Camp Vero to Boca Raton

hurricane damage

name that hurricane


Fruitless Fruitfly Dock Monday, Dec 13th: Well, if we can't make it all the way to Vero Beach, we can take advantage of that free docking at the Fruit Dock - maybe we could stock up on some of those wonderful Florida oranges - oh, you mean it no longer sells fruit but it does have tons of bugs? Okay, let's ground instead 1/8 of a mile outside the entrance to the Vero Beach harbor. (Hurricanes have altered the conditions from those described on the charts). Why is Tom leaving a message on the Towboat US answering machine? Oh, isn't that the towboat over there creating shoals at that other buoy in the name of gainful employment (one of my vague memories) - at which point the reader begins to wonder how much of this is true. Actually, we did make a 54-miles-in-one-day (gotta love those hyphens!) record, arriving in advance of the frost warnings and rough intracoastal waters. This weather thing is quite odd...we're going south so it should be getting warmer but we're heading for winter so it should be getting colder so shouldn't they cancel each other out, resulting in no weather? However, reality has the temperature at 85 degrees one day and 55 degrees the next. The towns also seem to fluctuate between cute but no services versus not cute but yes services. This town may be the latter (although we haven't yet been ashore to explore its aesthetics), with services being what we currently need most. We've reached an all time low in the fresh food, clean clothes, full water/diesel tanks categories.There is no anchoring allowed in Vero Beach (which the towboat service said conflicts with federal laws, yea, the same towboat service that asked Tom to sign a blank form), but the moorings are only $10 per night (which is preferable to anchoring anyway, in light of the forecasted winds). There are showers and laundry machines at the marina, and a free shuttle to wherever we choose to go (I think it excludes the Bahamas).
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood Friday, Dec 17th: So, we decided to do something radical and not sail on just yet with the favorable weather window. We're still in Vero Beach, provisioning for the months ahead - food, propane, fine tuning equipment, medical arrangements, navigational advice from experienced others, etc. Although it might not sound like pressure or a hectic schedule, we are always either charting and traveling south, doing functional chores, or touring. The only time we stopped and smelled the roses was on Thanksgiving - due to high winds and closed everything. Although we bump into some of the same people in different towns and anchorages, this town has the first community feel - other than our stay at Dismal Swamp (which incidentally includes the same folks). Due to the close together moorings and communal laundry/showers/computer/ television/supplies exchange area - we all feel kinda like neighbors. I know I'm not usually a people person, but even I've been caught enjoying conversation with others. It's also amazing how much people go out of their way for each other - rearranging others' dinghies to accomodate our arrival at a crowded dinghy dock, offering bus route assistance when overhearing our confused conversation, lending cars... Although one part of us feels we should be efficiently using our time and moving on to the targeted Bahamas, with the narrowing crossing window and colder (relatively speaking) weather, another part of us feels we have arrived - all those ICW miles, central Florida... - and it's nice to take a breather. Since almost everyone here is in the same boat, so to speak, we forget that this way of life in out of the ordinary. When we go into town, it's almost like we assume the rest of the world is familiar with what we're doing, and of course everyone is balancing groceries and laundry on strollers...
Vero Beach mooring area		sunset at Vero Beach marina mooring
Treasured Memories Friday, Dec 17th: Yesterday, that Dismal Swamp family invited us to a Treasure Museum. Tom worked on some boat projects, and I went with Jonas and Elias. They (Brenda and Ken) had use of their aunt's car, and even took us to the clinic to remove Elias' stictches - he survived the ordeal nicely. Then, on to the Treasure Museum (this part of Florida is referred to as the treasure coast - the last part was the space coast - and next, the gold coast) - we watched a movie about the buried treasure found and still remaining from some Spanish ships sunk by hurricanes in 1715 - they were returning with the queen's dowry of worldwide items she coveted. Then we went hiking in a nearby nature preserve - it was a good day and nice to let someone else be at the helm, figuratively speaking.
Saturday, Dec 18th: So today I spent most of the day having a 2 minute cholesterol blood test taken at the hospital - what would have taken 2 minutes before breakfast, normally, took 2 bus transfers, and 2 hours of waiting for the return bus while the bus drivers had their lunch break (just like NYC), although I guess this life doesn't fall in the "normally" category. In my former life (a whopping 4 months ago), 2 hours of unplanned unscheduled time would have seemed challenging (although also not usually an option), but today, the time flowed pleasantly...eating PB&J sandwiches by the hospital fountain, strolling the hospital nature trail (there really was a pond and egrets), drilling holes in the dirt with sticks, Elias' bathroom break (80% of the total time), and sitting on the bus stop bench (just waiting - imagine that!). Drumroll please...our latest Bahamas decision: Abacos, Exumas, maybe Abacos, no definitely Exumas, how about the Abacos, okay the Exumas. Actually, we are leaning once (or thrice or ...) again towards the Exumas (oh wait, that's the boat heeling). That other family is heading to the Exumas too, so we're thinking of coordinating our plans - and not having that nightmare rage come to fruition has a weighty influence. Also, Miami seems to be a better waiting location, still allows us to go to the Abacos if we should reconsider and is closer to Lisa's home. You must be pretty tired of these pros and cons by now, we sure are. So Jonas and Elias' favorite new dramatic play is "Towboat U.S., we're grounded." Boy are those boys imaginative! From, no, sincerely, no wait, yours truly, okay how about all our best, Ellen, no ESK, maybe Ms. Kleckner, okay, LN
Camp Vero Sunday, December 19th: We're still here in Camp Vero - tomorrow we will probably ride the bus again with the excited campers, singing Jimmy Buffet songs and exchanging tips on epoxy and anchor chains, as we make our way to the Publix grocery for provisioning. Why are the year round residents looking so quizically at this sailor camp subculture, stocking up on 30 boxes of spaghetti and 6 dozen cans of tuna, wearing shorts and t-shirts in 60 degree weather while the Floridians zip up their down (excuse the juxtaposition of terms) jackets? I guess I see myself as an observer of those observing the Vero campers. Last night Tom enjoyed boys night out, having dinghied ashore to the marina laundromat, one-upping each other on groundings as they indulged themselves on bug juice and shared scary small craft advisory tales - while us women folk stoked the home campfires, eating Dove somores while perfecting our nautical-esque website entries.
Monday, December 20th: Remember that grounding game Jonas and Elias were playing? Well, their games are continuing along that same experiential genre - Elias plays with his wild horsies that live at Jonas' space center. Jonas keeps adding to his rope collection - scavenging from boat yards, making big eyes to the Marine West salesperson... Tom and I alternate between our 2 favorite games: name that amp generator reading (using our prediction skills as the wind gusts) and find that food item (while the other player times the hours needed to locate that designated condiment). We're starting to recognize the bus clientele - the pre-Bahama cruisers and the locals. We plan to ship out of Camp Vero tomorrow, after the campers awards ceremony, Go Vero cheers, and dissemination of the commemorative fuses. It'll probably take 2 days to reach Lake Worth/West Palm Beach. We're having a cold snap too - the boys needed socks with their shorts.
	Like a bridge over troubled boaters Wednesday, December 22th: We did it! This vehicle made it from ICW mile zero to one thousand in just 3 months (from Norfolk, that is). Speaking of sailboat speed (a bit of a contradiction in terms), this passage from Vero Beach to Palm Beach has made our usual 5 mph seem fast – we traveled at a rate of .25 miles per 2 hours – 4 bridges with specified opening times (coordinated like the lights on Montauk Avenue). The first bridge tender was less than nice – we gave him a piece of our mind – we defied etiquette and didn’t say “thank you, have a nice day.” Then we were on a roll, pulling up to the second bridge just minutes before the 10:30 opening, at which time the tender informed us that due to bridge maintenance, he’d open instead at 11:00, at which time he let us know that surely it’d be no later than 11:30. How are we supposed to keep to our tight schedule? So in the meanwhile we squeezed oranges and made rubber band chains. On an alternate note…we were surprised to find ourselves actually overtaking another sailboat today – that is what this is all about? Right? (We’re almost always the one overtaken, weighed down with 5 barrels of legos and farm animals) – no, I’m not referring to passing that sailboat submerged 6 feet – actually it was a moving steel sailboat. So today, while as I was home schooling Jonas, Elias had a tantrum, which I guess was his way of saying “Mommy, can you please home school me?” It looks like we’ll begin this component tomorrow. Speaking of home schooling, I “discovered” the NASA kids’ and students’ webpages – I believe Jonas will like that. Palm Beach could easily pass for Long Island – in looks and dialect.
	Boca baby Friday, December 24th: An original poem: Good gracious, oy vey Boca for the holiday! Actually, the name Boca Raton was derived from the original translation of "harbor of hidden rocks", to "rat's mouth" - that must have been when the word subtlety was erased from the city's records. However, it was nice how the Boca weatherlady arranged for the rainstorm to start approximately one minute after we anchored. Ho ho ho, Mr. and Miss L. Toe (does that count as another poem?)
fender sticker reads - my other boat is a cruise liner - West Palm Beach	Boca Raton's pink paint store had a going out of business sale	Christmas in Fort Lauderdale -->