Well we woke up early and left The Great Machipongo Inlet. The dolphins once again escorted us out and I turned South with the sun streaming in the port side pilothouse windows so hard I had to close the curtains and use the radar alone to tell what was on that side of the boat.
The sea was as flat as a model’s tummy so I lowered the RPMs on the diesel to get 2 MPG rather than 1 MPG. Simply by slowing the boat 1.3 knots we double our fuel efficiency! Don’t you wish that were the case for your car?
In a few hours we had snuck through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, past Thimble Shoal lighthouse and we were approaching Norfolk Navel Station.
What an amazing sight to get to these American Navy ships up close.
You can see the barrier fence that they stretch across the opening and that fence line is protected by a Navy Patrol boat with a machine gun on the bow.
A local news story revealed just a few months ago there were six bomb threats called in to the naval station and you can call NCIS if you know anything. I wonder if you can call and ask for “Leroy Jethro Gibbs” or “Tony DiNozzo”?
– Military Sealift Command
As the Sea Dragon buzzed us my navigation system popped up forcing me to ACKNOWLEDGE the fact that there was a “Dangerous Target” nearby. The Helicopter was not alone and there were a pair of jets making that deafening sound that seems to well up from a simple background rumble to a roar.
I believe that is a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet? Maybe one of our military aficionados will comment if I got any of this incorrect?
The Hospital Ship Comfort made it’s way down to Puerto Rico as part of the relief efforts.
News Story about Hospital ship and it’s relief efforts.
So after navigating past all the warships and being careful to keep our distance it’s on to the Norfolk International Terminals and the Virginia Port Authority.
You can’t help but notice that everywhere along the shore seems posted “WARNING – US Government Property – Restricted Area – KEEP OUT”
Finally, we arrived at our chosen destination, Top Rack Marina.
I promise to post more about this terrific marina and the on site restaurant called the Amber Lantern that we plan on having dinner at tonight.
MV Simple Life 
Loved the history lesson… Richie would have been thrilled… ❤️🛥⚓️
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I hope so!
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Boy,those Navy ships it’s have seemed like Goliaths! So deadly and so gigantic!
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The airplane, though a little blurry, is probably an F/A 18 (vers. C or D or etc.) It replaced the F-14 (Tom Cruise’s airplane in Top Gun) which was a 2 seater fighter and the A-6 a two seater attack (more bombs that dogfights). In the two seats were the pilot and the B/N (bombadier/navigator). The “backseat” B/N in Cruise’s plane, Goose?, is the one who got killed in the movie. It was getting expensive and those two planes were getting out-dated. The F/A combined both functions and is a one-seater. It’s said to be an outstanding airplane but working on replacement for it down the road…….would like to get one plane that works for USN, USMC and USAF.
Not sure about that transport ship. It looks a lot like a floating drydock but may very well be a transport for things like LCAC’s. The pointy bow looks like it goes to sea on its own?
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Did you feel an earthquake around 4:45PM? It occurred in Delaware.
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Ha ha Sis, It’s surely difficult to ‘feel’ the earthquake on the water 😉
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