Wednesday, November 11, 2009

"we're naught but humble pirates"

I've seen a lot of boats with interesting histories pass through Norfolk on the Elizabeth River. This one caught my eye this morning and I wasn't even on my boat, just driving to work along Waterside Drive. It didn't look all that remarkable from my jeep this morning but back in April it caught the attention of the country when three Navy SEALS looked at it through the scopes on their sniper rifles.
The lifeboat from the Maersk Alabama was brought to town to be set up next to a pirate display at Nauticus, the waterfront maritime educational facility here in Norfolk. (The Maersk shipping line is also based in the area, maybe that is part of the connection. ) I'll have to check out that exhibition. Below is a photo from when the boat was off of Somalia. (No buried treasure with this pirate story, but there is some intrigue in that $30,000 taken from the ship to the lifeboat is still missing.)
In the meantime I'm heading down to the Outer Banks to check out a storm for the next few days. Down there the big storms are often remembered by the day on which the occurred. There was the Halloween Storm (1991) (at the same time as the "Perfect Storm" event farther north) and the Ash Wednesday Storm (1962). Looking at the calendar I've got to wonder if this will be the Friday the 13th Storm.

steve

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