July 2023 | Eau Gallie, Melbourne, FL (MM 914.7) to Titusville, FL (MM 878.6)
Theme of the Day: A Short Day, a BIG Rocket, and a Whole Lot of Waiting!
On Day 5, we hauled anchor at 0630 and headed north. We had intentionally planned a shorter day, with just one goal: get to Titusville in time for the scheduled 7 pm launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
A 230-foot rocket blasting into space practically in our backyard? YES, PLEASE!
Departing Melbourne
Leaving Melbourne behind, we continued north through the Indian River Lagoon, greeted once again by another gorgeous Florida sunrise.
The waterway was wide and open, a welcome change from the endless bridges and narrow canals farther south. But don’t let all that water fool you! The lagoon was surprisingly shallow outside the marked channel, so wandering off course wasn’t exactly encouraged.
At least the scenery was becoming more interesting!
Welcome to the “Space Coast”
As we continued north, the geography of Florida’s Space Coast started getting interesting.
Merritt Island stretched northward between two waterways, with the Indian River to the west and the Banana River to the east. We were following the ICW along the Indian River, keeping Merritt Island to starboard.
For boats traveling north offshore in the Atlantic, Port Canaveral offered another way to reach the ICW. Rather than continuing around Cape Canaveral, boats could enter Port Canaveral, pass through the Canaveral Lock, Florida’s largest navigation lock, and follow the Canaveral Barge Canal west through the Banana River and across Merritt Island to the Indian River Lagoon.
The lock helps manage differences in water levels between the port and inland waterways. Pretty handy for cruisers looking to duck inside!
The Barge Canal also provides a connection between the Indian and Banana Rivers near Cocoa. For us, there was no navigational decision to make. We simply kept following the ICW north along the west side of Merritt Island.
Continuing up the Indian River
As we entered Brevard County, FL, we passed the towns of Rockledge and Cocoa, the shoreline became a mix of waterfront homes, marinas, fishing docks, and mangroves.
Historic Cocoa Village (MM 918), with its shops, restaurants, and waterfront park, was another popular stop for ICW cruisers.
But we had places to be!
We were officially cruising through Florida’s Space Coast, home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Beyond the eastern shoreline of Merritt Island were the launchpads that had sent astronauts to the Moon and countless rockets into space.
Pretty cool when you think about it. One minute you’re dodging crab pots, and the next you’re cruising past the backyard of America’s space program! And we were getting our first glimpes of center in the distance.
Continuing north, we passed Port St. John (MM 897), a quiet waterfront community along the Indian River Lagoon.
Despite the name, there wasn’t some bustling commercial port waiting for us. Just waterfront homes, fishing docks, and more of that laid-back Old Florida scenery we’d come to appreciate.
Pretty wild to think that one side of the waterway was all about fishing and waterfront living, while the other was home to ROCKETS!
Into Titusville
Next up was Titusville, a historic waterfront town on the western shore of the Indian River Lagoon, best known as the Gateway to Kennedy Space Center.
Once a bustling hub during the Apollo space program, Titusville still embraced its space-age history while maintaining a much more laid-back, Old Florida feel.
We crossed under the new Dr. Sally Ride Memorial Bridge (MM 885). When we passed through in 2023, they were still removing the old bridge so it was a bit of mayhem going through. Construction and removal was complete as of 2025, so it should be easy going now.
Once through, the lagoon opened into another broad stretch of water, with the A. Max Brewer Memorial Bridge (MM 879) ahead and Kennedy Space Center in the distance to the east.
Titusville was a popular stop for ICW cruisers, thanks to its municipal marina, nearby downtown, and prime location for watching rocket launches.
The surrounding waters were also known for their wildlife. Dolphins, manatees, and all sorts of birds called the Indian River Lagoon home. Nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge protected thousands of acres of coastal habitat.
Wildlife, waterfront living, and space exploration. Not a bad combination.
Pitstop
By now, we’d traveled nearly 170 nautical miles since leaving Fort Lauderdale, and our generator was burning a little over a gallon of diesel an hour. Doing the math… The fuel gauge was getting on the LOW side.
Yes, even with ELECTRIC motors, we still needed diesel! Our generator had been working hard to keep the batteries charged and Water Wings moving north.
Fortunately, Titusville Marina was right off the ICW and had reasonably priced diesel. WIN-WIN! (…remember, this was 2023)
We followed the narrow, marked channel toward the western shoreline, keeping between the markers to avoid the shallow water on either side.
Thankfully, the approach was straightforward.
Once inside the protected marina basin, we made our way to the fuel dock, topped off the tanks, and headed back out.
Nothing particularly exciting, which, when you’re maneuvering a 44-foot catamaran into a marina, is EXACTLY how we like it! Just like a NASCAR pitstop…get in and get out. Keep moving.
The Rocket Launch. Close Enough to Feel It…or not!
With our refueling evolution complete, we headed back out, passed beneath the A. Max Brewer Memorial Bridge (65′), and dropped anchor west of the ICW.
We had anchored in what should have been a FANTASTIC spot to watch the launch! Across the lagoon to our east we could see Kennedy Space Center. We couldn’t see all the launch facilities clearly, but we could make out some of NASA’s massive buildings in the distance.
From Titusville, we were roughly 10–15 miles from the launchpads, close enough to see the rocket light up the night sky and, hopefully, FEEL the rumble of its engines. It would be nearly a minute before the roar reached us across the lagoon. Imagine sitting on the back of Water Wings, watching a Falcon 9 blast into space, then hearing that deep, thunderous rumble roll across the water.
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance?!
And through the binoculars, as the sky darkened, we could even see the rocket sitting on its illuminated launchpad!
We made dinner, broke out the cards, and settled in to wait for the scheduled 7:09 p.m. launch.
And right on cue, dark clouds started rolling in and the wind picked up. Standard Florida afternoon in July.
The weather wasn’t looking promising, but the launch window extended late into the evening, and the forecast was calling for only a 35% chance of favorable conditions.
So you’re saying there’s a CHANCE!
As the evening wore on, we got a light-and-boom show, all right. Just not the one we’d hoped for. Thunderstorms rolled through one after another, lighting up the sky while we kept checking for launch updates.
We’d stayed up late, watched the weather, checked the updates, and held out hope until the bitter end. First, the launch was pushed to 9 p.m. Then 11 p.m. And finally…
SCRUBBED!
Postponed until the following day. UGH!
So the spectacular sights, sounds and feels…. We continue to imagine what that would feel like.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t stick around another day. We still had miles to make and a deadline to get north.
So instead of a Falcon 9 lighting up the night sky, we got a whole lot of Florida lightning. But it did cool the air down, which makes for great sleeping.
Not exactly the Space Coast experience we’d planned. But hey, at least we’d gotten a good fuel price!
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