Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - We made it!

Jennifer, Deb, Karen, Gary, Brad and Joe celebrate the completion
of Sea Catcher's great American adventure

Well, it was a lot of work getting ready and it took a long time to complete the trip. We will now reflect on it for a while. We had some great experiences and some not so great experiences. The good far exceeds the bad. We had two or three days out of 51 that were pretty miserable and that isn't too bad. I think the new rule is any waves over 1 to 3 feet or any winds over 15 miles an hour and we stay in port. Our last day wasn't one of our worst days, but it was far from one of the best. We started out with almost no wind, but by the time we got into the Burlington Harbor the wind was out of the northwest at 10 or more with gusts to 15. Docking was a one-shot deal. I was glad the owner of the boat next to us stood by with a boat hook. It worked out fine, but it was the second most anxious docking of the entire trip. We were glad we could share the trip with our daughter and some friends. We wish our son, Keenan, could have joined us and we are very thankful that we had no mechanical issues that impeded our trip in any way. We never felt we were in danger. We did feel that two tropical storms before the season was supposed to begin was a little unfair and that March-like winds for over a week off New Jersey wasn't right. Someone at the dock in Burlington told me I was lucky today and I asked him why. I thought he was going to say something about completing the trip or that we didn't have any major problems, but he said I was lucky to be able to do the trip. We do realize we were fortunate to be able to do this trip. Our last trip adventure was going to ReRa's Irish bar for a celebratory Guiness with Deb and Gary whom we met while going through Georgia. They started the loop from Michigan last August and are on their way north to Montreal and beyond. They joined us for a toast with Joe and Jennifer and it was nice way to end the adventure.

Monday, June 25, 2012

The southern end of Lake Champlain

The new Champlain bridge

Le Bistro du Lac at Yacht Club

We left Whitehall Marina at 9:30 a.m. Whitehall is at the bottom of Lake Champlain where it looks more like a river than a lake. We really felt like we were back in Vermont as the clouds came in and it began to sprinkle rain. We almost never have misty, light rain in Florida. When it rains in Florida, it really rains, but then the sun comes out. We put on our rain gear and stayed outside for the ride to Westport, NY. The lake veers to the west just before the new Champlain bridge completed last year. After the bridge, we turned north and put away the chart plotter for the final 10 miles or so to Westport. From now on, there is plenty of water from shore to shore except for a few shoal areas that we are familiar with. I found myself continuing to watch the depth even though I knew we had plenty of water. That is habit that will be hard to break after touching bottom a number of times over the course of our trip. We arrived in Westport at 2:30 p.m. and were soon welcomed by another rain shower. The rain let up later in the afternoon and we spoke with our friend Jeff who lives on the lake in South Hero. He decided to meet us by boat at the marina. It is about 40 miles, but it took him only an hour and fifteen minutes. It takes us nearly five hours to travel that far. He arrived with a bottle of champagne -very nice- and his neighbor, Fred. There is a French restaurant on the water not far from the marina, so Jeff ferried us to the restaurant. Tomorrow we complete the final leg of our trip that has taken us over 2,000 miles. The trip will have taken 51 days and 230 hours on the engine. We will have burned 2 gallons of fuel per hour at 4 miles per gallon. Tomorrow, we will complete the trip when we arrive at the Burlington Boat House in downtown Burlington. We are looking forward to being back on land again and we are feeling a great sense of accomplishment.


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Early morning fog at Schuylerville Yacht Basin

We left the dock at 8:30 a.m. and arrived at Whitehall at 2:00 p.m. All of the locks were ready for us as we locked through the until the last lock at Whitehall. The canal was finished in 1823 and the series of locks and newly dug canals and improved riverways allowed for the passage of raw materials out of the Champlain Valley to New York and beyond. The opening of the Champlain Canal marked the beginning of the Champlain Valley's entry into the national economy. In 1841, Burlington businessman and my great-great-great grandfather Timothy Follett, along with John Bradley formed the Merchants Lake Boat line. Their use of sailing canal boats which were more efficient and


A portion of the 24-mile dug channel
from Lock 7 to Whitehall 

faster than standard canal boats greatly increased the speed, use and profitability of shipping to and from the Champlain
 Valley. The decline of shipping through the canal began to
 decline in 1853 when rail lines connected the area to Montreal,
 Boston and New York. The rail lines could run throughout the
 year and they were much quicker.

http://www.lcmm.org/shipwrecks_history/history/history_commercial.htm

After we arrived in Whitehall, we put the mast back up and began looking forward to being on Lake Champlain for the rest of the trip.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Leaving the first Champlain Canal lock

We left the dock at 7:00 a.m. We didn't know how long it would take to get through the 5 locks we planned for the day, so we left a little early. The crew on the Champlain Locks were very accommodating. There wasn't much traffic and it felt like they were there just for us. When we got to the second lock, we didn't have to show our pass ($15 for two days). The lock tender from Lock number one called our information ahead. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the first two locks because there were boats locking through from the other direction. The rest of the locks were open and ready for us. Joe's sister, Patty, lives within walking distance of the 4th canal, so she and her son, Joe, came to the lock as we were locking through. They joined us for the leg from the lock to our marina. The lock tender wanted to know our schedule and when we told him we would resume tomorrow morning, he asked where we were spending the night. He told us to call Lock Number five when we were ready to leave the marina, so they would have it ready for us when we got there. Pinch me. We arrived at Schuylerville Yacht Basin at 2:00 p.m. The weather forecast was 20% chance of rain and we found it. Joe's sister and her son had about 15 minutes of nice weather before a storm seemed to come up out of no where. The wind was gusting over 30 miles an hour and we were in a downpour shortly after that. On WeatherBug, the storm cell covered western New York and parts of Vermont. A couple we met on a 33 foot Grady White while passing through Georgia were two locks ahead of us. They sent us an email at the end of the day asking how we did in the storm. They stopped for it, but because we can pilot from inside the cabin, it was easier to continue through the storm.

The lowest bridge clearance is 15'4"
We lowered the mast the day before
and lowered the bimini to get under this
bridge. We had to duck to get under it.

The winds were
 pretty strong and the rain did a nice job of washing off
the boat. By the time we arrived at Schuylerville, the wind
 had ended, but we did get pretty wet docking in the rain.
After about an hour the sun was out again. Patty's husband John arrived with the car which gave us an opportunity to go to a grocery store and then we meet for for dinner at a very good Mexican restaurant two blocks from the boat in downtown Schuylerville.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Dinner on the deck overlooking the marina

We left at 7:45 a.m. for Shady Harbor Marina in New Baltimore, NY. Between the dirt road, restrooms that reminded me of what you might have in an old camp and docks covered in goose excrement, we couldn't get out of Hyde Park Marina fast enough. If there had been a review in ActiveCaptain we would have surely avoided it. There will be a review soon, so other cruisers can avoid it. Shady Harbor is an Active Captain First Choice and the reviews were from this spring. We arrived at 2:30 p.m. and we were immediately impressed. It took about an hour longer than we anticipated because we were at the end of an outgoing tide that shaved about 2 miles per hour of hour speed. We took down the mast so we can get through the Champlain Canal and had a meal of Lobster and She Crab soup at the restaurant on the property. There was a very fun live band which made for a great evening. We talked to some members of the Donovan family who run the marina and their pride in the property was very evident. They had planted palm trees and had potted palms around the pool area. The store was neat and clean and they had a nice selection of things like milk and orange juice. This was the kind of stop that makes for an enjoyable trip.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

View on the Hudson

We left NYC to head up the Hudson River at 9:20 a.m. It was a sticky, humid morning and we were glad to be on the water. The surroundings are very different from the ocean views we've become accustomed to. The water was perfectly flat, so it was very comfortable. We had planned to stop earlier, but it was so hot, we figured it would be better to stay on the water rather than being stuck in the cabin to avoid the heat. We arrived at Hyde Park Marina in Poughkeepsie at

Hyde Park Marina

4:55 p.m. There was almost no wind and the temperature was 95 degrees. The marina is pretty rough around the edges. The cruising guide said there was a restaurant nearby, but that must have been along time ago. This area was hit pretty hard by Irene last year and a number of marinas haven't reopened or will never open again. We got a cab to the Culinary Institute located a couple of miles away for a great meal. One more day before we begin going through the 12 locks necessary to get into Lake Champlain

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

9/11 Memorial

We spent the day in New York City. The Liberty Landing Ferry leaves the marina on the hour and half hour for the 15 minute ride to lower Manhattan. The Memorial and the rebuild effort are incredible. We had to reserve tickets online and we were struck by the number of people waiting in line for tickets and then the number of people at the Memorial.

Joe and Jennifer joined us in the evening and we begin our trip up the Hudson River tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - NYC Yeah!

One World Trade Center
View from Liberty Landing Marina

We left the dock at 6:15 a.m. and pulled into Liberty Landing at 5:45 p.m. We had swells yesterday left over from the week of winds that we waited out in Cape May. We expected the swells would diminish today. It wasn't meant to be. The swells continued, but a 10 knot south wind caused a following sea to develop throughout the day. Instead of just swells, we had swells with a following sea. The autopilot doesn't do well with following seas, so we yawed back and forth while riding the swells up and down. It was cold and overcast most of the day and overall a pretty miserable trip. The good news is that we made it to NYC. Coming into the city was pretty amazing. Though there were tankers, ferries and tugs, it was no worse than many Sunday afternoons around the Palm Beach inlet. We can now look forward to the last leg up the Hudson River, through the Champlain Canal and then to Lake Champlain.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Atlantic City from the ocean as
 we approached the inlet

We left the dock at 6:15 am. The sun was out and even though it was only 56 degrees when we left, it was pleasant on the bridge. There was little to no wind, so there weren't even ripples on the surface. There was a three to four foot swell, but though a little uncomfortable at times, it was very doable. We were just glad to be underway again. After about an hour an a half we could begin to see the Atlantic City skyline. We arrived at Farley Marina at the Golden Nugget at 11:15 a.m. Finally, we are back on our trip.



At the dock in Atlantic City with
Harrah's in the background

We will be in New York City tomorrow evening. Tonight we plan
to win enough at the slots to pay for the trip.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

It was a great place to stay, but it is time to go

Happy Father's Day. Another day of waiting. The wind was cold and we mostly just hung out. I spent quite a bit of time going over possible stops on the Hudson and along the Champlain Canal. The marina let us know that this was the March weather that they didn't have this year. It was in the 80's in March. Thanks a lot. We ended the day with dinner at the Lobster House which continues to amaze us. The prices are reasonable and we have had some great meals.  Finally, the wind switched towards the south and by the time we turned in, there was almost no wind. We are  shooting to leave as early as possible tomorrow. A number of boats are waiting until Tuesday because the wave height predictions don't go below 4 feet until then. They are more experienced, with this cruising thing, but we are anxious to start moving again. If it is too rough when we go into the ocean, we'll turn around and attempt the inside route.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

The winds continue. The refrigerator is defrosted and we went to Harbor Fest, Downtown Cape May and we did some grocery shopping. Grocery shopping has been one of our biggest challenges. The store here is about a mile and a half from the marina and Cape May is busy with tourist traffic. We still plan to leave Monday morning, but it would be nice if the wind would start letting up. The highlight of our day was salmon and clams casino that we purchased form the seafood market attached to the Lobster House cooked on the boat grill.

Friday, June 15, 2012

View from the Schooner American used
 as a bar and restaurant at the Lobster House

We went to the Lobster House for lunch before Ann Marie and Wally were to leave for Boston. This was our third time eating there and we were continually amazed at the price and quality of the food.  After our guests left, Karen did laundry and I cleaned the boat. The boat can always use cleaning and there seems to be an unlimited amount of laundry. It is amazing how the days just evaporate.

It looks like the really good weather won't be with us until Tuesday, but as of now we are planning to leave for Atlantic City first thing Monday morning. The wind will still be out of the East, but at 5 to 10. We expect swells, but we think that will be bearable. Tuesday we will leave as early as possible for the long ride to NYC. Tuesday the winds are predicted to switch to the south which would mean a very comfortable ride for one of our longest days.
Saturday is Harbor Fest in Cape May, so we plan to check that out after we defrost the refrigerator.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

It is hard to believe the wind is still blowing. Wally and Ann Marie are leaving for Boston tomorrow and Karen and I will wait out the wind. At least we are glad to be in Cape May, NJ. There is plenty to do and Utsch's Marina has great bathrooms and wonderful staff. We were successful in finding Egg Creams and we rode the historic trolley. Of course, the web site said you could begin the trolley ride anywhere on the trip, but when we tried to wave them down, they just waved back. Wally and I changed the oil in the engine and the generator. The new engine oil changing system made the task pretty easy (thanks Ted Kasper - mechanic extraordinaire). It looks like Sunday will be the day to head towards New York. It will be Atlantic City or Manasquan Inlet the first day and then Liberty Landing Marina in New York the next day. We are ready to head up the Hudson to Lake Champlain.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Wally at the Arcade

Cape May Beach

Today is Keenan's birthday. Hard to believe he is 21. We are sorry we couldn't be with him. We will celebrate when we see him next in VT. The wind continues to blow 15 to 20 with higher gusts on occasion. The wind shifted from the southeast to the northeast. We would like the winds to shift to the west or southwest or to die down to 5 to 10 from any direction before we head to NY. We took a bike ride to the Cape May beach and picked up groceries. There are a number of boats waiting for the wind to die down before heading north. Tomorrow we plan to go out in search of an Egg Cream and take a trolley ride through the historic district. We hope to be in NY City by Sunday or Monday and then begin our trek north on the Hudson next Wednesday morning.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

We left the dock at 6:45 a.m. expecting it to be a little rough in the Delaware River. As we turned into the bay, there was a moderate chop. After about 2 hours, the little chop had turned into 3 to 4 foot seas. We were getting a good push from the tide going out, so we were making over 9 knots over the ground. With the tide going out and the wind on our bow, the waves were close together making it very uncomfortable. We considered turning back at about half way, but it would still be uncomfortable and we would be in Delaware City instead of Cape May at the end of the day. At one point, the seas were so heavy, I wouldn't have wanted to make the turn. At the worst, the seas increased to 4 to 6 with a maximum 5 second interval. We backed off 200 rpm's to keep from launching off the waves. Once or twice the waves broke over the bow. The boat never flinched. All of the cabinets were secured with tape, but the noise from contents banging back and forth was pretty annoying. A couple of years ago, a seasoned sailor told me boats can take it, it is the people who can't handle it. We finally arrived at the entrance to Cape May Canal at 1:45 p.m. We didn't get a break from the seas until we were inside the jetty. We were secured at the dock at Utsch's Marina at 2:15 p.m.

Monday, June 11, 2012

We left Rock Hall at 7:45 a.m. The morning was surreal with no wind and a haze across the horizon. It was a very nice cruise into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The Chesapeake reminded me of Lake Champlain as it narrowed. We stopped at 1:45 p.m. about half way through the canal at Summit North Marina in Bear, DE. The marina is one of the least attractive stops we've made. We took on 150 gallons of fuel and I expect that should do it for the trip. It looks like we will burn less than 500 gallons overall. We had dinner on board and we are looking forward to Cape May, NJ on Tuesday.

Sunday, June 11, 2012

Left Annapolis for Rock Hall, MD at 9:15 a.m. and arrived at 12 noon. It was an easy cruise with beautiful weather. Once we stopped, it was pretty hot. It felt like Florida in the summer. We took it easy in the afternoon and walked into town at 6 p.m. People told us the Harbor Shack was hopping the night before with a live band. Sunday night was pretty laid back. The town is neat and tidy, but nothing fancy. We head for the C&D Canal tomorrow morning.

Saturday, June 9, 2012



View from the World War II Memorial

Crew change today. Ellen and Doug left to go see their grandchildren and Wally and Ann Marie arrived in the afternoon from North Palm Beach. Karen and I did the turn around on the boat and then went to the Dock House for lunch. We walked around the historic district and took a trolley tour of the city. We plan to leave at a leisurely time tomorrow morning for Rock Hall, MD.


At 18 Pinkney Street, this house—built around 1715—is
one of the oldest surviving buildings in Annapolis.
Its first occupant ran a tavern here. Later,
it was the home of merchants and artisans. It is now
headquarters for Historic Annapolis.

Plaque at the War Memorial



Friday, June 8, 2012

By the time we reached the race boats
they were spread across the bay. This
was a cluster we passed

After dinner in the Historic District

We spent the morning in St. Michaels. Ellen and Doug visited the Maritime Museum and we went into to town for provisioning for the next week. We left the marina at 12 noon on our way to Annapolis. It was a picture perfect day. The Annapolis to Bermuda race with 50 sailboats began at noon and by the time we were in view of the mouth of the Severn River, which is where Annapolis is located, sails filled the horizon. As we approached our marina for the night, we passed the US Naval Academy on our right. We were visited at the dock by Ellen's niece, Kathy, who recently moved to Annapolis and then met at Middleton's for dinner. Historic Annapolis is two blocks from the marina with countless restaurants and shops.

Thursday, June 7, 2012



We left Solomons Island at 8 a.m. The sky couldn't have been more blue and the winds were at 5 knots or less. We arrived at St. Michaels at about 2 p.m. The day was spectacular. We took a stroll though town and enjoyed visiting the local shops. There is a grocery store within walking distance of the boat. We have come to appreciate nearby grocery stores much more than we would have imagined.


Downtown St. Michaels

St. Michaels Marina



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Drum Point Lighthouse that was located
at the entrance to the Patuxent River

We left Tangier Island at 7:30 a.m. with hopes for a smoother day. The wind was predicted to be diminished, but there was a 40% chance of rain. We could see a rain cell to our north, but we never caught up to it. It was another cold day, but the seas were much calmer. We piloted mostly from below to keep warm. We arrived at Solomons, Maryland at 1 p.m. and were welcomed to a sunny sky and temperatures that warmed up to the 70's. Solomons was a stark contrast from Tangier Island.

View from the Marina

There are more than 20 marinas listed in the cruising guide. We stayed a Zahniser's on the recommendation from one of the two sailboats that with us made up the entire transient community in Tangier the night before. Zahniser's is located on Back Creek off the Patuxent River. This has to be one of the largest areas of marinas on the Eastern Seaboard. The area is very well protected and the town, though small, is very attractive. We walked through town that was dotted with small shops , restaurants and ice cream stands. There was a nice Boardwalk with many historical plaques. We walked around Calvert Marine Museum where the Drum Point Lighthouse is now located. We had multiple dinner choices. We ate at Stoneys and enjoyed fresh local oysters and crab cakes.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Park Marina, Tangier Island, VA

One of the many crab shacks that are fitted
 with tanks for the crabs. The crabs
are placed in the tanks until they molt.
They are then harvested and sold. The only
access to these shacks that dot the waterway
through Tangier is by boat.

The sun rising over Tangier Island

We left Cape Charles at 8:30 a.m. with a threatening sky and a steady breeze. We arrived at Tangier Island at 2 p.m. This was one of those days where I questioned the idea of bringing a boat from Florida to Vermont. It was only in the high 50's most of the day and it was a drizzly, very bumpy ride across the Chesapeake. We didn't see one other pleasure boat and only one or two boats of any kind. The only way to get through a day like that is to suffer through it. The end of the day turned out much better. Though it was still cold, the sun came out and Tangier Island is a one-of-a-kind place. There were only three pleasure boats that I counted on the island. The channel goes from east to west from Tangier Sound through the island into the Chesapeake. Tangier Island is known as the 'home of the soft shell crab'. Blue crabs periodically shed their shells through molting. The soft-shell is the blue crab in its molted state which is abundant in supply from late spring to early fall. 
We walked through town - it took about 20 minutes - and were struck by the simple life led by the people who live there. Mr. Park, whose marina we stayed at, was in his 80's. He claimed he had gathered millions of crabs over his lifetime. We spoke with a few townspeople who talked of living in Tangier their whole life. A sign in the grocery store announced high school graduation. There were to be three graduates this year. There was no cell phone service, the town was dry and the dock fee was a very reasonable $35, including electricity. Mr. Park's wife died recently and he was off to a weekly dinner for widows and widowers. 

Monday, June 4, 2012



US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS McCain

Left around 9:00 a.m. and arrived at Cape Charles, VA at 1 p.m. We were passed by a US Navy destroyer as we left Hampton and headed out into the shipping lane. He slowed down when he passed us, so we had very little wake. A container ship that passed us wasn't as kind and the cabinets all emptied out when we crossed his wake. The crossing to Cape Charles was pretty rocky with the winds on our beam to forward quarter. We passed the town docks in Cape Charles to try out Baycreek Marina. It is relatively new and the bathrooms were outstanding. We rented a golfcart to go into town for dinner. There were only two options, but were glad we picked Kelly's Gingernut Pub. We took the golf cart by the town marina after dinner and there were two tall masted ships in the harbor.


Sunset over Chesapeake Bay from Cape Charles

The Linx





Kelly's Gingernut Pub located in
a former bank

Sunday, June 2, 2012

Tall sailing ship visiting for the weekend

Sailing Skiff

Waterfront damage from the storm

We left Norfolk around 10:30 a.m. and arrived at the Hampton Public Piers at 1:00 p.m. Hampton was hit by a tornado Friday evening. It was their annual pirate festival with many people in period costumes, live music and vendors. As we arrived in the harbor we were met by sailing skiffs and tender boats manned by authentic-looking pirates. Shortly after we arrived the cannon shots began. We talked to some people who experienced the storm. Many of the vendors lost merchandise and tents and there was considerable damage on the waterfront. Hampton was a great stop. We plan to stop at Bay Creek Marina and Resort in Cape Charles, VA tomorrow.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Karen, Doug and Ellen in the Freemason District

Diane left for Asheville and Doug and Ellen arrived from Miami. Saturday was change the sheets, go to the grocery store and do laundry day. The marina provided transportation to the store and back which was very nice. One washing machine didn't have a rinse cycle and one dryer was out of order. The washing machine that worked was fine, but the dryer took forever. After four hours of trying to get things dry, we gave up and hung the last load around the boat. Tacky, but we finally got everything dry. Tomorrow we will spend the day in Hampton, VA and then figure out the rest of the week to end up in Annapolis. We went for a walk in Norfolk and decided to eat at the Big Easy Oyster Bar. The food was great and I had my first beignet. After dinner we walked to the historic Freemason District and then went by the Wisconsin which was having a music revue on deck.

The Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and last
 battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy

Friday, June 1, 2012



Norfolk is the largest Naval Staion in the world.

Mermaids are located throughout the city.

F.R.E.D offers free transportation
throughout the Downtown Improvement District

Spent the day in Norfolk. We started with a ride on Fred, a free transportation service within the Norfolk  Downtown Improvement District. Fred is a battery operated golf cart that seats six including the driver. It has a solar panel on the roof for recharging and is available on demand for residents, workers and guests. We wanted to visit Fort Norfolk, deemed the best-preserved War of 1812 site in America, so Fred took us to the end of the Downtown District and we walked across a bridge to the actual fort. The brochure was more interesting than the fort itself, but it was a nice walk and ride. On the way back to the marina area, we used Norfolk's relatively new public transit system that is called Tide. Tide is a modern electric trolley that extends 7.4 miles through downtown Norfolk. In the afternoon, Diane and Karen visited the Chrysler Museum of Art and toured the Freemason Historical District. We planned to go to a ball game in the evening, but thunderstorms rolled through. For dinner, we went to Omar's Carriage House Restaurant. The carriage house was built in the early 1840's to serve a mansion that faced Freemason Street. In the center of the restaurant ceiling there is a large opening where hay was dropped for the horses. We had a great meal, met Omar and then took Fred's last trip of the evening back to the boat. Shortly after getting back to the boat we were entertained with serious lightning, thunder and heavy rain. Diane heads back to Asheville, NC tomorrow and we are looking forward to our next guests, Doug and Ellen, who are flying in from Miami later on Saturday.

Thursday, May 31, 2012



View from the waterway just
before the Marina

There were a number of bridges and a set of locks to deal with. A number of the bridges were completely closed to openings during rush hour with one bridge closed to openings between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. We didn't want to get stuck for two hours waiting for a bridge, so we left at 6:20 a.m. The day turned out to be beautiful. During one section of the Intracoastal, there were numerous logs and debris in the channel from the heavy rains of Beryl. One log was 20 feet long and 20 inches in diameter. A Grand Banks in front of us was kind enough to point out everything they saw which took off some of the pressure. We arrived in Norfolk at 1:30 p.m. Norfolk is quite a contrast with the other areas we've visited. As we got closer to the city, factories, loading areas, ships and barges took over the landscape. It was a far cry from Ospreys, pelicans, crab pots and the endless nature that we were getting used to. We pulled into Waterside Marina which is located at the heart of the downtown area. We took a walk around the city and visited the MacArthur Memorial.


View from the marina towards downtown

View from the marina dock