On to Portsmouth, Virginia

     It's time to head out of the rural, swampy, marshy waterways of North Carolina and into the urban/industrial area around Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia.  With our bellies still full of prime rib from the night before (we each had a 16-oz serving, but did take home leftovers), we were off at a reasonable hour on another gloomy day.  This leg of the journey required some planning--there are 5 bridges that have to be opened on a variety of schedules, as well as one lock (our first) to go through.  So off we went.
     We had to idle in the water around a few of the bridges (sometimes fighting the current and winds which kept Art on his toes and me biting my nails), but all went well enough.  Then came the lock--and here we are in the photo below with Art holding the line at the back of the boat:

     When you enter the lock, you have to head for one side or the other and then wrap a line around those yellow cleats on the wall.  Getting the bow line on was my responsibility while Art maneuvered the boat into position.  We were a lot lower in the lock than when this photo was taken, so the cleat was pretty high up.  I tried the cowboy-style lasso technique to get the line over, but missed every time (calf roping will not be in my future) and finally had to grab a hook on the side of the wall, pull us over and wrap the line around.  Then you just hang on and pull in the line as the water level changes.  And when it is done, the lock gates open and off you go.  Having mastered the first lock, albeit in a very clumsy manner, I am ready for the next 150 or so locks we will encounter on this journey.
     As we passed under the last of the bridge openings (next photo), the scenery changed dramatically.  You get the idea just from the cranes in the distance:

     We are now in the land of commercial shipping, Navy shipyards and lots of traffic on the river.  We first encountered a "graveyard" of wrecked ships, which was not the best omen for the journey to come, but on we went.

     And then came our first look at the Portsmouth area with Navy ships everywhere, mostly heading into (or already in) gigantic floating dry docks:

     We docked right across the river from the Navy shipyard and this vessel got our immediate attention:

     This is a radar evading warship, as you can see by all the flat surfaces and angles, one of the Navy's newer vessels.  And here is one more ship on the way into the dry dock:

     Now it is time to discover what else, besides Navy ships, that Portsmouth has to offer and that will be my next post.