Captain Jane’s usual sterling job of reporting on ports of call, as only she can do!
Do note that the New Smyrna City Marina is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, and highly recommended by all of us here at the Cruisers’ Net!

Timing bridges under repair and tides for poorly maintained shallow parts of the waterway, this 2009/2010 snowbird season, has caused us to go long some days and short on others, choosing our tides carefully or timing a weird bridge repair schedule.
In addition to allowing us to get deeply in touch with our relationship to patience, our “new timing” has brought us to some good new ports of call. One of these good new finds is New Smyrna Beach and its City Marina. I confess, once again, my bias in favor of city marinas — I think it’s a wonderful civic service to offer public dockage for boaters. I don’t understand the concept of privately owned slips — I thought the point of having a cruising boat was to cruise, not to grow barnacles in a privately owned slip, but that’s a longer discussion and distracts me from giving praise where praise is due.

New Smyrna Beach Historic district, a short walk from Smyrna Beach City Marina

New Smyrna Beach City Marina occupies a small and charming cove, tucked away yet directly off the ICW where it makes an elbow turn. Two large rocks mark the harbor entrance and during our stay hosted an impressive number of pelicans and cormorants who made frequent forays into the fairways for lunch. It made it a sweet place to visit — I’m partial to birds and I enjoyed the pelicans and cormorants by day and the green heron fishing off a neighboring boat at first light.
Facilities at New Smyrna Beach City Marina are spotless — clean modern heads and showers, good laundry facilities. While we were there, we found the dockmaster on duty friendly, professional and eager to tell us what was within walking distance and which establishments are his favorites. If you need some re-provisioning, there is a Winn Dixie supermarket about a mile’s walk from the marina.
ICW ports of call, how

A real bakery... Joyce Miller, manager of Love Muffins Bakery home of what is billed as the 'world famous Mini Cinni's'

ever, are not just about cruiser necessities, but about the town and the people beyond the dock. New Smyrna Beach is an actual town with a charming historic district, just a short walk from the marina. There are several places to eat — we spotted a new Mexican restaurant, Lil’ Neal’s a very casual barbecue place (the kind so casual that it could be a real find); Mahoney’s Oyster Bar, featuring with hearty soups and sandwiches, and a more generalist type of restaurant, Jason’s Corner.
If you want fresh baked bread — 10 grain and sour dough the morning we stopped in — or muffins, mini cinnamon rolls, or other baked goods — Love Muffins is a real bakery where you will find the real thing. It’s a right turn almost as soon as you enter the historic district. My first mate’s mouth was full of a mini cinnamon roll, so I can’t quote him, but he gave a big thumb’s up with his free hand.
If you want a seafood lunch or dinner, we hear the place to go is adjacent to the marina and it is located in one of your visual clues for sighting the harbor entrance — a blue building that houses Dolphin View, a fish restaurant. Locals told us they serve an honest fresh fish sandwich or platter and they advertise on their door a $4.95 all you can eat breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays.
Jane Tigar
S/V Lady Jane