May 11 Shuttle launch

Under a dry, hot, cloud-washed Florida sky, space shuttle Atlantis roars off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with its crew of seven for a rendezvous with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The launch was on time at 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes the Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.

I took these shots from the cruise ship terminal at Cape Canaveral. Only 8 more shuttle launches are scheduled.

Spring Training Cruise

Using SeaDee as a base of operations, the Allen's enjoyed several Cardinal spring training games in Jupiter Fl.

My brother Tim and his family:

Geoff and Mimi:

and the delivery crew: Larry, Captn Andy, Annie and Jim.

Even David Allen dropped in for dinner one night. It was great fun getting everyone together. This trip is becoming an annual event. A year's worth of hot dogs consumed in 4 days. Big thanks to Annie for helping to get the boat down to Stuart and Jim and Larry, for crewing on the way back.

SeaDee to Stuart

It's spring training time! seaDee has been moved to Stuart and will serve as our base of operations for Cardinals games. Annie took this shot of our breakfast at anchor: Bacon, Berries and Brut.

Very windy conditions, 15-25 kts out of the east, made anchoring a little difficult. It took us several tries to get the anchor set and the night was full of creaks and groans as the relentless winds put strain on the anchor chain.

NASA Rocket Launch

Not much cruising news as SeaDee has largely been tied to the dock with the exception of some short weekend trips.

The Delta II rocket carrying the Kepler planet-hunting spacecraft lifted off on time at 10:49 p.m. EST March 6 2009, from Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The spectacular nighttime launch followed a smooth countdown free of technical issues or weather concerns. These rocket launches, as well as, the even more spectacular shuttle launches, are not to be missed if you are in the Merritt Island area. This rocket was visible for more than 7 minutes after liftoff.

Kepler's mission: to peer closely at a patch of space for at least three-and-a-half years, looking for rocky planets similar our own. The spacecraft will target an area rich with stars like our sun, watching for a slight dimming in the starlight as planets slip through the space between. More info at NASA.