Our Stay In Portsmouth

Before I begin with our personal update, I want to take the opportunity to thank a very dear friend, Glen Becker, who designed this new website for us.  His gift to us is going to make all our lives easier in trying to communicate with each other as we continue our journey down the ICW. You can read our blogs, e-mail us, and follow Spot,  all on the same webpage.  THANK YOU, GLEN! You are an angel who has come to the techno-ignorant’s rescue.

     SUNSET OVER PORTSMOUTH 11/15

Update 11/16/09:  The storm has brought a lot of issues to the Norfolk/Portsmouth area; many affecting the recreational boaters headed down the ICW. Not only did the intense winds and rain stop our journeys temporarily, but now there is a lot of debris washed into the rivers, etc. by the flood waters; shoaling is occuring in some of the deep waters making them more shallow and thereby non-navigable; one of the locks is closed that is needed to go further south, and the list goes on….So, for all the aforementioned reasons, we have extended our slip rental to a month.

 This decision also gives us the liberty to fly home for Thanksgiving out of Norfolk.  We’ll be home for a week and then fly back here to hopefully continue our journey.  We are not upset in the least about this delay.  Our motto is “sailing is all about the journey, not the destination.”  We also often tell each other, “When you’re there, that’s where you are.”  And, we are here. And loving it.

  The delay has given us opportunity to tour the area.  Yesterday, we took the ferry to Norfolk and went to the Norfolk Naval Museum and also went aboard the battleship Wisconsin. While there, we were treated to a concert by the Hampton Roads Metro Band.  After our time at the museum, we walked the waterfront area of Norfolk.  We found that part of the city to be very clean and the people friendly and accommodating to visitors. We didn’t have time to go to the Chrysler Art Museum, so we would like to go back to see it.  The photo shown above was taken from the ferry as we returned to Portsmouth.

 Today we rode our bikes in Portsmouth, touring the old historic area which offered interesting architecture.  Tomorrow evening we are going to go back to that same area to have dinner and see a movie at the Commodore Theatre.  We’re having a blast. 

 Now that Glen has taught me how to download pictures, later  I’ll make a gallary to share with all of you, so you can see some of the spectacular things we are seeing.

 Captain Gary and First Mate/Galley Slave Jean