Hampton - We pick up a car and provision at Walmart

It's one long dock but the fingers are only half length - many people have trouble docking due to the river current

We got everything we needed at the nearest Walmart. Now we're fixed for the rest of our trip north. Hampton is the home of Hampton University and this is graduation week so there's lots of activity with parents' events and such. Just south of here in the bay is where the two iron clad vessels, Merrimack and the Monitor, met and fought. The battle changed the course of naval construction not only in the USA but also in England and France. The wooden ships were too vulnerable to such attacks by iron clad ships.

The curved brick wall is self supporting, and pretty

There are only 20 or so docks in all, a small marina but it's well protected and close to the old downtown. If you buy into their seasonal rate for $50, then you get the $0.75/ft rate for the next 365 days with every fifth day free. The days do not have to be consecutive so you can visit on the way down, stay four days and on the way back north get your first day free (the fifth for the year). Of course you do not have to buy into the plan and just pay by the day, then it's $1.25/ft, still a pretty good deal and then you get the fourth day free if you stay that long.

As always, birds keep watch over us (and Pirate too?)

So we spent all afternoon loading supplies on board and getting the freezer in order. We plan on seeing the latest IMAX space feature sometime this weekend. The IMAX is part of the Virginia Air and Space Museum right next door. It's a great place to visit but this time we're going to the IMAX only to see Journey to Space, footage on the history of space travel and what lies ahead. It's in 3D and the theater has recently been renovated, it's all digital, no film.

We're continuing to watch Ana. It's south of us but headed north. It may very well affect our travel plans for Monday, we'll see.

PS, No pirate, I think he's jumped ship.