Mission Delays

Still here in Titusville hoping to see the space shuttle launch. The first try was last night and Discovery came very close to launching, but the cloud cover was too low by ninety feet, so it was delayed. Good visibility is needed in case there is an emergency and the shuttle needs to land. Winds need to be under twenty knots and the breeze is closer to thirty today,  so the next attempt will be Saturday night. We are close enough that we could see the sky illuminated by the launch area. Folks gathered on the ends of the T-docks and we enjoyed visiting with boaters from as far away as New Brunswick.

We’ve been keeping busy with school and boat projects while waiting. Scraping the old 3M 5200 caulk out of the chain plates was a real bear. They have been refilled with Silprof and capped with aluminum colored silicon for a belt and suspenders approach to keeping the water out of these crucial parts. The wire rigging that holds up the mast is attached to these chain plates.  We’ve also replaced the brake pads on the wheel brake. Bet you didn’t think a sailboat had brakes! The wheel brake locks the wheel and holds the rudder in position so it doesn’t slam back and forth with changes in current. It also provides enough friction to keep the boat sailing straight and gives the skipper a little break.

Noah’s been meeting more kids here as boats come in to wait for the launch. Five “kid” boats are here making for 13 youngsters zipping around. The largest group so far has five aboard. Today’s photo is of Matthew (from Snow Day) and Noah checking out the vehicle assembly building from the nearby Astronaut Park.

There are close to fifty boats anchored in the river here and all the dinghies putter or paddle by our boat to get to the (free) dinghy dock. The most interesting dinghy so far is based upon a recumbent bicycle built for two sitting on two bright yellow inflatable pontoons held together with PVC pipe. It is quiet and environmentally friendly, but not sure I’d want it as my only shore transportation option.