On Saturday, November 28, we cruise to Rockledge and dock near Grover and Natasha's house (dock coordinates 28°17'35.3"N 080°41'46.4"W).  There is very little room to park cars on the host's property, and the road is too narrow for street parking.  Coming by boat is strongly encouraged!   Weather permitting, on arrival club boats should attempt to pick up the mooring ball at 28°17'35.75"N  80°41'45.75"W.  We will count the number of tries, note the "tone" of the communications between linesman and helm, and award extra points to those still speaking to each other after mooring.  Once attached, please drop the mooring line and clear out for the next boat.  Anchoring is good, even for Pat and Bruce, and the mooring ball sits in about 9 feet of water. Dinghys can be tied to the downwind side of the dock, and there is a ladder to board the dock.  Ashore around 4pm we'll have bocce ball, cornbag toss (if anybody brings the gear), and BYO libations socially distanced in BYO chairs. Following CDC guidelines, we will take our meals aboard, and then bring chairs ashore for cocktails afterward. Sunday morning around 6:00 a.m. the first Space Coast Marathon runners will begin to pass by, and early risers can watch and cheer, but due to covid rules imposed on the race this year, we may not be serving booze and bacon.  The race committee does not want runners gathering, and they're going to great pains this year to stagger starting times, space out their water stops, disperse spectator crowds, and encouraging mask wearing as much as possible.  We don't want to excite the race committee or endanger the runners.  The neighbors may insist on doing it anyway.???  Please show consideration for others by masking up in close quarters. See you there!  

Mark your calendars and prepare to have a good time! The Rotary Park Cruise is always fun, with music, games and great company! We have the large pavilion reserved all day Sunday, November 15, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sail over and anchor off the beach, just west of red ICW Marker 94.  GPS coordinates are: 28° 13.82' N -80° 40.24' W Or drive to the park; the entrance is at Suntree Boulevard and US-1. The gate will be open extra hours for this event. Bring your own food and beverage of choice. Pizza will be served around 1 p.m. This event will be held entirely outdoors and COVID-friendly. Some of us are planning to sail there Saturday afternoon and anchoring overnight.  The rocket launch planned for Saturday evening has been delayed to Sunday evening -- thanks to MaryAnn O'Shea for that information!  So there is still the option of sailing to the park either Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.  Also, some of us plan to stay Sunday night, and hope to enjoy a spectacular view of the Falcon 9 rocket launch carrying 4 astronauts to the Space Station.  Liftoff scheduled for 7:27 p.m. Sunday.

The ECSA October Cruise location has been moved to the Pineda Inn, 6533 US Hwy 1, Rockledge, FL 32955, since logistical issues in Sebastian could not be resolved. Pineda Inn has undergone substantial renovation that includes a new dock and expanded patio on the south side of the property. The north older dock is lower and likely a better dock for dinghy use. Dinner ashore is possible for groups of 10 or less as social distancing rules must be followed. Whether you eat ashore or on your boat, there will be a gathering after dinner in the Tiki Bar.

It seems that Joe Coleman is having a bout of Cabin Fever and has declared a "getaway" just off the Pineda Causeway Bridge over the Indian River, Saturday August 15th. Meet on the east end of the bridge on the north side.  Bring your dinghy for rafting up for "happy hour".  No dinner plans, just hanging out and enjoying cruising. Looking to meet on the beach along the causeway around 6 p.m.  Bring your own drinks.  No sharing food, just social distancing and lively conversation.  Good spot for overnight anchoring. On your chartplotter, head for:  28° 12.47' N  80° 38.52' W See you on the water!

 It’s the ALMOST St. Patrick’s Day Cruise Go Green! Join us for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day warm-up at the Mansion in downtown Melbourne. By boat? - call Melbourne Harbor Marina for reservations and dockage (321-725-9054). Or anchor off Front Street Park and dinghy into Melbourne Harbor. Melbourne Yacht Club will allow ECSA boats to use their dinghy docks. Also Melbourne Yacht Club will host a few slips for ECSA boats, available on a first-come first-served basis. Requests for dock space at the Melbourne Yacht Club can be made now, or you can call as you arrive (321-768-9921 or 321-795-2156). Call Tom O’Shea (919-423-1508) or Page Proffitt for the gate code. ECSA activities will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday in “The Mansion” Garden Room (same spot as last year), just a short walk over Crane Creek from the MYC.  The Mansion (http://thebigmansion.com) has good food at reasonable prices, including sandwiches, burgers and entrees and most of all a great variety of beer and wines. Lots of parking available at the Mansion – but remember you DO get extra points for coming by boat.  Enjoy some Blarney and Irish groaners, and get to know a wee bit more about St. Patrick in a contest complete with prizes.  So wear your GREEN and join us. Come back (weather permitting) Sunday morning (3/15) at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and doughnuts in Front Street Park before heading home. Please sign up so we can make sure we have enough seats for all at this popular event!  Sign up on the ECSA website, or contact Tom by email (teoshea@bellsouth.net) or phone (321-986-8772 or 919-423-1508).

Let’s LEAP onto our boats and head to Pineda Inn! Take a LEAP off the dock and cruise to one of our favorite waterfront eateries! Let's celebrate the extra day (it’s a LEAP year) in 2020 at Pineda Inn Bar and Grill, in south Rockledge, for cocktails and dinner. LEAP to the shore at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, February 29, 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, March 1, at 8 a.m. at Rotary Park, just to the north of the restaurant. Dock space at Pineda Inn is available for boats with *very* shallow draft -- 3 feet or less.  It's also a nice area for anchoring out, 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 to John 321-720-9813

The ECSA Annual Officer Installation and Awards Banquet will be held February 1, 2020, at the Tides Collocated Club at Patrick AFB.  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 AFB, FL.  5:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Social hour with cash bar 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Dinner: We are going with a buffet this year: Salad with cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, with ranch or balsamic dressing, and the fresh fruit salad. Entrées are Thyme and Rosemary Prime Rib, Herb Roasted Chicken Breast natural au jus, and Grilled Mahi with Cajun Shrimp Sauce. Sides: Baked Mac & Cheese, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Seasoned Wild Rice, and Green Beans Almondine.   7:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Awards Ceremony and Installation of new officers. Dancing will follow.  

We are all set for the first cruise of the season, the Frost Bite Cruise to Ballard Park on January 11-12th. You can either anchor out and dinghy in or sail into the lagoon at Ballard Park and anchor in the "mud".  The boat ramp located at 28° 07.52 N 80° 37.52 W is currently under repair and not accessible.  However a beach area suitable for landing dinghys is located about 100 feet west of the ramp. As with most, come by car with plenty of parking available.  The address is 924 Thomas Barbour Drive, Melbourne, FL 32935. On Saturday late afternoon, we will have a forum on cruises people are planning during 2020. Let us know where you might be going. 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, host at 321-537-7394 or email to patvipisland@gmail.com.

Hosted by Dave & Marci Hutson The Banana River Sail and Power Squadron will organize the annual Christmas Boat Parade this Saturday December 28.  Gather at the Hutsons’ fine canal front home starting at 5:00 pm.  Boats should begin coming by around 6:30.  Potluck dinner, and a big lawn to watch the decorated boats! More information at the Squadron web site: http://www.abcsb.org/

Hosted by the Board of Governors (BOG) Join us at Rotary Park, 28° 13.821' N  80° 40.239' W. Mark your calendars and prepare to have a good time! The Rotary Park Cruise is always fun, with music, games, and great company! We have the large pavilion reserved from 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, November 9. Sail over and anchor off the beach or drive to the park.  The entrance is at Suntree Boulevard and US-1. The gate will be open extra hours for this event. This event will be a potluck. Bring your own beverage of choice and a main or side dish to share. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Cruisers can gather in the park for a potluck breakfast on Sunday morning.

Hosted by Grover & Natasha Gregory Join us for a Night Sounds Concert in Sebastian Inlet State Park We will gather in pavilion 2 around 4pm for a pot luck dinner; there are grilles available, so bring something to cook if you like and a side dish to share.  There is electricity and lighting in the pavilion and water available at the nearby restrooms.  We have the pavilion until 9pm, but these concert nights get crowded, so we should be finished by the time the music starts. New park management has announced they have recently begun enforcing a rule that would prevent us from landing our dinghys on the beach as we have in the past.  The are concerned about beach erosion and harm to the sea grasses.  Instead, we will use the western-most of the boat ramps to tie up.  Be prepared for a walk of a few hundred feet to the pavilion.  The above picture shows the layout. At 7pm, the Friends of Sebastian Inlet are having a free concert as part of their full-moon Night Sounds series.  for October 12, the band is 20th Street Jazz Band.  Per their website,  The 20th Street Jazz Band is a 15 piece band that plays traditional jazz standards, favorite swing and popular music.  Their concerts bring out big smiles and get the dancers up and “cutting the rug. For more information about 20th Street Jazz Band visit www.facebook.com/20thstreetjazzband Directions:  If coming by car enter on the South side of the bridge, $8 per car load for entry fee. If coming by boat leave the Intracoastal at marker 65, head East until you get closer to the shore before turning up to the point and the park.  We cannot use the beaches as we have in the past; take the dinghy to the boat ramp, where the western-most ramp will be reserved for us.  The park fee is $2 per person.  We don't know yet how they will collect the fee, so just bring cash.    

Hosts Jesse & Carmen Camp are sorry to report that, due to the approaching Tropical Storm Dorian, the marinas in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach have made the decision not to accept any transient boats.   We respect their decision, in the interest of safety, and hope to visit again in the near future.   We will continue to keep an eye on the storm, and if it veers away from this area, we might decide to organize a local cruise.  But if the storm does head toward us, be sure to secure all boats, sails, biminis, dinghys, outboards, and, of course, skippers and crew!