At The Helm The salt ships come into the ports for docking and unloading of sand and salt in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The crew will stay anywhere from three to four days so they may not only unload but to let the crew be able to walk around the town of Portsmouth and to gather whatever they need to make their trip home safe. As the ships are ready to leave port, tugboats are notified so they may guide the ships through the channels of the Piscataqua River and back out to sea for their journey home.