beach. We are planning a one-day layover in Fort Worth before our crossing, but we will be prepared to wait additional days for an even better weather window if one appears.
We extended our stay in our slip until the day after Christmas and we plan to turn in our rental car on Christmas Eve. |
| A partial screenshot from my WINDY app for West Palm Beach as of today. |
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I reviewed our blog postings from 2017 and found out that the last time we made the same Gulf Stream Crossing (with minimal wind) we made it in 9-1/2 hours. With the expected slight headwind, I would guess that we could make it this time in 10 to 10-1/2 hours. So, if we leave a couple hours before first light (say 4:30 AM) we should be able to arrive at West End between 2:30 to 3:00 PM. (it would be even better if we didn't have the headwind--in fact, a westerly wind would be even better because we could sail or motorsail!)
Monday, December 23
When we awoke the weather looked like it was the same as it has been: overcast and rainy but it cleared up at mid-morning and turned into a partly sunny day.
First thing on my agenda was installing our replacement lifeline gate and while I was at it I used blue lock thread sealant on the threads so that it won't vibrate loose again.
 |
| I installed the new lifeline gate this morning during a period that the sun was shining. |
Lola did really well at the vet's office here in Vero Beach when she got her international health certificate! (She particularly liked the birds in the large cage!) In the early afternoon we went out for lunch at Georgio's, a pizza restaurant that we really like in Vero Beach. (Lola stayed in the car while we ate lunch for the first time ever!)
We brought Lola back to the boat and then we went out to replenish our stock of VIA at a nearby Starbucks and then we replenished some of our most used liquor and wine. When we got back to the boat, I downloaded some map updates for my AQUAMAP app on my iPad that I use for navigation planning and I downloaded a software update for my laptop. (All of this downloading was in preparation for leaving for the Bahamas--it took a couple hours.)
Tuesday, December 24
Brrrrrr! The outside temperature was only 56 degrees when we woke this morning--the coolest morning we have experienced in southern Florida! The sky was completely without clouds for a change, which was a welcome sight. (About 10 AM, the clouds rolled in and the sky was overcast until about 3:30 PM when the sun returned.)
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| Lola lying on the companionway cover taking a cat nap. |
We got our grocery shopping (we'll be good until be get to Nassau) done early and then we stopped by West Marine for a few small items. We also stopped in a local dive shop and bought a shorty wet suit for Maggie--I think she will appreciate this in the Berry Islands!
We picked up the dinghy motor with the motor lift and loaded it onto the stern of s/v Rainy Days, at least for the next two days down the ICW. I got the Bahamas immigration forms printed out at the marina office so that I can fill them out in advance of our arrival.
In the afternoon I setup my laptop's recent update and it had to update my photo library, which took most of the afternoon.
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| This was after a couple hours. |
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| This ornament is appropriate for a Florida Christmas. |
Our next blogpost will cover Christmas in Vero Beach and our trip to Lake Worth/Palm Beach. Merry Christmas to all!
Thanks for following our blog!
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