Marker 21 Cruise Hosts: Don and Linda Montplaisir Time to visit an old friend, Marker 21. Join us on the island for dinner and drinks. There is a BBQ grill on the island and the club will provide charcoal for the cooking. Just bring your food, chair and drinks and enjoy what should be a fun weekend. A bonfire is planned for later in the evening so think of your best sea story to tell. Where: N 27° 59' 27.13" W 80° 32' 37.79" Just west of Marker 21 on the ICW in Malabar. Adjacent to the spoil Island.

ECSA St. Patrick’s Day Cruise    March 17-18, 2024 Please join us for our March cruise to Marker 99 Restaurant & Lounge for St. Patty’s Day. The plan is to meet on their back deck overlooking the Indian River Lagoon for Happy Hour at 5:00 p.m. where we will be having a wee bit of Irish trivia and humor. Don’t forget to wear your green! Dinner will be 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 so we can provide a headcount to the restaurant, and don’t forget to take pictures and send them in.   Marker 99 4263 North US-1 Melbourne, FL 32935

The cruise scheduled for Feb 17 & 18 has been postponed due to weather. The new date is Feb 24 & 25.   Join us for an anchor-out cruise to Boy Scout Island, located just over 2 NM south of the SR-520 Bridge in Cocoa, on the ICW. On Saturday afternoon, we'll be anchoring off the island, at approximately 28.324° N 80.698° W. On the north side of the island there is a small beach where we can have a Gam, maybe even a fire, bring chairs, drinks and food. The approach to the island is not direct! Follow the directions in your ECSA Cruising Guide, being careful of the shallow sandbar on the north east side of the island. Leave the ICW off Rockledge at marker 83, eastbound as far as reasonable, following a heading of 70° Magnetic. The cell tower to the west can be used as a range marker. Follow this track until the island is past your port beam and then turn northward at 340° Magnetic. Anchor on the east side of the is land where you generally can find 6’ – 7’ of water.   

We are all set for the first cruise of the season, the Frostbite Cruise to Ballard Park on January 13th, hosted by Bruce and Pat Fletcher. You can either anchor out and dinghy in or sail into the lagoon at Ballard Park and anchor in the "mud". As with most, come by car with plenty of parking available. On Saturday night at 5 p.m. we will start up the charcoal grills, so bring something to cook for yourself and a side dish to share. Music will be playing throughout the day. We are sure to have a great time. A reservation has already been put in with the local weatherman for warm weather this year but bring a jacket just in case! For more information, call Pat Fletcher, 321-537-7394.

The ECSA Annual Officer Installation and Awards Banquet will be held Saturday, January 6, 2024, 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, 12/28/2023. If you have questions, please contact Lynda Geraci, Awards Committee Chairperson (text or call); her contact information is in the directory.

Due to inclement weather the boat parade originally scheduled for December 16 has been rescheduled to December 23. Come by boat, bring your drink to the hosts' dock or to the neighbor's.  Location will be provided to all who RSVP ("Tickets" on the web site, ecsasail.com). We are on the Grand Canal in the vicinity of Samson's Island. Everyone please bring a dish to share, your favorite beverage, and something to sit on. Hosts Dave and Marci will provide a mess of South Carolina BBQ pork, fine plastic dinnerware, cheap paper napkins, and equally cheap plastic cups. 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. Holiday sing-along after the parade. Bring your instruments and your best singing voice. MYC will bring a keg! Boat Parade viewing festivities open only to ECSA members and guests who RSVP on the web site or directly to the hosts. Questions? Contact the hosts, Dave & Marci, at 321-501-3722 or e-mail, hutson1945@gmail.com.

The Bacon & Booze Cruise   Once again, ECSA will be helping out for the Un-Official, Non-Sanctioned, Off-The-Record Cruise to support Space Coast Marathon Runners. (AKA- The Bacon & Booze Cruise). Members are invited to join a group of neighbors and friends providing 'refreshments' and 'sustenance' to the runners of the 51st Annual Space Coast Marathon, a nationally recognized race. Come the day before the race, Saturday, to 28°17'35.3"N 080°41'46.4"W, just south of Marker 85. Anchor nearby in 8 feet; dinghys can be tied to the leeward side of the dock, and there is a ladder to board the dock. Ashore around 4 p.m. we'll have bocce ball, cocktails, and may be a fire. BYO libations & chairs. Starting at o-dark-thirty, Sunday morning November 26, 5,000 runners clomp past Grover and Natasha's dock, and some stop to enjoy some fresh-cooked bacon and the odd shot. Loud motivational disco music is played but has proven to be an ineffective repellent. We cut oranges and bananas, fill water cups, pour shots, and fry bacon, or just sit and cheer the runners. The road is closed for the marathon at 6 a.m. Sunday morning, and parking along Coquina is available, but limited. So coming by boat is strongly encouraged! Sunday morning setup starts around 5:30 a.m., and the serious runners pass by about 6:20 a.m., most others start at 7 a.m. Each year's race has a space theme, and this year it's Mission to Mars: The Viking Project. (As in the first lander on another planet, not the horned-helmet-oared-longboat guys.) Dress is 'casual chef'. There will be bacon.

Hosted by your Board of Governors (BOG), the November cruise will be at Rotary Park in Suntree November 11-12. On September 1, we lost Jimmy Buffett, our patron saint of laid back oceanside partying. How many of us sang along to these songs, crying in our beers longing for a simpler life of just sailing and hanging out on the beach? Some of his songs made us feel as if he was speaking directly about us, to us, or for us.  In honor of the great gift to the world that was Jimmy Buffett, the Rotary Park Cruise will be dubbed "Margaritaville Memories". Wear your best Hawaiian print outfit and parrot hat. We will provide music so you can dance like a parrot head…or any way you want. 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. 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 order pizza at 5:00 p.m. How much we order depends on how many people make reservations on the website and how many people are there at 5:00 p.m. So, please, make reservations if you can’t be there by 5 so we know how many pizzas to order. We expect to start eating at 6:00 p.m. The BOG will buy the pizza. Please bring an 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 BOG discussed the possibility of using blenders for drinks as there are outlets in the pavilion – stay tuned. 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.

Hosts: Grover and Natasha Gregory Join us in Titusville at the City Marina, for the weekend of October 7-9. We will gather Saturday afternoon at Pier 220 for refreshments. Boats can call Titusville Marina for slips at 321-383-5600. It's about a 10-minute walk from the marina to Pier 220. Rates are $2/foot plus $5 electric per day. Ask about the 10% discount for BoatUS. Reserve early, as there are not many transient slips available. There are also mooring balls outside the marina entrance; $20 per night, which includes shower access. Northbound, just before the 406 bridge, there are some anchorage areas 8 - 10 feet.

Hosts: Jesse and Carmen Camp September 1-4, 2023 Please make your reservations at the Safe Harbor Harbortown Marina or the Ft. Pierce City Marina for the exciting Labor Day Cruise for 2023. We will meet at Safe Harbor Harbortown Marina in Ft. Pierce Friday, September 1 - Monday September 4. We will have our van to shuttle for Dinner/Breakfast. Friday night - Meet at Skipper's Cove (formerly Harbor Cove) Restaurant at 6:30 P.M. Saturday - Breakfast at Ft. Pierce Farmers' Market at 8:00 A.M. Saturday - Pool time, kayaking or ocean sailing after Farmers Market Saturday night - Meet for dinner at Skipper’s Cove (formerly Harbor Cove) Restaurant at 6:30 P.M. Sunday - Breakfast at Captain Galley's at 8:30 A.M. Sunday Night - Cookout at the 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 host Jesse know if you have made any arrangements elsewhere and he 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. Contact Numbers for reservations: Safe Harbor Harbortown 772-466-7300 Fort Pierce Marina 772-464-1245

Join us for a cruise to one of our favorite waterfront eateries, Pineda Inn Bar and Grill, in south Rockledge, Saturday, August 12, 4:30pm 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 13, 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. Hosted by Clyde Berry : c.berry@cfl.rr.com. Please RSVP below under "Tickets": See you there!

Hosted by Steve Lambert and Chiz Ishihara -         Come join us for our annual 4th July Cruise to Cocoa Village Marina (CVM). If you come by boat you can get a slip at the Cocoa Village Marina by phoning dock master Ken Lunden at 321-632-5445. Tell him you're with the ECSA! Alternatively, there is some deep water on the starboard side as you come down the channel that you can anchor in,  See map below, or click here for a map (opens in a new page). Dinghy- wise you can tie up behind Cheshire and use the sugar scoops to get up on to the dock. Cheshire is the Catamaran that you will see on your starboard side as you come through the entrance to CVM. She’s stern first in the corner slip of the West Dock. Prefer you use the Starboard hull (power lead coming out of the hatch on the port side). If you come that way, text/phone me at 774-262-3978 and I can give you the gate code to let you off the dock. For those of you coming by boat before the 4th most of Cocoa Village will be closed down in the morning for the holidays so Chiz and I will be serving breakfast on Cheshire at 9 a.m. on the 4th. Please phone/text (774-262-3978) to let me know if you will be attending so we know how many to cater for.          For those of you coming by car there is parking out front of CVM (90 Delannoy Avenue, Cocoa, FL 32922), but remember it is likely to fill with the festivities. Alternatively you can park in the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central library, 308 Forrest Avenue, Cocoa with the entrance on Mulberry Street, and walk for 5 minutes along the river to the Marina.         Festivities themselves will be up in the CVM clubhouse (upstairs). We’ll be starting around 4 p.m. with happy hour and the lighting of the coals. This year our beloved Commodore will be trying to outdo his previous record for the number of bags of Charcoal consumed in one fire. Please bring your meat, fish, chicken or plant products pretending to be one of those, for the eventual BBQ which we're hoping to start at around 5-ish. After the dinner members are free to take advantage of some of the festivities going on in Cocoa Village. Bring your lawn chairs and take advantage of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Under the Stars which starts at 8 p.m. and is followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Both are free.       Look forward to seeing you all then.     Steve and Chiz