The unloading was successfully completed in time to depart last night.
The ship left West Palm Beach late last night.
I woke at 0215 local time. The aft spotlights were not on, and the
night was moonless, but clear. I could see the glow on the horizon of
the city far behind us. My side window faces away from the coast, and I
checked for stars. I am glad I brought a star guide. I decided to find
it at first light to double check the names.
Orion, the hunter, is visible with its nebulas. Most people have heard
of 2 of its stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse. Orion is inside what some
people call the winter hexagon, because it is visible in early evening
in the south winter sky. The bright corner stars are Capella,
Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, and Procyon. The 6th corner is the 2
brightest stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. If you have ever watched
Star Trek or Star Wars, you have heard most of these names. I tried my
driving glasses, but the binocurs worked far better.
I woke again at 0530. Orion has moved, but now I can see the big dipper
to the northeast. Polaris, the North Star, is out of my line of vision,
because our bearing is north. At lunch, I learn that the bridge
officers use Polaris to resynchronize the navigation system on clear
nights.
At 0730, I can see the full sunrise. The sky remains blue and clear, at
least into the afternoon. The seas are kind to us today. On the bridge
in the morning, I do not see another ship in any direction. At 0800, we
are off Jacksonville.
Today I am reading 'Guns, Germs, and Steel', an anthopology book. This
is another one pounder, but I will bring this one home.
