Norfolk, VA

0630, May 24, 2014.

Another beautiful day. Low fifties last night. Good sleeping.

Coffee as usual. Routine morning maintenance, oil and water check. Put ten gallons of diesel from jerry cans into tank.

Left Elizabeth City at 0730 (before Gus arrived otherwise it would have been 0930). Neil had left at first light because he does four knots in Full Moon whereas we can do six and a half. So we’ll catch him.

 

 

Dismal Swamp Canal, ICW

 

Up the Pasquotank River to Turner’s Cut and South Mills and the first of two locks we have to cross through today. The South Mills lock only opens twice a day so you have to time your arrival at one of those times, for us 1100 hours.

We were there with four other boats, all lined up to enter the lock. Everybody monitors VHF channel 13 and listens to the lock master’s instructions. In the procession of boats go at his command. We were instructed to tie up to the lock cleats starboard side, which we dutifully did.

Then you wait for everyone else to get tied up securely. The dock master comes by to give some last minute instructions then he closes the south end of the lock and carefully and slowly opens the north end to flood the lock.

Boats rise the five feet or so to the water level in the canal to the north, the lockmaster opens the north end and everybody drives off like a walk in the park.

Through the lock we go sorting out boats from those that intend to stop at the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center where one can tie up to a free dock overnight, from those that intend to continue north to the Deep Creek Lock (which is us).

At 1308 we passed into Virginia and continued northward through the very straight, narrow and shallow Dismal Swamp Canal and finally arrived at Deep Creek and the Deep Creek Lock, just on time for the scheduled 1530 opening.

 

 

 

We were the lead boat and so drove into the lock first when the light turned green and finally tied up port side and waited for the lock to close. And close it did after a few other boats entered and tied up.

So this time when the south gate closed the water level decreased by about five feet, just the opposite of the South Mills Lock. And just like before, when the north lock gate opened we drove off like we knew what we were doing.

Onward we went, entered Deep Creek proper and finally spilled out into the Elizabeth River, through the Gilmerton Lift Bridge (witch does just that – lifts vertically to accommodate big ships – of which there are many about) then on past Money Point. Into some heavy industrial and shipping operations now. Large piers and container loading gantries. Finally into Town Reach, where we glided to our anchorage just east of the Norfolk Naval Hospital.

Here are, back in good old Virginia.

 

 

 

Water Lilly raft on the ICW

 

Norfolk to the east, Portsmouth to the west, Hampton and Newport News to the north.

Cocktailed up and waited for the movie to begin. This evening features a sailboat running aground outside the anchorage and prompt arrival of a bright red Tow Boat US savior. Not much traffic on this quiet Sunday before Memorial Day.

 

 

 

Norfolk Naval Hospital

 

Today was the day of a life celebration held in Sarasota, FL for Cindy Browning the wife of Harry Browning, a good friend. Cindy died some months earlier. Harry has been planning this memorial service and celebration for some time, and just one day before the service he himself had to undergo emergency surgery and so missed the service. But many good friends were there, including the intrepid Joe McCue, to see Harry through. They skyped him into the celebration and hovered over him throughout.

Harry is a Marine Corps Veteran having served in Vietnam where he was wounded in combat operations.

So this evening, the evening before Memorial Day, I am setting in the cockpit of this little boat, Flicka, thinking of Harry and all the veterans I have known, including my father who was wounded in battle in World War II and his brother Earl, who I am named after, who was killed in combat on the beaches of Normandy, Tommy Erskine across the road from us in Staunton, Bob Meek next door, my father-in-law McKelden Smith, Joe McCue and all his Marine Corps buddies, all my VMI brother rats and all VMI service men and women and all US armed forces everywhere, living and dead.

We might get in some very bad wars for all the wrong reasons, and I know it’s an old cliché but these people really do protect us from the bad guys.

I honor them all, every one.

Tomorrow we sail to the Chesapeake Bay.

 

 

 

Aircraft Carrier, Norfolk, VA