Getting Ready for the Shuttle Launch (Day 051)

Addison Point Anchorage, near the Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, FL MM 885.0
Distance Traveled: 46.0 Hours Underway: 7.7 hrs. Average Speed: 6.0

Weather: Temp range 70 degrees to 84 degrees; south wind @ 15-20 knots; Partly cloudy, mostly cloudy and partly sunny as the day progressed

Comment: Fired up at 0745 and underway at 0755. Tally Ho and SUNSHINE passed through the Musson (aka Coronado) Bascule Bridge with a favorable current at 0720. We saluted friends Joe and Dee as we passed New Smyrna Beach. They are on a cruise this week!

It was a long slog down the river and the Mosquito Lagoon and the current turned foul and the south wind increased in strength.

Canvasback Too rejoined the flock as we passed Titusville on the way to our launch anchorage at “White Post.” Capt. Dave reported that the posts are no longer there, but he knew where to turn and what heading to take. As we traversed the Titusville Swing Bridge, the wind increased, making for a lumpy ride to the anchorage. Capt. Dave suggested that we hide behind the NASA Causeway at Addison Point. After a bit of exploration, all three vessels made for the protection of the Causeway. We anchored yards away from the roadway in a slight chop with the wind howling through the rigging.

We have a good view of the launch pads from this anchorage, but if the wind dies down as predicted, we’ll travel back up the Indian River to the open anchorage that is perhaps three and a half miles closer to the launch site. By nightfall, there were a total of ten boats in this anchorage.

Arial view of our anchorage near the Kennedy Space Center


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