Historic Cocoa Village, FL

Sebastian River Marina to Cocoa Village Marina – July 2-7, 2016

Miles Today:  32.7 NM   

Total Miles:   84.8 NM

Our cruise up to Cocoa Village Marina was uneventful and lovely.  As we continue north on the Indian River/ICW, we pass homes and marshland.  At times, we pass only small islands on each side of the boat – weaving our way around them, staying in the channel.  At 7 knots, the pace is slow and we have time to appreciate the unusual scenery.  Although Jim grew up in Florida, seeing it from the water is a very different experience.

An ICW red marker that is also
the home of a cormorant

Lots of small islands to weave between

Click on the picture to enlarge and  to see a white speed boat on the left of the island.
We saw many boaters sunbathing on the white sands and frolicking in the warm water

We’d read other Looper blogs that spoke highly of Cocoa Village Marina.  Their facilities are top-notch, with clean showers, laundry, clubhouse and a great staff. The Marina is located only a couple of blocks from the quaint and historic town of Cocoa.  Meandering down its tree-lined streets, eating an ice cream and window-shopping sounded wonderful to us.

Cocoa Village Marina

Welcoming, tree-line streets in Historic Cocoa Village

We arrived early afternoon and planned to stay 3 nights through the 4^th of July.  We would be able to see the fireworks from our flybridge and were quite content to stay put and let the holiday yahoos in their go-fast boats enjoy the river.  We secured Bazinga in the slip and started to get ready – anticipating a leisurely walk up to the village and a nice dinner.  No water in the shower or the sinks.  Hmmm, our fresh water tanks were over half full – that wasn’t the problem.  Nope, our fresh water pump had died.  Thus began our week stay at Cocoa Village Marina! 

More beautiful sunsets

Unusual and dramatic cloud formations

Our neighbor, Mr. Osprey

Our other neighbors - all decked out for the 4th of July

With the help of the Dockmaster, Ken, we were able to order a new water pump, but delivery would be several days after the holiday.  Meanwhile, Jim tried to connect the water hose from the dock directly to the boat (and bypass the water tanks) but discovered the water pressure valve was completely rusted shut.  We added a new valve to our order.   We definitely appreciated the marina’s clean showers for the next 6 days!

How Jim spends his days lately.  Replacing
the fresh water pump and the water pressure
valve.

Rusted and nonfunctioning water pressure valve

Jim got to know the S.F. Travis Hardware store very well.  In 1885, Colonel S.F. Travis, who served in the American Civil War, traveled up and down the river in a sailboat, taking and delivering hardware orders from Jacksonville to Fort Pierce.  In 1892, Colonel Travis bought a red brick warehouse that it still occupies to this day and is one block from our marina.  Over the years, it expanded to include a retail store.  The colonel’s great grandson and 4^th generation owner, Travis ‘Mac’ Osborne, shares some of the history of the store on its website:  “Until 1955, he still ran a barge up and down the river to make deliveries.  In the old days, they would run tabs for customers until the crops came in, then they paid them off.  Business was done on a handshake.”  Today, S.F. Travis Hardware is located 9 miles from the Kennedy Space Center.  Customers include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, NASA, SpaceX, the Air Force, Coast Guard and Army.

Jim needed new bolts that would fit the existing holes to install the new water pump and new pressure valve.   Off we go to the S.F. Travis Hardware store.  Upon entering, you realize this is no ordinary hardware store.  Not only are there hardware items galore, but also an eclectic array of merchandise from unusual cooking utensils to framed old newspaper articles.  The store has wooden floors, 15’ high ceilings and narrow aisles which disappear into a warren of paths.  If a salesman doesn’t take you to the item you need, be sure to drop bread crumbs to get back out!  Jim showed one of the friendly guys at the front desk the bolts he needed to replace.  “Sure, we have those – follow me.”  And off we went into the rabbit’s den – turn right, then a left, down a long narrow corridor, another left, 2 more rights – we’ve arrived at an aisle full of shelves with different sized boxes and rows of old and varied cabinets - each full of drawers (some look like old china closets).   Our guide stops in front one of these cabinets, opens a drawer amidst 20 other drawers, and pulls out one bolt – “How many of these do you need?”   Jim went back to the store several times.  I suspect it was more for the experience than to buy any parts!

S.F Travis Hardware store, since 1892, Cocoa Village, Florida

"Just follow me to the exact box of bolts you need."

Those wrenches are about 4 feet long and cost more than $1,000!

The heat hasn’t let up at all.  Just walking to town left us dripping and breathless.  We used Uber to take us to Home Depot one day.  Another day, we took Uber to the enclosed mall to enjoy lunch and a movie in air conditioning.  The A/C on the boat just cannot keep up with the heat and it is never below 85 degrees inside until later at night.