November 19, 2009
Aboard No Boundaries
This is our second day on the ICW. If it is typical, I am pretty sure I don’t want a lot more of it. The ICW is interesting and scenic, but there are challenges. Any way we go south has its challenges; each boat must choose its own way. I can’t imagine that we will do the ICW often.
We left Norfolk yesterday (11/18) and went as far as the Great Bridge. We traveled from Mile Zero to Mile Twelve. On that route, we almost missed our first bridge opening, but we barely squeaked through behind a barge. Then we immediately passed under our first fixed bridge at 65 feet. Oh, I of little faith, I could not look up. I remember so well the bridge on the C&D that I thought could not possibly be high enough. I know very well that if I look up at the mast as we approach the bridge, I will have a heart attack. I looked at the book in my lap and waited for the thud.
Fortunately, there was no thud. We have now passed under a couple more fixed bridges and still no thudding. The one at Coinjock actually has a gauge that displays the water level. If you believe it is properly placed, then you can believe that if it says “65” there must be 65 feet of clearance. Well, I believe, sort of, but I still do not look up.
The big problem today was the schedule, or lack thereof. Some bridges open according to the schedule in the guide book. Last night we tied up between the Great Bridge Lock and the Great Bridge. We chose to do that, because we knew there was really no good place to stop between Great Bridge and Coinjock, which is forty miles away. The fact that we had to wait until 8:30 for the first bridge past Norfolk meant that getting to or past Coinjock yesterday was an unrealistic goal. So this morning, we got prepared before 7AM, and the Great Bridge opened right on schedule. We were on our way.
However, we thought the Centerville Bridge would open on its posted schedule at 7:30AM, and so did other boats behind us. However, due to high water somewhere, the bridge opening was restricted to allow for extra traffic on the road, and we had to wait until 8:30 for the opening. It was impossible to simply sit still, the canal is narrow at this bridge, and the channel is narrower still. Outside the channel there is a risk of encountering stumps and snags and just plain shallow water. Four of us tap-danced there for an hour before the bridge opened for us.
The North Landing Bridge is undergoing construction work, and the bridge opens when the construction team says so. We waited there 45 minutes, and when the bridge opened, only one half of it swung away, leaving a very narrow passage. We slipped past, breathed a sigh of relief and moved on.
It was about 3PM when we finally arrived at Coinjock. It is a very tiny town in what looks like a very remote location. We continued south on the waterway to Buck Island, where we had planned to anchor. Buck Island is actually just a growth of marsh grass on a silty muddy shoal that happens to be more or less above water. There wasn’t a tree in sight. This location is almost the last spot to anchor before the long passage across Albemarle Sound. We eased into the little spot with a depth of 8 feet, more or less. In fact, we had to reset our depth alarm to 7 feet in order to have any peace. It took three tries to set the anchor satisfactorily, but once it dug in, we felt good.
As we reviewed our experience with the bridges and the waterway itself, we agreed that we get very tired of the limitations of the channel and the bridge schedules. Yet Buck Island Harbor could not possibly be more lovely. It is far from any human habitation, although hunters could be heard occasionally. Sunset over the marshes was spectacular, and after dark the stars were brilliant. We did have to contend with some mosquitoes, but our Off! candle dispatched them nicely. The ICW definitely has its own brand of charm.
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