WATCHING THINGS GO BY -- SEA & SKY

We walked during a lull in the rainstorm that has been bucketing down on California. You can tell by looking across the bay that something is coming this afternoon ...



But it's very pleasant right now.



Very few civilian craft are visible - high winds and rain are a deterrent to us, landlubbers. But they don't stop the Navy.



On water we spot the Zumwalt #1000, the lead ship in a new class of destroyers, and a very unusual craft.



We watch her maneuver in a haze of heated air


Zumwalt is 610 feet long and can maintain about 30 knots



Once envisioned as leader of a group of 32 ships, the fleet is now holding at just 3 of these vessels...



We hear a roaring in the sky and our attention turns toward North Island. I'm afraid someone else will have to give us the ID on this fighter; I couldn't make it out.



It looks lethal though.



I know this one is a dive bomber and can spot edible material from a tremendous distance ...



A Blackhawk or similar is landing on the helicopter pad, 



which draws my eye to the C5 or something like it, skulking on the runway.



which in turn leads us to the Coast Guard cutter slicing its way past. That huge black mark on the side is an exhaust pipe for the huge turbines inside. It signifies that unless you are in the Zumwalt, you probably can't outrun this 110ft ship! It runs on a cushion of air provided by large fans blowing under the hull, and can maintain about 30 knots for 1000 nautical miles.



This is a small outboard in a big hurry.



And this one has a trained dolphin on it, under that tent which keeps them from getting sunburned while being transported out to the training area offshore.



And finally, we see some security guards talking to some guys who have drifted onto the rocks.



A very exciting day at the bay! We watched a few boats moving around in a leisurely fashion. Number 51 is a rescue, recovery and salvage vessel appropriately named GRASP. Essentially a sea-going tow truck!



I can't ID the tug pushing this barge and crane across the bay. 



I know this beauty is an AXOPAR built in Finland; it's a dealer's demo boat probably taking a prospective customer for a cruise. I love these boats; if I was buying one it would be like this.



Mrs C hams it up at the Bali Hi, and informs me we are not buying a boat, a motor home, another sports car or any more watches. 🙁


Clouds thicken; the sky darkens.



And silently out of nowhere this cruiser slips behind us.



USS Dewey is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. Dewey is the 3rd Navy ship to be named after Admiral George Dewey, hero of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War. The ship is part of Destroyer Squadron 1 of Carrier Strike Group 1 whose flagship is aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Both call San Diego their home port. Dewey is 510 feet long and packs 100,000 shaft horsepower.



We say goodbye to the troops as it slides past, and turn for home.



when we see YET ANOTHER ship has snuck up behind us, this time on land. 



Time to head home for lunch.



Thanks for walking with us, and thanks to Vlad for the loan of this classy Seiko 5. Great hands!



Cazalea

PS - I forgot to say on our way home we found Bubba's Free Little Library alongside the road:


where my wife selected this nice US Navy Dictionary for me



so I will know the difference between a Foremast and a Frigate.



It's perfect reading for a rainy day like today (now).


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