Sunday we did the long haul down the Indian River and into the Haul-over Canal, Mike's most unfavorite part of the ICW. This stretch maybe isn't so exciting for us, but it looks like a great place to be if you're a fishing person. With it being Sunday a lot of people were out and about – many boats anchored in gunk-holes and marsh grass looking relaxed as they waited for that perfect fish to bite. We arrived in Titusville in time to fuel and water up and make use of the new mooring field. It was early enough that we enjoyed some down time. We were treated to a beautiful sunset.

Next morning another fog bank! But we were able to wait it out and be on our way by 9 am, still plenty of time to make our next stop somewhere around Melbourne. We made it to the Eau Gallie Bridge and dropped an anchor just north of the bridge in a huge anchorage. We quickly put up the enclosure again as rain was falling on us as we worked. Both tired, we relaxed the afternoon away and didn't last long after dinner.

We made it to Vero Beach on Tuesday by 12:30, watching radar all the way and dodging storms. The highlight of the day was the manatee sighting. Manatees are protected and there are postings everywhere along the ICW warning of their presence and boaters' responsibilities. We've seen them in marinas, but never in the wild so it was interesting to note that they are really out and about. Once in the Vero Beach basin we were pleased to find room on the mooring with Chanticleer, our traveling friends who left us in Brunswick. In this particular mooring field 3 boats can tie up to one ball. It's a great way to meet people and share cocktails. Our first activity on Wednesday was to find a walk-in clinic and get some answers to Mike's knee problem. His tendonitis from working on the boat before we left home had turned into a full-blown worry for both of us. The great free bus in Vero took us directly to an excellent walk-in clinic where he had an x-ray done and we got some answers – severely sprained knee but nothing serious. Whew! The doctor prescribed a sturdy knee brace and lots of Aleve and ice. From that point on, things in the knee department started looking up.

Still anxious to get to Miami before Christmas, we didn't stay as long in Vero Beach as we like to, but we squeezed in some quality playing – the Saturday Farmers Market, a very fun knitting shop, happy hour with other cruisers, and dinner with a crowd of cruisers (a time to share stories) at the Riverside Restaurant, a favorite in Vero. Weather was good and we still had time to get to Miami, so we headed south again on Sunday – Chanticleer traveled with us once again.