Velcro Beach

On Friday January 29th, Cece and I left Eau Gallie, and made a 7 hour run down the Intercoastal to Vero Beach, Fl.  We had read that Vero Beach had become a favorite for cruisers headed south.  So popular in fact, that many cruisers stop here on their southern migration, only to become "stuck".  It's often been referred to therefore as "Velcro" beach.  It is said that more than one boat crew has reached Vero, only to say "That's it, it's too nice to move.  Here for the winter"

Our impressions of the area only reinforced this reputation.  A sheltered mangrove harbor hides a cruiser friendly marina and mooring field from the ICW wakes.  The snug, protected harbor abuts a walkable, affluent beach community complete with good restaurants, parks, art galleries, theaters, and great recreational facilities.  Our first afternoon off the boat brought us to a quiet ocean side bar, where we sat with a couple cold beers and a plate of nachos watching the day disappear.  We were  accompanied by a soft, gentle surf and views of an immense ocean.  It was as close to paradise as we've been on this journey.

Saturday morning we were up early, and headed to a farmers market held in the center of Vero. Fresh fruits, oranges, breads, and more found their way into our bags, as we provisioned for the week.   We then found a free local buss service that ran us to the local grocery store where we completed our provisioning.  From there, we were back to the boat for a lazy afternoon in the sun, catching up on a couple more of the ever present "boat chores" that have become so much a part of our daily lives.  Saturday night we were treated to a fantastic fireworks display, whose purpose seemed to remain a secret to everyone.

Sunday we were up late.  Breaking out our bicycles from the forward hatch, we set out on a ride through the residential neighborhoods of Vero.  With the "Zillo" real estate application on our phones, home shopping has become one of Cece's favorite past times.  Before mid-afternoon, we had checked out dozens of houses.  Fortunately, we lack readily available financial resources to buy another house, or I am certain we both would have written a check before sundown.

Monday became a off the boat day.  Cece found a local salon.  I set out for the local tax office to file for a Florida Sojourners Boating registration.  Florida registration is mandated if you keep a boat in the state for more than 90 days, and we wanted to stay one step ahead of the tax man while on the boat.  All things considered, we find Vero Beach one of the most pleasant stops on this journey.  A place we will definitely return to again, god willing.  But for now, we'll unstuck and continue further south.