April 28th - May 11th Extended Stay in Norfolk

After the Dismal Swamp, we tied up at Waterside Marina In Norfolk Va. for about two weeks. We arrived there early for the AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruising Association) Rendezvous. I flew back to Indiana for a couple of days for a family event.

My daughter's family  (Erin, Chad, John, Ben, Katie) and son's family (Ryan, Laura, Casey, Davis) picked me up at the Evansville Airport.

Here they come. Running to greet me.  Each grandchild was carrying a yellow rose.

It put a smile on my face and brought a tear to my eye.

This weekend was Katie's (granddaughter) First Communion. 

Ryan (son), Laura (daughter-in-law) and their girls (Casey and Davis) came from the Louisville, Ky. Area to be a part of the fun.

As you can see, it is difficult keeping small children and young men entertained, while waiting for the First Communion to begin. 

Jack stayed in Norfolk and worked on the boat. We are changing the saloon ceiling lights and red step lights to LED. He also cleaned the boat for the AGLCA Trawler Crawl. The Trawler Crawl is held 3 afternoons, during the rendezvous. You can sign up to open your boat for viewing. Boaters attending the rendezvous  may tour your boat from 3:30 - 5:00.
 WOW! Look at the GREAT job Jack did! He made her shine!

Jack takes a break...

One of the days Sara was back in Indiana for her granddaughter's First Communion, I took a break from cleaning the boat and drove to the archaeological dig site at the original Jamestown Landing of 1607.

For more than three centuries, historians thought the site of the original fort, built in 1607, as well as the church and several other buildings, had been covered by the James River and were lost forever.

In 1994, a non-profit organization consisting of several renown historians, scientists and archaeologists persuaded the federal government and the state of Virginia to allow them to dig for artifacts in a 22 acre plot of land that was privately owned. Their goal was to uncover several hundred artifacts to help in the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown landing.

Their success has exceeded everyone's expectations. To date, more than several million artifacts have been uncovered, as well as the foundation of the original fort, the original church, several buildings used for meetings, and eating places. In addition, several complete sets of human remains and skeletal remains buried in coffins have also been found.

The first picture shows the guide standing inside of the outline of what was the original church that was erected in 1607/08. This site has already been excavated and the earth placed back over the evidence of the foundations as well as the alter. He is standing over the site of the four skeletons that were found buried under the alter. Though DNA has not positively identified the four individuals yet they do know they were all high ranking men from the settlement because only highest ranking personnel were afforded the honor of being buried not only inside the church but under the alter as well. They have also been able to determine that all four men were from England because their DNA showed they had eaten a wheat, not corn, base diet and that they had eaten off of lead/pewter plates most of their lives instead of wood utensils, etc. Their hope is that with more testing they will actually be able to trace the identity of the four individuals.

The second and third pictures show the guide standing over the excavated site of the public building/meeting house/inn where the archaeologists have worked down to the basement level where the ovens for cooking have been uncovered. They have also found evidence of cannibalism that was alluded to in some of the original writings of John Smith. He referred to the winter of 1608/09 as "the starving time." It was during this winter that the settlement, which had grown to some 340 people, was decimated by the harsh winter, the attacks of the local Native Americans (that had stopped supporting and trading with the settler), and sickness. By the spring of 1609 when the first resupply ships arrived from England, the settlement had withered away to 68 people. The evidence uncovered to date consists of several skeletal remains with tell tale marks of sawing or cutting of the human bones as well as the destruction of the skulls with blunt instruments to open up the cranium.

The fourth picture is an accurate depiction, based on archaeological evidence obtained from the site of how the original fort of three sides actually looked in 1607. By 1609/10, the settlers had improved and strengthened the fort to five sides, because they were coming under increasing attacks from the Native Americans.

The last two pictures are of the statue of John Smith the driving force behind the successful establishment of Jamestown as the first, permanent, English settlement in what was to become the United States. The statue overlooks the actual landing area of the first three ships that traveled up the James River in 1607 and tied their ships to the trees on shore instead of having to anchor out in mid stream.

The AGLCA Rendezvous filled Waterside Marina with sailboats and trawlers. Many of these boats have completed the "Great Loop" or will complete the loop this year. We will hopscotch around the loop from marina to marina with many of these fine people.  Hopefully, making life long friendships as we go.

The rendezvous sessions were held in the Sheraton Hotel next to the Waterside Marina. Great presentations, food, and fun. We were one of the last boats to leave the marina. We move on to discovery the Chesapeake Bay Area and more memory making moments.