Leaving Harbortown

Gary finished the dinghy this morning...talk about last minute! It turned out great though, really looks like new, and it doesn't leak anymore, hooray!!  We didn't finish the name on the transom because it was getting the full blast of the winds.  We hope to do that tomorrow morning if it isn't too windy.  We left at noon and  had an OK trip today.  Not great because of the clouds and wind and the disappointment of seeing the Space Center the entire way (we sort of did a big arc around it) knowing we wouldn't get to see the shuttle launch, which was again put off for 8 days. But we were visited by Dolphins and saw about 5 manatee, had to put the boat in neutral several times coming out of the Barge Canal just to be safe.  

We got to Titusville around 3 pm (20 miles in 3 hours not bad.... sounds like the worst traffic jam you were ever in right?) and decided that we could go a little further.  We went through Haulover Canal which got its name because it was originally a strip of land that the Native Americans and Settlers and Explorers carried their canoes over between Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River, thus the name Haulover.  It is now part of the Intracoastal Waterway.
The Lagoon is really a large waterway that is mostly shallow and since it is at the tip of Merritt Island, the barrier island seems to be mostly government property of NASA.  There are no houses or development of any kind as far as we have seen.
We decided to anchor off of buoy Red29 but our anchor didn't hold, so we followed Captain Bob's Anchorage book and went 4 more miles to Green19 only to find about a thousand crab pots.  It was either turn around and go back and try Red 29 again or travel about 15 more miles possibly in the dark.  TURN AROUND  I said, and to keep peace that's what we did.  It took 2 tries and we have 2 anchors out but we were "on the hook " by 7 pm.  It is pretty rough, rocking and rolling and lots of creaking going on so I may not get much sleep, right, as Gary says it's part of the big picture, get used to it.  But I think we'll also be getting used to a little more planning and a little less "we'll just stop when we get there."

NASA Headquarters Cape Kennedy

New NASA Causeway Bridge

With the new bridge completed they were removing the piling from the old bridge

And "tractoring" them away

Entering the Haulover Canal

This is a view of the shuttle from Mosquito Bay.  We are 99% positive that the
object on the far right was the shuttle on the launch pad.  Unfortunately it isn't
going off until next week.  This would be THE  perfect place to watch it, if only there was
a guarantee that it wouldn't get postponed again we might be tempted.

A dolphin close up and personal

Mosquito Lagoon goes from 6 feet to No feet in a heartbeat

We should name her BEAUTY!!