April 5-8, 2009

From Vero Beach, we put in a long day and anchored in the NASA Causeway. Since a cold front was forecast with high winds and thunderstorms for the following 2 days, we raised the anchor early the following morning. By midday winds were gusting to 30 mph. and we were trying to duck a thunderstorm. We called and made reservations to spend two nights at Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach to wait for the front to pass. When we docked winds were 20-25 mph. When we arrived at the marina, they assigned us to a T head slip, as we had requested, and a dock hand was waiting to handle our lines. We congratulated ourselves on a good job docking and rewarded ourselves with a great pizza at a nearby restaurant. We also took the opportunity to change engine oil and use their laundry facilities to wash some rugs while we were there. Not fun, but necessary. Saw a Manatee swimming around the marina.

Although the Bridge of Lions at St. Augustine had limited openings of the waterway, because a new bridge is under construction , we were able to get through the bridge without a delay. We arrived at our anchorage at about 5:30 pm. Eight other boats were already anchored but we squeezed in. Dinners and showers and we are ready for bed after a long day.

Great Loop - Day 1 April 5, 2009

The Great Loop takes the cruiser approximately 6,000 miles through 16 states and Canada. It typically starts in Floriday, although it can start anywhere, and takes 8 months to a year to complete. The objective is to choose a starting point and return to that point of origin. We have chosen Vero Beach, Florida. Starting in Vero Beach, our tentative plan is to travel up the east coast on the intercoastal waterway (ICW). We will stop in Stafford, VA to do routine doctor and dental appointments. We hope to depart VA at the end of May and head up to New York. We will go up the Hudson River to Troy, NY, go west on the Erie Canal to the Trent Severn Canal, take the Great Lakes to Chicago, down the Mississippi to the Ohio River, the Ohio to the Tennessee River, and then the Tennessee Tombigbee Canal, south to Mobile and the Gulf Coast. We will then go down the coast to the Okeechobee Waterway, cross the state to the east coast of FL and north to Vero Beach. The Loop is then complete.

This morning Randy hoised our America's Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA) burgee and we left Vero Beach at 10 a.m. We're officially "Looping."