Busy Norfolk

We left the Dismal Swamp Canal welcome center at 0800 Sunday.  We had to make a bridge and lock opening at 1100. As I was putting along at 6mph I realized that the lock was 18 miles away and we may not make the scheduled opening.  The next one was at 1330 or 1:30.  It was raining and visability was not good but I increased the RPM's to hopfully increase our speed.  I had forgot and left the plug in the dingy and it had about 15 gals of rain water in it slowing us down.  It was a slow worrisome 18 miles but we made it.  We met one of the nicest lock of bridge masters so far.  His name was Robert and I told him I wanted his job after this trip.  He said he was the junior man and had only been doing this job for 16 years.  I may have to put my application in quickly.  Part of the difficulties of having a single screw boat with no thruster is in certain applications you have no control of the stern of the boat.  Well guess who go their boat sideways in the lock. Robert handled it with grace.  He told me to go out of the lock and try again.  All of this in the pouring rain.  The lock only let us down 8', but Robert was talking to us the whole way, telling us what to see in Norfolk.  Sunday is usually a busy day on the water ways in the summer, but with the cool temps and rain we didn't see many pleasure craft.  We did see every kind of commercial vessel known to man, including a tow (tugboat) with a barge that went under a bridge at the same time we did.  I ask the Captain if he wanted me to back off and he said, "Naw, we got plenty room".  10 feet from the stern of my boat to the barge is not "Plenty Room" to me. Well lucky us, we arrived at the downtown marina just in time to witness a gaypride concert and rally.  It's hard to describe the things we saw.  I'll wait to tell you in person.  We will be here for a couple of days before heading up to Annapolis.  Pic is Robert the Lockmaster.