Both of the ‘uncomfortable” Cocoa Anchorages described below by Captain Ames, lie just south of the Cocoa high-rise bridge. As you might have guessed, one is found east of the Waterway, and the other west of the channel. The anchorage Ames described to the “northeast” near the “channel to nowhere” was not familiar to me, so I posted a question here asking for more info. As you will see, Captain Hobart responded beautifully in the second note posted below. We will be adding this anchorage to our “Eastern Florida Anchorage Directory” shortly!

In southerly winds, when the two anchorages marked here are uncomfortable, there is a nice anchorage Northeast of the bridge near the marked `channel to nowhere’. A dinghy ride along that channel will take you past a bait shack/bar (favor that side as there is a shoal in the middle of the `cove’) on the right to Ms Apple’s Crab Shack offering the best blue crabs on the east coast and lots of fresh fish and shrimp as well as full meals. About a block up the road is a West Marine.
Allen Ames

Subject: cocoa anchorage
Cruising News: The channel to nowhere used to be the entrance to a marina at that spot. The shoreline is now covered by condos. This anchorage should have a deep bottom as they hauled sailboats over 40′ when in business. The marina was sheltered from all but a NW wind.
Roger Hobart

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Anchorage Directory Listing For Cocoa Anchorages

Please note that Ocean Club at Port Canaveral is now listed on the Cruisers’ Net’s “Eastern Florida Marina Directory.” Just follow the link under Captain Lipton’s message below, and get the full story, plus check out this facility’s exact position!

Subject: Marina in Port Canaveral
Cruising News: I was recently travelling south and came in from the ocean to Port Canaveral. I wanted to stay close to the Port in case I could run the ocean the next day. So I stayed at the Cape Marina, the first one I came to. Very “industrial”. If I had of gone just a little further I would have found the Ocean Club at Port Canaveral. I did find it the next morning when I walked over and met Bill Norris, the Marina Manager. He gave me a tour of the facilities – absolutely stunning and first class. All floating docks, unlike Cape Marina. And competitive rates. To anyone in this area, I highly recommend you go to the Ocean Club. You will not be disappointed – in fact you might want to stay a couple of days.
Lois Lipton

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Ocean Club at Port Canaveral

Soup and Stews by Lea sounds like one of those incredible finds that cruisers occasionally happen onto. Now, after reading our fearless roving reporter, Captain Jane Tigar’s, message below, you’ll be “in the know” whenever you happen by the charming community of Cocoa, FL!!!!!

Lea's "real" son behind the counter here; everyone seems to call Lea "Mom" -- even we did and that was before dessert.

When I asked the waiter for an allergy check on the seafood stew and he turned around and called out to the woman scurrying past him, “Mom, does the seafood stew have any dairy in it?”
I knew we were in for a treat.
Yes, this is Mom’s cooking for those of us whose Moms are really really really good cooks and for those of us who wish our Moms were. Don’t let the name or the constant running of Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi footage on the TV screen fool you, Soups & Stews by Lea is a whole lot more than great soups and stews. A short walk from Cocoa Village Marina, where Lea and her family live on their boats, Soups & Stews also serves up ceviche, paella, salads, home-made empanadas, sandwiches (from the Cuban American to the Turkey Trot) as well as home made desserts including several different cheesecakes, flourless chocolate cake and creme brulee.
We can personally vouch for the shrimp mahi spicy stew — thick with seafood, spicy and full of flavor (a lot of herbs in there, explained Lea), the black bean soup, a Greek salad which was so big that, unless you know my first mate, you’d be shocked he ate the whole thing. When I say Greek salad — I don’t mean those flavorless iceberg lettuce numbers with a sprinkle of feta and some olives. This was fresh mixed field greens piled high, with real homemade Greek vinaigrette, and every ingredient high quality and full of flavor. Even a side salad was generous and excellent — with wonderful sweet peppers, marinated artichokes, hot house cucumbers and shaved onion.

Lea advising a customer on the important subject of which Empanada to choose.

The menu offers a wide range of food with an occasional Cuban accent. Here are some items from the menu the night we were there: Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce, Chorizo with Potatoes, Ciregnola Olives infused in Citrus White Wine, Paella, Pork Loin in Mojo with Rice, Black Beans and Yucca, Classy Chicken Salad (marinated diced roasted chicken with cranberries, walnuts, tomatoes, mixed greens and gorgonzola cheese.
A huge slice of Lea’s house-made –she made it that morning — blueberry cheesecake reduced my otherwise voluble first mate to silence. Lea came by to check on him and when he looked up in wonder, she said: “This cheesecake, it’s good for your sex life.”
If you look around the restaurant, you’ll see bold and sassy graphics and sayings on the walls, the counters, the table tops… the floor. This is no chain restaurant (though now that I mention it, this is a place I’d love to see at every cruising stop) and the graphics, like the food, are also house-made. Lea’s previous business was digital imaging and signage. When the economy took a downturn, she thought to herself, what did you do in a depression? “You open a soup kitchen.”
This is no depression soup kitchen, this is one uplifting place. Lea is fun, bubbly, and really cares that you love what you are eating. She came by the table several times to make sure we were happy and that we didn’t leave a thing on our plates or in our bowls. She didn’t know I am the Fearless Roving Reporter Captain Jane — we were just two bedraggled looking cruisers coming in from the cold hoping for a cup of soup. What a surprise find this was for us. This is real food made fresh with honest ingredients and most important, made with love. Guaranteed.
And get this — Soup & Stew offers free delivery of food to your boat at Cocoa Village Marina, or even at the anchorage by the bridge. (321)-504-4004.
Captain Jane Tigar

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Cocoa Village Marina

Check out the links below Captain Jean’s note below, to discover more about anchoring near Cocoa!

We don’t usually stop at Cocoa but did 4/1/10. Enjoyed the town, huge rootbeer floats at the Village Ice Cream and Sandwich Shoppe and pizza at Ryan’s. The holding is so good that we barely got the anchor out of the tarry bottom. Lots of room for boats.
Jean Thomason
(DOVEKIE)

In southerly winds when the two anchorages marked here are uncomfortable, there is a nice anchorage Northeast of the bridge near the marked `channel to nowhere’. A dinghy ride along that channel will take you past a bait shack/bar (favor that side as there is a shoal in the middle of the `cove’) on the right to Ms Apple’s Crab Shack offering the best blue crabs on the east coast and lots of fresh fish and shrimp as well as full meals. About a block up the road is a West Marine.
Allen Ames

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Anchorage Directory Listing For Cocoa Anchorages

Captains Mel and Jean are quite right. The anchorage they describe below is not in the Net’s “Eastern Florida Anchorage Directory.” I’ve certainly never tried to drop the hook here. However, I took at look at chart 11476, and it looks as this this cruising duo found a side channel, which I (and I suspect most other cruisers) have always missed. No guarantees on depths, but what an interesting place to watch the shuttle launch!

Dear Claiborne,
I don’t see a spot for this on the website. We are anchored on the Banana River north of the Port Canaveral Lock in position 28 degrees 25.151 N and 080 degrees 38.208W, with the idea of watching the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Monday. We really don’t know that we’re in the best spot; just going on what we’ve read that space launches seen from the Banana River are most spectacular. This is definitely not a protected position and we’re hoping that the forecast holds for light winds. Will let you know how it works out. Boats are no longer permitted north of the powerlines (less than a mile north of the Barge Canal) during launches (according to the Coast Guard whom I called.) I expected a lot of boats here but most seem to be partying on the small spoil islands. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. The launch is Monday at 6:21 AM.
Mel and Jean Thomason

Dear Claiborne,
After two days of speculating which of the structures might be the shuttle, we finally had a clear view of the shuttle on the back of that big rocket on Sunday. Sunday night it was illuminated – beautiful! Though visible to the naked eye from our anchorage, it was very clear with binoculars. The Launch went off without a hitch. Seeing that big rocket rise slowly at first and then more rapidly into the sky was about what we expected from years of seeing launches on TV. What we weren’t prepared for (and what made it all the more real) was the rumble and vibration which shook us a minute after blast off. Then I could imagine how it must feel to be in that shuttle headed out into the wild blue yonder (except it was still dark and what we mostly saw was the flame of the rocket). Was it worth waiting three days? You bet. Was the Banana river anchorage a good place? I can’t imagine a better place, both for seeing the shuttle beforehand and for the launch. It’s probably the closest unobstructed view if the shuttle is launching from pad 39 A.
Jean