WEEK 1 LOG - Vero Beach to St. Augustine

The BellaGatto shoved off for the first leg of the 6000-mile Great Loop journey on April 1, saying goodbye to Vero Beach Municipal Marina after almost two years. This first week we are keeping the pace slow, cruising through familiar waters visiting some old favorite spots, and having some guests on board to see us along our way.

This week on our way slowly north along the Florida ICW, we made stops in Satellite Beach (free dock), Titusville (marina), Ponce Inlet (anchor), Daytona Beach (marina), Matanzas Inlet (anchor) and ending the week in St. Augustine (marina). 

Wildlife sightings along the way included lots of dolphins, manatees, white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, eagles, wood storks, skimmers and many other shore birds. The Haulover Canal (the connection between the Indian River and the Mosquito Lagoon) had at least 30 or 40 manatees. The best manatee encounter though was in the Titusville municipal marina where several of them gathered to catch the drips from a leaky hose bib.

Manatees at Haulover Canal

Ponce Inlet lighthouse

The weirdest thing happened at Matanzas Inlet….we were anchored by Fort Matanzas when a huge swarm of flying ants descended on the boat, almost covering the decks. Jayne got the ones in the cabin and the pilothouse by sucking them up with the trusty Dyson vacuum cleaner, but thousands more got crushed on to our freshly washed non-skid. It will take a clean scrub down today in St. Augustine to get them all off. The unspoiled nature at this anchorage is amazing!

BellaGatto anchored in front of Fort Matanzas

Shore leave at sunset

Matanzas Inlet at low tide

By the end of next week we hope to be around Savanna, Georgia, probably at the town of Thunderbolt. Now that we don’t have guests aboard, we will likely anchor out more and make fewer marina stops. Possible stops include Sisters Creek, Fernandina, Cumberland Island, Brunswick, Darien, and then Savanna.

So Far so Good!