Vero Beach, Florida
March 16, 2024
We’ve pried ourselves free of the grip of “Velcro Beach”, so-called because a number of cruisers have gotten “stuck” there and ended up making it their home. It’s definitely an easy place to live on a boat. The people are friendly and generous. Public transit is free to ride and makes a stop right at the city marina, which is relatively affordable (especially if you tie to a mooring ball.)
In Vero, we serviced both of our motors, washed the boat for the first time in 1,250 miles, loaded up on water and other supplies, got a bunch of packages delivered, and found some great affordable happy hour hangouts. The botanical gardens were an incredible visit with lots of history.
The Publix and West Marine are only a few stops away. We rode our bikes to the beach, bought local produce at the farmer’s market, and went to a movie theater for the first time on the trip thanks to $5 admission Tuesdays. The weather was spectacular our entire stay. We also met a couple other new Looper boats and enjoyed a social hour with them, exchanging stories of our favorite stops and things gone wrong.
Our last packages arrived just in time to shove off and head north again. We made our way to Melbourne where dolphins were conducting aggressive mating rituals right next to our boat. Then we were thrilled to catch a SpaceX rocket launch that evening, which was an incredible sight. Long after the burners had extinguished, the sound waves thundered across our anchorage.
Next up, we hop to Titusville, New Smyrna, and the much anticipated St. Augustine.
