Why Vero?

Vero Beach

NoLL

Why are we so fond of Vero Beach and Marathon as places to stay for months at a time? Both have many things to offer cruisers. Here's why we like Vero and why may cruisers call it "Velcro Beach."

• We can leave Tarwathie on a mooring. Moorings are affordable. We trust the mooring enough to leave Tarwathie unattended while we range, even in high winds. When she is at anchor, we are always nervous to be too far away from the boat for very long. Our anchor could drag or someone else's anchor could drag.
  
  
• The marina here has great showers, and laundry facilities. 6 washers and 7 dryers -- better than any other place we know.
  
  
• Hanging around the Vero marina gives us the chance to socialize with other cruisers. When we travel every day, we only get to wave at passing boats. When at anchor, we get to meet one or two other boats nearby. But in Vero and Marathon we get to socialize with dozens and dozens of other cruisers on shore. If we hang around Vero November and December, we'll meet up with about 90% of the cruising friends we've made over the years.
  
  
• Vero Beach has free bus service. The buses take you anywhere in the area. There is even a bus stop for the marina dinghy dock. That's outstanding convenience for people with no car.
  
  
• Vero is a very wealthy community. It provides first class services. The Vero Library has free Wifi, study rooms where you can sit alone and close the door, the best selection of periodicals I've ever seen, and a huge DVD movie collection.
  
  
• They have concerts in the parks, free shuffleboard, tennis, and just about any activity you can imagine. Nearby museums. Lots of shopping.
  
  
• We need only a 10 minute dinghy ride from the mooring to get to a park where we leave the dinghy, then cross the street to the beach. It is a fine beach with hard, clean sand, great swimming with life guards, and miles to walk.
  
  
• They have theaters and boat shows and car shows and lots of special events. I bought tickets to an off Broadway show for Libby's birthday next month. Once I saw activity in Riverside Park right next to the marina in December. I forgot to ask what it was about until the next day. To my great disappointment I learned that I missed a free concert in the park by The Boston Pops.
  
  
• The neighborhood near the marina is filled with residences with some of the most beautiful gardens I know. It is an absolute delight just to stroll up and down those streets.
  
  
• There is a great botanical garden in Vero. Really fun to visit.
  
  
• Near the marina is the Ocean Grill Restaurant. My late mother and her sister were so enamored of that restaurant that they used to drive all the way to Vero from Miami just to go there. I took Libby there once on her birthday.
  
  
• They put three boats on each mooring. Some people hate that and refuse to come here. We've had great luck and make some great friends by being rafted up with them.

I'm not sure I hit all the important points. Vero has lots to offer cruisers. The downside?

• The mooring prices went up a lot this year. It is no longer cheap, but (barely) affordable.
  
  
• The buses don't run after 6PM. Whatever night life exists in Vero we don't know about it because we lack transportation.