Update: Vero Beach to Brunswick, Georgia

After a week of resting, visiting with cruising friends and enjoying Vero Beach it was time to head north and put our stern north of Cumberland Island, Georgia for hurricane season. The date May 16^th , the day NASA scheduled to launch "Endeavour" for her last space mission. As we turned "Wind Dust" north along the ICW we wondered if we would be able to see "Endeavour" as she lifted our brave astronauts into the heavens. We turned on XM radio and dialed in the countdown. There was much anticipation by everyone as the final countdown began. Over the radio we heard “4,3,2,1 and liftoff of the space shuttle "Endeavour”. Scanning the northern horizon as "Wind Dust" made way we wondered if we would be blessed and be able to see "Endeavour" some 42 nautical miles away. Well about 2 to 3 seconds after liftoff we began to see "Endeavour" make her climb to space. For us there’s nothing better to get our adrenaline flowing than a space shuttle launch. Thinking about how it must feel to have your ass strapped to a rocket with no guarantees of returning home really makes one understand how brave our men and women are that carry out our space missions. We salute them and pray for their safe return.

After Endeavour climbed out of sight, Ginny and I were talking about the launch when we began to feel and hear a low rumble. At first we didn’t realize it was the shuttle because it occurred at least 3 to 4 minutes after 1^st seeing "Endeavour". Wow. Can’t imagine how it must sound really close. What a great way to start the day.

We anchored overnight in the Indian River off the town of Cocoa and shoved off Tuesday morning for one of our favorite stops, New Smyrna Beach City Marina. We love this stop because of all the wildlife in and around the marina. Dolphin, manatee, pelicans, cormorants and herons all putting on a great show of nature. To boot, our friends on s/v “Salty Dog” Jeff and Cindy Rinne were staying at the marina. We met Jeff and Cindy last year at New Smyrna. Being Tuesday, we all went to Maloney’s Oyster Bar for dinner and entertainment. On Tuesdays “Pickin Kind” (Jason Miller and Matt Meehan) play Irish and nautical songs built on a foundation of acoustic guitar and mandolin. These guys are so awesome and the patrons sing along as they know all the words to the songs. We are fortunate Jeff and Cindy turned us on to them last year.   

After a day of rest and a trip to the beach courtesy of Jeff and Cindy we moved on to Palm Coast Marina for the evening and then onto St. Augustine the next day. While in St. Augustine we enjoyed meals at O.C. Whites and Pizza Time. Yum. 


As a Special treat our son Chris (from Jacksonville, Fl) brought our grand kids (Skye, Jake and Zak) Saturday afternoon so they could spend the night with us on the boat. 

The next day Chris and Nicole came and we all shoved off on Wind Dust for a trip up the ICW to Jacksonville and Beach Marine Marina. We stopped along the way and anchored Wind Dust so the kids could swim and we could have lunch. The weather was perfect and we had a great breeze the entire way. 

On Monday evening we had dinner with the kids at the newly opened “Nippers” which is modeled after the one in the Bahamas. 

As a very, very special circumstance to the evening we discovered that tv show “Top Chef” Kenny Gilbert was the chef at “Nippers”. Our meals were all awesome and will be long remembered. Kenny can cook and he was working hard to make sure his meals were served to perfection.

Tuesday we were off to Fernandina Beach Marina and then on to our summer retreat, Brunswick Land Marina for hurricane season. 

We had a very warm welcome from Sherri and Cindy from the marina and its good to be back in Brunswick. Now the maintenance chores and our annual shore leave to visit friends and family.