Saint Augustine
We were in Jacksonville until December 1, when it was time to move on. We left at slack tide (yes we planned it that way) and headed down the ICW to avoid adverse off shore conditions and got as far as Saint Augustine. Of course, the weather was an issue. The storm that came through was with us for two days and kept most travelers in port. While at Saint Augustine we met Peter Strassberger, a long time friend from Norwalk. We had a great time with him and got to see the old part of town. We also found the shopping center where Jerie found "bargains" for Christmas.
Rockets to Space
When we left Saint Augustine we went to Daytona for a night then the Titusville. Titusville is at Cape Canaveral. We anchored near a bridge, and listened to the Florida-Alabama game presumably for the national championship. "Bama" won to the satisfaction of all on the Peking. That night, on the VHF radio the Coast Guard announced that Canaveral was "T-1 and counting". Yes, we got to see a Delta 4 launch a satellite. What a show. The pad bursts into light and the rocket begins its fiery climb to space. A huge torch rising in the night sky followed shortly by the roar of the engines. The flame lasted for a couple of minutes as the rocket climbed into the black sky, followed by the flame booster for a few seconds then the show was over. What a show.