Back in Fort Pierce after a successful NASA blastoff

Discovery launch "telltails"

We set our alarms at 6:15 a.m. this morning to watch the Discovery space shuttle take off from Cape Canaveral, even though it's about 70 miles away. The launch was set for 6:21 a.m. and I can't discover why that exact time was chosen. Any rocket scientists out there who can explain????

Lo and behold, (at exactly 6:22) Pete got a quick glimpse of an orange ball as the shuttle passed through a break in the clouds. A few minutes later, we both saw the first stage booster falling to the sea. Then the rising sun did a light show on the exhaust trail tendrils a bit later. Kinda cool.

We had missed a launch on the way south because I had forgotten what day it was. It's always "boat time" onboard. So we're happy we got to see one this morning (even from afar), since it's supposedly the last one launched in darkness.

Captain Pete was ecstatic to sail all the way from Stuart to Fort Pierce. Mary Ann was ecstatic to NOT listen to the diesel. The quiet was so welcome. We have motor sailed too much of this trip. Why does the wind always come from the direction sailors want to go? Finally a long stretch of perfect Florida weather too! Of course, it's also been in the high 70s in Virginia.

Pete and Ginny from Stingray Yacht Club

As we pulled into Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce, Pete and Ginny (fellow Stingray Harbor members) greeted us. They just arrived here two days ago on their new and bigger Joy Ride from the Bahamas. We enjoyed lots of stories with them over docktails and dinner tonight.

It's sorta bittersweet to be here because this marina was where we left MicMac last December on our way south. Lots of water under the bow since then, and we're on our way home.