Posts In The “North America East Coast” Category

On Board the CS Responder

On Board the CS Responder

In this 21st edition of the Dirona Technology Series, we get an opportunity to explore the CS Responder, a trans-ocean cable-laying ship operated by TE SubCom. TE Connectivity is $13.3B global technology company that specializes in communication cable, connectors, sensors, and electronic components. Their subsidiary TE SubCom manufactures, lays and maintains undersea cable. TE SubCom has a base in Baltimore…

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Annapolis

Annapolis

Annapolis is the capital of Maryland and has more 18th-century buildings than any American city, including the homes of the four Maryland residents who signed the Declaration of Independence. It also is home to the US Naval Academy, a four-thousand strong four-year officer training program. The campus, open for tours, is a National Historic Landmark…

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B&O Railway Museum

B&O Railway Museum

Baltimore is considered the birthplace of American railroading. The first regular passenger railway began here in 1830 from Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Mount Clare station. That station and its adjacent roundhouse now is the B&O Railway Museum, housing the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the country and one of the most significant collections of…

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Baltimore Views

Baltimore Views

The 178ft Washington Monument in Baltimore was completed in 1829 to honor George Washington. A 227-step climb to the top leads to a deck with sweeping city views. And if that isn’t enough, more great views can be had along the inner harbor from the top of Baltimore’s World Trade Center. Trip highlights from December…

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National Aquarium

National Aquarium

We’d been moored across from the National Aquarium for over a month and had passed the eye-catching facility many times. Part of the multi-story main building is glass-enclosed with waterfalls and jungles visible, and looks especially dramatic from the outside at night. We’d heard many great things about the aquarium, but James has been pretty…

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Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry

During the War of 1812, the British occupied and burned Washington in August of 1814. They next sent a 19-warship fleet to invade Baltimore, a key American trading port. Starting at 6am on September 13th, the fleet pummelled Fort McHenry outside Baltimore with over 1,500 rockets and mortar shells. Twenty-five hours later the British gave…

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Thanksgiving in Baltimore

Thanksgiving in Baltimore

One of the reasons we came to Baltimore was for a place to prepare for and attend the annual AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas. We ended up getting a lot of boat projects done too, as well as enjoy some real fall weather for our first Thanksgiving back in the US since leaving Hawaii…

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Baltimore Inner Harbor

Baltimore Inner Harbor

We were expecting Baltimore to have more of an industrial feel, but the Inner Harbor at least has been transformed from a commercial working harbor to a vibrant destination popular with locals and tourist alike. Restaurants, museums, parks and pedestrian walkways ring a harbor that is a constant hub of activity. And within walking distance…

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Newport to Baltimore

Newport to Baltimore

From Newport, RI we made a 350-mile 3-night trip from Newport, Rhode Island to Baltimore, Maryland. This run had more than the usual timing considerations. Frequent weather systems were in play this time of year. A front passed through the day after we arrived in Newport and another was expected 3-4 days later, but we…

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Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island bills itself as the “Sailing Capitol of the United States” and is where the America’s Cup races were held from 1930 until Australia won the cup in 1983. The area has additional significance to us because it is home to one of our favourite companies, KVH Industries, the supplier of our mini-VSAT…

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KVH Industries Factory Tour

KVH Industries Factory Tour

Long time readers of mvdirona.com know we love technology. In our around-the-world adventure, we have toured mines, ice breakers, cruise ships, mining truck manufacturers, and even spent time at the helm of a 5,000 hp ship-assist tug. The common thread of each of these adventures are companies applying leading-edge technology to deliver a great product…

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Salem

Salem

Salem, MA was the center of the Witch Hysteria that led to 20 people being sentenced to death in 1692. In the intervening few centuries, Salem has become considerably more welcoming to witchcraft, goblins and the supernatural. In fact, their month-long Halloween celebration likely is the largest in the nation and includes a parade, costume…

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Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth, NH

From Portland, Maine we continued south to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where we had a great stop at the excellent Wentworth Marina. We got another Amazon Prime fix, completed a few boat projects, toured the experimental submarine USS Albacore and explored the city of Portsmouth with its many pubs and restaurants. Trip highlights from October 21st…

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USS Albacore

USS Albacore

The Portsmouth Navy Yard, established in 1800, has a long shipbuilding tradition. The shipyard began building submarines during World War I, including the L-8, the first built by a US Navy yard. The yard produced seventy submarines during World War II, launching a record four in one day, and in the 1950s and 1960s built…

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Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine was recently ranked the top craft beer city in the world, and it shows. The city is full of craft breweries and pubs. We of course visited several during our stay, but also explored historic Fort Gorges and did a four-lighthouse and Fore River dinghy tour. Trip highlights from October 17th through 20th,…

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Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay Harbor is a popular summer tourist destination, but less so in October. By the time we arrived, most of the businesses were closed for the season, including the famous Boothbay Lobster Wharf. No matter. We enjoyed a walk through the quiet town, got a few boat projects done, and generally spent a relaxing couple…

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Belfast

Belfast

We stopped in Belfast, Maine because it was a convenient place to rent a car and drive to Bangor to have Jennifer’s surgical pin removed, and also because the docking rates there were much better than nearby Camden and Rockland. But we ended up having an excellent stay there and definitely would return. The marina…

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Bangor

Bangor

Bangor, Maine is the home of author Stephen King and the inspiration for the fictional town of Derry in several of his works. Bangor also is the location of the Eastern Maine Medical Center where Jennifer had an early-morning surgery scheduled to finally have the surgical pin removed from her shoulder. Rather than getting up…

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