A Sightseeing Cruise On The Elizabeth River

Great Bridge to Hampton  |  4.7 Hours  |  22.4 Miles  

We're happy to report that Crossroads made it through the latest Storm of the Century without issue. The strongest wind gusts of the day occurred last night between 10:00 and 11:00. I easily fell sound asleep, however, oblivious to the cold front passing through. It was a rude awakening to step outside this morning into the 34-degree chill. We eased off the dock at 9:56, cruised right through the 10:00 opening of the Great Bridge bridge, then straight into the Great Bridge lock. We were running ahead of schedule and enjoying the clear and sunny day. Spirits continued to soar as we rounded a turn and saw the notorious No. 7 railroad bridge in the open position. We cruised right through only to hear that the our next bridge, the Old Virginia railroad bridge, was closing. We held station in the large basin for close to half an hour and waited for the opening. Once back underway we entered the scenic part of our cruise up the Elizabeth River. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was docked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, undergoing planned maintenance. 

Navy ships were moored on both banks of the river. The USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) and USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) were cozy neighbors. We gave a passing tug/barge plenty of room and got a close-up view of the Hall's anchor. Soon we were up to Norfolk Waterside. 

We joked that we actually got a hint of the Bahamas -- the bulk carrier Bahamas L was docked off our port side. The vibrant Norfolk mural was hiding in the shadows, but welcomed us to very familiar waters. Our final railroad bridge of the day was high and caused no delay. The staging area for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project was still busy. Their website reports the project is over 70% complete. 

We were in no hurry and kept our eyes open. YRBM-L-46 is one of the Navy's non self-propelled Repair, Berthing and Messing Barges. The bow is reinforced for ocean towing. Further down the Post-Panamax cargo ship Ever Mass was preparing for departure. At over 1,200-feet long and 51-feet wide, it dwarfed the two tugboats stationed along its side. The weirdest sight of the day was the USNS Appalachicola (EPF-13) sat alongside three sister ships. Those Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels are designed for high-speed (40 knots), shallow-draft (12.5-feet) logistics. It features autonomous operation, allowing for 30 consecutive days of uncrewed operation. As we neared Hampton Roads, the aircraft carriers USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN- 77) dominated the scene. The Truman recently returned from the Middle East and the Bush is readying for deployment.

The Watson-class vehicle cargo ship USNS Pomeroy (T-AKR-316) was receiving its pilot to exit the harbor. The Stalwart-class auxiliary general ocean surveillance ship Previal (IX-537) was entering the harbor surrounded by half a dozen smaller escort ships. Once we crossed to Hampton, it was a proverbial breath of fresh air to go from increased Naval activity to civilian activities of less world consequence. At the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel construction zone, a crane was caught relocating a porta-potty. We docked at Bluewater Marina and had an hour or so to relax before dinner. I read in the pilothouse as the bright sun shone through the helm windows and warmed the boat. After dinner, I returned to the pilothouse to watch the sun set beyond the trees. We will depart tomorrow on our last travel day of this season to our home port in Deltaville.

A Now A Report From The Weather Desk

Great Bridge  

The day began as a nice snapshot of spring. We woke to bright sunshine, warm temperature, and a light but steady breeze on our stern. The flow of air inflated our dinghy cover, making it look much bigger and more impressive than it actually is. We took another walk through the adjacent park. More buds were bursting since yesterday. The trail was deserted and we found it quite warm for our sweatshirts. We were definitely overdressed. Our first big gust of wind came at 11:30. We went out and adjusted our spring lines and fender placement. Light rain began at 1:00 and turned heavy around 1:30. That downpour lasted only 20 minutes or so and gave way to sunshine. One clap of thunder rumbled around 3:30, followed shortly by another heavy downpour. Again, the precipitation quickly cleared. It wasn't until nightfall that the wind truly began to increase. It has shifted to the south and is now blowing Crossroads up against the dock. At 9:30 it is sustained at 22 mph and gusting to 40. It is supposed to increase as the frontal boundary passes over us. Because of early publication deadlines, our outcome will need to be reported on tomorrow. So far, we've escaped the worst of this event. Hoping I can say the same in the morning.