Norfolk and the Chesapeake

Norfolk Harbor is by far the most industrial harbor we have been in on our cruise so far. We tied up at Waterside Marina, a very nice marina despite the fact that it was nestled between a huge Carnival Cruise ship, a ferry dock and two small aircraft carriers in drydock for repairs. There was an armed police boat guarding the cruise ship and armed naval patrol boat guarding the carriers.It was a damp dreary day so we headed to the marina restaurant and warmed our bones with an incredible crab chowder. After lunch, the cruise ship put on a good show. Any captain, big boat or small, needs to master the techinque of spinning his boat in place. The captain of this ship obviously knew how. He spun that beheamoth of a ship 180 degrees right in front of our marina. It was an impressive display of seamanship.

One of our first orders of business was to replace our air conditioning water pump that had burned out. The marina recommended Captain Tiny. As soon as I saw him walking down the dock it was obvious how he got his name and equally obvious that he would not be the man for the job. “Tiny” was probably 350# on a good day and he had significant weight related mobility issues. If you have ever worked around boats, you know that working around an engine room requires a high degree of agility even for a thin person. There was no way “Tiny” was going to be able to wedge himself into my engine room. His “assistant”, who was actually his girlfriend, may have known how to take care of “Tiny” but knew nothing about marine AC. Together the three of us did confirm the pump needed to be replaced but Karen and I agreed Captain Tiny would not be the one to do it. A couple of days later we changed marinas and found a very professional mechanic to finish the job. Our first full day in Norfolk we walked around the town and visited the tomb of General Douglas MacArthur and his wife. Unfortunately, we arrived at the site shortly before closing so we had to work our way through quickly. It can be humbling to stand in the presence of a man who had so much impact on the world. He was a true leader who, despite adversities and setbacks, went on to lead the US forces in the Pacific to victory. His speech given on the deck of the USS Missouri, when he accepted the surrender of Japan, was one we can all still learn from. “….It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from the this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past – a world founded upon faith and understanding – a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice… We have had our chance. If we do not now devise some greater more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door…” We have subsequently visited West Point Military Academy from which the General had graduated top of his class in 1903. (His mother lived near campus while he was there and prodded her son to study hard… the first helicopter mom?)

We left this solemn scene in search of pizza and three of Norfolk’s finest pointed us in the direction of Benny’s Pizza. One slice of this great pizza was so large it required 2 plates. This was the first time I have ever been satisfied with one piece of pizza!

The next day we hopped tour cruise of Norfolk Harbor. Norfolk is the home of the largest naval base in the world and it was impressive. It did make Karen and I both a little nervous to think that so much of our navy was all in one place (remember Pearl Harbor?) but it does make for a great place to witness the grandeur of our navy. We saw everything from nuclear subs to our largest aircraft carriers, including the USS Gerald Ford, our newest carrier. It was a great tour and it was nice to have someone else having the responsibility of driving the boat for a change.

Norfolk was our gateway to the Chesapeake Bay. We had some apprehension as we approached the bay as her waters can be tricky and treacherous. Fortunately, we were able to pick all of our travel days on the bay well and we never saw any waves over 1 foot. Our travels in the Chesapeake took us to Reedville in Virginia and then to Solomons, St Michaels, and Annapolis, Md. Reedvill was a quiet little town. We tied up on the dock of the Crazy Crab restaurant. The aromas of butter and garlic wafting out of the restaurant made for the best smelling dock ever! To work up an appetite, we started with a walk into town. We passed some wonderful old houses…one was for sale… I was tempted! We ended up at the Reedville Fisherman’s Museum. One of the buildings in this museum was an old house that was built in 24 hours for $25! In 1850, this small town had more millionaires than any other city in America. Ever heard of menhaden? Neither had I. Menhaden is a very oily fish found in huge schools in the Chesapeake and surrounding waters. The oils from this fish became a valuable alternative to whale oil. At one time there were 18 factories in this town producing menhaden oil. Although we no longer need menhaden oil to keep our lights burning, it is still a very valuable fish. In addition to being used for fish meal and animal feeds, it’s oils are high in Omega 3 fatty acids and supply the bulk of fish oil supplements. The fishermen of Reedville also did their part to support the war effort during WWII, even going as far as lending their ‘eyes’ in heeding the call from FDR.(see attached poster)

St. Michaels was a quintessential small Chesapeake Bay City with a beautiful harbor and a quaint town with nice shops and restaurants. We walked to a bakery for brunch with and I went with the waitress’ recommendation… a bacon egg and cheese sandwich… only instaed of a bagel or English muffin, this one came in a glazed doughnut. I have to admit it was a great savory/sweet sensation. Could this be a little town I could call home? Maybe…. Although I bet it’s not quite as nice in the winter.

Annapolis…. This town ended up being one of the highlights of our trip so far. The town was vibrant! We were also there at the end of gay pride month so it was also colorful, to say the least! A large enough town to offer the amenities of a big city, it also had a more small town feel. Our first night there, after docktails with a large group of loopers, we wandered into town for a stroll.

Dicktails with a large group of Loopers is always fun!

Our new friends from "Apres Sail" had just completed their loop in Annapolis and came by to welcome us to their city. We grabbed some ice cream in fresh made waffle cones and wandered around “ego alley.” Ego alley is a small concrete lined waterway/dock in the middle of downtown Annapolis. It derives its name from the fact that yachtsmen like to feed their egos by piloting there large yachts down the small channel, perform a tight 180 degree turn and head back out to the harbor. When there is room, many of these yachts will tie up for the night to party. It is quite the happening place. I asked Karen if she would like to drive our boat into this parade… fortunately she said no. I guess our egos aren’t big enough for that. Our second day in Annapolis Karen and I and our friends from “Perfect Match” took a tour of the US Naval Academy. I cannot tell you how impressed we were with the institution. To start with, the grounds were magnificent. Large marble buildings in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture. It was majestic. Two of the buildings that really stood out were the dormitory and the chapel which was as impressive as some of the finest churches in Europe. Karen went back on Sunday morning to attend one of the church services and was very uplifted and motivated by the experience.

My college dorm was nothing like the building for the midshipmen's dorms! Housed under the chapel is the tomb of John Paul Jones. Although I knew the name, I really had no idea who he really was. Known for the quote, “I have not yet begun to fight”, Jones was a Scottish born merchant sailor who came to America and later sided with the colonists against the British in the Revolutionary War. Against great odds he was successful in beating the British and earned the reputation as one of the finest naval officers of the war. He became known as the father of the US Navy and his reputation spread around the world. After the war, the navy was disbanded due to lack of funds and Jones went back to Europe and commanded ships for Russia in their battles with the Turks. He eventually settled in Paris where he died. He was buried there but the cemetery was eventually sold and his site forgotten. 100 years later, his remains were recovered and returned to the US. As a testament to his importance to the US Navy, His tomb under the chapel is a site to behold.

As impressive as the buildings were, even more impressive was learning about rigors and discipline in the daily lives of the midshipmen (students). In addition to their heavy class load they also have daily exercises (such as fighting skills and general conditioning) and are also expected to participate in a sport to learn to work as a member of a team. I cannot figure out how men and women find time to sleep with all that is expected of them. In these times when we occasionally hear about potential problems in the preparedness of our military, I came away from this tour confident that these upstanding young midshipmen would graduate to become some of the finest military officers in the world. That night I was picked up by my old friend Cap, who I sailed with in the Philippines (go Brass Buzzard) and had not seen since Karen and I got married. He and his wife Emily hosted us to dinner at their house, our first home cooked meal in months and a great night of reminiscing and conversation. The next day my cousin, Bryce, came to the boat to see us and we then walked across the bridge to East Port and had lunch at the Boathouse, a local landmark that served the best crab cakes we have had on the trip so far. It was great visiting with old friends and family. It’s the spice of life! Karen and I would love to go back to Annapolis. Could we live there some day? I don’t know… like St Michaels, I bet it’s not as much fun in the winter.

The next day we woke up to another beautiful day but it was time to say goodbye to the Chesapeake. The bay is incredible and you could spend a whole summer boating on its waters without beginning to touch all that it has to offer. But we had a schedule to keep so we headed north on the bay to the Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) canal to our next stop at Delaware City… a destination that will start our next blog.