So we slipped lines in Portsmouth at 0700 and began the 10 miles trip through the worlds deepest natural harbor. With a title like that is must be full of boats...BIG BIG GREY BOATS...with guns, and airplanes, and lots of scary looking guys guarding them. The radio was alive with calls like this "security security...warship 531 incoming from Cape Henry to Newport News...all vessels within 500 yards shall maintain minimum steerage speed...do not approach within 100 yards or deadly force will be used...warship 531 out!
So there we were at the mouth of the harbor entering the Chesapeake Bay, sails up, cup of coffee in hand, and smooth seas. The radio keeps barking this warship business so we both scan the horizon with binoculars and there are lots of ships all right but none with grey paint and guns. With the "coast clear" so to speak, we take a turn to port and begin crossing the ship channel and out to sea. about mid channel a fast moving power boat start heading right at us, "Is this dummy going to pass to port or starboard?...wow he is going fast...why is the guy on the bow dressed up like GI Joe pointing the big machine gun at us?"
Now these guys were not at all friendly like most boaters! They had a way of making us feel like it was time to leave, so with their direction we did just that. Now we were still a bit confused as to the location of warship 531 when about 100 yards behind us this periscope thingy began rising up and a submarine appeared. Several "Deadly force boats" surrounding it. i guess that we were about 101 yards away because they did not shoot. So to sum it all up, we took a left turn in front of a nuclear submarine in rush hour traffic and didn't get a ticket...or even shot at!
Introducing warship 531
Unfreindly boaters!
Wow! Now that is a really cool experience!
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