This morning dawned cold here in Titusville -- 43 degrees. Still it was time to go. We thought we would wait till the Sun warmed the enclosure but it was cloudy and all our buds were leaving around 8am.
We prepped and left at 8:30am. Our exit was much more controlled and dignified than our entrance. Once under way we had a favorable wind from the North around 10 - 14. We motor sailed for a few hours but as we approached Cocoa Beach the wind was dead astern and the sail would flog at times. I pulled it in and then in about an hour the wind piped up to 20 to 30 kts but still dead astern. With no sail up we cruised at 7.3 - 7.5 kts. My big ol enclosure acts as a mini sail. It started to get a little rolly with the following seas building and pushing along. Not uncomfortable but had to stay ever vigilant at the helm or we were pushed were we didn't want to go.
Skat and Victoria Gaye talked me into going to the Melbourne Causeway to anchor on the south side and supposedly nice and calm. We passed Dragon point -- my preferred anchorage -- in these conditions to try something new. The Melbourne causeway was not bad but still a bit rolly where I knew there would have been none at Dragon Point. Unfortunately Dragon Point was now 4 miles upwind and we didn't want to bash into that.
The forecast is for the wind to die down tonight and so far it has gone down a lot but still rolly here.
The engine ran fine with its fresh oil change and new alternator belt. Belt was still fine after we pulled in here but it didn't do any real work today since we left with fully charged batteries. Tomorrow will be the test and again we should make Vero around noon, and then it is no fuss life on a mooring ball for at least 10 days and a few more until we see our window for crossing to the Bahamas.
As I sit in this 65 degree boat tonight with temps forecast to get down to 50 -- I can't wait to get to the Bahamas and put this cold stuff behind us for the entire WINTER!
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