Blue Heaven Rendezvous: Meeting up with Friends

Entering Old Fort Comfort

We anchored off of Old Fort Comfort on a gorgeous sunny day. We were in around 2pm so we decided to lower the dinghy and go ashore to walk around the Fort and stretch our legs.

The moat makes it similar to a castle with a town inside the walls

We had been here a few years ago so we did not do the museum but enjoyed the beautiful day outside walking the top of the fortress.

The view from the top looking out to the bay.

The next day we went into Hampton City Docks where Dave and Toni Mershon picked us up to visit with them for two days. They are the ones who taught us all about this cruising life but they have retired from it and we continue. They did the trip south nine times and we are only on our fifth, so we have few more to catch up.

The Mariner's Museum

They took us to The Mariners Park and Noland Trail where we had a delicious picnic lunch provided by Toni.

Enjoying our picnic lunch.

After lunch we hiked part way on the trail.

Then we then toured the museum.

We did not get to see it all but by late afternoon we had seen enough. It is a marvelous place and I highly recommend it. One of the most exciting displays was the turret of the USS Monitor which was discovered off the Carolinas and brought up after years on the ocean floor with its many artifacts.

The next day we went into Williamsburg and enjoyed the farmer's market and they were having a national re-enactment going on as well.

A re-enactment of times gone by.

It is always fun to go back in time to see how they lived. How do you like those “viddles” for a lunch time meal cooked over an open fire!

Yum, I think!

Later that day we returned to our boat in Hampton. We talked to our next door boat neighbors on a Grand Banks trawler. On Sunday morning they had friends come to visit them and when we looked at each other, we could not believe it. They were cruising friends who we met on our first trip to Florida. We met in the laundry in Marathon and hung out for about a month that year. They had even stayed at our house to go to the boat show the following year. What a coincidence! It was great seeing them, but they too have given up the cruising way of life.

Next, we moved to Portsmouth which was only about 2 ½ hours from Hampton by boat. On the way in we saw this cruise ship docked in Norfolk.

It was called "The World." Having never heard of it I looked it up on the internet and found out it is 165 individual homes owned by the residents who collectively own the ship. They move around the world with itineraries set up with input by the residents moving every so many days. Can you imagine what their home ownership organizations meetings are like! Now I have enlightened you to another option other than those over 55 communities!!

We got a spot at the free dock hoping other boats would come in so we could meet more cruisers. Unfortunately, most of the boats who came in were French Canadians so conversation was very little. We enjoyed walking along the waterfront where a lightship is on display. For those who don't know what one is, it is like a lighthouse and anchored where a permanent lighthouse would be impractical.

On the free dock in Portsmouth, VA.

That is some mushroom anchor on that lightship!

We also walked around historic Old Town to see the unique architecture and beautiful flowers and landscaping.

The lovely porches in Old Town

One of the many old lovely homes.

The next day we entered the Intracoastal Waterway at mile marker 0. We decided to go the Dismal Swamp route and as you can see, so did a lot of other boats.

We did not get to see our friendly lock master, Robert, at the lock. Unfortunately, it was his day off. However, this lock master was friendly too. The lock was full which has not happen too often when we have gone through it.

The lock was filling up!

Al keeping our boat in control.

We had a great day putt-putting through the canal and stopped at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center about 20 miles into the swamp. It serves as a rest stop for a highway as well as one for boaters.

The Dismal Swamp Visitors Center.

Seven boats tied up, rafting off the dock. Three of the boats were from Rock Hall. One from our marina was Bob and Carol Abel on Pepromenon, an Island Packet 31. Carol organized a cookout for the evening. So we had an enjoyable evening getting to know everyone.