Portsmouth

Diver Linda

We sleep in and have pancakes for breakfast. We have a number of rain showers throughout the day. Early afternoon we go to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, right next to where our boat is tied up. The last two times here, the Museum as been closed. The Museum turns out to be free. I finally get a question answered I have had about the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. From the Portsmouth side of the Elizabeth River, where we are, all we can see are ships across the River in Norfolk being worked on. It turns out the actual Portsmouth Shipyard is further south on the River. Across the River from us is the General Dynamics Shipyards. 

 

At the Museum we get talking with another couple who recently moved here from New Hampshire, Art mentioned he was from Jaffery New Hampshire and we exchange cards. Later after they leave I notice his last name is Keating. Linda and I knew a Cathy Keating when we both lived in Keene NH, a long time ago. We leave the Museum and go see the Light Ship, that is dry docked near the Museum. After we leave the tour there, we catch up to Art and find out he is Cathy’s brother.

Portsmouth Boat Basin

Oyster Stew

Linda and I head over to a new Brew Pub on the other side of the basin, “Legends Depot” for a late lunch. We split fish tacos and order soup. Linda gets a cup of vegetarian chilly and I get a bowl of Oyster stew. The Oyster stew turns out to be a meal in itself and is fabulous. Martin and Denise stop in for drinks and sit down with us while Linda and I split desert.




I invite Martin and Denise to our boat for Happy Hour. Later I also invite a young couple Richard and Kate, who are sailing a beautiful classic wood boat, looks like it belongs in a museum. Just after they all arrive, friends from Vermont Bob & Linda who are finishing the Great Loop on their trawler walk by. They had spied our boat the day before and had sent me an email this morning. We had planned to walk to their marina after our Happy Hour guests left. So Bob and Linda join us all in our cockpit. It was fun catching up with them. They are going to buy a 44 foot power cat before they return to Vermont and sell their house and become full time boat people. Richard is from Delaware and is returning there with Kate who is from Russia. We all had a great get together.

 

Richard & Kate

Linda & Bob

 

Later after everyone leaves Linda and I go back to Legend before they close at 10:00 and share a bowl of Oyster Stew, which they split and deliver in two bowls, which are still bigger that most bowls. We quiz the wait staff on the ingredients so we can try to make it when we get home.