20 November, 2004. We crossed the mouth of Mobjack Bay for our final day of roughing it out in the Chesapeake Bay waves. Just as we passed above the Interstate 60 Bridge Tunnel, we looked back to see a huge cargo ship coming right up on us. By this time, we were already trying to stay far outside the buoys that marked the Norfolk Naval Air Station. We didn't want to get too close to the military installation for obvious reasons but I turned toward it anyway to avoid being plowed over by the ship. In all the excitement, we forgot to turn our marine radio on which the captain of the ship, and possibly even the Naval Base was probably trying to contact us on. The ship veered starboard and we were able to put some more distance between us and the naval vessels. We counted five aircraft carriers there. It was pretty cool to see them from below. We also saw a Princess Cruise Lines Ship in dry dock.
It was very empowering when I called the bridge to request an opening and the bridge tender proceeded to lift hundreds of tons of steel just for me. All the landlubbers had to wait while I pleasure-cruised on through. You don't even need a license to drive a boat if you were born after 1972 (or something like that). We tied up at the free dock and immediately went down the street for chinese food (which we knew was nearby from the Skipper Bob book). Although there was development and docked ships right there, it was a very peaceful spot. There was a small boat ramp there that fishing boats used throughout the night and a large pavillion. We were happy to finally be out of the bay.
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