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.

The Great Dismal Swamp

My last blog post had us leaving our anchorage at Marine base Camp Lejeune, N.C to the seranade of live fire practice from the base. We continued on from there to Beaufort, N.C. To clear up a little confusion... we were previously in Beaufort, S.C. but to add to the confusion... in N.C. the city is pronounce "Bowfort" as opposed to the "Byoufort" in S.C. The current runs through the marina here quite strong so and we had to back in to a rather tight slip. It wasn't pretty but we got in without any damage or too much screaming. We are getting better at this! We met up again with our friends on "Start Dust" who were in the slip next to us. Shortly after we arrived, a beautiful 72' sport fisher pulled in that was being delivered from its winter home in Florida to its summer home in New Jersey. The crew ran the boat overnight from St. Augustine, Florida to Beaufort where they came in to refuel. They loaded on 2,000 gallons of fuel. Can you imagine... $12,000 for fuel for 1 day? Like many of the towns we have been through, Beaufort had a waterfront street wTth shops, restaurants and a maritime museum. There were many beautiful old homes dating back to the mid 1700's.On display in the window of one of the old homes was the leg lamp made famous in the classic movie, "A Christmas Story." The town also had a number of old cemetaries with gravestones telling the historical stories of the civil war and the general difficulties of life in the 18th century. So many children dying young and mothers dying shortly after giving birth. We also toured the Beaufort Maritime Museum where we learned of the areas rich history of shipwrecks and pirates, including the famous Blackbeard. The museum housed a number of unique rescue capsules that shipwrecked sailors and passengers could be sealed inside of so they could be hauled to shore.

From Beaufort we headed up the Neuse River to River Dunes which couldn't have been any more differnt from the old towns we had been visiting. River Dunes is newer private enclave of homes in a planned community. As we relaxed in the pool and had dinner in the club house, Karen declared she could move there. We borrowed bikes to tour the area and I started to get a bit creeped out. It was almost too perfect.. Kind of like the film, "Stepford Wives", I couldn't help but wonder what kind of secrets they were hiding under this well manicured exterior!

Our next stop was Belhaven, N.C. An uneventful trip overall. We had dinner there with our friends Katja and Swen at Spoon River Restaurant. This upscale restaurant seemed a bit out of place in this small southern community. Swen and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals.... unfortunately, Karen and Katja were not so impressed with theirs. Other than this the only thing memorable about Belhaven was how rough it was on our dock. We were rocking all night like we were in a magnitude 7 earthquake. In the morning we found one of our docklines had worn almost all the way through!

We left the next morning for another 50 mile run to Allligator River Marina. This small marina, is associated with a road side gas station that also happens to sell phenominal southern fried chicken. How could we resist? That evening we got together with the couples from "Mirth", "Heliopause" and "Start Dust" for a pleasant round of docktails and conversation. Alligator River Marina is at the southern end of the Albermarle Sound and serves as a staging ground for boaters needing to cross the sound. A sound is a body of water connected to a larger body of water, usually the ocean. Sounds can be hazardous as they are far more exposed than the waterways we had been travelling and the conditions can often change unexpectedly. The Albermarle is no exception to this rule and all of us at doctals that night had some nervousness at the anticipation of what might lie ahead for us in the morning. Fortunately, the weather forcast was favorable. We set out the next morning with calm winds and flat seas and the conditions remained that way for our entire run across the sound and up the Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City and Lambs Marina. Along the way we did have to dodge crab traps, avoid a sunken sailboat and we saw a huge hanger like structure that we later came to find out was built to construct airships (blimps). Once we passed under the drawbridge at Elizabeth City, we suddenly found ourselves in an entirely different world. From the open spaces and lowland marshes that we had been in we were now in a serene tree lined river.... the lead up to the Dismal Swamp. We pulled in for the night to Lambs Marina, a tiny marina that probably had not changed much for 50 or more years. The owner and residents were nice as could be but I must admit I kept wodering if there might be a toothless guy with a banjo somewhere close by. That night as I checked the sea strainers for my engine and AC water intakes, I was surprised to see them filled with tiny shrimp....hundreds of them, each maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. The waters of the Albermarle must have been filled with them. At the start of my last blog, I had a teaser about the Dismal Swamp. Lambs Marina was our last stop before entering the swamp and we left the next morning with great anticipation.

THE DISMAL SWAMP: Early surveyors and mapmakers referred to this swamp land of northeastern North Carolina and southwestern Virginia as a dismal and forbidding place and the name, "Dismal Swamp" was first noted on a map in 1733. In 1763, a 31 year old George Washington visited the area and described it as a "glorious paradise." He also saw it to be an area of great opportunity. With other investors, he formed the Dismal Swamp Land Company to purchase 60,000 acres of the swamp. This is when the history becomes dark and ugly. Slaves were ordered to dig a canal with the intention of draining the swamp for farming. When this proved unprofitable they turned to lumber and shingle production and the canals were used to transport the lumber out of the swamp. The digging of the swamp was done under what could only be described as intolerable conditions... working in the mud in the hot and humid insect and snake filled swamp. The timber companies then used both slaves and free African-Americans to cut and gather the shingles and continue to dig the canals. They lived in camps on the banks of the canals. Some of the companies shared profits with the slaves which sometimes allowed them to purchase their freedom. This densely forested swamp area was also a cover area for slaves seeking their freedom. They would travel on foot through this area to the ports of Elizabeth City, Portsmouth and Norfolk to escape on north bound ships. Some would stop here to work for the opportunity to purchase their fredom and others, known as "Maroons" found permanent refuge here and formed colonies that lasted for mutlitple generations. The Dismal Swamp State Park is a designated site for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The Dismal Swamp Canal is the oldest operating man made waterway in the US. In the mid 1800's, hundreds of passenger ships, shingle flat boats and schooners used the canal as a transportation route. It was also used to move supplies dring the civil war. In 1859, the Albermarle-Chesapeake Canal was constructed which led to a significant decline in traffic along the Dismal Swamp canal. Today it is part of the Intracoastal Waterway and used almost exclusively by pleasure boaters- Like Us! The area is now a North Carolina State park and serves as a protected site for plant and animal species including bobcats, black bears, otters, deer and over 70 species of reptiles and amphibians and over 200 species of birds. The tannins released by the decaying vegetation turns the water a deep black color which along with the dense foliage makes the canal both beautiful and foreboding.

As an optional path of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, we chose the canal as our route from the Albermarle Sound in NC to Norfolk, Va. The 22 mile long canal is entered and exited by one lock at each end and is known for having shallow water with both floating and submerged logs and foliage that can snag and damage props. For this reason, most of the boaters along the AICW choose to avaid the swamp and instead use the Albermarle-Chesapeake canal. That canal is larger and deeper and has signicant commercial traffic. It also has a restaurant at the town of Coinjock known for serving great prime rib. But the allure of the swamp drew us to it...or may be I should say it drew me to it and I brought Karen along! We went through very slowly (4-5 miles per hour) and stayed far behind other boats in case they dislodged logs from the bottom and we made it through with only one tiny bump on the hull and no bumps on the props. In return we were rewarded with a phenominal experience. We stayed overnight on a free dock at the visitors center and took a walk through the lush forest. Unfortunately, the weather for our 2 days in the swamp was appropriately dismal (cloudy and drizzly) so we did not get to experience the dramatic contrast of black water and light blue skies, but it was beautiful nonetheless. And... the drizzly weather kept the flying insects away.

As abrupt as the change of scenery was entering the river and canal from the south, the change was even more abrupt as we exited the canal into the Elizabeth River and the entrance to Norfolk. Almost immediately, we were forced to wait for 30 minutes in the current for a railroad bridge to open and then we were hailed by a southbound freighter to stand off as they came through a bridge too narrow for both of us to pass through safely. A rude welcome back to civilization. And... a good place to stop this blog! See ya next time folks.