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The Blue Dolphin and Her Crew

The Boat

 

The Blue Dolphin is a 44 foot USCG certified pontoon river boat that seats up to 49 people. She is equipped with cushioned seats for your comfort and a retractable roof top to give you a great view of launches from the Cape.

 

The dream of creating Space Coast River Tours began in 2000 when Mark and Michele went to Montauk, NY for the holidays and the New Year. Michele found out that a friend of hers had given up, after many years, his fishing charter business to start a Montauk Lake Boat Tour business on a 40' pontoon boat - he loved it! This gave Michele the idea of doing the same here at Port Canaveral.

 

It wasn't until two years later, after many sleepless nights on the Internet that Michele found - THE BOAT, nicknamed "the Beast" (she was that ugly) in Michigan. They knew that the Beast had a lot of potential, and with lots of TLC and hard work could be turned into a swan. So, filled with determination, they had the Beast trucked down here to Florida, and started revamping her in August 2002.

 

During the following year, they worked hard on the Beast, keeping a close relationship with the Coast Guard, who have been very helpful while rebuilding this boat from the deck up for commercial use. After a year of painting, sanding, welding, paper work, errands, promo work, and help from their friends, the Beast finally became the Blue Dolphin.

Your Captains

Mark Anderson

 

Mark was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Santa Barbara, California. He remembers, as a kid enjoying the family trips to the Santa Barbara Marina and not wanting to leave. He had to look at every boat, testing his parents' patience. At nine years old, he went on a family vacation to visit his Uncle Art, who was an avid sailor on Lake Michigan. Mark's memories are, as clear as if it was yesterday, of them burying the rail on a gusty day on the lake. Cruising along with just the sound of the water hitting the hull and the wind filling the sails and powering you along was his biggest thrill.

 

While living in Spokane, Washington on Newman Lake, Mark got hooked on catamarans, and purchased his his own 18' SOL CAT. In 1984, Mark moved to Florida - with his boat, of course - in order to launch her and finally sail up and down the Indian River from the Eau Gallie causeway to Sebastian. Mark still owns the CAT, but now spends most of his time as Captain of the Blue Dolphin.

Michele Anderson

 

Born in Coral Gables, FL and brought up near Paris, France, Michele has had the best of both worlds. Ever since she can remember, her parents - at the beach, in a pool or bathtub - could not get her out of the water. She taught herself to swim at the age of 3, and the first toy that she ever wanted and really played with was her little red motor boat. It went with her everywhere. She would go out of her way to find a pond, lake, ocean, or any body of water to watch it run.

 

After several years in Montauk, NY - still one of her favorite places for fishing and boating - Michele realized that her love of boats was leading to a career involving them. In 1989, she settled in Brevard County, and finally bought her own boat - a 21' Dixie named the Ma Belle.

 

Mark and Michele met in 1995 while on vacation in the Florida Keys where he taught her how to sail on his catamaran. Exactly a year later, on a trip to the same place where they had met, and out a few miles sailing in calm weather, Mark found a sandbar where the water was only 3 feet deep. They stopped for a swim, then Mark distracted Michele by teaching her a few nautical knots while he dug out the ring he had concealed in a cooler, and surprised her with a proposal. A year later, they were married in Key West on a 65' catamaran named the Fury.

 

Since boating is both their passions, they continued taking courses and became members of the Cocoa Beach Power Squadron. In no time, they became Advanced Pilots (AP) and for several years, were Program Chairmen for the Squadron.

 

In the past, one of their favorite weekend activities was to go out on the water and show their friends (who did not own a boat) how magical and relaxing boating could be. Now, with their new 44' pontoon boat - the Blue Dolphin, it doesn't have to be just a weekend thing, because they will have daily river tours, where they can enjoy not only their friends but also any visitors and newcomers wishing to experience the beauty of the area.