Norfolk and heading off alone...

As we begin our descent towards the inner city, we are confronted with the Naval Station at Norfolk, the largest in the World.

Towers upon towers of grey war machines are almost an assault to the eyes. Everywhere, seemimgly for miles, are rows and rows of battleships. nuclear submarines, frigates and more.

My face became an open mask of disgust. I could not hide my feelings, and Louise looks at me and questions my looks. “What is wrong with you ?’’ and I almost yell at her, so appalled am I at the amount of money this country spends in military force.

The feelings begin to reside as we cruise on by, obviously interested now. You cannot help but be intrigued by such an awesome display.

Happily, we begin to slowly ease by this dramatic site and begin towards the town square, where we once again play show off and tie up right in the carnival grounds, where everyone can clearly see us and jump off, making our way with enthusiasm towards the Town Fair.

I stop at The Cousteau Society booth and chat with the volunteers, who tell us many people simply cannot take the intensity of working with the society, that it is grueling dedication. One could naturally assume no less from such an organization. Their work is staggering and necessary. Still, one cannot help but wonder why such an organization should have any difficulty with funding, especially in light of the military spending we has just encountered.

Later on in the afternoon, I cruised over to the town docks, which were still free to overnight on and tied up.

When I got off Blue Grace, I met the owners of several other boats travelling south who were to become our companions off and on for the next few weeks. "Lady Pearl" a homemade 28 foot wooden boat from St. Jean, Quebec, that was constantly under repair, or in the throws of another breakdown.The couple aboard had worked for eight years building this boat at a cost of over $45,000.

When I told them that I had only paid $53,000. for Blue Grace, they were not pleased.

The other boats were a 24 foot O'Day named "Wanderlust" from Toronto, Ontario, and a very nice homemade 36 foot aft-cabin ketch named "Horizon III", who were originally from Holland. All these people were interesting, but the couple on Wanderlust were hilarious. They lived in squlor, drunk every evening and telling filthy jokes about their sex lives constantly. The dutch folks on Horizon III were an odd, and I believe, unwilling member of this troupe.

My log book recalls that I began to find this life a bit of a cop-out, perhaps telling me that my dedication to cruising was too hurried and that cutting out of society at 34 was not exactly what I had expected.

Early the next morning, John, Louise and Patrick all headed to the bus station for Montreal and I headed on south.