Christmas in Cocoa

Friday – 25 December

We woke up to a beautiful Florida day in Cocoa this Christmas morning.  The seagulls lining the wave attenuator are making such a raucous symphony as if they too are celebrating the day.

Yesterday the marina hosted a Christmas Eve potluck.  The chicken and sausages were on the grill early in the morning and being deliciously slow cooked for 5 hours with the aroma filling the marina.  The boaters provided the side dishes and festive company.

Another couple joined us at our table.  We often see them walking up and down our dock but we had never really met (or so we thought).  As we were talking and they shared the story of how their boat had survived Hurricane Ivan years ago, Bob realized they were the boat that had been next to us in Beaufort, NC and helped us off the dock after another boat had lost control due to the current and barreled into us (the dinghy actually) .  And here they are, joining us at our table in a random marina not having a clue of our shared experience.  (See the post from 10 November.)  They have been cruising for 20+ years and had some great stories to share.  It goes to show how small the cruising community really is.

The weather has been awesome since arriving in Cocoa.  We had one “cold” spell for a couple of days where jeans were worn (with thongs/flip flops).  Since then shorts and t-shirts are the norm.  But it hasn’t been so hot that we have felt compelled to close up and turn the air conditioner on.  You can’t ask for much better.

Our Christmas will be a quiet day appreciating the many gifts we have received this year – good health, strong boat, beautiful weather, great experiences, safe harbors, new friends, and a fabulous life together.