Vero Beach Activity

...Three IPs in Vero..

Our time in Vero Beach, Florida has passed quickly as we visited with friends, attended the St. Pete Boat Show and worked with our friends who are buying their first Island Packet Yacht. Rental cars, driving across the state and a road trip north to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina all made for a very busy time. Now, we need to push on and head south to Miami where we plan to make our 6th South Beach WallCast, a venue not to miss if you are ever in the area. We actually make SoBe our destination many times as we sail south. After a one day stop in South Beach we plan to push on to the Keys where we always dock at www.HarbourCayClub.org and take a relaxing Christmas Break there reconnecting with the great people of HCC and several transient IP owners.

Our plans after Christmas may include the Dry Tortugas off Key West and the West Coast of Floridac before heading off to the Exumas.The only plan to to go when the weather is good, which is the normal plan for cruising. We have really enjoyed our time here in Vero, rafted up to great friends Ron and Mary Ann of IP380 CAVU and Joe and Michele of IP37 Simple Life. It is wonderful to share this cruising adventure with good friends. We shared meals, happy hours, shopping adventures, cocktail parties and the good life. At the Thursday night happy hour, we met Forest and Susan (and Doddle puppy Mocha) of IP 44 Rejoice!. Other highlights were visits with Eric and Kathy of IP380 Tianui and Maris and Linda of IP 420 Amekaya, a leisurely beach side lunch with Greg and Sharon of IP40 Dream Catcher and yet another bottle of champagne shared aboard CAVU. Moving on from Vero is always difficult because the town is such a great place and the good friends you share it with make it even better.

Here are some photos of the time here:

Visiting our good friend Nicholas, who is a PhD student in Tampa.
Thanks for the guided tour of FSU and congratulations on your first semester complete!

The St. Pete Boat Show and Whiteaker Yacht Sales Booth
We were here Sat and Sun and met with IP owners and folks shopping for boats.

The Bob Bitchin Saturday Party is a blast

At 7:01 pm the FREE beer starts flowing and it is crazy

Alan of IP420 Flatlander and Hayden experiencing Beer Effect

Kat and Bob of IP370 Sea Lyon rocking a Landshark Hat

Radeen and Kathy of Flatlander, girls having fun

Look, we are official. Thank you, Debbie and Ed!

My Favorite Boat Show Girl Model

Selfie at the WYS booth

We laughed a lot with Craig and Liana, our gracious hosts for housing
Craig is a former owner of an IP 440 and IP 380

Time for a ROAD TRIP Vero to Hilton Head, SC, to survey a boat

Bottom looks great, no issues here

Our good friends whom are helping to buy their first Island Packet
Hayden, Radeen, Lesa and Tom

Yacht Broker Camry rental for the week. Mary Ann and Ron of IP380 CAVU put the the first 200 miles on it.
We returned it with 1,700 miles! Love that new car smell!

Haul out and survey of the Island Packet 35 our friends are shopping

The surveyor inspecting the clean bottom

I always like this shot from under the bow

Back onboard, the Christmas Elf, Radeen, is wrapping presents

So, as you can see, it has been a busy week and we have really enjoyed our time here and in St. Pete and in Hilton Head on survey. Onward now to South Beach Miami and the Keys.

Vero Beach mascot