Join us for our March 15 cruise to Captain Hiram's Restaurant & Resort in Sebastian, Florida. Host: Jesse Camp (jessecamp@bellsouth.net, 407-620-7813) Saturday March 15, Happy hour at Hiram's at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Sunday March 16: Breakfast at Hiram's at 8 a.m. Jesse will have a dinghy available for shuttling those sailors who are anchored out. Here is their address: Captain Hiram's Restaurant & Resort 1580 US Highway 1 Sebastian, Florida 32958

Please join us for our Saturday, February 22, cruise to Marker 99 Restaurant & Lounge. The plan is to meet on their back deck overlooking the Indian River Lagoon for Happy Hour at 5:00 p.m., with dinner at 6:00 p.m.  There is a dock more suited to power boats but there may be room at the end for a sailboat. There are ladders down to water level for dinghies. Water depth is estimated at 6’-7’ at the outer dock. The restaurant is located about halfway between the Eau Gallie and Pineda Causeways. Please RSVP on the website (ecsasail.com) so we can provide a headcount to the restaurant, and don’t forget to take pictures and send them in. Contact Rear Commodore Kelly if you have any questions: rearcommodore@ecsasail.com Here is their address: Marker 99 Restaurant and Lounge 4263 North US-1 Melbourne, FL 32935

The Frostbite Cruise will be held on January 25th, 2025 at Ballard Park in Eau Gallie. We have reserved the large pavilion at the park so put on your jackets and mittens, mix a hot rum toddy and help us bring in the first cruise of the year. Bring an entrée, a side to share if you would like and the beverage of your choice.  Don’t forget to bring your dinnerware. We have the pavilion from 2:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. with most folks showing up around 3:00 p.m. Grills will be ready at 5:00 p.m. If arriving by car, the address is 924 Thomas Barbour Drive, Melbourne, FL 32935. For the sailors, Eau Gallie Harbor can be crowded and there are shallow spots but the holding is good with a sandy bottom. Anchoring outside the harbor in the Indian River Lagoon is also an option, weather permitting. Pat and Bruce Fletcher will be hosting the cruise.

The ECSA Annual Officer Installation and Awards Banquet will be held Saturday, January 18, 2025, at the Tides Collocated Club at Patrick Space Force Base in the Ocean Lounge on the 2nd floor. This is always an enjoyable evening, with a fun recap of our amazing cruises and activities in the past year, plus exciting events planned for the year ahead. The address is 1001 N. Highway A1A, Patrick SFB, FL. • 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Happy Hour with cash bar • 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Dinner: We are going with a buffet again this year, which will include: Garden Salad Fruit Salad Thyme & Rosemary Prime Rib Herb Roasted Chicken Breast w/Natural Au Jus Grilled Mahi w/Cajun Shrimp sauce Baked Mac & Cheese Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Seasoned Wild Rice Green Beans Almandine Specialty desserts provided by our very own members • 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Awards Ceremony and installation of new officers. Dancing will follow. Dress: Cocktail Attire Raffle: We will be raffling off some nice nautical gifts, which is always fun! Calling All Bakers and Non-Bakers! The dessert table last year (and the year before!) was such big hit, we’re doing it again. We’re asking all the bakers and non-bakers (you can pick one up at your local bakery) to bring a dessert to the Awards Banquet. Let us know if you are bringing anything, and what you are bringing, so we can put you on the list. Winnie Crawford is helping with desserts; her contact information is in the Directory. The website will be accepting reservations set at $50 per person, until Thursday, January 9, 2025.   If you have questions, please contact RC Kelly (rearcommodore@ecsasail.com) or Lynda Geraci; their contact information is in the directory.

The annual viewing party for the Satellite Beach Boat Parade will again be hosted by Dave and Marci Hutson. Arrive at 1700 with your covered dish. We will begin the fine-dining pig-out at 1730.  The boat parade begins on the north end of the Grand Canal at 1800. The parade should arrive at our latitude starting around 1830. MYC will bring a keg! Come by boat or car. Boat Parade viewing festivities open only to ECSA members and their guests. The Hutson's address is listed in the club directory or contact the commodore if you have any questions: commodore@ecsasail.com  

Once again, ECSA members are invited to the Un-Official, Non-Sanctioned, Off-The-Record Cruise to support the 51st Annual Space Coast Marathon. Members are invited to join Grover and Natasha, and their neighbors and friends to provide 'refreshments' and 'sustenance' to the marathon runners. We cut oranges and bananas, fill water cups, pour shots, and fry bacon, lots of bacon or just sit and cheer the runners. If you would like to donate food or drink, please contact Grover or Natasha; they’re in the club directory. If you are sailing in, their dock is just south of Marker 85 in Rockledge (28° 17' 35.3" N 080° 41' 46.4" W). The river road is closed at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning but there is limited parking on Coquina Dr.  Setup starts at 5:30 a.m.; first runners show up around 6:30 a.m. The race wraps up late morning, everyone helps clean up and then it’s time for a nap. So, come on out and support a good cause, it’s fun -- and there will be bacon!

Hosted by your Board of Governors (BOG), the November cruise will be at Rotary Park in Suntree November 9-10. We have the large pavilion at Rotary Park reserved from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The official cocktail hour will begin at 4:00 p.m. and we will be featuring a pot luck style gathering. Please bring a main dish, appetizer, side dish, or dessert to share. Also bring your own plates, flatware, cups, paper items and favorite beverages…maybe even an adult beverage (grog?) to share. The pavilion has restrooms, water, electricity and BBQ grills, the BOG will provide the charcoal and DJ Grover will be streaming the latest hits. We are looking for a theme so contact the RC (rearcommodore@ecsasail.com) if you have any suggestions. If you sail to the park, you can anchor off the beach and dinghy in. If you drive, the entrance is at Suntree Boulevard and US-1. The gate will be open extra hours for us. On Sunday, cruisers can gather in the park for breakfast at 8:00 a.m. or whatever time the sailors decide. If you drink too many Margaritas, make sure to have a designated driver or dinghy operator. Let's also not forget that November 11 is Veterans Day. We have a few of those in our association so please thank them for their service.

Hosts: Jesse and Carmen Camp Please make your reservations for the exciting Labor Day Cruise for 2024. We will meet at Safe Harbor Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce from Friday, August 30th to Monday Sept 2nd. Friday night - Meet at Skipper’s Cove (formerly Harbor Cove) Restaurant at 6:30 p.m. Saturday - Breakfast at Fort Pierce Farmers’ Market at 8:00 a.m. Pool time, Kayaking or Ocean sailing after Farmers' Market. Saturday night - Meet for Dinner at *** NEW LOCATION *** Manatee Island Restaurant, 1640 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday - Breakfast at Captain Galley’s at 8:30 a.m. Sunday Night - Cookout at the marina pavilion, bring your meat and side to share 6 p.m. Monday - return to homeports Make your reservations at the Marina ASAP, tell them you are with ECSA. Let the hosts know if you have made any arrangements elsewhere and they can pick you up in the van. We will have the van available for rides from Marina, Farmers' Market, Emergency room, etc. Contact Jesse @ 407-620-7813 SafeHarbor/HarborTown Marina 772-466-7300

Join us for a cruise to one of our favorite waterfront eateries, Pineda Inn Grill and Bar, in south Rockledge, Saturday, August 17, 4:30 p.m. onshore for Meet-and-Greet and drinks followed by dinner at 5 p.m. For those making a night of it, we will have a potluck breakfast for the boaters on Sunday morning, August 18, at 8 a.m. at Rotary Park, just to the north of the restaurant. This is a great area to anchor out as dock space is limited to boats with shallow draft. Dinghies can easily tie up at the North dock. From the ICW near red Marker 94, turn west, and you're there. The end of the T-dock is located at 28° 13.70'N 80°40.28'W. Or, for the landlubbers, 6533 US-1, Rockledge, FL 32955. Please RSVP to the Invite that we will email prior to the event.

Hosts are Steve Lambert and Chiz Ishihara Please join us for the annual cruise to Cocoa Village for the July 4th weekend. The Cocoa Village Marina Clubhouse is reserved for the potluck on Thursday July 4th, which is a great spot to enjoy the fireworks and festivities after the consumption of your favorite roasted animal (Grills and coals provided) and alcoholic beverage. If you’re of a mind to enjoy the long weekend, then come by boat and either take a slip in the Cocoa Village Marina (321 632-5445) or anchor out and enjoy the fine dining and shopping offered in Cocoa Village. Depending on numbers staying over we may be able to organize a Brunch on one of our boats for the 5th as a lot of breakfast places in the village may be closed. Contact Steve Lambert and Chiz Ishihara (mgbmk3@me.com) to let us know numbers.

Please join us at Squid Lips in Melbourne for the annual Summer Sailstice Cruise. The Summer Sailstice is an annual, world-wide celebration of sailing which is held on the weekend closest to the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. This event gives you a perfect excuse to invite your family, friends and neighbors for a day on the water and introduce them to sailing, and perhaps the club.             The cruise is planned for June 22 & 23 at Squid Lips Grill, 1477 Pineapple Ave, Melbourne, FL 32935. We will meet on Saturday at the beach bar area for Happy Hour at 5:00 p.m. with dinner at 6:00 p.m. While we usually encourage members to sail to our events, the dinghy docks at Squid Lips and the public pier may be difficult to board due to low river water levels and lack of ladders so please be careful if using them. The shoreline is rocky so no landing the dink on the beach. There is no planned breakfast Sunday morning so you’re on your own if spending the night on the hook. Please, Please, Please don’t forget to RSVP by buying FREE tickets online at our website, we need to give the restaurant a headcount.             Commodore Joe Cloidt will be our host for this event so please contact him if you have any questions: commodore@ecsasail.com. For more info on the Summer Sailstice, check out www.summersailstice.com for more information.

Memorial Day Cruise to Port Canaveral Hosted by John and Lynda Geraci Plan ahead now for the ever-popular Memorial Day Weekend Cruise to Cape Marina at Port Canaveral - 800 Scallop Dr., Port Canaveral. Phone 321-783-8410. Make your reservations ***now*** for the marina through DOCKWA, as there are a limited number of slips. Be sure to mention that you are with the ECSA Sailing Club in the comments. If Cape Canaveral is not available, there are usually slips at Ocean Club (next door), 321-783-9001. Information about bridges and locks can be found in Cruising Guide, also in the Directory. Please check the schedule to plan your cruise. To get there, we need to pass through Canaveral Locks.  They monitor VHF channel 13 and their phone number is 321-783-5421.  Remember that weekend restrictions are in effect, and the Highway 401 bridge will not open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, start with arrival and sign-in at the Tiki hut.  Happy Hour begins at 5 p.m. (BYOB), followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Bring something to grill, plates, utensils, glasses. Bring a dish to share (side, salad, or dessert). There is a gas grill nearby.  Sunday, your choice of “sail in the ocean” or “play in the pool”! The plan for Sunday night dinner is easy; we thought it best that you be on your own. The gas grill will be available, and many fine restaurants are close by within walking distance. Monday morning, leave for home. We will be departing on Tuesday, May 28th. Contact info: slgeraci@att.net