January 8/08 Great Bridge Lock

A professional can make anything look easy

Up early again, as we wanted to make the 8:30 a.m. bridge opening in Norfolk. Along the length of the ICW there are bridges that are too low for us to pass under. Some will open for you on request, others, generally on busier roads, have scheduled opening hours. You really don't want to have to wait too long at a bridge for it to open. There usually isn't a lot of room to maneouver, and quite often there is a fast current. Still learning to handle our boat makes me really anxious at bridges!
But the engine squealed again on starting and needed immediate attention. After trying various things, Chris changed the alternator belt and it seemed to fix the problem. We ended up leaving Norfolk at about 11:30.
We took the eastern route of the ICW, the Dismal Swamp route being closed due to low water. We came north on the Dismal Swamp route, so it was interesting to return another way. The eastern route took us through the Great Bridge Lock. In a lock, once you enter the area, you wrap your lines around a cleat or bollard on shore. Then you hang on to the other end and loose or tighten it depending on whether your boat is rising or lowering in the water. The Great Bridge Lock has lock keepers to help you one one side, but on the other side you get no help. We opted for the side with the helpers, but realized afterwards that the other side had rubber edges and easy cleats, whereas the side where you get help was concrete and steel and barnacles!. The help was great, but I think the boat would have suffered less on the rubber side. This particular lock was there in order to compensate for the differences in tide between Albermarle Sound and the Chesapeake.
After having travelled 30 miles - not bad for such a late start - we anchored in Blackwater Creek, just south of Pungo Ferry. We were surrounded by bulrushes, with huge flocks of roosting cowbirds and grackles.