{"id":2473,"date":"2013-10-17T12:27:13","date_gmt":"2013-10-17T12:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=2473"},"modified":"2013-10-19T11:34:44","modified_gmt":"2013-10-19T11:34:44","slug":"downtown-norfolk-and-pandora-in-the-heart-of-it-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=2473","title":{"rendered":"Downtown Norfolk, and Pandora in the heart of it all."},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Thursday morning and the sun is not quite up yet. \u00a0Well, it’s coming up now that I am finishing up on editing this post. \u00a0So, how about the sunrise over the city? \"\"<\/a>We are anchored in downtown Norfolk, just across the river from a mass of office buildings and a mall.\u00a0 On the other shore, close to us, there is a large city hospital and huge ships are coming and going constantly.\u00a0 Interestingly, as the ships, some over 1,ooo feet long, pass by they leave barely a ripple as they are going so slowly, usually accompanied by the ever so attentive tugs. \u00a0Did I say that I just love tugs?\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t heard that you need to read more of my posts.\u00a0 I love tugs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This huge, 1,050\u2019container ship (I know that because of AIS) came into the harbor just as we did.\u00a0 I did my best to stay out of his way. \u00a0 Anything this big can’t be “her”. \u00a0This is an alarming angle to see such a big ship from.\"\"<\/a><\/span>This fishing boat gave way too and steamed right by us.\"\"<\/a><\/span>It\u2019s hard to believe that there was a time when this fort was the major\u00a0<\/span>defense\u00a0for the city. \u00a0 It’s funny to think that the officer’s quarters were outside of the walls of the fort. \u00a0I guess when the enemy approached they would sound the alarm and say “quick, run away, behind the walls, quick”. \u00a0 What a guy will do for a view. \u00a0Hard to see the water from behind an earthen wall. \u00a0Today\u2019s navy could level this with in a single shot.\u00a0 That\u2019s progress, I think\u2026\"\"<\/a><\/span>As we entered the harbor yesterday evening we decided to head down here bypassing Hampton for a few days.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I underestimated the distance that we would be backtracking as we still plan on going back to Hampton for the cruiser\u2019s weekend and to pick up a few items that we have ordered. \u00a0\u00a0I guess we will catch the tide on Friday and head back up the harbor, TEN MILES, that\u2019s a few hours at Pandora speed, to Hampton.\u00a0\u00a0 However, it will be fun to be there.\u00a0 We also have a few friends coming down from Williamsburg to visit us while we are there.\u00a0 Another plus for Hampton.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember the neglected foul weather gear and sandals that we left, by accident, with our son Rob in Baltimore?\u00a0 The\u2019ll be in Hampton so going there is a must. Ditto for the new voltage regulator I ordered for the engine as the charging system is acting up.\u00a0 So much for the work done at the marina in Deep River.\u00a0 They didn’t pick up on that problem even though the mechanic spent 3.5 hours messing with it. \u00a0Hopefully, the supplier, Hamilton Ferris, is right and the problem is a regulator one and not something bigger. \u00a0The guy I spoke with on the phone seemed pretty confident about his diagnosis. \u00a0And, he recommended a \u201csmart regulator\u201d with all sorts of flashing lights and glowing numbers.\u00a0 That just has to be what I need. \u00a0So much for cost control and fiscal responsibility. \u00a0Of course, there is a version that was 1\/3 the cost but it doesn’t have flashing lights and glowing numbers. \u00a0Flashing lights and glowing number have to be better. \u00a0I need one of those. \u00a0Let’s hope it’s smart enough. \u00a0Fingers crossed.<\/p>\n

The problem is that the batteries aren’t charging properly as the sensor thinks that they are charged one moment and not the next.\u00a0 That means that the supply of power to charge the batteries is all over the place, charging 60 amps one second and nothing the next, literally. \u00a0And that process goes on constantly. \u00a0Not a lot of charging being done.\u00a0\u00a0 Fingers crossed that the folks at Hamilton are right.\u00a0 If so, that doesn’t do much to give me confidence in the mechanics in Deep River where I spent a ton having the boat worked on.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the engine, after all of that work they did, because I didn’t think I would do it right, I am now the proud owner of a few slow (fortunately) oil and fuel leaks.\u00a0 That seems absurd to me as there weren’t any leaks prior to the engine being worked on.\u00a0\u00a0 Now I get to hunt them down, the very thing I was trying to avoid by paying someone else to do the work.\u00a0\u00a0 Enough complaining for now.\u00a0 Something to keep me occupied for a few hours today.\u00a0 What fun.<\/p>\n

Anyway, more to the point, Norfolk is a happening place if you like big ships.\u00a0 It\u2019s home to a huge Naval presence and there is a massive amount of commercial shipping coming and going all of the time.\u00a0 Add to that, the lights of a big city and a waterfront mall, and I can see why so many cruisers stop here on their way south.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a sample, and only a small one, of some of the ships we saw as we came in.<\/p>\n

Of course, I should start with this 1,050\u2019 monster being docked. \u00a0This is the one that came into the harbor as we did. \u00a0We followed them down the harbor as did two tugs.\u00a0 The tugs did an impressive job of turning the huge ship 180 degrees and pushing her against the dock.\u00a0 The amount of water that was coming out from behind both tugs was quite a sight and to see them turn the ship in it\u2019s own length, against the tide, wow.\"\"<\/a><\/span>One pushed as the other pulled. \u00a0They turned her in her own length. \u00a0Smoke billowing. \u00a0\"\"<\/a>“Beware, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.” \u00a0That applies here too. They were really close.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tons of big grey navy ships, one more massive than the next.<\/p>\n

This one is supposed to be less visible on radar. \u00a0Not so sure I buy that. \u00a0No wait, we all “bought that” and lots more like her. \u00a0Your tax dollars at work. \u00a0Perhaps I’ll turn on my radar when I next pass by in a few days and see if I can see her on the screen. \u00a0Big target? \u00a0I’m thinking yes…\"\"<\/a>I”ll bet that this baby will show up just fine on radar. \u00a0HUGE!!! \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/span>Oops, they forgot to get all the planes off of this one.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\"\"<\/a>I guess that it takes a lot of fuel to run a navy. \u00a0This supply ship certainly has lots of hoses to push fuel through. \u00a0<\/span>\"\"<\/a>Oh yeah, and we saw pelicans.\u00a0 I guess that they are happy to co-habitate with the US Navy.\"\"<\/a>The coast guard gets to ignore the “no wake zone” signs, it seems. \u00a0Pretty neat though. \u00a0And, they don’t have to worry about the cost of fuel.<\/span>\"\"<\/a>Perhaps the neatest thing of all was the AWACS\u00a0<\/span>surveillance\u00a0plane that flew overhead. \u00a0Pretty good view. \u00a0I wonder if they “surveilled” me. \u00a0\"\"<\/a>Enough pictures of the things Congress spends money on to help us. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s go shopping too!!! <\/span><\/p>\n

Today we will go ashore for a tour of the waterfront.\u00a0 There are a number of museums on the water including one that houses the Battle Ship Missouri.\u00a0 Hard to believe that something that big can be obsolete.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019ll have to learn more. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Thursday morning and the sun is not quite up yet. \u00a0Well, it’s coming up now that I am finishing up on editing this post. \u00a0So, how about the sunrise over the city? We are anchored in downtown Norfolk, just across the river from a mass of office buildings and a mall.\u00a0 On the other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_s2mail":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2473"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2488,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2473\/revisions\/2488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}