September 23-26                       Portsmouth, Virginia

With no significant improvement predicted in the weather for the remainder of the week, we made the decision to continue our journey to Portsmouth.   With good dock help, we left the marina and made our way into the bay.  Going against the wind was difficult but when we finally were able to turn southward, the NNE direction of the wind provided some additional speed.  The rocking and rolling motion of the boat was unpleasant but lacked the intensity of two days before.  This continued until we reached the channel leading into Norfolk and Portsmouth.

This area is home to the largest naval base in the world and huge ships and cranes line the channel for miles.  It is an impressive sight.  On land, naval facilities are dominant.  We were delighted to reach our destination by 1:00 PM, only five hours since our departure from Deltaville.  We were assigned a great docking position, sheltered from the wind and chop from the channel traffic and close to the many facilities of the marina. 

David made another incredible maneuver to turn the boat and dock in a very constricted area.  I was sure he was going to collide with several posts as he made the turn but he calmly ignored my shouted warnings and brought the boat into position with the skill of an experienced captain.  The dock help was as impressed as was I!

Later in the early evening, I was startled to see the enormous cruise ship, Aida Luna of the Seaborn Cruise Line, coming past our marina.  Its decks were packed with passengers observing the Norfolk-Portsmouth scene.  We were awed when we saw this huge vessel turning about in the crowded harbor (and doing so with the same ease and expertise shown by David when we docked.)

Thursday and Friday were days of intensive cleaning.  We like to leave the boat clean and ready for our return.  Fortunately, we had been consistent in maintenance throughout our journey from Maine so much of the work was routine.  We plan to return to The Bottom Line before Christmas for a brief visit.   Winterizing will not be necessary until January and should be considerably less involved than when the boat was stored in Connecticut and Maine.  We should be able to have the boat commissioned by the first of April, providing us with additional opportunity for earlier boarding for the summer.

Our 2015 summer on The Bottom Line has been one of the best we have ever experienced.  Our lengthy sojourn in Maine was wonderful.  Multiple visits from family and friends were delightful. We have enjoyed living and traveling on this great boat and hope to continue our journey next year.