Daytona Beach to Titusville, Florida (and rocket launch!)

We left Daytona Beach this morning, Thursday, March 4 around 9:45 am.  It was bike week (as in Harley) in Daytona--the news showed "coleslaw wrestling" by women in bathing suits. No internet at the Marina.  Time for us to leave!

Although bright and sunny, it was very cold.  Recond cold temps all along the ICW it seems.  We stayed in the ICW and saw many dolphins (but no manatees even though we passed through many miles of manatee habitat).  There was little traffic in this portion of the ICW.  ICW had mostly well marked channels over 10 feet in depth, however there were several areas that were shoaled in to under 8 feet.  The Indian River above Titusville was the most difficult navigation we faced today as the channel was shallow and not well marked.  We passed under several bridges that had to be opened in order for us to pass (as well as fixed bridges that were 65 feet).  We were lucky enough to get to our first bridge just as it was opening on schedule (every 20 minutes).  The next couple of bridges opened when hailed.  But the one bridge that, accordingly to charts, is almost never closed was the final bridge we had to pass under.  The NASA train bridge.  Just as we lined up in the Indian River after traversing the Haulover Canal, the bridge started to close.  No train.  People walking on the track.  As we "chilled"  (by slowing down and zigzaging--but also literally by getting colder and colder), we finally hailed the Coast Guard to find out what was going on.  Apparently some problems with the lights on the bridge, but it was opened promptly after we called.  We should have called sooner!  We were able to see a rocket in the tower at Cape Canaveral.

The municipal marina at Titusville was extremely helpful and professional in helping us get docked around 4:15.  After Coronas in the cockpit, Gay cooked dinner on the boat.  The tv that we installed before we left Oriental allowed us to see the evening news and to find out that that rocket was launching at about 6:45 and we were able to see the launch from the boat.  We felt very lucky as seeing a launch was something we had always wanted to do, but had never done.  The inital lift-off lit up the horizon and we were able to watch for about 5 minutes.  Gay commented that it was the single best firework she had ever seen!

Our dock mates (on a Hunter named Southern Bell) said that they had been waiting in Titusville for three days to head further south because winds were over 30 knots.  They are from Atlanta and keep their boat in Savannah and are on the first leg of a several month trip to explore Florida and the Bahamas.