The ECSA invites all sailors in the Space Coast area to join us at Squid Lips in Melbourne for the annual Summer Sailstice. This event is designed to help sailors the world over (well, at least the Northern Hemisphere) to join together in the celebration of sailing, on the weekend with the most daylight of the year, nearest the Summer Solstice. All sailors and clubs are welcome to join us at a new location this year, Squid Lips Overwater Bar and Grill, in the historic Eau Gallie Art District of Melbourne, Florida.  Arrive any time after noon on Saturday, June 24. We will gather for Happy Hour at the indoor bar from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., then dinner at 6:00 p.m. The Summer Sailstice event creates a fun sailing opportunity for Sailing Clubs, Fleets, Associations, and Schools to celebrate the best of sailing with their members, and to introduce their programs to new and potential members. ECSA wants to reach out by celebrating the fun and value of sailing with everyone, from old sailors to beginners. Check out the National Summer Sailstice website at: http://www.summersailstice.com. If you wish, you may sign up on this site to participate in our summer Sailstice event. If you do so, you will be eligible to win a prize; see the web site for more information. If you come by water, please watch the weather (!!!) and anchor on the Northwest side of the Eau Gallie Causeway.  Shallow draft boats may be able to tie to the Public Library docks neaby. If you come by land, the address is: 1477 Pineapple Ave, Melbourne, FL.  Either way, please RSVP under "Tickets" below. See you at the Sailstice!

Hosted by Pat and Bruce Fletcher This weekend is the ever-popular Memorial Day weekend cruise to Cape Marina (800 Scallop Dr , if you're driving) at Port Canaveral.  Reserve now at Cape Marina or nearby Ocean Club Marina; the phone numbers are:  Cape Marina (our primary meeting place): 321-783-8410 Ocean Club Marina: 321-783-9001 Be sure to mention that you are with the ECSA sailing club.  Please make your reservations ASAP as slips are limited. 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. We plan on meeting at the pavilion around 5 p.m. on Saturday for dinner so bring something for the grill and a dish to share. As for Sunday, that's the day when everyone usually enjoys ocean time, weather permitting. So instead of everyone hurrying back to make it to dinner, we thought it best that you be on your own, whether you would like to fire up the grills again or walk to one of the many restaurants in the area. So, we will see you at the grills, in the pool, or out for a nice sail. Please RSVP to Patvipisland@gmail.com, so that the hosts know how many will be able to attend. Also, Please click the "Get Tickets" button on this page to get listed for the Saturday dinner.

Marker 21 Cruise                 April 15-16             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 the charcoal for cooking. Just bring you 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 18-19, 2023 Hosts: Tom and Mary Ann O’Shea and Eileen Kiesel Wear your green and join us for this year’s (day after) St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Grills Riverside Melbourne. Come by boat to the restaurant, on the west side of the Indian River, just north of the Pineda causeway, anchor in the river, and dinghy in to their floating dinghy dock.  If you can’t come by boat, join us by land yacht; there is plenty of parking at the restaurant, located at 6075 North US Hwy 1 in Melbourne. We will look for ECSA folks around 5 p.m., on the outside deck (assuming perfect weather, of course) and will definitely be handing out the traditional green beads.   In keeping with the recent advice from the Board of Governors, we will NOT be trying to reserve tables for a large group to be seated together. Look for us on the deck for a drink, then sign up for a table in smaller groups, as you are ready.   Later partying on boats cannot be ruled out! Grills also serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., so feel free to come ashore again Sunday morning, or eat in the comfort of your own boat. Alternatively, the first mate of Cheshire has generously offered to cook breakfast onboard for all of you that fancy a quick dinghy ride.

Join us somewhere the club hasn't been for a few years: 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 or https://w3w.co/softening.vocal.unwraps on your What3Words app.  On the north side of the island there is a small beach where, weather permitting, we can have a gam, maybe even a fire.  Bring chairs & drinks, and dress for chilly (60 degree) weather.  Cooking ashore in 20kts may be more of a challenge than we'd like, so we suggest you dine aboard and dinghy in to the beach before dark.  The forecast is for 15-22kts of NE (on-shore) breeze Saturday, which should discourage most of the powerboat crowd that often uses the island on weekends.  Sunday, winds should be E 10kts and 72° The approach to the island is not direct!  Luckily, our own Kathy and Bob Ford on Adiamo fearlessly surveyed the approach last week, and found it navigable.  Follow the directions in your ECSA Cruising Guide, being careful of the shallow sandbar on the north east side of the island. To get there, 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 off your port beam and then turn northward at 340° Magnetic.  Anchor on the east side of the island where you generally can find 6’ – 7’ of water.  Our objective is the beach on the north side of the island.  We suggest you arrive in time to dine aboard and dinghy in to the beach before dark, where we'll celebrate our nav skills! As Captain Kirk used to say: "Boldy go........"  

We are all set for the first cruise of the season, the Frostbite Cruise to Ballard Park on January 14th, 2023. You can either anchor out and dinghy in or sail into the lagoon at Ballard Park and anchor in the "mud".  Or 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, contact Little Attitudes from your club directory For a copy of the club directory, contact Membership@ecsasail.com  

The ECSA Annual Officer Installation and Awards Banquet will be held January 7, 2023, 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 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Awards Ceremony and installation of new officers. Dancing will follow.  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  Dress: Cocktail Attire  Raffle: We will be raffling off some nice nautical gifts, which is always fun!  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  From Rear Commodore Lynda Geraci: Calling All Bakers and Non-Bakers!  In preplanning the Awards Banquet, I heard so many wonderful things about the desserts last year. What a hit!  I’d like to call on all the bakers in the club and non-bakers (you can pick something up at your local bakery) and ask that you bring a dessert to the Awards Banquet. Let us know, so we can put you on the list. Winnie Crawford is helping with desserts; her contact is in the directory.  The website will be accepting reservations set at $46 per person, until Friday, 12/30. If you have questions, please call me, text or call. My contact is in the directory.  Lynda Geraci  Rear Commodore 

Hosted by Dave & 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.  Melbourne Yacht Club will bring a keg ... Maybe, we hope! Come by boat – Bring your dink to our dock or to Simon’s dock. We are on the Grand Canal directly east of the cut-through between Tortoise Island and Samson’s Island. Simon’s dock is 2 houses north of us.  Come by car – We are at 458 Nautilus Dr. in South Waterway at the end of the cul-de-sac. You may park on the street, in our driveway, or in Simon’s driveway (457 Nautilus Dr.)  Everyone please bring a dish to share, your favorite beverage, and something to sit on. We will provide a mess of South Carolina BBQ pork, fine plastic dinnerware, cheap paper napkins, and equally cheap plastic cups.  1730: Dining on the lawn overlooking the canal.  1800-?: Boat Parade After the Parade: Holiday sing-along. Bring your instruments and your best singing voice.  Questions? Contact Dave Hutson at 321-501-3722 or hutson1945@gmail.com. 

We are hoping that everyone and their boats survived Hurricane Nicole, and are ready to get out on the water! Our November cruise will be to Rotary Park in Suntree, hosted by your Board of Governors (BOG). Some of us have been reminiscing about the days of old when this gathering was called Pinedaville. Sailors gathered on the northeast shore of Pineda Causeway in the Indian River Lagoon for an afternoon and evening of playing games, such as conch blowing contest, guzzling alcohol, and eating like there was no tomorrow. Ah, memories! In deference to our old Pinedaville days, the Rotary Park Cruise will be pirate themed. Feel free to dress and/or talk like a pirate. We will provide music so you can dance like a pirate...or Elaine...or any way you want. You can drink like a pirate, too, just make sure to have a designated driver or dinghy operator. We have the large pavilion at Rotary Park reserved on Saturday from 2:00 to 9:00 pm, and no one can kick us out – Clyde checked. 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 (ecsasail.com) and how many people are there at 5:00 p.m. So, please, make reservations if you can't be there by 5 p.m., so we know how much pizza to order. We expect to start eating at 6:00 p.m. The BOG is buying the pizza. Please bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert to share, pirate themed or not. Also bring your own plates, flatware, cups, paper items and favorite beverages...maybe even an adult beverage (grog?) to share. And if you have a conch we can blow, we'll sanitize it between blowers. There should be enough alcohol there. If you sail in, you can anchor off the beach and dinghy in -- navigate to 28° 13.821' N  80° 40.239' W. If you drive, the entrance is at Suntree Boulevard and US-1. The gate will be open extra hours for us. Cruisers can gather in the park for breakfast Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m., or whatever time the sailors decide.

Join us in Titusville at the City Marina, for the weekend of October 8-10.  If you arrive Friday, consider walking / ubering to Dixie Crossroads; it's about 1.2 miles or a 26 minute walk, from the marina.  There's a popular dog park right next to the Titusville city marina, so bring the mutts!  Later we'll enjoy the live music at Pier 220 and adult beverages at the tiki hut and deck. We will gather Saturday afternoon at Pier 220 for refreshments at 4ish, with dinner reservations at 6. 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.

Labor Day Cruise   September 2-5 Hosts: Jesse and Carmen Camp   Please make your reservations for the exciting Labor Day Cruise for 2022.  We will meet at Safe Harbor Harbortown Marina in Ft. Pierce Friday, September 2 through Monday Sept 5. Friday night - Meet at Harbor Cove Restaurant at 6:30 p.m. Saturday - Breakfast at Ft. Pierce Farmers’ Market at 8:00 a.m. Pool time, Kayaking or Ocean sailing after Farmers Market. Saturday night - Meet for Dinner at Harbor Cove Restaurant at 6:30 p.m. Sunday - Breakfast at Captain's Galley at 8:30 a.m. Sunday afternoon - Sailing in the ocean! Sunday Night - Cookout at Pavilion, bring your meat and side to share 6 p.m. Monday - return to homeports. Make your reservations at the Marina as soon as possible.  Don't forget to 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. Jesse @ 407-620-7813. SafeHarbor/HarborTown Marina 772-466-7300 To contact the hosts: Jesse Camp: jessecamp@bellsouth.net Carmen Camp: carmencamp@bellsouth.net

Let’s cruise to one of our favorite waterfront eateries, Pineda Inn Grill and Bar, in south Rockledge, for cocktails and dinner.  Exact plans are subject to change, but previous events have gone something like this  ... Dinghy to the shore at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, August 20, for Meet-and-Greet drinks at the bar, 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 21, at 8 a.m. at Rotary Park, just to the north of the restaurant. Dock space is available for boats with shallow draft. Depth is reported to be about 3 feet. It's a nice area for anchoring out also, and dinghys can easily tie up at the 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 by purchasing free tickets on the club website. Hosted by Clyde & Diane Berry