The sun coming up this morning....
It's beautiful out here!
Veteran's Memorial Park
Pulling into Coinjock
This puppy loves to play....
Every year when we stop here he runs and gets a toy!
We are headed to Norfolk, VA but we don't expect to get any further than that for a couple of days. The winds are coming out of the north with gusts of 30+ knots which is not doable, for us anyway! We were actually thinking about doing an overnighter but that's when the winds shift and we don't want to get caught in the Chesapeake Bay under those conditions, especially if we had to find shelter right away, during dark hours!
Bob says this is "The Boat Graveyard"
There are 3 boats that have sunken here
Great shot! Look carefully!
There is a picture of an Blue Heron coming in low over the small tree
stub next to the larger one....
Must be bird day!
and let's not forget turtles!
and another Bald Eagle!!!
Look at this beauty!
The current is running crazy in the lock today. We came in on the
other side to make it easier to get out, and the woman who was helping
us, kept saying, "oh don't go over there, you're never going to be
able to get out with this current" Well she was right partially. He
ended up hitting the wall front end with the anchor, and when it was
time to leave he had to back out to keep from scratching his boat
all the way down the lock...
Do you see the goose!? I was latterly right in front of her when we
came by...I didn't have my camera with me though...that would have
been a great shot. She didn't care we were face to face !
One of the bridges I had to go through....The bridge actually lifts
and there is a light that lets you know when you can go through...
Double Skin
They started making these tankers with double skins (hulls) so another
accident like the Exxon Valdez oil spill that happened in 1989 won't happen again....
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: 25 Years Ago On March 24, 1989
On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez had just entered Alaska's Prince William Sound, after departing the Valdez Marine Terminal full of crude oil. At 12:04 am, the ship struck a reef, tearing open the hull and releasing 11 million gallons of oil into the environment. Initial responses by Exxon and the Alyeska Pipeline Company were insufficient to contain much of the spill, and a storm blew in soon after, spreading the oil widely. Eventually, more than 1,000 miles of coastline were fouled, and hundreds of thousands of animals perished. Exxon ended up paying billions in cleanup costs and fines, and remains tied up in court cases to this day. The captain, Joseph Hazelwood, was acquitted of being intoxicated while at the helm, but convicted on a misdemeanor charge of negligent discharge of oil, fined $50,000, and sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service. Though the oil has mostly disappeared from view, many Alaskan beaches remain polluted to this day, crude oil buried just inches below the surface.
I know you can't see this but it is hilarious!
There are lots and lots of pigeons on the top of this
barge. It is feed for Perdue's chickens and it is overflowing
from all the nooks and crannies and the pigeons are having
one heck of a feeding frenzy!
Yep! We're here!
Scenic shots
"Pride of Baltimore II"
Original "Pride of Baltimore"
About the Ship
Pride of Baltimore II, “America’s Star-Spangled Ambassador,” is a reproduction of the 1812-era Baltimore Clippers that helped America defeat the British in the War of 1812. She is also a sailing memorial to her immediate predecessor, the original Pride of Baltimore. Since being commissioned in 1988, Pride of Baltimore II has sailed more than 200,000 miles and visited more than 200 ports in 40 countries.
Baltimore Clippers, because they were so fast and maneuverable, were the vessels of choice for privateers during the War of 1812. Privateers, commissioned by the wartime government, plied Britain’s home waters, the Atlantic and the Caribbean attacking British ships for profit. With a skilled crew, the Clippers could easily outsail the Royal Navy vessels escorting merchant convoys. Nearly a third of all of the commissions issued to privateers during the War of 1812 went to vessels operating out of Baltimore. Those Baltimore privateers captured more than a third of the total British prizes. Their successes, of course, galled the Royal Navy and spurred the British to attack Baltimore in 1814.
Thomas Boyle was Baltimore’s most famous privateer captain. His cruises on the Baltimore Clipper Chasseur were so successful that she earned the nickname, “the pride of Baltimore.” Thus, the name, Pride of Baltimore, was a natural for the first Baltimore Clipper to be built in 150 years in 1977 in Baltimore.
The original Pride of Baltimore was built – mostly by hand using traditional tools and methods – and launched in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. She sailed for nine years as Baltimore and Maryland’s ambassador, going as far as Europe and logging more than 150,000 miles. Unfortunately, she sank during a white squall off Puerto Rico on May 14, 1986, taking her captain and three crew with her. There is a permanent memorial to the original Pride in the Inner Harbor on Rash Field.
After the tragic sinking, the board that operated the original Pride had no plans to build a replacement ship. However, the people of Baltimore did. The unsolicited support, from money being donated in jars of pennies to checks for $10,000, forced the board’s hand. The new Pride of Baltimore II was also built – using power tools this time – and launched in the Inner Harbor. She looks very much like the original Pride, but was built with more contemporary amenities and safety features below deck. She continues the tradition of her predecessor, acting as goodwill ambassador from the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland to the world.
The place is littered with cranes!
Interstates!
Police....
New high rises behind old high rises!
and a half a dozen or so of these guys hanging out!
Well we are here in Norfolk, VA. We are anchored right in front of the VA hospital.
At 3:09 today Bob and I made the decision not to try and fight our way up north. The winds are just too strong and of course are coming from the north, which means a very rough and bumpy ride for us. Not considered a "safe journey" so here we sit for a while :-(
Tomorrow is supposed to be a really crappy day. Rain and winds all day long. Ugh!
Norfolk, VA 041216
Today was a rainy, crappy day. We just did a bunch of little things that added up to pretty much nothing'!! At least the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow!
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