Before I begin today’s entry, I want to share an experience I intended to write earlier. As we were approaching the entrance to Nauticus Maritime Museum in Norfolk we spotted three oriental people, a man with a TV camera, a 2nd man who didn’t speak English, and a woman interpreter with a microphone. When they finished interviewing the family they were with, they approached us. The interviewer said a Japanese television station in Tokyo had sent them to Norfolk to interview Americans about how safe they felt nuclear power is. The Navy was about to send a nuclear ship to Japan; the Japanese people were very uncomfortable about having a US nuclear vessel in their midst.
They couldn’t have asked for a better interviewee than Bob with all of his experience with Rickover, the nuclear navy, and the Institute of Nuclear Power. When they discovered he was a nuclear engineer as well, they had even more questions about commercial nuclear power. Bob patiently answered all of them, reinforcing how safe both US nuclear powered vessels and commercial nuclear power plants are, and why. So, don’t be surprised when you see Bob on Tokyo TV!!
Hurricane Noel
Yesterday we motored through Albemarle Sound in less than 5 knot winds, no waves, and a beautiful blue sky day. As we docked at the Alligator River Marina it was hard to believe we were about to be inundated with gale force winds. Even when we went to bed last night, the sky was star studded and the waters still. When we awoke shortly after midnight, the wind was howling and our wind instrument was registering 24 to 28, gusting to 36 knots.
We’ve meant many interesting people in the past 24 hours – all cruisers stranded in "Miss Wanda's" marina by Noel. The NOAA forecast looks like we will be waiting out the weather until Sunday morning.
The Alligator Bridge doesn't open to allow vessels to pass when winds are greater than 34 knots. We heard the bridge tender turn two boats back this morning saying she would not be opening the bridge before Saturday at 3PM at the earliest.
Bob is busy installing cockpit speakers as the winds howl around DeLaMer.
1 comment:
It sounds like the Sound crossing went well, but I am not sure a weekend with "Miss Wanda" is my idea of heaven on earth. You do have Oriental, a very pleasant little town and Beaufort to look forward to.
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