Wednesday, December 14th

Windy conditions overnight wreak havoc on sleeping conditions aboard Cutter Loose.  Gusty northeasterlies push us against the face dock at Palm Harbor Marina.  The six rubber fenders  protecting the hull from the dock are noisily earning their keep.

Today's 11 AM departure from Palm Harbor coincides with slack tide.  Boat chores, including a bath for Cutter Loose, consume the morning hours. 

[caption id="attachment_2330" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Royal Park Bridge "][/caption]

Our journey today takes us to Boca Raton, 21 nautical miles to the south.  This is a tedious leg that requires passage through eleven restricted bridges.  A few of the bridges open on demand, but most of them are scheduled openings, usually on the hour and half hour.  Our fourth bridge of the day is the Lantana Bridge that opens on the hour and half hour.  We arrive at the Lantana Bridge 20 minutes before the opening.  The protocol involves a VHF radio conversation with the bridge tender to formally request an opening.  The bridge tender reassures us that the bridge will open at 1 PM.  However, a motorist enters the bridge but fails to clear the restricted area before the traffic gates are lowered.  The local police and fire department arrive with sirens blaring.  From the water, it is unclear to us whether the problem is mechanical or health-related.  After 30 minutes, the issue is resolved.  But the queue of traffic waiting to cross the bridge is now lengthy, and the opening is delayed further to alleviate the traffic jamb.   Finally, we pass through the Lantana Bridge at 1:45 PM, more than an hour after our initial arrival.  While this is not a life-threatening or stressful event, it adds to the cumulative tedium of waiting for bridge openings on the ICW. 

Today's segment of the waterway is known as "the canyon", a densely developed area with concrete walls that line the waterway.  On busy days, the reverberation of wakes from passing boaters creates a chop on the waterway.  The magnificent homes and boats docked here are suitable for the cover of a Frontgate catalog.

[caption id="attachment_2332" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Elegant waterfront home at Lake Boca Raton"][/caption]

Cutter Loose is anchored in Lake Boca Raton, a basin surrounded by luxurious homes and condos adorned with Christmas lights and decorations.  The scenery is outstanding, but the anchorage is crowded and our late arrival relegates us to the less protected, shallower section of the basin.  At low tide, there is less than a foot of water under the keel.  One would assume that such a compact basin surrounded by 20 story condominium towers would be calm and protected.  One would also assume that winds would subside after sunset.  But neither assumption is correct.  Easterly 18 knot winds gusting to 25 knots portend another rolly, noisy night.

[caption id="attachment_2333" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Boca Raton skyline "][/caption]

Tuesday, December 13th

[caption id="attachment_2296" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Transiting the deepwater port at Lake Worth Inlet"][/caption]

Today we travel 7 miles south of our Lake Worth anchorage past the deepwater Lake Worth inlet and through the 10:15 AM opening of the Flagler Bridge.  Cutter Loose is docked at the Palm Harbor Marina in West Palm Beach, just south of the Flagler Bridge.  From this location, we are afforded an opportunity to explore the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

The tour begins with a hike across the bridge and on to Royal Poinciana Way in Palm Beach.  There are more Bentleys and Lamborghinis per square mile in Palm Beach than any other place on the planet.  The public spaces and boulevards with their rows of royal palms are gorgeous and impeccably maintained.  

Royal Poinciana Way in Palm Beach

Our first stop is The Breakers, an oppulent resort on the beach.  No expense has been spared in achieving perfection at this historic hotel.  From the grounds to the pools to the lobby and ballrooms to the golf course, this is the place to be if money is no object.  There is a 25 knot northeasterly breeze today.  The ocean is frothy with whitecaps and huge waves pound the seawall at The Breakers.  Beach activities are prohibited today due to the huge surf and dangerous rip currents.

[caption id="attachment_2298" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Grand entrance to The Breakers"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2300" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Breakers"][/caption]

 

From The Breakers, we walk to the Flagler Museum and Sea Gull Cottage, Henry Flagler's first real estate acquisition in what would become Palm Beach.  We follow the Lake Trail south to Royal Palm Way, another magnificent boulevard lined with palms.

[caption id="attachment_2305" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Whitehall, the Flagler mansion in Palm Beach"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2306" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sea Gull Cottage, Flagler's first home in Palm Beach"][/caption]

From here, we return to West Palm Beach via the Royal Park Bridge over the ICW.  We stroll through CityPlace, a town center retail and apartment complex with all of the usual retailers and restaurants.  Strolling the Clematis Street business district, we return to Palm Harbor Marina at dusk having completed our loop.  Despite the fact that Cutter Loose is docked in the lee of the Flagler Bridge, the 25 knot onshore winds are creating noisy and rolly conditions in the marina.

[caption id="attachment_2308" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sand sculpture"][/caption]

Today's whirlwind walking tour of Palm Beach and West Palm Beach has been a delightful reprieve from the waterway.  Rarely have we visited communities that place such a premium on design and maintenance of public spaces.   The sunshine and warm temperatures add to our enjoyment of these lovely communities.

Monday, December 12th

We are underway from Vero Beach at the crack of dawn en route to North Palm Beach, a distance of 58 miles.  Our course takes us south along the Indian River and across the inlet at Fort Pierce.  Further south at the St. Lucie inlet, the dolphin are playing and the water temporarily takes on an emerald hue, then returns to a brownish blue. 

[caption id="attachment_2284" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Jupiter lighthouse"][/caption]

We enter Hobe Sound, then Jupiter Sound before traversing Jupiter inlet.  South of Jupiter, the ICW follows a narrow cut that broadens into Lake Worth in North Palm Beach.  Cutter Loose is anchored in the northeast corner of Lake Worth where the wind is blowing a steady 15 knots from the east.

During today's journey, we pass through eight bridges that require openings.  Some of these bridges open on demand while others open at scheduled times, such as on the hour and the half hour.  Bridge operators always open for barges and other commercial traffic on demand.  This afternoon, we piggy back on two bridge openings commanded by a barge, thus eliminating the need to wait for scheduled openings.  At 3:45 PM, the anchor is down in Lake Worth.





Homes along the ICW become larger and more luxurious as we travel further south in the Sunshine State.  Visible on the horizon from our anchorage is the skyline of Palm Beach.

The Palm Beach skyline beckons

December 7th through 11th

[caption id="attachment_2239" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Crowded harbor at Vero Beach"][/caption]

Vero Beach is a delightful cruiser's destination.  Cutter Loose is moored at the City Marina, which is located on the barrier island or ocean side of the City.  A short trip to the City Marina's dinghy dock provides access to all of the City's amenities.  Free bus service is provided to most areas of the City from the marina.

A four block walk or bus ride to the east takes us through attractive residential neighborhoods en route to the beach.  The north - south street closest to the beach is Ocean Drive, which features restaurants, small shops, condos, a specialty market, upscale homes and the offices of a dozen or more stock brokers.  The City has invested heavily in its parks and recreational amenities, including the enormous Riverside Park adjacent to the marina.  At five block intervals on Ocean Drive, there are a series of parks lined with palm trees that provide access to the beach.  The barrier island is an interesting area to explore.   During the first few days of our stay in Vero, we spend hours walking and bicycling through this area.

[caption id="attachment_2240" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bike Fridays at Vero Beach"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2269" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Shuffling down to the Vero Beach public courts"][/caption]

After a few days of exploring the barrier island, we branch out to explore the other Vero Beach on the west side of the waterway.  The free City bus collects us at the marina and transits the bridge over the ICW to the mainland, where the pace is faster and development is more oriented to vehicles.   The trip to the closest Publix grocery store is a brief ten minute bus ride from the marina.  Other shopping plazas, theaters, libraries, etc. may be accessed from the main transit hub near the Indian River County Courthouse.  Coach Carey Colwell (aka Tiller's dad) of Catspaw organizes a cruiser's shuffleboard competiton at the City courts near the transit center.  We share the courts with a group of local seniors who obviously take the game very seriously.  This experience is all part of a broader socialization process through which we adapt to the Florida retirement lifestyle.

[caption id="attachment_2247" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Dianne and Terry visit aboard Cutter Loose"][/caption]

On Thursday, we are visited by my sister Dianne and her husband Terry.  They drive more than three hours from their home in Spring Hill, FL on the west coast to spend the day with us.  After a tour of Cutter Loose, we enjoy lunch with an ocean view and a quick tour of the barrier island.   Thank you, Dianne and Terry for delivering our packages and for going the extra mile to visit with us.

On Saturday 12/10, our cruising friends aboard Island Spirit and Catspaw resume their journey south while Cutter Loose remains in Vero Beach.  A steady rain with periods of heavy downpours keep us boatbound until early afternoon when the precipitation subsides.  This weather window offers an opportunity to visit the Vero Beach Museum of Art located in Riverfront Park, a short stroll from the dinghy dock.  Exhibitions include winners from a local photography contest and an interesting display of wood sculpture from the private collection of artist Robert Lyon.

[caption id="attachment_2259" align="aligncenter" width="247" caption="Wood sculpture by Robert Lyon"][/caption]

Since there is no bus service on Sundays, we hike three miles under cloudy skies across the ICW bridge to First Pres where we are treated to a special holiday concert complete with choir and orchestra.  After breakfast, we hike back to Cutter Loose and become drenched in a rainstorm.  Wet clothes and more rain provide the perfect rationale for an afternoon in the marina laundry.  We have no complaints about rainy weather.  After 50 days on the water, this is the first significant rain event of the winter cruise.  Weather permitting, we will leave Vero Beach in the morning.

[caption id="attachment_2261" align="aligncenter" width="223" caption="Great white egret strikes a pose at the dinghy dock"][/caption]

Tuesday, December 6th

Today we complete the 40 mile stretch along the Indian River from Palm Shores Bridge to Vero Beach.  Our journey today takes us past Palm Bay and Sebastion Inlet.  Throughout todays's leg, the ICW channel is quite narrow, but well marked with aids to navigation. 

[caption id="attachment_2237" align="alignleft" width="297" caption="A trio of Island Packets moored in Vero Beach"][/caption]

Cutter Loose is rafted alongside Island Spirit and Catspaw on a single mooring at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina.  The harbor is filled with transient yachts.  Some yachts are waiting for a weather window to sail to the Bahamas.  Others will stay here for the winter.  Still others, such as Cutter Loose, are here to enjoy the town for a few days before moving on.

Once the rafting process is complete, a special visitor joins us aboard Cutter Loose.  Tiller the cat jumps ship from Catspaw to spend some quality time becoming familiar with the nooks and crannies of Cutter Loose.

[caption id="attachment_2239" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Crowded harbor at Vero Beach"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2238" align="aligncenter" width="264" caption="Tiller visits Cutter Loose"][/caption]

We will pause in Vero for a few days to relax and explore this lovely town.

Monday, December 5th

[caption id="attachment_2228" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sunrise gives the appearance of flames under the Titusville Bridge"][/caption]

It is another warm and sunny morning in Central Florida.  After a relaxed start to the day, we leave Titusville astern and resume our journey south along the Indian River.  The first bridge opening of the day is the NASA Causeway Bridge, which we transited ashore yesterday during our tour of the Space Center.  Off in the distance is the Vehicle Assembly Building, larger than life.

Early in the afternoon, Cocoa Beach appears on the eastern horizon.  The small town of Cocoa Village is a popular destination for cruisers.  We count over thirty cruising boats at anchor in the harbor, clearly visible from the ICW.  We elect to continue on in order to position Cutter Loose to reach Vero Beach tomorrow.

Our anchorage for tonight is just northeast of the Palm Shores Bridge.  The intensity of development increases as we travel south.  This translates to fewer suitable anchorages where we can spend the night on the hook.  In certain circumstances, there is sufficient depth off to the side of the ICW to anchor near bridges.  Such is the case today.  There is very little current in our anchorage and the wind is light.  Cutter Loose is sharing this anchorage with two other Island Packets, including Island Spirit and Catspaw.  Dinner this evening is aboard Island Spirit.

Sunday, December 4th - lay day at Kennedy Space Center

Today Cutter Loose remains on her mooring in Titusville while we visit the Kennedy Space Center.  We begin the morning with a viewing of a 3D IMAX film that depicts life aboard the International Space Station. 

[caption id="attachment_2215" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Vehicle Assembly Building"][/caption]

Next we participated in a tour of the massive Vehicle Assembly Building.  This building is 525 feet in height and is equipped with giant 135 ton overhead cranes suspended from the ceiling.  Here, the space shuttle is mounted vertically on a mobile launcher platform where it is mated to external fuel tanks.  When the assembly is complete, a crawler/transporter delivers the shuttle to the launch pad.  After 135 missions, the space shuttle was retired in July, 2011.  Space shuttle Endeavor is currently stored in the Vehicle Assembly Building awaiting shipment to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

[caption id="attachment_2218" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Retired Shuttle Endeavor in storage"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2216" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Launch Complex 39A"][/caption]

Following the path of the crawler/transporter, a tour bus shuttles us from the assembly building to a viewing area near the launch pads.  Seconds before liftoff, the launch pad is flooded with 350,000 gallons of water to counteract the noise of the engines as they roar to life.  As depicted by video, the noise, flames and steam during liftoff create an inferno on the launch pad.  It is fascinating to imagine this scene during an actual launch.

[caption id="attachment_2217" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Saturn V moon rocket"][/caption]

Next it is on to the Apollo/Saturn V Center to learn about NASA's lunar explorations.  A massive 363 foot Saturn V rocket is displayed horizontally in this building.  The original command center is part of the lunar theater where film clips depict critical moments during the initial lunar landing on July 20, 1969.  The film memorializes Neil Armstrong's first steps on the lunar surface as the fulfillment of President Kennedy's cold war challenge and a defining moment in history.

[caption id="attachment_2220" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Massive Stage I engine exhaust on Saturn V moon rocket"][/caption]

Back at the Visitor's Center, we queue up to enter the launch simulator.  After strapping on our seat belts, the simulator tilts the cabin to a reclining position facing the sky.  During the launch sequence, the vibration, increased g forces and explosive separation of the booster rockets are designed to create the feeling of being lifted into orbit.  This 5 minute experience is a Disneyesque attraction.

Late in the afternoon, we rest our legs at another 3D IMAX film.  This film focuses on the Hubble space telescope.  In this story, astronauts are depicted as highly trained repairmen, replacing cameras, circuit boards and other critical components of the telescope during space walks. 

[caption id="attachment_2219" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Rover Curiosity, currently en route to Mars"][/caption]

Our final stop is a display of Curiosity, the newest Mars rover.  Curiosity was launched aboard an Atlas rocket on November 26, 2011 when we were strolling the beach at Cumberland Island, GA.  Curiosity will land on Mars in August of 2012.  The vehicle will spend 23 months analyzing soil and rocks in an effort to identify potential sites for future landings and to determine whether life could exist on this planet.

It has been a full day at the Kennedy Space Center.  The tours and exhibits are fascinating. It is well worth the time and effort to visit this facility.

Saturday, December 3rd

At sunrise, the anchor is up in Daytona.  Despite the 20 knot easterly winds, the morning air is warm and inviting.  There is no need for jackets or sweaters today.  Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but we feel as if we have crossed a subtropical climate border where chilly mornings are no longer a threat. 

[caption id="attachment_2200" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Underway at daybreak in Daytona"][/caption]

Truth be told, we are totally unfamiliar with Florida weather.  We are accustomed to windy conditions related to the passage of frontal boundaries.  The barometer aboard Cutter Loose indicates that Northern Florida is under the influence of high pressure.  Today's wind is from the east, stemming from a center of high pressure located to the north.  The isobars are not tightly stacked, yet a sea breeze has been blowing at a steady 20 knots all day.  Obviously, we have much to learn about local weather.

Cutter Loose is bound for Titusville, some 43 miles to the south.  Today's leg takes us over the 1,000 mile threshold since we left Rock Hall on October 22nd.  In this segment of the waterway, the ICW follows the Halifax River, passing along the Ponce de Leon inlet, New Smyrna Beach and a land cut known as the Haulover Canal which connects the Mosquito Lagoon with the Indian River.  Halfway through today's journey, we notice a rectangular box on the distant horizon.  It is the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center, 15 miles to the south.

Just north of Titusville, we pass through the NASA railroad bridge, which remains in the open position except when space vehicles are being transported to the launch pad.  At 2 PM, Cutter Loose is tied to a City mooring just outside of the Titusville municipal boat basin. 

We dinghy ashore to pay our mooring fee and rent a car for tomorrow's visit to the Space Center.  The rental agent explains that NASA's termination of the space shuttle program had adversely impacted the local economy.  Titusville no longer attracts the NASA-related tourist trade.  We will do our very best to counteract this decline.

Inside the marina basin, we encounter a group of wood storks grazing in the grassy area near the water's edge.

[caption id="attachment_2201" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Wood stork in Titusville"][/caption]

Friday, December 2nd

Today we depart St. Augustine for Daytona Beach, a total of 52 miles including nine bridges.  After a chilly start to the day, we are sporting shorts and t shirts in the greenhouse by noon.  The temperature today will reach 75 degrees under sunny skies with 20 knot northerly winds.  

[caption id="attachment_2188" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Holiday decorations on private dock along the ICW"][/caption]

Today is a day for transiting narrow canals and cuts.  We pass alongside Crescent Beach, Matanzas Inlet, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Orman-by-the-sea.  Land fronting on the ICW is largely developed with housing, ranging from mobile home parks to modest homes and condos to upscale homes and highrise towers.  Nearly every home features a boat dock on the ICW, but most docks are without boats.  Along the way today, we pass dozens of boats in various stages of disrepair that appear to be abandoned.  We saw a few abandoned boats along the ICW in Georgia.  Thusfar, Florida seems to have collected more than its fair share of derelict vessels.

[caption id="attachment_2189" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Daytona Beach skyline"][/caption]

Cutter Loose is anchored just south of Memorial Bridge in Daytona Beach.  From our anchorage, the City's skyline is punctuated with highrise condos.  Daytona is an overnight stop along the way, not a place to pause and explore.  Tomorrow will be yet another early start as we aim to move Cutter Loose further south along the waterway.

November 30th and December 1st- lay days in St. Augustine

[caption id="attachment_2173" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bridge of Lions"][/caption]

It is another chilly day here in St. Augustine on this, the final day of the 2011 hurricane season (may it rest in peace).  Temperatures at daybreak are in the mid forties with strong winds out of the north.  St. Augustine may be home to the fountain of youth, but it is definitely not the promised land of perpetual summer.  Already our tolerance for cool weather is on the wane.  This morning we retaliate by firing up the generator and the reverse cycle heating system.  With the heater running and the sunlight streaming through the ports, it is downright balmy in the cabin.

We spend these days accomplishing boat chores, walking, sightseeing, laundry, and joining the crews of Island Spirit and Winterset for lunch at a local Spanish/Cuban restaurant.  We participate in a walking tour of Flagler College and hike two miles along busy highways from the harbor to the local grocery store and West Marine. 

Our time here seems to evaporate.  After a relaxing start to the day at anchor, we dinghy ashore for landside activities.  Before long, the sun is setting.  It is time to return to Cutter Loose and settle in for the evening. 

[caption id="attachment_2177" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Lightner Museum"][/caption]

It feels good to relax in port, but we are already looking forward to being underway again.  Tomorrow, we will say hasta la vista to St. Augustine and continue our journey south along the waterway.

[caption id="attachment_2174" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Casa Monica"][/caption]