Eau Gallie, FL

Friday, 12 December                                                                                    37.2 SM

It doesn’t feel like it but the heading is correct.

Some days, there’s just not a lot to report. No remarkable photo ops. No unexpected adventures. Just miles and hours of moving farther south.

This is good. And this is the case with this day. Not much out of the “Florida” ordinary, although thick clouds cast a gloom that would not meet the approval of the tourist bureau. Decidedly un-Floridian.

The NASA Space Museum includes a space shuttle.

Steadfast pulled out of Titusville and back into the waterway at 0925, slipped under the highrise and was on her way back down the Indian River. The NASA Causeway Bridge was the only span to contend with today. The others all were of the ersatz 65’ variety, although judging from the clearance boards, you wouldn’t want to transit today with a mast that’s 64’. Something’s gotta give and it’s generally not the bridge.

Fishing Eau Gallie Creek draws a crowd.

Not much traffic. Three or four southbound boats passed (don’t they all?), CG Auxiliary buzzed by and that’s about it. For six hours.

The Indian is wide yet remarkably shallow. The waterway’s controlling depth is 12’. Readings most of the day were 10 or 11 but stray out of the ICW and it quickly shoals to four, three feet or less. Lots of catamarans along the shores. That or derelicts. And on the shores, big homes. None of that “fish camp” stuff. Merritt Island to the east; Palm Shores, Cocoa, etc. to the west. Big yards, big homes.

On to Eau Gallie. There’s no definitive explanation for the origin of the name. “Eau,” we know, is French for water. That much makes sense (except pronounced locally as “you” not the French “oh”). “Gallie?” Maybe corruption of “Gallic?”

Eau Gallie’s oldest house was built in 1902 by businessman John Rostetter.

Who cares? Whatever, it’s an intriguing spot. There’s a long narrow seven-foot channel that snakes in from the river, around a bend and—boom—there’s the basin. Wooden fixed piers, several liveaboards and a couple of boats in the soon-to-be-derelict category.  If you want a slip—overnight lows still are forecast in the low 40s—call Karen, the canvas lady. (Go figga. Not the marina, mind you. The canvas lady.) Buck a foot, 30-amp included. Cash or check only. Gotta luv it.

Kinda like a day with not a lot to report. Gotta luv it.

Steadfast out.